Tony Flood (right)
with Heather Flood and Ben Miller
http://www.celebritiesconfessions.com/
http://www.fantasyadventurebooks.com
This week it is my pleasure to interview Tony Flood. Would you please introduce yourself to my readers, Tony and share something about your life.
Hi. My name is Tony Flood and I am a former journalist and Sky Television executive. I now write articles and theatre reviews for online magazine Unknown Kent and Sussex, which are shared with other sites, and I am chairman of Anderida Writers of Eastbourne.
When did you write your first book and how did it come about?
After I moved to Eastbourne and retired from full time work, I used my free time to become an author. My first book, written in 2009, was a fantasy adventure called Secret Potion, based on an idea by my wife and fellow author Heather Flood about a fearless young girl called Jody Richards going to a magical land in search of her kidnapped brother. I have since brought out a second edition which is available on Amazon.
Do you always write in the same genre or do you mix it up?
I write in several genres – crime thrillers, amusing short stories, celebrity revelations and fantasy adventure.
When you write, do you start with an idea and sit down and let it evolve, or do you make notes and plot the chapters beforehand?
I start writing a book when I have a good idea for a story line. I then develop interesting characters and let things evolve from there.
Would you like to give us a short excerpt from one of your books?
Yes, I'll include an excerpt from my crime thriller Fall Guy at the end of this interview.
Who is your favourite character and why?
My favourite character is compassionate copper DCI Harvey Livermore who is featured in all my crime thrillers and has been praised by best-selling author Peter James. Harvey has to cope with a difficult wife and demanding boss but still manages to solve some baffling murders.
Which of your books gave you the most pleasure to write? Probably my celebrity book My Life With The Stars (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1089391161) featuring amusing anecdotes and revelations about showbiz and sports stars I have interviewed or written about. These include Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Eric Morecambe, Des O'Connor, George Best and Muhammad Ali.
What is the best marketing tip you have received?
Post an interesting fact, or piece of advice, and find a way to link this to your book. Then share this post with as many sites as possible.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a fun-loving, creative and reliable person who fully researches and checks facts about what I write.
What do you do when you are not writing or reading?
I play veterans football. I am the oldest - and slowest - member of the team!
If you could holiday anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I would return to Las Vegas where I enjoyed so much fun and luxury in fabulous hotels and theatres.
If you have owned pets, do you have a funny story you would like to share with us?
Our cat Pixie often 'hides' in the most unlikely places to avoid visitors, so my wife Heather and I spend ages looking for her after the visitors have left.
What is the biggest factor for you when selecting a book to read?
The synopsis, endorsements and reviews.
Do you have your own website?
I have a blog on WordPress 777TonyFlood as well as two websites at http://www.celebritiesconfessions.com/ and http://www.fantasyadventurebooks.com/
Do you have any events or book promotions coming up that you would like to tell us about?
My books are currently on special low prices as both e-versions and paperbacks on Amazon.co.uk So it's worth checking them out by entering Tony Flood in the Amazon search box.
FIRST CHAPTER OF FALL GUY Wednesday October 6th, 2021 George Thornhill interrupted a business meeting with a client to accept a phone call from his gorgeous wife Isabella on her 32nd birthday. She simply said: “I'm wearing the black kimono you gave me this morning - and nothing else!” “Nothing? What if someone comes round?” “You'd better get home before they do, darling,” she teased, and then rang off. George, the owner of a construction company in Lewes, apologised to the client, and agreed a much more generous deal than he had intended so he could wrap things up early. He rushed to his Nissan Qashqai to avoid getting drenched by the rain, and, before driving off, checked that the clock on the dashboard corresponded with his watch. He smiled at seeing they both showed 2.07 pm – five minutes fast, as he always set them, to help him overcome his tendency of being late. 'Blimey! I'm actually ahead of schedule for once, and I'll miss the late afternoon traffic in Eastbourne- Isabella will be surprised. There'll be time for some birthday nooky before we go out to dinner this evening.' George's thoughts focused on his wife's hourglass figure which had made her so successful as a fashion model. The sharp blast of a car horn ended his daydream abruptly. He suddenly realised his Nissan was drifting dangerously towards the opposite traffic lane and quickly adjusted the steering wheel. The car skidded on the wet surface, but corrected itself when he turned into the skid. George chastised himself for his lapse into a flight of fantasy almost causing an accident. 'It could be due to the Sumatriptan I've started taking for my migraines,' he thought. 'They might be causing me to feel dizzy and my mind to wander. I'd better check with the doctor.' He sped past a 30mph sign before he regained his concentration. 'Damn, I'm doing almost 40. I should have taken the alternative route, then I wouldn't be risking getting caught again by this bloody speed trap.' He slowed to 25mph, determined not to incur another motoring fine to add to the one he had received a few months back. Even so, George had time to stop off to buy a large bouquet of flowers and still park in the drive of his stylish, semi-detached bungalow in Langney at three o'clock - 3.05 pm by his watch! He looked in the car mirror to check his mass of brown hair was as well groomed as possible. 'Not bad', he thought, stroking his chin where the only blemish was a small scar caused by a fall many years ago. George picked up the flowers from the passenger seat, opened the nearside door and slid out. After nodding to an elderly neighbour who was hurrying to avoid the rain by getting into his old Honda, George opened his front door, calling out “Hello, darling.” Startled by a sound of groaning from the lounge, he dropped the flowers and hurried into the room to be met with the terrible sight of Isabella lying on the floor with a knife in her chest. Blood was gushing from a large wound, soaking her black satin kimono and the carpet. “Isabella!” he yelled. “Oh, my God, what's happened?” George rushed to his wife's side and heard her gasp something inaudible. His first instinct was to pull out the knife, but was aware that it could make such injuries even worse. He tried pressing down on either side of the wound and pushing the opening together. His efforts were in vain and blood continued to flow. 'What else can I do?' he thought. 'It might help to take the damn thing out.' He grabbed the handle, removed the kitchen knife from the wound and threw it on the floor. But blood spattered on his coat before he finally sealed the large gash.Isabella's eyes, pale blue like his own, slowly closed and she stopped breathing. George gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without getting any response. He felt his wife's wrist for a pulse – there was none. In desperation he shook the motionless body, causing flecks of blood to spread to her long blonde hair and his own, before accepting she could not be brought back to life. “No, no, no,” the distraught husband cried out, sobbing uncontrollably and holding her close to him. George sat in a trance for several minutes. Finally grasping what needed to be done, he walked across the lounge to pick up the telephone and dial 999. But the phone suddenly started ringing. 'Hello,” he muttered into the mouthpiece. “Is that you, George?” It was his mother-in-law. “Isabella's been stabbed.” “What?” she cried. “What on earth do you mean?” “Just phone the police!” he yelled back. “George, have you had another row? Isabella told me you argued this morning. Have you stabbed her?” “Please stop asking me questions, Ruth. She's dead.” “No. That can't be true. Did you do it?” “Ruth, phone the bloody police, will you!” He slammed down the phone. In the 14 minutes before the police arrived he protected his dead wife's 'modesty' by pulling together the kimono he had given her as a birthdaypresent that morning so that her breasts were no longer exposed.
+++++George, whose blue suit and hands were still covered in blood, told the lead officer DI Jeff Nottage how he'd tried desperately to save his wife without success. But he found it hard to concentrate on what the policeman was saying in response and began to suffer a migraine which caused him to feel sick and dizzy. “When your mother-in-law phoned us she seemed to think you had rowed with your wife and stabbed her.” No,” protested George. “I came in to find her lying on the floor after being attacked.” His grief, coupled with the effects of the Sumatriptan he took, was causing a feeling of nausea to sweep over him. 'I'd better breathe in and out slowly or I'm going to throw up,' George thought. If he needed a distraction it was provided by the Scene of Crime Officers, dressed in protective clothing, scrutinizing everything in sight. The whole thing seemed a blur, including being driven to Eastbourne Custody Suite where his blood-covered suit and other clothing were taken for examination. The nausea was replaced by numbness as he sat in a sweatshirt, jogging bottoms and plimsolls provided by the police, but he tried to collect his thoughts upon being further questioned by Nottage and another officer. George became aware that their tone had changed from that when he first encountered them. “Did your wife have any enemies?” Nottage asked. “On the contrary, as a glamorous fashion model she had a lot of fans.” The policeman took the opportunity to develop this line of inquiry. “Presumably, most of them were male admirers. Was that difficult for you?” “Yes, it could be annoying, especially as some of these blokes were quite blatant about what she looked like in underwear. We had a few words this morning about amorous birthday messages she received on Facebook. I told her she should delete them, but she just laughed it off.” “So you argued?” “You could say that. The non-stop attention she received was a real pain. It brought extra stress and I began taking Sumatriptan tablets for migraines. But we loved each other and Isabella phoned me to suggest I came home early from work today to have sex.” The feeling of sickness returned, causing George to add: “I'm not feeling up to answering any more questions at the moment. Is it alright if I go now? He was shocked when Nottage replied: “You don't seem to realise the full implications of what I told you earlier, sir.” “My wife's death has been devastating. I wasn't fully focused on what you were saying. Remind me.” Nottage spelt it out. “I referred to you being covered in blood and, by your own admission, you held the knife that killed your wife. We've found no trace of anyone else having been present – no footprints, nothing. And when your mother-in-law asked on the phone if you'd done the stabbing you didn't deny it. “So I am arresting you on suspicion of murder. You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” READERS QUALIFY FOR A FREE BOOK As a 'thank you' for buying his crime thriller FALL GUY, author Tony Flood is offering readers one of his other books FREE. To obtain a complimentary e-version readers can choose one of the books listed in Fall Guy and email their choice to Tony at tflood04@yahoo.co.uk He will email readers back with the free e-version as an attachment. Fall Guy, which has been endorsed by best-selling author Peter James, is available on Amazon.co.uk for £5.70 as a paperback (and h £1.77 as an e-version). Tony Flood will make donations from paperback sales to Children with Cancer UK. https://mybook.to/fallguykindle
Which of your books gave you the most pleasure to write? Probably my celebrity book My Life With The Stars (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1089391161) featuring amusing anecdotes and revelations about showbiz and sports stars I have interviewed or written about. These include Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Eric Morecambe, Des O'Connor, George Best and Muhammad Ali.
What is the best marketing tip you have received?
Post an interesting fact, or piece of advice, and find a way to link this to your book. Then share this post with as many sites as possible.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a fun-loving, creative and reliable person who fully researches and checks facts about what I write.
What do you do when you are not writing or reading?
I play veterans football. I am the oldest - and slowest - member of the team!
If you could holiday anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I would return to Las Vegas where I enjoyed so much fun and luxury in fabulous hotels and theatres.
If you have owned pets, do you have a funny story you would like to share with us?
Our cat Pixie often 'hides' in the most unlikely places to avoid visitors, so my wife Heather and I spend ages looking for her after the visitors have left.
What is the biggest factor for you when selecting a book to read?
The synopsis, endorsements and reviews.
Do you have your own website?
I have a blog on WordPress 777TonyFlood as well as two websites at http://www.celebritiesconfessions.com/ and http://www.fantasyadventurebooks.com/
Do you have any events or book promotions coming up that you would like to tell us about?
My books are currently on special low prices as both e-versions and paperbacks on Amazon.co.uk So it's worth checking them out by entering Tony Flood in the Amazon search box.
FIRST CHAPTER OF FALL GUY Wednesday October 6th, 2021 George Thornhill interrupted a business meeting with a client to accept a phone call from his gorgeous wife Isabella on her 32nd birthday. She simply said: “I'm wearing the black kimono you gave me this morning - and nothing else!” “Nothing? What if someone comes round?” “You'd better get home before they do, darling,” she teased, and then rang off. George, the owner of a construction company in Lewes, apologised to the client, and agreed a much more generous deal than he had intended so he could wrap things up early. He rushed to his Nissan Qashqai to avoid getting drenched by the rain, and, before driving off, checked that the clock on the dashboard corresponded with his watch. He smiled at seeing they both showed 2.07 pm – five minutes fast, as he always set them, to help him overcome his tendency of being late. 'Blimey! I'm actually ahead of schedule for once, and I'll miss the late afternoon traffic in Eastbourne- Isabella will be surprised. There'll be time for some birthday nooky before we go out to dinner this evening.' George's thoughts focused on his wife's hourglass figure which had made her so successful as a fashion model. The sharp blast of a car horn ended his daydream abruptly. He suddenly realised his Nissan was drifting dangerously towards the opposite traffic lane and quickly adjusted the steering wheel. The car skidded on the wet surface, but corrected itself when he turned into the skid. George chastised himself for his lapse into a flight of fantasy almost causing an accident. 'It could be due to the Sumatriptan I've started taking for my migraines,' he thought. 'They might be causing me to feel dizzy and my mind to wander. I'd better check with the doctor.' He sped past a 30mph sign before he regained his concentration. 'Damn, I'm doing almost 40. I should have taken the alternative route, then I wouldn't be risking getting caught again by this bloody speed trap.' He slowed to 25mph, determined not to incur another motoring fine to add to the one he had received a few months back. Even so, George had time to stop off to buy a large bouquet of flowers and still park in the drive of his stylish, semi-detached bungalow in Langney at three o'clock - 3.05 pm by his watch! He looked in the car mirror to check his mass of brown hair was as well groomed as possible. 'Not bad', he thought, stroking his chin where the only blemish was a small scar caused by a fall many years ago. George picked up the flowers from the passenger seat, opened the nearside door and slid out. After nodding to an elderly neighbour who was hurrying to avoid the rain by getting into his old Honda, George opened his front door, calling out “Hello, darling.” Startled by a sound of groaning from the lounge, he dropped the flowers and hurried into the room to be met with the terrible sight of Isabella lying on the floor with a knife in her chest. Blood was gushing from a large wound, soaking her black satin kimono and the carpet. “Isabella!” he yelled. “Oh, my God, what's happened?” George rushed to his wife's side and heard her gasp something inaudible. His first instinct was to pull out the knife, but was aware that it could make such injuries even worse. He tried pressing down on either side of the wound and pushing the opening together. His efforts were in vain and blood continued to flow. 'What else can I do?' he thought. 'It might help to take the damn thing out.' He grabbed the handle, removed the kitchen knife from the wound and threw it on the floor. But blood spattered on his coat before he finally sealed the large gash.Isabella's eyes, pale blue like his own, slowly closed and she stopped breathing. George gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without getting any response. He felt his wife's wrist for a pulse – there was none. In desperation he shook the motionless body, causing flecks of blood to spread to her long blonde hair and his own, before accepting she could not be brought back to life. “No, no, no,” the distraught husband cried out, sobbing uncontrollably and holding her close to him. George sat in a trance for several minutes. Finally grasping what needed to be done, he walked across the lounge to pick up the telephone and dial 999. But the phone suddenly started ringing. 'Hello,” he muttered into the mouthpiece. “Is that you, George?” It was his mother-in-law. “Isabella's been stabbed.” “What?” she cried. “What on earth do you mean?” “Just phone the police!” he yelled back. “George, have you had another row? Isabella told me you argued this morning. Have you stabbed her?” “Please stop asking me questions, Ruth. She's dead.” “No. That can't be true. Did you do it?” “Ruth, phone the bloody police, will you!” He slammed down the phone. In the 14 minutes before the police arrived he protected his dead wife's 'modesty' by pulling together the kimono he had given her as a birthdaypresent that morning so that her breasts were no longer exposed.
+++++George, whose blue suit and hands were still covered in blood, told the lead officer DI Jeff Nottage how he'd tried desperately to save his wife without success. But he found it hard to concentrate on what the policeman was saying in response and began to suffer a migraine which caused him to feel sick and dizzy. “When your mother-in-law phoned us she seemed to think you had rowed with your wife and stabbed her.” No,” protested George. “I came in to find her lying on the floor after being attacked.” His grief, coupled with the effects of the Sumatriptan he took, was causing a feeling of nausea to sweep over him. 'I'd better breathe in and out slowly or I'm going to throw up,' George thought. If he needed a distraction it was provided by the Scene of Crime Officers, dressed in protective clothing, scrutinizing everything in sight. The whole thing seemed a blur, including being driven to Eastbourne Custody Suite where his blood-covered suit and other clothing were taken for examination. The nausea was replaced by numbness as he sat in a sweatshirt, jogging bottoms and plimsolls provided by the police, but he tried to collect his thoughts upon being further questioned by Nottage and another officer. George became aware that their tone had changed from that when he first encountered them. “Did your wife have any enemies?” Nottage asked. “On the contrary, as a glamorous fashion model she had a lot of fans.” The policeman took the opportunity to develop this line of inquiry. “Presumably, most of them were male admirers. Was that difficult for you?” “Yes, it could be annoying, especially as some of these blokes were quite blatant about what she looked like in underwear. We had a few words this morning about amorous birthday messages she received on Facebook. I told her she should delete them, but she just laughed it off.” “So you argued?” “You could say that. The non-stop attention she received was a real pain. It brought extra stress and I began taking Sumatriptan tablets for migraines. But we loved each other and Isabella phoned me to suggest I came home early from work today to have sex.” The feeling of sickness returned, causing George to add: “I'm not feeling up to answering any more questions at the moment. Is it alright if I go now? He was shocked when Nottage replied: “You don't seem to realise the full implications of what I told you earlier, sir.” “My wife's death has been devastating. I wasn't fully focused on what you were saying. Remind me.” Nottage spelt it out. “I referred to you being covered in blood and, by your own admission, you held the knife that killed your wife. We've found no trace of anyone else having been present – no footprints, nothing. And when your mother-in-law asked on the phone if you'd done the stabbing you didn't deny it. “So I am arresting you on suspicion of murder. You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” READERS QUALIFY FOR A FREE BOOK As a 'thank you' for buying his crime thriller FALL GUY, author Tony Flood is offering readers one of his other books FREE. To obtain a complimentary e-version readers can choose one of the books listed in Fall Guy and email their choice to Tony at tflood04@yahoo.co.uk He will email readers back with the free e-version as an attachment. Fall Guy, which has been endorsed by best-selling author Peter James, is available on Amazon.co.uk for £5.70 as a paperback (and h £1.77 as an e-version). Tony Flood will make donations from paperback sales to Children with Cancer UK. https://mybook.to/fallguykindle