Bill Carson - Anti Heroes and Serial Killers

Bill Carson - Anti Heroes and Serial Killers
author of the day

Bill Carson creates riveting crime novels that leave readers thinking about life. His first book in the Detective Nick Harland series, Necessary Evils, is no exception, looking at how people handle love, loss, lust, greed and many more. As our author of the day, Carson talks to us about his writing habits, who Detective Nick Harland really is and why John Kane does such horrible things.

Please give us a short introduction to Necessary Evils

Necessary Evils is about love, loss, lust, greed, desire, courage, murder and cowardice. And there’s a little romance in there too.

Tell us a bit about Detective Nick Harland.  What inspired his character? What makes him so special?

Nick Harland is a throwback to another age, he is the tough anti-hero, he has a no-nonsense attitude and is always willing to bend and break the rules to suit the situation. He is my favourite character.

Why a serial killer thriller? What fascinates you about serial killers?

The main character in Necessary Evils does become a serial killer. He’s driven by a search for real justice and in his mind, he’s doing these unspeakable acts for the right reasons. He’s killing the killers so that we won’t have to suffer as he has done.

Readers report that Necessary Evils kept them at the edge of their seats and feels like watching a movie. How did you pull this off?

I imagine the scenes in my mind, pictures if you like.  I know it sounds a little odd, and I don’t know if other writers do this, but I visualise the setting or the character in my head like a short film and then I hit the keyboard with the descriptions.

John Kane does horrible things, but his character is very real and even likeable.  How was his character "born" in your mind?

John Kane is a character that despite what he gets up to the reader will always have some sympathy/empathy for him. It’s because of who he was prior to his dramatic change, he’s just an ordinary person who is suddenly thrown into a nightmare world.

Say Necessary Evils gets a movie adaptation - who would you like to see in the role of John Kane?

I had to have a good think about this one, but I reckon Dougray Scott would be a good choice as he is similar in age and looks to how I imagine John Kane would look. Dougray Scott is also a fine actor.

Aside from providing mere entertainment through your story, you also make readers think.  How important was that to you to achieve?

I like to keep it real, and sometimes I throw in current events, and these are discussed by the characters.

When working on a new book, what’s the first thing you do?

It generally takes me a while to come up with a new story line. I don’t like to rehash the old formulas that we have all read before. I try to be a little different.  So before I write anything down I churn it over in mind for ages.

Do you have any interesting writing habits, what's your average writing day like?

Occasionally I like to have some music playing in the background when I’m writing. Depending on the scene I’m working on it could be dance music from back in the day to instil some energy, and then a different mood can be attained when I’m listening to Beethoven or Wagner for example. However, sometimes I have no music at all, and I just like to listen to the rain against the roof of my cosy writing cabin.

You used to work as a nightclub bouncer.  How much did this experience influence your writing?

Not much really, I did bump into a few villains whom I draw upon from time to time if I need inspiration for a bad guy. And I have seen real violence and have had to deal with some very violent people, and I now know the meaning of real fear and real courage. So from that point of view the violent scenes in the books that I write have some provenance behind them.

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I’m working on some ideas for my next Nick Harland crime thriller.

Where can readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

My web site is  www.kindlecrimethriller.com

This deal has ended but you can read more about the book here.
Wendy L Owens - Romance Amidst Rival Mafia Families
FEATURED AUTHOR - Wendy Owens was born in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio. She loves to paint and travel in her free time. She writes both romance and psychological thrillers. When she's not writing, this dog lover can be found spending time with her tech geek husband, their three amazing kids, and three pups. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Crimson Ties: A Dark Mafia Romance.