Portobello Book Blog

Today I’m welcoming author Owen Mullen to the blog, answering my Author in the Spotlight questions. Owen is the author of the Charlie Cameron series of novels set in Glasgow. You can order them here: Owen Mullen Amazon page

Thanks for taking part Owen. First of all, would you tell me a little about yourself?

Ok, I spent a lot of years in the music industry {which should have prepared me for the book world – but didn’t} before I met my wife Christine and decided to follow a straighter path through life.  But after too much time in the 24/7 zone we both decided we would like an adventure…so we built a villa in Crete to spend a lot of time in the sun.

What inspired you to start writing?

Too much time in the sun and boredom is the short answer.  When you spend a few months at a time in this type of environment, you quickly discover there has to be more to life than doing nothing all day…sad but true!  So one morning very early on I simply woke up and decided to write a book.

Tell me about your journey to publication

Now this is the one of the parts the music industry should have prepared me for! So the first masterpiece is finished…better get a move on the world is waiting for this! So begins the agent hunt!  7 years and 3 agents later I start to suspect this isn’t going to be easy…almost without exception the agents and publishers who were approached loved it. So what’s the big problem? Timing… I’d missed the boat by about 3 years…at least according to the very nice responses:  Now it’s so difficult with someone new, if only you had sent it sooner – or – Would love to go with this but we’ve just signed a Scottish author – or – Sorry, tried a Scottish book last year, etc etc. Till eventually my wife  managed to convince me to try the ‘indie’ route. It isn’t easy, because in effect you are starting your own business. There are many downsides that we hadn’t envisaged {especially for a total tech novice/idiot like me}. However, there are even more upsides that we hadn’t envisaged either: You get to make your own decisions and follow your gut instincts… you discover the many terrific reviewers and bloggers who do an amazing job of helping an author get his name out…and you discover the tremendous support that most authors give each other.

In a nutshell, what is your latest book about?

My latest book is actually books…being  anxious not to waste any more time I launched Games People Play and Old Friends and New Enemies at the same time…They follow Charlie Cameron Glasgow PI as he investigates missing person cases. They are gritty, gripping and addictive.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

Really the stories picked the titles: in Games People Play we see how people manipulate others to get what they want.  In Old Friends and New Enemies {How do you tell them apart?} we discover that it can be very difficult to know who to trust.

How do you plan to celebrate/did you celebrate publication day?

We were too overwhelmed by the launching experience to get a feeling of elation…but, when the next one comes out we will fly off somewhere and eat too much fabulous food!

Do you have a work in progress just now?

Yes, the third Charlie book is well under way. I also have a London gangster trilogy on the back burner.

What’s your favourite book you’ve read in the past few months? Or favourite three if you really can’t choose!

The past few months have been a bit of a reading desert for me…but, I did manage to find 3 that I really enjoyed: Divining Murder by GM Cameron, Sewing the Shadows Together by Alison Baillie, and, Point of No Return by Diana J. Febry.

What are you reading just now? (July/2016)

 Chosen Child by Linda Huber

Tell me about your reading habits:  book or kindle, bed or bath, morning or evening?

Both, but love the feel/smell of a book and bookshops.  I’m an ‘anytime is the right time’ kind of guy.

How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?

Facebook     http://bit.ly1YlDKzu

Twitter         @OwenMullen6

Instagram      owenmullenauthor

And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?

Easy; Sherlock Holmes or James Bond; If I can’t be a smart ar$$ then I want to be cool under fire!