Congratulations on the forthcoming publication of The Gentleman of Bath. How is it all going?

It seems to be going well, and it’s interesting going through the process. There are lots of bits to do to get to the finishing line of actually getting a book printed. I am very much looking forward to seeing the final product.

What did revision look like for this project? How many drafts did you write in total?

The first draft was very raw, and I practically rewrote it three times. I needed to get all the little scenarios set up to make a continuous narrative through the differing points of view. They aren’t exactly points of view but effectively the influence of a “mover and shaker” taking the story forward. Getting back to your question I wrote four complete drafts then a number of grammar a spell-checking sessions too numerous to mention.

The novel centres on the unlucky protagonist, Richard Hoy, a  newly retired banker whose previously monotonous life descends into chaos thanks to the rather diabolical scheming of his wife. The story revolves around the activities of the Bath Sharpe Quartet, the dark side of artificial intelligence and social media. What inspired you to write The Gentleman of Bath?

A few years ago I was having lunch with a colleague at a financial institution near Bath when he mentioned to me that he had tickets to a ball at a big country house for himself, his wife and her friend. He was moaning that he couldn’t go as his wife had broken her leg. I replied in my glib manner, “Why don’t you just take her friend?” He calmly responded, “That would be instant divorce.” Walking back to my desk I thought, what if she wants a divorce? And breaking her leg was an excuse to get my colleague caught up in a supposed affair. It wasn’t the case in actuality. The thoughts were just a product of my over active imagination. I put that idea to one side until I was working on internet fraud systems and I realised social media was the perfect place to “stitch someone up.”   

Are you a classical music fan?

Yes, to be honest I am a general music fan, including prog rock (which I know is uncool to admit). My children all joined youth choirs, and my son took piano up to grade eight. His increasing knowledge of music started to rub off on me and I became interested in the structures of classical music, including the different instrumentation. I have always liked the musical complexities of prog rock and the way they take influences from classical. 

Did you write the novel with a general outline or ending in mind?

I knew what I wanted to include about different aspects of social media manipulation and the ability for AI to fake what we can see. I also knew how it was going to end. Instead of the plot being a didactic set of dos and don’ts about serious issues I thought the implied messages would be better illustrated through satirical humour. I needed to dream up ludicrous scenarios focused on certain fraudulent and manipulative activities from the real world.

Where is home for you?

Hertfordshire, I have lived in a small market town for the past thirty years, which is an easy commute into London where most of my work has been. I live there with my wife, three children, and two mini dachshunds.   

Where and when do you write?

I have a very messy study from which I do a lot of working from home and writing. The writing tends to happen at weekends when I can get a good run at it. It takes me a lot of time to get into the writing zone. I can’t dip in and out for an hour or so like others seem to be able to do.

What’s next for you?

I am working on a sequel to Gentleman which tackles aspects of fraud that is not specifically internet based. These are to do with social manipulation, organised fraud, and account takeovers. I couldn’t include these in The Gentleman of Bath as it would make the plot unfocused. I have a few other projects I want to start which include a set of slightly uncanny short stories, which I have called “Commutables” and are stories told by a regular group of commuters. There will be someone telling a story going into town and then out. So there will be ten in total

The Gentleman of Bath will be published in March by Foreshore Publishing.

Photo by Josep Molina Secall on Unsplash