H.R. Kemp's Blog

Narrowing our experience.

This is my musings on finding a new read in teh age of algorithms and their narrowing of my focus.

2025 Writers Week Highlights.

Part 1 - Non Fiction Treasures In the Pioneer Women's Memorial Gardens, Adelaide Writer's Week presents thought-provoking discussions. I...

Starting with Dirty Money

Do you read fiction and wonder how much of it is based on true events? Or do you just immerse yourself in the story whatever it is?

At the writer’s festivals I’ve attended over the last few years, one of the most asked questions from readers has been ‘Is this real?’ or ‘Is this autobiographical?’

The answer often leaves it unclear. Identifying stories as fiction and nonfiction is not black and white. At the extremes are textbooks and fairy stories but in the middle, the stories can have varying degrees of truth embedded in them.

As a writer, I draw on my experience, knowledge base, and research from many sources, to give my stories and plots credibility. Why invent something when there are real-life examples I can draw on? But liking my stories to feel plausible or real doesn’t mean they are. I might borrow from reality, but my stories are fiction.

Does it matter?

Being a learner at heart, I love exploring topics I don’t know much about. I studied sciences (my first degree was in Chemistry) and I have maintained my sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. So it makes sense that one of my favourite reading genres is non-fiction. They're repositories of a wealth of knowledge that open the door to exploring a diverse range of topics.

When I first started writing Deadly Secrets, my research for one of the plot threads led me to a very interesting nonfiction book. I need to be careful to not give away any spoilers, in case you haven’t read Deadly Secrets yet, but the different case studies in this book offered one that I drew on for the details of my plot line and now, I’m dipping back into its pages to help with a plot line in a new story.

Reality provoked plot ideas.

I read the 2011 edition of Dirty Money: The true cost of Australia’s mineral boom, by Matthew Benns, many years ago and it still resonates.

It reads like a thriller novel, with stories about greed, corporate corruption, environmental destruction, and even murder. The only problem is, these stories are true.

Dirty Money: The true cost of Australia’s mineral boom (Greed, Pollution, and Murder) is an example of superb investigative journalism. It details numerous scandals and examples of corruption, exposing incident after incident involving mostly Australian mining companies and their partners.

The back cover says:

“Mining is a dirty business.”

“Mining companies are digging faster to rip a dwindling resource from our land. Watercourses are polluted, children are poisoned and conned farmers watch helplessly as methane bubbles in their waterholes.

Overseas, Australian miners push people from their homes and recruit corrupt governments to ruthlessly suppress those who dare to complain.”

Matthew’s book provides case studies spanning years and locations, exposing a shameful element in Australia’s corporate history, but one that most of us have either forgotten or paid no attention to. With chapter headings like: Death in the Congo; What the Frack!; Toxic Seas; and Gone Fission, you can see it covers many different events/scenarios.

Dirty Money sparked my interest which then led me to research additional information from other sources for the specifics and to learn more. It was a fascinating learning experience – one of my favourite things about writing the kinds of stories that I write. Although, I have to be careful not to disappear down the virtual ‘rabbit hole’ and forget to write the book.

For Deadly Secrets, the specifics and impact of one of the case studies formed the basis of a plot thread that I embellished to create the fictional story. Without giving any spoilers, the very real scandal helped me to create this fictional one.

A quote from an Amnesty International report

“The sheer scale of the impact XXXX created headlines around the world. More than 100,000 people needed medical assistance. “

“This is the story of a company putting profit over people and a community still waiting for justice and remedy.”

The tales of how big corporations avoid responsibility and wave away legitimate concerns are a great component of thrillers.

For a fascinating read about corporate and specifically mining/oil/gas company scandals, I recommend reading this book.

Admittedly, it’s hard to read how these companies cause environmental destruction and injury and illness to their workers and the communities around their operations, and then try to shirk all responsibility.

You’ll be surprised (maybe) and dismayed (I hope so) especially when it is still so relevant today.

Fiction made plausible

I have a library of nonfiction books waiting for my attention. I dip into them either purposefully when researching a plot, or because an issue interests me at the time. Reading them sparks my curiosity and imagination. Those ‘what-if’ questions crowd my mind as I read, so even if I wasn’t initially researching a plot, I often end up with a plot idea at the end. Not only do I learn about and understand these sometimes complex issues, but I’m challenged to expand my perspective.

Of course, these books enable my story plot lines to feel authentic. They enrich the story, but I also tinker and adapt the ‘facts’ to fit the story I’m writing. I use the facts to add layers to a fictional scenario.

So are my stories fiction?

Yes. Most definitely. They may be enriched by links to real scenarios, but they are not a reproduction of real-life events.

My favourite books as a reader have a social justice element and provoke thought. I enjoy fiction authors: John le Carre; Scott Turow; Gerald Seymour; and Peter Temple; to name a few. Their stories are laced with real-life experience which adds depth, but they also raise questions in the reader’s mind. At least, they do in my reader’s mind.

That’s also what I try to write. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I certainly have lots of questions. The act of writing is a way of exploring issues, taking on different perspectives and sometimes challenging my opinions.

Reading nonfiction books like Dirty Money helps me to add credibility, authenticity, and even a sense of possibility to the story.

I should add, the characters in Deadly Secrets are also fictional. I didn’t model them on the people involved in the scandal. As a general rule, I don’t use real people as the template for my characters. I may use individual personality traits or foibles I see around me, but they are cobbled together to create a character/personality that fits the story I'm writing.

Deadly Secrets is a stand-alone novel. It is a mystery suspense thriller with political intrigue, a dark conspiracy, and draws on several contemporary issues. Shelley is an ordinary person thrown into a situation that requires extraordinary courage. She is challenged to confront powerful forces to right a terrible wrong.

If a complex page-turner is your kind of read, then you might enjoy this book.

Click this link to purchase Deadly Secrets in eBook or paperback (or Hardcover) from your favourite online retailer: https://books2read.com/u/bzoZVZ

Available in audiobook soon.

Also Available

If you enjoy, Deadly Secrets, then I’m sure you will also enjoy my latest stand-alone mystery suspense thriller, Lethal Legacy.

Click here to purchase either eBook or paperback from your favourite online retailer: https://books2read.com/u/4jPQ5l

To subscribe to my newsletter and keep up to date, sign up here: https://www.subscribepage.com/signuptostayuptodate

Or visit my website www.hrkempauthor.com

PS

If you’ve read Deadly Secrets and are interested in the background for the specific scandal then google Trafigura Scandal or Minton Report. They are eye-openers.

Writing Believable Baddies - A Hornets Nest?

In my latest book, Lethal Legacy, I’m told by readers that the villain feels human. I’m not sure why, but male readers sometimes ‘like’ him while female readers usually don’t. I hadn’t written him to be likeable, just to be three-dimensional and real. I added his backstory and emotional issues to add perspective and to help understand some of his anger. But to me, that doesn’t make him likeable. Just understandable and human.

So, when I recently heard writing advice suggest writers make their antagonists not only believable but that the ‘bad guys’ needed to be likeable, it got me thinking.

I agree that characters need to be believable, which usually means making them three-dimensional and human, no matter if they are the hero of the story or the villain, but I wondered about the likeable part. The writing advice guru suggested that even Hannibal Lecter became an anti-hero by Movie number 3 – Hannibal Rising. Could that be true? I haven’t read Silence of the Lambs or seen the movies, but from what I’ve heard, this is unthinkable. I know it’s fiction, but still…

I did a little research about the book and the movies. One article confirmed that the Hannibal Lecter character became more of an anti-hero by the last film. It also provided an interesting critique and perspective.

You can read it here.

I write mystery suspense thriller novels with villains and everyday heroes and I want readers to enjoy my books. I also need to see justice in the stories I read and I’m OK with not liking the villains, actually, I’m more than OK with it.

Do readers of crime thrillers now need to like the villain in a story?

Let’s be clear. I find the notion of cheering for a serial killer unthinkable. It appals me. Again, I know it’s fiction but that doesn’t make it OK. I also want to see good triumph in stories, even if it’s not clear cut, I want the good guys to win. That means I need to be able to identify who the good guys are, and they can’t be serial killers.

Yet, there’s a trend in fiction to portray criminals as pseudo-heroes or anti-heroes. The bad-boy romances, the vigilante justice themes, and the revenge killers, all blur the lines of right and wrong. When they do this, they often also remove our sympathy for the victim. Even our heroes need to be flawed. It’s a troubling trend and raises lots of questions for me.

In the real world, victim blaming is a serious issue. I worry that we encourage this when we make our fictional baddies more acceptable, give them excuses, and sympathise with their motives.

All this musing about heroes and anti-heroes made me think about a novel I read some time ago. It disturbed me and as I read, I became more and more concerned about the messages the story sent.

Be Near Me by Andrew O’Hagan is a beautifully written book. It was a Booker Prize nominee. Many readers and reviewers have a very different perspective from mine. I may even be in the minority. I loved Andrew O’Hagan’s writing style, his lyrical way with words, his voice. In many ways, that’s what made my observations more worrying.

The story:

David Anderton, Father David, is a priest who moves to a small Scottish Parish. He is not accepted by the townsfolk partly because he's an outsider, was raised in England, studied at Oxford, and is worldly. He's also a Catholic priest who has moved into a predominantly Protestant area. His friendship with two local youngsters – delinquents- 15-year-old Mark and his friend Lisa, creates a problem. They steal, drink, and take drugs, and Father David, instead of providing moral guidance, encourages them.

Father David is learned but not wise. He is weak, self-indulgent, and self-centered but his character is written sympathetically. His grief and loneliness evoke pity especially when we learn that his mother is strangely aloof, his father died when he was young, and his lover died in their last year of University. Becoming a priest appears to have been an act of hiding and grieving.

If it weren't for my concerns about his interactions with the youths, I would have felt sympathy for him, although I found Father David hard to like.

The youngsters are written unsympathetically, especially Lisa. Their self-destructive behaviour and hedonism invite disdain, and despite their age, naivety, and lack of life experience, they are judged. They act tough but are strangely vulnerable and we never really learn who they are and the reasons for their behaviour. They aren't presented as victims and the reviews of this book make them the villains, the people who led Father David astray.

The townsfolk are portrayed as small-minded and their reaction to the central issue is shown as mob mentality, overreaction, and narrowmindedness. They are not likeable and their anger at the collapse of their community makes them harsh. Yet, in real life, I fear Father David’s behaviour would/should cause most parents concern.

Andrew O’Hagan has created a sympathetic main character in Father David (he’s the main character but to me, he’s the villain) and to me, the lyrical language made the priest's longings acceptable. But, in my opinion, he’s encouraging the reader to accept the unacceptable.

The next paragraph contains a spoiler, so if you don’t wish to know what happens, scroll past.

Spoilers Alert

I found this storyline reminded me of real-life serious issues. I know it’s fiction, but the plot is important and I fear it affects the way we judge those in positions of power and influence taking advantage of vulnerable youths.

Father David's relationship with Mark is presented as innocent, possibly love, but it could be described as grooming in today's terminology. Mark is 15 years old and he has little experience of life. Father David is 55 years old. The kiss, and Father David's confession that he would have gone further if Mark had agreed, are shocking. Yet reviews suggest Father David gained readers’ sympathy, not their anger. The reviews vilify the township and even the teenagers, but rarely the priest.

The questions this book raised for me.

This book and the idea of likeable villains made me think about how, in real life, people often sympathise with the perpetrator of crimes, especially sexual crimes. How difficult it is for victims to be heard and believed. The story demonstrates this well. The idea that a victim needs to be perfect, a model child, before being accepted as needing protection permeates this story.

The royal commission into the Catholic church and their protection of paedophile priests also made me think of the O’Hagan storyline and its reviews.

Cardinal Pell’s recent death stirred up confusing thoughts. It’s hard to watch the outpouring of sympathy for a man who stood by and allowed children to be abused, time and again, and yet did nothing. During his career, Pell maintained hardline views on same-sex marriage, homosexuality, abortion, contraception, euthanasia, the climate crisis, and women in the clergy, yet when asked about the reports of child sexual abuse within the church he said it 'wasn't of much interest to me.' A strange answer given his position and his vocation.

‘wasn’t of much interest to me.’

Does the likeability of a villain/perpetrator diminish the seriousness of a crime?

Does a victim need to be a model citizen to deserve our sympathy?

In real life, many paedophiles are charismatic. They groom children by ingratiating themselves into families and communities and by selecting vulnerable youth – those who are less likely to be believed. Paedophiles garner support and trust to the detriment of their victims.

Can being likeable encourage such an unshakeable belief in the person that even hard evidence can’t damage them?

The Australian Royal Commission exposed the Catholic Church’s protection of paedophile priests, but even today, some refuse to believe the outcomes of the commission.

So, do likeable antagonists, either in fiction or real life, make it harder to identify with the victims or feel sympathy for them?

In real life, real heroes can lose everything. I admire the Mildura police officer, Denis Ryan, who refused to ignore the allegations of child sexual abuse by priests (despite being directed to do so by his superiors). He continued to investigate, and as a result, he lost his job, was denied a pension, and continues to suffer. Graeme Sleeman, a principal of a Catholic School in Grafton, NSW, tried to protect children from the notorious paedophile Father Peter Searson and repeatedly begged the parish and archdiocese officials to act. He was dismissed. He lost his career and it destroyed his life. I’m sure there are others whose stories should be told. We see how they suffered despite being heroes who fought for justice and what was right.

The role of Fiction

My storylines draw on contemporary issues and my research means I am often delving into the big issues of the day. It can be depressing. The baddies sometimes win. People are not always held to account and not everyone gets justice. Life isn’t fair.

Is fiction a mirror of our society or should it be better and provoke thought?

I read because I want to see justice prevail. Reading crime fiction is a safe space. We know it’s not real, but it can stimulate thoughts about real life/events/situations. It can help us define our values and what we care about.

Many novels shine a light on troubling issues within our society, and I for one, thank those authors. Issues like these can be difficult to write about in a sensitive yet honest way, and they can attract much anger. I confess to getting angry at Be Near Me, but mostly because I felt I, the reader, was being led to sympathise with the perpetrator. The reviews suggest it did. I’m not sure if this was Andrew O’Hagan’s intention, after all, once a book is written, readers overlay it with their own interpretations. Does the author agree with the reviews and the sympathy for Father David, or was he trying to challenge the reader? I don’t know the answer.

What do you think?

Conclusion

I enjoy complex thought-provoking stories. I also enjoy stories that shine a light on moral dilemmas or ethical issues. Authors like Elliot Perlman, Peter Temple, Scott Turow, and John le Carre often highlight complex moral dilemmas within their novels.

This complexity can provoke thought about what is important and perhaps even challenge the reader to define what justice means to them.

In some cases, creating a likeable villain might be a step too far (depending on how serious the villainy is of course.) It may confuse understanding with justification.

Can we dismiss it as fiction and therefore not important?

Can we be sure Fiction doesn’t influence what society is willing to accept?

I’m not sure I have an answer but these are important questions.

What do you think?

If you are interested in Lethal Legacy - click here for more information.

If you would like to know more about Deadly Secrets - click here .

A New Author and a Great Memoir

I'd like to introduce Trudy Knowles, a wonderful author who I met through an online writing community, a few years ago, .

When I first wrote and edited my novel, Deadly Secrets, I joined an online community of readers and authors. It was a way to connect, gain feedback, and help me decide the next steps in my writing journey.

On this site, we shared our works-in-progress, inviting critiques and comments. One of the bonuses was that through this process, I discovered several authors whose work I greatly admire. Some have now published several books, and some are still working on it.

Trudy Knowles is of one of the authors whose work I admired.

I was privileged to be able to read Radishes and Red Bandanas before it was published and I highly recommend it.

About the Book:

Radishes and Red Bandanas is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1960s with the backdrop of the Vietnam War protests. As Becky sits with her son in a courtroom following his arrest during Occupy Wall Street, she thinks about her life at college forty years earlier. It’s 1967 and widespread resistance against the Vietnam War rocks college campuses. Becky abandons the security of her small Kentucky hometown to spend the next four years at Lake Forest College near Chicago.

In this coming-of-age novel, Becky confronts the political and cultural turmoil of the times—protests, demonstrations, occupations, riots, assassinations, drugs, and free-love. As a woman, she will never have to fight in a war she doesn’t believe in, but the draft comes to her in its hunger for her brothers, friends, and lovers. She watches their agonizing decisions—go to Canada, jail, or Vietnam. Time and again, Becky finds love and loses it.

Forty years later, Becky’s son follows in her footsteps. Interspersed throughout the novel are vignettes of her son’s protests and arrests during the Occupy Wall Street Movement as he fights for justice in the streets of New York City.

Radishes and Red Bandanas is a story about the redemptive power of love to heal in times of tragedy and about the importance of speaking out no matter the cost.

About The Author:

In 1967, Trudy Knowles left her small town in Kentucky and headed to Lake Forest College near Chicago. She attended class, studied, joined softball games on the campus green, hung out in Hixson Lounge, played her guitar under the trees, and became involved in the anti-war movement. In the spring of 1970, Trudy attended the college’s study-abroad program in Athens, Greece, intending to return to Lake Forest for her senior year. Instead, she embarked on a trip around the world, traveling with a friend in a VW van. When the van was sold in Kabul, Afghanistan, they continued their travels for two more years using public transportation. The trip transformed her life.

Trudy completed her degree at Centre College in Kentucky, earned her master’s degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and obtained her doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She was a professor of education for twenty-five years, retiring in 2016.

As an activist since the early sixties, Trudy still protests, marches, demonstrates, writes letters, and speaks out for peace and social justice. Her life motto comes from a bumper sticker she saw in upstate New York one day, “Dance with Reckless Abandon.” She does that every day.

Trudy lives in Westfield, Massachusetts, with her husband. She has five children and four grandchildren who are the lights of her life.

Learn more and buy here

To learn more about Trudy and her other books, or just to read her blogs, you can visit her website: ,https://www.trudyknowles.com/about

My Review:

5 stars - A popignant Story

This story transports the reader back to the heady days of the protests against the Vietnam war. We see the action through Becky's eyes and experience her wins and dramatic losses. The characters are expertly drawn and three dimensional, experiencing their good points and their flaws. This page-turner is beautifully written and reveals the intense struggle of this generation as they fought for what was right with protests and resistance. We're given a tally of the terrible soldier death toll which is a chilling reminder of the cost of war, the Vietnam war in particular.A wonderful, poignant drama.I was fortunate to get an advance copy and I highly recommend this book.

Check it out for yourself.

Thank you for reading

H.R. Kemp

Author of Australian mystery thrillers with suspense and intrigue.Lethal Legacy: https://books2read.com/u/4jPQ5lDeadly Secrets: https://books2read.com/u/bzoZVZ Subscribe here for my monthly newsletteror connect on: Website, Facebook page, Instagram:

A New Author and a Great Memoire

I'd like to introduce Trudy Knowles, a wonderful author who I met through an online writing community, a few years ago, .

When I first wrote and edited my novel, Deadly Secrets, I joined an online community of readers and authors. It was a way to connect, gain feedback, and help me decide the next steps in my writing journey.

On this site, we shared our works-in-progress, inviting critiques and comments. One of the bonuses was that through this process, I discovered several authors whose work I greatly admire. Some have now published several books, and some are still working on it.

Trudy Knowles is of one of the authors whose work I admired.

I was privileged to be able to read Radishes and Red Bandanas before it was published and I highly recommend it.

About the Book:

Radishes and Red Bandanas is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1960s with the backdrop of the Vietnam War protests. As Becky sits with her son in a courtroom following his arrest during Occupy Wall Street, she thinks about her life at college forty years earlier. It’s 1967 and widespread resistance against the Vietnam War rocks college campuses. Becky abandons the security of her small Kentucky hometown to spend the next four years at Lake Forest College near Chicago.

In this coming-of-age novel, Becky confronts the political and cultural turmoil of the times—protests, demonstrations, occupations, riots, assassinations, drugs, and free-love. As a woman, she will never have to fight in a war she doesn’t believe in, but the draft comes to her in its hunger for her brothers, friends, and lovers. She watches their agonizing decisions—go to Canada, jail, or Vietnam. Time and again, Becky finds love and loses it.

Forty years later, Becky’s son follows in her footsteps. Interspersed throughout the novel are vignettes of her son’s protests and arrests during the Occupy Wall Street Movement as he fights for justice in the streets of New York City.

Radishes and Red Bandanas is a story about the redemptive power of love to heal in times of tragedy and about the importance of speaking out no matter the cost.

About The Author:

In 1967, Trudy Knowles left her small town in Kentucky and headed to Lake Forest College near Chicago. She attended class, studied, joined softball games on the campus green, hung out in Hixson Lounge, played her guitar under the trees, and became involved in the anti-war movement. In the spring of 1970, Trudy attended the college’s study-abroad program in Athens, Greece, intending to return to Lake Forest for her senior year. Instead, she embarked on a trip around the world, traveling with a friend in a VW van. When the van was sold in Kabul, Afghanistan, they continued their travels for two more years using public transportation. The trip transformed her life.

Trudy completed her degree at Centre College in Kentucky, earned her master’s degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and obtained her doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She was a professor of education for twenty-five years, retiring in 2016.

As an activist since the early sixties, Trudy still protests, marches, demonstrates, writes letters, and speaks out for peace and social justice. Her life motto comes from a bumper sticker she saw in upstate New York one day, “Dance with Reckless Abandon.” She does that every day.

Trudy lives in Westfield, Massachusetts, with her husband. She has five children and four grandchildren who are the lights of her life.

Book Links:

Amazon Aust; https://www.amazon.com.au/Radishes-Red-Bandanas-Novel-1960s/dp/B0BF724G82/

US: https://www.amazon.com/Radishes-Red-Bandanas-Novel-1960s/dp/B0BF724G82/

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Radishes-Red-Bandanas-Novel-1960s/dp/B0BF724G82/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/radishes-and-red-bandanas-trudy-knowles/1142265383?ean=9798986724805

To learn more about Trudy and her other books, or just to read her blogs, you can visit her website and sign up for her newsletter: ,https://www.trudyknowles.com/about

My Review:

5 stars - A popignant Story

This story transports the reader back to the heady days of the protests against the Vietnam war. We see the action through Becky's eyes and experience her wins and dramatic losses.The characters are expertly drawn and three dimensional, experiencing their good points and their flaws.This page-turner is beautifully written and reveals the intense struggle of this generation as they fought for what was right with protests and resistance.We're given a tally of the terrible soldier death toll which is a chilling reminder of the cost of war, the Vietnam war in particular.A wonderful, poignant drama.I was fortunate to get an advance copy and I highly recommend this book.

Check it out for yourself.

Thank you reading

H.R. Kemp

Author of Australian mystery thrillers with suspense and intrigue.Lethal Legacy: https://books2read.com/u/4jPQ5lDeadly Secrets: https://books2read.com/u/bzoZVZ Subscribe here for my monthly newsletteror connect on: Website, Facebook page, Instagram:

Writing – Inspiring Nonfiction (cont)

The current political climate around the world provokes emotionally charged commentary and controversy. It feels overwhelming.

Real-life politics makes some readers avoid socio-political novels. Not me. I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction and pay attention to the news. It may cause me angst or deep concern but I think it’s important to keep paying attention. To stay vigilant. There’s a lot at stake.

I love the way fiction stimulates thought and offers a reader different perspectives. I also love how non-fiction informs and exposes real dilemmas. Both have distinct and unique benefits.

My novels draw on politics and incorporate real issues into their fictional plots. I’ve used several non-fiction books to help me flesh out my plot, add context and depth, and give my novels a plausible feel. In my last blog, I mentioned the excellent book Kickback by Caroline Overington which helped me formulate the starting point for Lethal Legacy. It’s fascinating reading. You can read it here.

Another true account that inspired me when I was first planning Lethal Legacy is The Weapons Detective by Rod Barton.

Rod Barton tells of his experience as a weapons inspector, highlighting the intricate mix of skills required, e.g. detective work, scientific analysis, and the ability to play mind games. His skills and unique expertise were sought out by the C.I.A., Canberra, and the UN.

I was particularly interested in his role as a principal investigator with UNSCOM and his invitation by Hans Blix to be a special adviser in the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq war.

Rod Barton offers real insight into the intelligence gathering leading up to the (illegal) war in Iraq, the game playing by the Iraqi regime, and the political pressure applied to investigators to confirm the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - which of course were never found.

This book gives a firsthand insight into what happened and Rod Barton can speak with authority and precision about the events that lead to that shameful chapter of Australian history.

It’s even more poignant as we watch the UN inspectors visiting the Russian occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the layers of intrigue, subterfuge, and misdirection clouding the facts.

Whistleblowers in Australia

My research for both Lethal Legacy and Deadly Secrets has highlighted the role of whistleblowers. Delving into their experience, I was in awe of their courage and sense of justice.

Whistleblowers perform an important public service. Exposing misinformation, corruption, or fraud comes at great personal cost. Official channels can be a stumbling block to justice. When inaction and cover ups persist, those whistleblowers who speak out publicly risk everything, their reputations, personal lives, and jobs. Yet, it’s the whistleblowers who become the target of abuse and vilification.

To hold our elected officials and corporate chiefs to account requires us to protect those who blow the whistle on corruption and fraudulent behaviour. How else can we learn about the wrongdoing?

A book I bought during the 2022 Writers' Week and haven’t yet read is Oil Under Troubled Water by Bernard Collaery.

I sighed with relief when our new Australian government announced it would not pursue the prosecution of the lawyer, Bernard Collaery. He acted for the whistleblower, Witness K, who exposed the Timor Leste Scandal.

In the Collaery and Witness K case, the government was severely embarrassed by the revelation that Australian agents bugged Timor officials' offices, especially when we learned that the information benefitted a private company and its commercial interests. Bernard Collaery endured years of legal wrangling with the previous government pursuing secrecy provisions and constantly submitting new (secret) evidence.

The previous Australian government threatened a number of whistleblowers with prosecution and jail. To our shame, there have been many issues exposed by Australian whistleblowers over the last few years and many of these scandals are still to be fully investigated. It remains to be seen what will happen to those still under a prosecution cloud but I hope fairness will prevail and those doing the wrong will suffer more severe consequences than those exposing it.

Writing Fiction

The exposés I read are sometimes unbelievable and not deemed plausible for a fictional plot.

As Lord Byron said (and has been repeated by many others)

“’Tis strange—but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction.” (Don Juan) 1823 Lord Byron

For me, the scheming and machinations of those in power are a good source of ideas for my thriller plots.

I’m particularly intrigued by the everyday person, who learns about fraud, corruption, and cover ups, and finds the courage to speak out. The notion of someone risking everything for the benefit of others or to uphold a principle is compelling. This altruism inspires me.

The plot for Lethal Legacy sprung from the political issues embroiling the Australian Wheat Board, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) scare campaign. Andrew Wilke was the Australian whistleblower who revealed the lie of WMDs in 2003. He was vilified and his reputation was blackened for daring to speak out.

Lethal Legacy was born.

Lethal Legacy: An Australian mystery thriller with suspense and intrigue.

He died but his dangerous secrets live on.

Her late husband’s secrets threaten her and those she loves. What did Laura’s husband know that others are prepared to kill for?

Laura, at fifty nine, turns amateur sleuth, probing the dark mystery involving his role in Iraq.

What was he researching? When she uncovers a high-level conspiracy, she knows silence won't keep her safe.

But, can she expose the truth and live?

Buy here

Deadly Secrets is an Australian political conspiracy mystery thriller with suspense and intrigue.

What unspeakable truths lurk beneath the lies?

Shelley, a public servant at the Department of Immigration, uncovers a high-level plot involving a powerful oil/mining company, asylum seekers, and outback communities. The government, perhaps even the Prime Minister, are involved. Can she expose the conspiracy and live?

Buy here

My website www.hrkempauthor.com has other blogs (musings) about my writing and my publishing experience.

Stay safe and well.

Congratulations to Lizzie Chantree

My friend and best selling author, Lizzie Chantree, is releasing her new novel, My Perfect Ex, on Monday.

Her books are full of romance, laughter and uplifting storylines. A perfect summer read (and for my fellow southern hemisphere readers - a good book to snuggle up with in a cozy spot).

I love reading a variety of genres, I choose the books I read according to my mood and interests at the time. It isn’t everyone’s preference, I know people who read exclusively in particular genres, but I like variety.

To be honest, I have difficulty selecting a favourite of almost anything. Besides liking variety in the books I read, even my crockery for everyday use is a collection of oddments – I get to choose a range of styles that I like and mix and match.

So for those of you you who read across genres, this might be the book for you.

My Perfect Ex

Join bestseller Lizzie Chantree for a wonderfully romantic, feel-good summer read.

Poppy Marlowe, a mental health advocate, moves into Cherry Blossom Lane to escape her past and build a future with her gorgeous, but troublesome, boyfriend, Dylan.

Dylan lives in the house across the street. But his reputation as a heartbreaker is legendary and Poppy reluctantly decides that she must walk away to protect her heart.

Poppy’s friends think she is perfect for go-getter Jared, who’s ready to step into Dylan’s shoes and whisk her into his glamorous world.

Taking a chance on happiness is harder than Poppy imagined. Can she let go of her past and allow herself to fall in love with the same man again, or should she step into the limelight and walk towards a life with someone new?

Can love find a way to bring them back together, or are they destined to go their separate ways?

Universal book buy link: My Perfect Ex: viewbook.at/MyPerfectEx

A little about Lizzie Chantree:

International bestselling author Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year. She writes books full of friendship and laughter, about women who are stronger than they realise.

She lives in Essex, with her family and writes stories about quirky businesses and the romantic escapades of the women who run them.

Lizzie's Social media links:

Website: www.lizziechantree.com

Author page: https://www.viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizzieChantree/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/

Check out her other books too.

Coming soon

Lethal Legacy is on preorder now.

This Australian conspiracy thriller has suspense and intrigue.

When Innocent questions have dangerous answers.

Laura’s husband, Tom, dies suddenly. That same night, an intruder steals files relating to Tom's previous company’s Iraqi operations from his office. What were they looking for?

She's fifty-nine and turns amateur sleuth, uncovering a dangerous conspiracy involving organized crime and corporate corruption. 

Staying silent won’t keep her safe.

Lethal Legacy

Writing – How reality sparks fiction.

I often read non-fiction books to help me learn about and understand complex issues. I pick topics that either puzzle or intrigue me. As a reader I like to expand my perspective and as a writer, I search for the elements that will make my plot-lines plausible although not to mimic reality.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I pay attention to politics more than is good for my health, which means there is often a political theme in my reading. I’m not interested in the politicians themselves, or their careers, so I don’t read autobiographies or biographies.

What interests me is the way politics, politicians, and their policies influence the lives of ordinary people. The impact their ideology has on the disabled, the elderly, education, health policy, the environment and more.

I can’t escape from applying my own values and making judgements about what I think is right or wrong, however, I can honestly say I try to understand where a point of view comes from. But, understanding doesn’t mean agreeing. It's difficult to be a disinterested party.

I’m dismayed by how the media is so often full of opinion pieces pushing a particular point of view, rather than reporting facts and arguments based on reason. They don't try to promote understanding but rather try to convince or force a particular opinion on readers. Our local paper doesn’t even explain the credentials of those writing opinion pieces. It doesn’t tell the reader about the person’s role or why they’ve been asked to write the column and doesn’t identify their biases, belief base, or vested interests. For me, these are critical for evaluating the information. I’m sure we can all see that the slant of an article on smoking would be different if you were a tobacco company executive, or a lung cancer sufferer, or even a scientist studying the effects of smoking.

Reality can provoke plot ideas.

I read Kick Back: Inside the Australian Wheat Board scandal, by Caroline Overington, many years ago and it left a big impression. I’d read newspaper articles when the scandal was first exposed, but reports left much unexplained. This book gives a comprehensive account of the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) scandal, how it unfolded, and the public and political response.

It reads like a thriller novel, the only problem is, it's true.

Kick Back: Inside the Australian Wheat Board scandal, by Caroline Overington, is an example of superb investigative journalism and lays bare the machinations that led to an Australian agribusiness rorting the UN oil-for-food program by including an illegal transport component which would funnel more than $AUD290m to Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime over fewer than 4 years.

The AWB not only undermined the intent of the oil-for-food program, they also channelled money to Saddam Hussein during a time that Australian, the USA, and the UK leadership were talking up weapons of mass destruction and threatening to wage war. In fact, the money flowed to Saddam Hussein right up until the day Australian troops were sent to Iraq.

Caroline’s book explains:

- Who planned it?

- How it was allowed to happen?

- Who is to blame?

- What is the real cost of one of the world’s biggest swindles?

It’s a shameful episode in Australia’s history, and one that many people have forgotten but shouldn't.

The Howard government was repeatedly warned that AWB was up to its neck in corruption but took no action. And when the scandal was finally uncovered, Prime Minister John Howard, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer, and Trade Minister Mark Vaile denied all knowledge of the scam.

The resulting enquiry laid the blame at the feet of one employee of the AWB.

This book is worth reading, still. It will surprise and dismay you. It lays bare the political processes designed to preserve careers and status, while dodging responsibility and obscuring the truth.

Books like this build a case for public to stay vigilant and hold our politicians to account. Something I’m passionate about. Without keeping our ears and eyes open, without protecting whistleblowers, almost anything is possible, and not in a good way.

Politics seen through a prism.

I often encounter people who dismiss politics as boring or even irrelevant. They’re too busy with their every-day lives, earning a living, raising children, or even, just having fun. The complexity of current issues means it can take dedication to get to the crux of an issue. Simple answers or solutions are tempting. For me, politics, policy, and government ideology, need to be scrutinised and politicians need to be held to account. It’s important but I admit it’s not easy.

Books like Kick Back can be depressing. It shines a light on the insular behaviour that endangers the wellbeing of others while the politicians shirk all responsibility. It's hard to read. But turning a blind eye endorses that behaviour. Just because it’s uncomfortable or challenges our loyalties doesn’t mean we shouldn’t challenge the behaviour. Sometimes we have to face up to the truth.

I write conspiracy thrillers. My writing draws on contemporary issues. It's an outlet and a way to investigate issues more thoroughly. My themes are usually about ordinary people being asked to summon extraordinary courage to challenge a terrible miscarriage of justice. It's about being vigilant and paying attention to what is happening on the political front. It applies to those who stoke fear and unrest for their own vested interests too, not just politicians. After-all politicians are not the only ones who play politics.

My personal beliefs revolve around caring about others and the environment. I believe as a society we need to protect the vulnerable and work together for the benefit of all. These underpin my life and of course, my writing.

Fiction made plausible

As a writer, I learned a lot about the situation in Iraq, the war, and its destabilising effect on that country from reading Kick Back. It sparked ideas for plot lines. Scandals. corruption, power, and the characters that became embroiled in the saga stoked ideas and from these ideas, grew the plot for my next novel, Lethal Legacy.

Lethal Legacy is fiction.

The characters are not real and don’t portray real people. I didn’t model them on the people involved in the AWB scandal. As I read Kick Back, my overactive imagination kept asking what if? questions, and although I’ve mentioned the AWB situation as a backstory issue, it’s a jumping point. The plot of Lethal Legacy then diverges into its own intrigue.

My main character, Laura, is married to Tom who worked for a company that partnered the AWB and used similar methodology to gain a trade advantage. The story then moves on into my fictional plot.

Cover reveal

Lethal Legacy is an Australian conspiracy mystery thriller with intrigue and suspense.

It's a stand-alone novel.

It will be released on 8 April.

My previous novel

If you enjoyed, Deadly Secrets, then I’m sure you will also enjoy Lethal Legacy.

If you haven’t yet read Deadly Secrets, it also draws on current issues for its multi-layered plot. You can purchase Deadly Secrets in eBook or paperback (or Hardcover) from your favourite online retailer using this link: https://books2read.com/u/bzoZVZ

If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter, and keep up to date, you can do that here: https://www.subscribepage.com/signuptostayuptodate

Or visit my website www.hrkempauthor.com