Today is my stop on the blog tour for Eyes Turned Skywards by Ken Lussey. I have an interview with the author today and if you like the sound of that, you can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews.
Here's what it's all about...
This novel reflects on the rumours and theories surrounding a number of real-life events, including the death of the Duke of Kent and the aircraft crashes of Short Sunderland W4032 and Avro Anson DJ106.
Wing Commander Robert Sutherland has left his days as a pre-war detective far behind him. Or so he thinks. On 25 August 1942 the Duke of Kent, brother of King George VI, is killed in northern Scotland in an unexplained air crash; a second crash soon after suggests a shared, possibly sinister, cause. Bob Sutherland is tasked with visiting the aircraft’s base in Oban and the first crash site in Caithness to gather clues as to who might have had reason to sabotage one, or both, of the aircraft.
Set against the background of a country that is far from united behind Winston Churchill, and the ever-present threat from the enemy, we follow Bob as he unravels layers of deceit and intrigue far beyond anything he expects.
Are you ready for that interview?
First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?
I spent my first 17 years following my
family – my father was a Royal Air Force navigator – around the
world, a process that involved seven schools and a dozen different
postal addresses. I went to Hull University in 1975, spending my time
there meeting my wife Maureen, hitch-hiking around Great Britain, and
doing just enough actual work to gain a reasonable degree in that
most useful of subjects, philosophy.
The next step seemed obvious. I
researched and wrote A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to Great Britain,
which was published by Penguin Books in 1983. The urge to write never
left me. Eyes Turned Skywards, published by Fledgling Press
was my first novel and The Danger of Life my second.
Do you write full time & if so,
have you always done this?
No. When I’m writing it tends to be
for fairly intensive periods, but it’s never been and probably
never will be a full-time occupation. For me, the process of thinking
about a book, developing ideas and doing the research can take much
longer than the writing itself. Apart from anything else, I also help
my wife Maureen run the tourism website Undiscovered Scotland.
Do you have a particular writing style
or genre that you prefer to write?
The answer has to be no. My first book
was non-fiction and my two published novels are historical thrillers
set in Scotland during World War Two. There are two more in the
series of WW2 novels completed, but like everything else, the
question of how they will emerge into the light of day will have to
await the world's return to something closer to normality. I’ve
also written two contemporary thrillers that will probably need more
work in a post coronavirus world; and I’m currently working on a
young adult novel set in Scotland during the isolation and social
distancing brought on by coronavirus. I’m writing it with advice
and input from my 10-year-old grandson Alistair.
How do you develop your characters as
you write, are any of them based on real people?
I collect stories that interest me
about real historical people and some of them do find their way into
my books. The two central characters in my thrillers set during World
War Two both take as their starting points parts of the stories of
real people.
What was the inspiration behind your
book?
It was when I stumbled across the
real-world story of the crash of the flying boat carrying the Duke of
Kent, the king’s younger brother, on a remote hillside in Caithness
in August 1942 that the idea of Eyes Turned Skywards began to
coalesce into something tangible.
What is your writing process-do you
plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?
It takes me a long time to produce a
general idea and a sense of what the book’s about; where it starts;
and where it needs to end. The background research then takes a lot
of effort, especially for a historical thriller where I need the
details to feel exactly right to the reader. Then I set off on the
writing itself, which is as much a voyage of exploration for me as I
hope the result is for the reader. I try to stay mentally a chapter
or two ahead of myself. But most ideas emerge from the process of the
writing itself. I simply couldn’t produce a detailed plan and then
stick to it: but I know that works for some writers.
How much of you is reflected in your
writing?
Probably more than I’d be comfortable
with if I thought about it too deeply!
What kind of research did you have to
do before/during writing behind your book?
My World War Two thrillers require a
huge amount of detailed research to try to get them feeling just
right. That involves online and book research into the history and
geography, backed up by detailed step by step checking on the ground:
which can be a challenge nearly eight decades after the books are
set. Because of the way I write, I will usually have to make a second
trip after the first draft is complete, to check the detail of the
locations I actually used, not just those I intended to use.
How much attention do you pay to the
reviews that you get?
I suspect I’m in the majority of
writers who care a lot about feedback from reviewers and readers.
Are friends and family supportive of
your writing?
How do you feel leading up to your
publication day?
Nervous!
Which other authors inspire you or are
there any you particularly enjoy reading?
Many: probably too many to list, but
I’d start with Richard Bach, Arthur Ransome, Tolkein… and on and
on.
Finally...what are you working on right
now?
I’m currently working on a young
adult novel set in Scotland during the isolation and social
distancing brought on by coronavirus. I’m writing it with advice
and input from my 10-year-old grandson Alistair.
About the Author
Ken Lussey spent his first 17 years following his family - his father was a Royal Air Force navigator - around the world, a process that involved seven schools and a dozen different postal addresses. He went to Hull University in 1975, spending his time there meeting his wife Maureen, hitch-hiking around Great Britain, and doing just enough actual work to gain a reasonable degree in that most useful of subjects, philosophy. The next step seemed obvious. He researched and wrote A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to Great Britain, which was published by Penguin Books in 1983. An inexplicable regression into conformity saw him become a civil servant for the next couple of decades, during which time he fulfilled the long-held ambition of moving to Scotland. In more recent times he has helped Maureen establish the website Undiscovered Scotland as the ultimate online guide to Scotland. Eyes Turned Skywards is his first novel.
Thanks so much to Ken for stopping by the blog today.
Thanks so much for being part of the tour!
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