15 and Not Out - Guest Post by Conrad Jones
I am Conrad Jones a 50-year-old Author,
originally from a sleepy green-belt called Tarbock Green, which is situated on
the outskirts of Liverpool. I spent a number of years living in Holyhead,
Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee
manager with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds
Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area
manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.
On March 20th 1993 I was managing the
Restaurant in Warrington’s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs
exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys
and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day, I was
deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the
motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime
related that I could get my hands on.
I link this experience with the desire to write
books on the subject, which came much later on due to an unusual set of
circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures
of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their leader,
John Tankersley, or ‘Tank’ and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on
steroids’.
I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when
I set off on an 11-week tour of the USA. The day before I boarded the plane,
Madeleine Mcann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American
news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn't realise it
at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker years later. During that
trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and
equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were
flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They
informed me that they couldn't do anything for weeks and that returning home
would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater,
Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my 15th novel, Brick, something that never
would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in Warrington.
The Child Taker was the 6th book in the Soft Target Series but it also became
the first book in the Detective Alec
Ramsay Series when I signed a three book deal with London-based publishers,
Thames River Press. The series is now 7 books long with an average of 4.8 stars
from over 2000 reviews. The first two books are always free with over 1100
5-star reviews.
As far as my favourite series ever, it has to
be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy.
The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me,
triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited
years for the second book, The Lair,
and Domain, the third book to come
out and they were amazing. Domain is
one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially
the early books, has kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael
Connelly and his Harry Bosch Series.
My latest book Brick is a standalone
novel and you can see it here:
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