Interview with John Righten, Author of The Englander
07 Dec 2022
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Englander?
For thirty years I’ve driven aid convoys into the most perilous corners of the world, and The Englander is drawn on that canvas and the colour is derived from the characters I met – the good as well as the evil.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Englander, what would they be?
For the lead, Connor Pierce, whose mission of revenge is viewed by his friends as suicidal, I would pick Duran Duran’s ‘A View to a Kill’ for the delightfully apt line, “Dance into the fire”.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Biography as I’m intrigued by character and what drives people to do what they do.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Hilary Mante’s ‘The Mirror and the Light’, John Le Carré’s ‘Silverview’, and Brian Cox’s ‘Putting the Rabbit in the Hat.’
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The scene where Pierce’s plan dissolves in front of him and reveals the tragic consequences of his quest for revenge.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I write in coffee shops so that I’m surrounded by characters while consuming copious amounts of caffeine.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Be tolerant, for thankfully we are all different, or what a dull world it would be.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That they have been swept along on a fantastic adventure that also made them think about major world events and what they would have done if they were there.
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