fuonlyknew

What inspired you to write this book? 

My decision to write “All or None” the second book in the Detective Ryan mystery series, came because I really liked the characters – Detective Ramesh Ryan, Zoe Yang, Mumta Ryan — in “Off Season” the first book in the series. I wanted to explore where they would take me.

What can we expect from you in the future? 

Definitely more Detective Ryan mystery novels.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in ALL OR NONE?

In my latest novel “All Or None” Detective Ramesh Ryan remains the principal character. He’s bright, determined, and loves being a detective. However, he is socially inept, a bit of a mother’s boy, and can be too stubborn and too much of a loner for his own good.

Detective Zoe Yang is Ryan’s junior partner. New to Sydney, she likes being a detective, but it is not for her the be all and end all of life. A Ying to Ryan’s Yang, she is social, friendly and outgoing. She is also indecisive… unsure about whether to stay in the city or return to beach life on the Central Coast.

Mumta Ryan,  Ramesh Ryan’s mother, was born in India, and met her late husband, British-born banker Harold, in Australia. Although financially secure, Harold’s death ten years ago has left an indelible mark on her, and she doesn’t intend to remarry.  She loves trying new things and flits from one passion/pastime to another.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

I’ve always loved thrillers and mysteries and so writing books that have both these elements was a no brainer. I live for part of the year in a suburb in Sydney, Australia called Potts Point. It is full of unusual and quirky people. I draw my characters and inspiration from here.

Where did you come up with the names in the story? 

Names are my bête noire. I always have difficulty plucking characters names out of the ether. I regularly have to go back to change a name when I am halfway through a book because I think of a better name. This can cause major editing problems, and is not something I would encourage any writer to do.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? 

Finishing it.

I think people who don’t write for a living have this romantic notion of writing being a profession that is carefree and full of excitement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Writing is all about discipline… It doesn’t matter how you feel you have to aim to get a certain number of words on a page every day. It’s hard graft, and it’s only when you finally reach the end of a novel do you get that feeling of excitement and achievement.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel? 

It’s always difficult to come up with a title for a first novel, particularly when, as in this case, the book is number one in a series. In my case I wanted a title that was short and snappy, and gave some information about one of the themes of the novel. I thought Off Season fitted the bill, as the book is about a city detective who is assigned to a sleepy town during the winter when there are no tourists.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I would love to have Dev Patel to play my lead detective, Detective Ramesh Ryan in a TV series.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? 

The jobs my lead characters do are real, but who or what they are comes mostly from my imagination.

Is there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why? 

Lee Childs/James Grant. I would like to pick his brains on how he had the discipline to write so many books about the same character, Jack Reacher, and to make all the novels interesting.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I left university in one form or another — first as a journalist, then as a screen writer and finally, now, as an author.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? 

The advantage of writing a series is that after the first novel, the principal characters are established. Future books allow you to explore and expand on their quirks and idiosyncrasies. However, other characters, those who begin as minor players, can start to push their way into a book and become more important.