Chris Allen's Blog, page 2

Technology shifts power back to authors

What a great Christmas surprise to see this news story televised on ABC TV around Australia - highlighting Chris's publishing journey to date and growing momentum.

“If you’re reading a book this Summer, chances the author faced an uphill battle getting published... But technology is shifting that power back towards authors, and publishers are taking note.

James Bond and the books of Ian Fleming got Chris Allen hooked on adventure. He began a paratrooper, serving in Australia and overseas. Using his life on the edge, and the characters he met as inspiration, he wrote a book about an Australian action hero.”

— Nick Dole, ABC TV
Watch the interview on ABC below

And you can pick up the latest Chris Allen Intrepid read here on Amazon.

 












Helldiver: The Alex Morgan Interpol Spy Thriller Series (Intrepid 4)

By Chris Allen






 

Keep Moving Forward

This post first appeared on Reading Kills blog.

So, I was going to put together a few words about my writing process but then I started thinking about why I approach the books the way I do, particularly the central character – Alex Morgan. After all, before you work out how you’re going to write something – the process – you need to be clear about who or what you’re writing about. Writing in the Crime/Thriller/Espionage arena, I’m sometimes asked about why I don’t equip Morgan with all the latest high-tech gadgets and weaponry.

The simple answer is - I don’t want to.

I guess the fundamental construct of my Alex Morgan character is based on the premise that I wanted to present a hero who – in each and every story - has to overcome overwhelming adversity and, ultimately, triumph over it. To achieve that I regularly put Morgan up against seemingly impossible situations without the ability to immediately resort to the use of the latest technology or hardware to get himself out of trouble. That’s quite deliberate on my part. 

There are already a number of really great writers like Andy McNab, Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy who have very successfully created stories imbued with the latest tech and/or field craft. When I developed the Alex Morgan and Intrepid concept I made a conscious decision to strip back the resources available to the agents so that they were forced to rely mostly on themselves not weapons or tech.

In fact, I spell this out very early in the first book DEFENDER when Arena Halls is commenting on Intrepid during a conversation with her boss, Abraham Johnson in Chapter 9:

“I understand the general’s known to run it old school, sir. Sends his agents out with the maxim ‘live by you wits’. He’s not keen on modern gadgets, or technology in the field... No fan of the modern ‘techno-spooks’, as he calls them.”

— Arena Halls

So, you see, this was a deliberate choice I made. The idea originally came from the Vietnam veterans who trained me as a young soldier and later as a young officer. They would regularly reinforce that all they had to rely on was their rifle and their mates. So, I simply wanted to honour that in the construct of the characters and stories I created.

Of course, in addition to all that, it is my job as an author first and foremost to entertain. 

I set out to put the reader right there with the characters – imbedded in the action - to, hopefully, feel as though they are living the experiences I am describing as they read. I set out to provide an escape from normal life, particularly for the majority of readers who have never had the experiences of ex-soldiers or law enforcement people.

For example, if Alex Morgan simply emerges from out of nowhere and takes out all the villains with a silenced automatic then the action would be over and done with within the matter of a paragraph. There would be no confrontation. No odds to overcome. No contest to test the hero’s mettle. How do we know what he’s really capable of unless we take him to the brink of his own mortality? And if we don’t know the answer to that question, why would he be worth our effort and loyalty?

Books are all about pace and excitement - to keep the story interesting and propel the reader through the pages. Our protagonist needs to be taken to the brink, allowing the reader to contemplate the very decisions the protagonist  has to make that ultimately see them prevail or fail. All of the uncertainty and anxiety that the reader experiences in wondering whether or not the hero will survive an altercation, solve a crime or somehow beat the odds are fundamental to the readers enjoyment of the story.

I suppose there's a bit of the Rocky Balboa approach to what I expose Alex Morgan to in my stories and I believe that’s why readers enjoy the stories:  

“But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward.”

— Rocky Balboa

Helldiver, the fourth book in the Intrepid series, is out today – and you can find more out here.

Steve Vincent's Top Five for Thriller Readers

This week we hear from my author mate Steve Vincent on his top five for thriller readers. Take it away Steve...

I’ve never been a ‘favourite’ kind of guy. I can’t name an absolute favourite movie or book or song or travel destination, but instead enjoy a wide variety of all of these (and other) things. This puts me at a natural disadvantage when trying to write blog posts on the topic.

My own writing is a good example of this. The themes my Jack Emery series covers vary widely in scope. The Foundation deals with the concentration of the media, the power that unelected individuals can wield, and the chaos both can cause in certain circumstances. State of Emergency deals with the extent to which laws can be enacted and freedoms curtailed in order to defeat terrorism, and the risks in doing so. The newest, Nations Divided (released 10 December), is about the lengths some individuals and groups will go to in order to win, and the potentially shattering consequences of their actions. Each theme is different, fun to write about and important to me.   

Yet in writing this post I did want to think about the books or authors in the thriller genre that have influenced me or had an impact on me when I read them. This isn’t a list of the best books, but instead are books that I consider important markers on the road through the genre. Of course, I could cheat and simply tell you to read all of the books written by my friends in the industry, such as Chris’ Intrepid series, but I’ve decided not to. Instead, the list contains five books I think are important contributions to both my own writing and the genre more broadly. Plus, they’re great reads.

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy

Not the best thriller, and probably not even the best Tom Clancy novel, but this was where my love affair with political and conspiracy thrillers began. I read a much-loved copy that belonged to my uncle when I was a teenager and went on to read each and every Jack Ryan novel written by Clancy. My main character was named Jack partly as a nod to Jack Ryan, who I grew up loving.  

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The granddaddy of thrillers and hard-boiled crime. It has mind-meltingly good writing, a really tough and uncompromising plot, a flawed and complex hero, and dashes of humour. There's a reason this has been adapted to screen so many times. Not even Bogart could fully realise the brilliance of this book. In a crowded genre, it’s a standout.

 The Firm by John Grisham

Before we knew John Grisham was all lawyers all the time, this tight and compelling page-turner stood out to me. It showed me that you could write great books in a white-collar world, but still fill those books with characters every bit as brutal and scary as gangsters and serial killers. It’s a fun and fantastic book.

 Fatherland by Robert Harris

A wonderful crime novel set after the Second World War, the only difference being the Nazis won and Adolf Hitler is in charge of most of Europe. A British detective works a murder case, but learns a whole lot more about an international plot to cover up the Holocaust. This book has great characters, a great plot and an incredible setting all in one.

 The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre

Similar to Clancy, it’s hard to pick one book by the British master of the Cold War thriller. The Constant Gardener is mostly set in an Africa that is ravaged by aids and being fought over by politicians and companies. This book was sharply different to Le Carre’s Cold War thrillers, but was both highly entertaining was very informative.

 Steve P. Vincent is the author of the Jack Emery series of political thrillers – The Foundation, State of Emergency and Nations Divided. Connect with him on the web, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.

 

Contact TV Interview with thriller author Chris Allen

This November, CONTACT TV broadcast its first ‘Scope’ – a live video broadcast on Periscope – with a live interview at home with Chris Allen, action writer and creator of the bestselling black-ops Interpol / Intrepid series.

During the live broadcast, there was one viewer question we didn’t get to.

During our discussion around self publishing and engaging with an on-line community, @bobcrawshaw (who runs Maine Street Marketing) asked, “How did you find that on-line community?”

Chris responds:  "I think the online community actually found us. What I mean is that by sharing enough background about my service history and the premise around which the book was developed, it seemed that the extended service and ex-service network made the connection quite naturally and then got on board. I think the most important aspect that I’ve learned from Sarah in regard to interaction online, is that we made all (well, most) of our online messaging as conversational as possible – avoiding the hard sell that so many authors tend to resort to. I really believe that approach appealed to the service community. Bringing people along with how I got to be a writer (albeit a very new one!) seemed to resonate a lot more with people than trying to flog the book itself. This is as true today as it was four or five years ago. For instance, I get a lot more engagement online when I share flashback photos from my career or an anecdote about an experience I’ve had, rather than any posts that may be specifically book related. It’s weird!"

You can watch the Interview on Contact TV below.

The ghosts in Spectre

There’s a lot of conjecture at the moment around whether or not Spectre is a great or a not so great Bond film.

I went in with mixed feelings based on many of the reviews and comments I was seeing online. And for those who don’t know me, I’m a die-hard Bond fan, Fleming first – movies second. So I have high expectations of each of the films and I must say on this occasion, I was not disappointed.

Here’s what I liked about it.

The thing that people liked so much about Daniel Craig when he was brought on in 2006 with Casino Royale – is that he took the character of Bond right back to his roots. He was an unrelenting, blunt instrument which is exactly the intention that Fleming had for the character when he created Bond back in the 1950s. 

What they’ve done with Spectre is very cleverly woven into Craig’s presentation of Bond, much of the iconography of the character that people have been enjoying for over 50 years. Traditionally all the other films have relied on five key elements to connect them: the dinner suit; the Walther PPK; the vodka martini; the fast cars and of course, the women. Add to that some megalomaniac criminal mastermind, hell-bent on world domination and you’re all set.

What they’ve achieved in Spectre with – I thought – great subtlety as well as great respect for the legacy of the films, was the referencing of a number of scenes, themes and elements from across the palette of the Eon Productions series dating back to the very first film, Dr No, starring Sean Connery.

– There’s the scene in Dr No when Bond and Honey are received as guests at Dr No’s lair – this is replicated in Spectre when Bond and Madeleine Swann are similarly received by Blofeld. 

– The contemporary take of Craig’s Bond in Tangier in 2015 is almost identically dressed and styled with dark shirt and beige jacket to Timothy Dalton’s Bond in Tangier in 1987 in The Living Daylights.

– The train journey that Bond and Madeleine take references a number of things, most notably the white dinner jacket which we first saw in Goldfinger, and only a couple of times since.

– And of course – the fight sequence between Craig’s Bond and Hinx on the train is a direct hat tip to Connery’s Bond and Robert Shaw’s Grant in From Russia With Love in 1963, and even albeit less comically Roger Moore’s Bond and Richard Kiel’s Jaws in The Spy Who Loved me in 1977.

– Blofeld’s surveillance control room in Spectre is a contemporary take on Hugo Drax’s space centre control room from Moonraker in 1979. 

– And finally, there’s the white cat, the Hildebrand reference and of course how Blofeld got his facial scar that was so much a part of Donald Pleasant’s Blofeld in You Only Live Twice in 1967. And many, many others.

If you go into a Daniel Craig Bond – you expect a certain thing. I’ve learned since Casino Royale in 2006 to expect a brooding, lonely individual who is struggling to come to terms with loss and disappointment despite the fact that he is supposed to be a blunt instrument, last resort capability for his government. 

In this regard, I was not disappointed.

Coupled to that, all of these historic references throughout the film to the legacy of the series and I came away feeling thoroughly entertained.

But let me qualify that.

The storyline can be disappointing because Bond is a huge character and the fact that Spectre boils the entire catalogue of Bond’s most recent missions down to nothing more than a demented, former childhood friend taunting him from a distance, all the danger and intrigue has been little more than a squabble between a couple of spoiled brats.

At that to me is the major let down in that thematic element and I believe that is what has left people with a less-than-favourable reaction to the film. It’s almost like, at the time you’re enjoying it, but there is an aftertaste that is ultimately not satisfying and that is how they have framed Bond’s recent history. A little bit like eating junk food on an impulse – tastes pretty good at the time, but you'll feel unsatisfied soon after.

Who will be the next Bond? Where will they take the series next to breathe new life into it? And where does a series and agency like Intrepid fill the gap and answer questions of how we might better fight international crime in today's context?

Only time will tell.

Chris Allen’s latest heart-stopping thriller is out on the 26th of November. If you like Bond, you’ll love Helldiver. Grab a copy now!

This post was first published on the Momentum Books blog. 

Lest We Forget

Pulling on a uniform has been a very big part of my life. I’ve served in the Australian Army, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Protective Service and in 2008 was appointed Sheriff of New South Wales. I’ve been attached to the New Zealand Army and the British Army and I’ve served alongside soldiers of various other nations. On days like today, Remembrance Day, while I take time to reflect on how my service has shaped me, my most important consideration is to reflect on how military service has impacted others. Specifically, I refer to our veterans and their families.

It’s no secret that the past fifteen years have seen a new generation of young people all around the world exposed once again to the same horrors of their forebears who saw action in the Great War. It’s tragic to see young veterans bearing the same physical injuries and disfigurement that we thought we’d put an end to in the war to end all wars a hundred years ago.

Clearly, we didn’t. Just as in the aftermath of that war and many wars since, there are as many young veterans returning home with the wounds we can’t see. Of course, their families know only too well that while the veteran may not have returned with obvious physical trauma, the mental trauma they carry continues to have a devastating effect.

Today, Remembrance Day, our Prime Minister was engaged by a number of charities that have emerged in response to the need to look after our returned veterans. I trust that the doors providing access to the Prime Minister will not now be gently closed behind him but will in fact remain open for veterans groups to continue the dialogue. After all, when any nation elects its citizens to high office to represent them, and those elected citizens make decisions committing a generation of brave young people to be put in harms way on our behalf, is it not then our obligation to thank them unreservedly when they return by taking care of them, no matter what? Yes, it is.

I have the great privilege of being the inaugural ambassador for a new charity called Veterans’ Off The Streets Australia. When I approached VOTSA and asked what I could do to assist, the role of ambassador was suggested and I was honoured to accept. The reason that this particular charity caught my attention was quite simply that I could not fathom that we would have, in 2015, men and women who have been protecting us and taking incalculable personal risks in our name, returning home so damaged from the experience that they could fall off the grid and disappear into the systemic abyss of homelessness.

I mean, how can we line our streets on days like Anzac Day and the equivalent veterans days around the world, knowing that there are thousands of our veterans living rough, scavenging food from bins on our streets in desperate need of the care and respect of the society they have willingly served and sacrificed everything for, when every one of them should be marching alongside their comrades, receiving the cheers and praise of a grateful nation.

Today while you are giving thought to your family members or close friends who may have served, or even if you’re contemplating your own service, please spare a moment for those who have fallen off the grid and are sleeping rough tonight and every night. If you’re so inclined, please contact VOTSA or the equivalent charity where you live, and make a donation. Every cent counts. And, if you’d like to offer your time to becoming an ambassador, then let them know. It’s really just about spreading awareness; the more of us who know about this, the more we can do together to help out.

Lest we forget.

 














 

Image credit: military.com

DEFENDER MUSIC VIDEO

Flashback Friday

In 2011, legendary Aussie rock band Bullethead released the extended version of their popular song 'Promise Made' as a tribute to the black-ops Interpol Intrepid agents, otherwise known as Defenders, or defenders of the faith.

This high-octane video film clip interprets some of the book's meatier scenes in Defender and now has more than 100,000 enthusiastic views on Chris's YouTube Channel!

Watch it here.

Defender tribute soundtrack by Bullethead, 2011

Thanks to everyone from Bullethead for their support over the years, but especially for this tribute video back when Chris was publishing his first Alex Morgan adventure.

Rock out...

Sound of an adventure

Have you ever read a book and noticed the music that appears throughout the story?

The music tracks that appear in Defender and Hunter are no accident: each song and artist was selected to help set a particular scene, and say something about the characters appearing in that chapter.

Here's a couple of Spotify playlists to listen to the music that appears in in each book, one for each story Defender and Hunter. From Australian rockers The Living End to French crooner Madeleine Peyroux; legendary blues player Eric Clapton to pop sensation Lily Allen; and from composer Khatchaturian to jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, there's something for almost everyone.

Eric Clapton.

Listen to the Defender soundtrack on Spotify here. 

Listen to the Hunter soundtrack on Spotify here. 

Got a musical suggestion for an upcoming story? Let Chris know here. 

All What You Should Know About Making An Entertainment That Will Deserve Remembering

Amusement is a feeling of desire on your own as well as others. Every people could be amused along with delight others. Enjoyment or entertainment resembles a two-way website traffic. If you are entertained, you need to likewise amuse others in order to make it worthwhile of committing to memory.

There is a lot of home entertainment everywhere, from others, from you and from nature. But why are we most of the times not amused by these things or fail to realize the amusement had in them. We hesitate or contradict it by spreading it to others. We always intend to be amused, however we do not wish to be a medium through which others can be uplifted via enjoyment. We consistently seek entertainment instead a method to be captivated. If we only intend to get, yet fail to offer, just how do we believe such amusement can have footprints in our life and or the life of others? Keep in mind that it is consistently far better to hand out than to receive.

Making home entertainment an unforgettable occasion in your life entails one straightforward inquiry. Ask yourself: do I really wish to initially, delight others and second of all amuse myself, and or do I wish to make this occasion remarkable? A real answer to this concern will certainly be the definitive factor in your life. If your solution is in the negative, then be given surety that you will certainly never be required to be captivated as well as you will never ever see the worth of home entertainment in anything you do. Desist from being a social eunuch. However when you allow the easy and also just fact that you do wish to obtain others very captivated, not also minding if you obtain on your own amused, you will understand numerous points in your life. Every circumstances of entertainment made by you came to be a remarkable occasion, as well as an event worth remembering is a favorable life-altering event. With these come other things in your life which you do not request. You will certainly recognize the presence of peace of mind, the tornado of pleasure over and around you, and also above all, the loss of tension from your mind. You will never ever see the favorable influence of entertainment in you life. You will just recognize it.

Making amusement have a long lasting impact in your life and also in the life of others is as straightforward as anything. You do not have to install a perky show or a lengthy outpour of words. Occasionally, a friendly motion such as personally singing a track to an unwell individual, narrating to children or merely make others laugh is enough.

Free Enjoyment Is Easy To Locate

There are numerous forms of enjoyment offered when you wish to spend an evening on the town. Supper and also a flick is consistently a preferred choice. Live theater is enjoyable and interesting, as you have no idea just what is visiting take place. Karaoke and also piano bars are becoming much more prominent too, as you can laugh and also unwind to some great music (or otherwise so good vocal singing!) in a casual atmosphere. However, all these forms of amusement can be rather costly! Motion picture tickets are getting greater and also higher, and nicer restaurants bill a lot for their high quality and or solution. Live entertainment like plays and also musicals can be very pricey, and also strategies might have to be made well ahead of time or you will not enter! And or bars … well, encounter it … you will certainly be managing others’ loud chats, used smoke, and also high liquor

prices.

If all you’re looking for is a soothing evening to alleviate your tension, why not seek some complimentary home entertainment for you and also your household. Not only will you have fun, however you will save money while doing so!

Below are some typical selections in totally free entertainment:

1. Films, music, publications and programs at your local municipal library! Collections are terrific places to amuse grownups and also youngsters alike. Numerous public libraries provide cost-free storytimes for your kids. Not only will they have totally free amusement, however they will certainly learn crucial abilities and see that reading is fun! For the grownups, a lot of town libraries now supply a broad choice of DVDs, video clips, music CDs, audio books as well as CDs, as well as, obviously, lots and or lots of publications! The good feature of the motion pictures you locate at the collection are they do not cost you anything (unless you return them late)! Grown-up programming is coming to be a lot more preferred in the majority of bigger collection heating and cooling units, also. Classes on fine arts and crafts, computer systems, globe events and or areas and also book discussions are a wonderful form of home entertainment.

2. Regional parks are a good way to spend an afternoon or night. Take a picnic lunch or dinner and relax in the fresh air. The majority of parks have charming playgrounds for your youngsters to check out as well as appreciate. There are even some neighborhood parks that have outside video games grownups as well as youngsters can play together.

3. Yearly or Semi-Annual Art Shows produce an amazing day trip. You will certainly get to see the best of regional artists, while likewise taking pleasure in the fresh air as well as festive ambience. The kids will love the fine art reveals because several have clowns roaming around making balloon pets and also doing face painting.

Although this is a reasonably short list, you could unavoidable discover fantastic enjoyment completely free in your area. All you need to do is search for it.