Author Interview: Alex Lukeman
Welcome to our series of Author Interviews, where Charlie Bray chats to a variety of Indie writers about their lives and their books.
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Today I am delighted to interview prolific author of Action & Adventure thrillers, Alex Lukeman
Alex, tell us about yourself
I’ve been lucky enough to have led a varied and eclectic life. It’s taken me all over the world. I’ve been in and out of places I should never have been and walked away. I bring all of that experience to my books. For example, I’ve been to the Himalayas, which play a role in the first book of my thriller series, White Jade. I live in Northern California, in the foothills of the Sierras. For fun, I ride old, fast motorcycles and play guitar. I’ve had bikes since I was 16. I’m married. Gayle is my best reader and critic.
How did you become a writer?
I began submitting stories to magazines when I was about 12 yrs old: lots of rejections! My first published book was a Sword and Sorcery epic called The Bane of Kanthos, an ACE Double paperback. It was “over the transom”, unsolicited, and they bought it! That was a great day. Later I wrote several non-fiction books on sleep and dreams. I now write only fiction.
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
I really like it when the characters come alive and start going in their own direction, when they surprise me. That’s fun.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Getting the first draft done. Then it’s all about editing, revision, more editing, more revision. As Stephen King says, “Kill your darlings”. Sometimes it makes me nuts, especially when I’m nearing completion. It brings up a lot of self doubt. You think to yourself, no one’s going to want to read this. This is terrible. It’s all been done before. Etc. etc. etc. You have to get away from that inner voice that wants to beat you down and trust that you know what the heck you’re doing and that people will want to read your work.
What did you do before you became a writer?
I was a Rolfer, a professional folk singer for 10 years, a psychotherapist–many things. I was always a writer, though.
What is your biggest writing achievement?
Getting the first book published. Getting a good shot with the non-fiction books from a good publisher. Now it’s having seven books done in my thriller series. But the biggest achievement is having reached the point where I earn a decent living by writing.
What are you working on at the moment?
I just published Book Seven, The Ajax Protocol, in February. Now I’ve started book eight, tentatively titled The Indian Gambit. That title may change. I hope to have it done by mid-year. The books are getting harder to write because the relationships of the ongoing characters are by necessity becoming more complex. Because I’m writing a long-term, ongoing series, I’m challenged to keep things interesting, to keep the characters evolving and intriguing to the reader.
What inspires you?
Great writing, good films and great art. The few good TV programs out there. People, in positive and negative ways. Life.
What genre do you write in?
Thriller, Action/Adventure. I write fast paced page turners. They are meant to entertain.
Do you have any tips for new writers?
The biggest thing is to be disciplined and consistent. Find a rhythm that works for you and follow it. Do it in a regular, organized way. It’s work, don’t kid yourself. For me, writing in the morning is best. I write 5 days a week, until something says “That’s it for today…” Don’t quit. Perhaps that’s the most important thing.
Do you suffer from writer’s block?
No. Sometimes I get discouraged, though, and not much gets written.
Do you have a preferred writing schedule?
As above, I write in the morning. I get up early. I might start at 5:00 A.M. and write until noon or 1:00 P.M. Lots of coffee. I take breaks.
Do you have a favourite writing place?
My desk/office. It’s a room in our house.
What is your greatest joy in writing?
When the story flows. When the work is done.
Who is your favourite author and why?
That’s hard. Among contemporary authors, Alex Berenson for espionage, Michael Connelly for mysteries. I like Henning Mankell for police procedurals–he’s Swedish. Robert Crais and Lee Child. Earlier writers like John Steinbeck and Hemingway and Graham Greene. I’m widely read. The list is long.
What’s the greatest compliment you ever received from a reader?
That they believe it could be real and that they really enjoyed the book. I have received many wonderful compliments. Each one is important to me.
What was the worst comment from a reader?
Ha! One woman never got past the first swear word (There is some profanity in my books, not overly done, just realistic.) It made her very annoyed. She couldn’t understand why the female protagonist, who is very intelligent and well-educated, could use bad language just because somebody shot up her brand-new Mercedes. Or perhaps it was the reader who decided that she didn’t like the description on the product page and gave the book a one star review. She never even read the book.
Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?
Of course. I don’t think someone can write well without having some sense of the experiences life has given you. I’ve had some interesting ones which I bring to the stories.
Other than writing, what else do you love?
Music. Beaches. Making people feel better, when possible.
Did you have your books professionally edited before publication?
A bit with the non-fiction, in house. Now I do my own. I know how to do it but it’s impossible for me to see it with total objectivity or to catch every error. A dozen people read a book for me and there will still be errors that get by. A great editor would undoubtedly help. Great editors are not only scarce, they are very busy and very expensive. Copy editing is easy, that’s what most editors do. Developmental editing is different. I’d love to hook up with a good developmental editor. I had a couple of bad experiences with editors when I wrote non-fiction. It has made me wary.
Describe your perfect day
Get up after enough sleep. Have coffee. Check the email, briefly. Begin writing. When that’s done, whatever seems right. It could be working on the motorcycle I’m going to ride this summer, a 1970 triumph T120 Bonneville. It could be reading. Could be outdoor work, this time of year. It all depends. In the evening I tend to watch something on NetFlix or Amazon Prime, which provides movies and a variety of shows. I like British mystery shows especially, like George Gently or Inspector Lewis or Endeavor. Sherlock is great. I’ve seen most of them, I think.
If you were stuck on a desert island with one person, who would it be? Why?
Might sound corny, but I would pick my wife. We can always find something to talk about.
What would you say if you had the chance to speak to world leaders?
If I avoid the profanity which would be the most appropriate response, I would say “What do you think you are doing? When are you going to start thinking about the good of your citizens and the world at large instead of your personal advancement and self serving power/political/religious/ideological positions? I could definitely go on about this. I am appalled at the actions of the so called leaders of our planet. I am stunned when prizes for peace are given to men who have perpetuated war. The people who lead the world are leading it straight to…well, you know where they are leading it. In fact we may already be there.
What are your plans for the future?
Keep writing. It would be nice if I became well-known as a writer because that would mean people really enjoyed my work, but that doesn’t really matter.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Somewhat in Nick, my principle protagonist. But all the characters are part of me.
Does the publishing industry frustrate you?
It certainly does. Things have changed for the worse. I now self-publish because of that. White Jade was accepted for representation by a good New York agent. She got it to senior editors at the Big Six. They all turned it down, mostly with compliments. One said he would have bought it, but I wasn’t former CIA. Now how could I tell him about that? I would have had to kill him. He should tell that to Steve Berry, who as far as I know is a lawyer, not a dangerous spy/adventurer.
I have done much better on my own than I could hope to do in today’s traditional publishing environment. I love having complete control.
Did you ever think of quitting?
No.
What was your favourite manuscript to write? Why?
Probably White Jade because it was breaking ground. But I like all of the books. The Seventh Pillar is a favorite of mine (US spelling–bet you noticed!) I also like Black Harvest and The Tesla Secret. The Ajax Protocol tries to address some of the real possibilities that could affect the US and the world. It is perhaps the “scariest” of the books in terms of possible reality.
How would you define ‘success’ as a writer?
Getting the book done and published, is huge.
But I do measure success in acceptance by readers.
What should readers walk away from your books knowing? How should they feel?
Entertained, I hope. Perhaps wondering if that could happen. It could–my books are always based on facts (like futuristic weapons that exist or are under development) and real possibilities, though they are definitely flights of fiction.
Anything you’d like to add?
Just my thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed by you. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Alex, it’s been an absolute pleasure to talk to you and I know our readers will find your comments very helpful.
You can browse or buy any of Alex’s great books by visiting his website http://www.alexlukeman.com
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