Interview with Author Clive Fleury
Clive Fleury
I am thrilled to have interviewed author Clive Fleury, who shared with us details of his writing life, his book ‘Off Season‘, which was released on 14th February 2024, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.
Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of novels and screenplays, including the murder mystery novel “Off Season”, and “Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel.” He is also a TV/Film writer, director, and producer who has worked for major broadcasters and studios all over the world, on a wide variety of successful drama and documentary projects.
He has written and directed four feature films, one of which, “Big City Blues,” starred Giancarlo Esposito, the late Burt Reynolds, and Balthazar Getty. His most recent film, “Sons of Summer,” is a surfing movie set on the Gold Coast of Australia and stars Temuera Morrison and Isabel Lucas. Clive currently spends his time between Florida and Sydney, Australia.
1) Where did the inspiration for your book come from?
I knew I wanted to write murder mystery novels, so I have amassed newspaper cuttings, social media postings, etc., as a source of plot ideas. These gave me my starting point. I don’t have to look far for inspiration for my characters, either. I live part of the year in a suburb in Sydney, Australia, called Potts Point—think Soho in London and the East Village in New York. It’s a fabulous place to draw inspiration from the people living here—rich, poor, shady, and downright crazy.
2) How did you plan out the plot?
I write using a software program called Scrivener. It’s clunky and irritating sometimes, but it has areas for research notes, character descriptions, etc. Before writing Off Season, I drew up a basic plot in note form and added any needed research. Then, I homed in on characters I wanted to use and fleshed out their lives. When I was ready to write, I had a good idea of where I was going. That was the theory, anyway! Of course, in practice, the characters contrived to take me in different directions, but that’s what writing’s all about.
3) When did you choose the title for your book?
I had a working title, but as the novel progressed, I thought of a better one — Off Season. I stuck with it, and my publisher didn’t try to change it.
4) How did you come up with the names for your characters?
Character names are my bete noire. I’m indecisive and start with one name for a character, but as the book progresses, I often change it for something different and more suitable. Unfortunately, this frequently causes problems as I have used two or three names for the same character. By the end, I have to go back through the text and make corrections.
5) How did you go about researching the content for your book?
I work with what I know, and in the case of Off Season, I have knowledge of police procedures in Australia. There are gaps, though. So, I research any area I’m unsure about in advance, either by talking to experts or combing the internet.
6) What made you choose this genre?
Simples. I write murder mystery thrillers because I love to read murder mystery thrillers.
7) How long did it take you to complete your book?
From the initial idea, research, plotting, and writing, Off Season took me over a year to complete. Once I handed it over to the publisher, it was another eight months before it was released.
8) Can you describe your book in three words?
Cozy Murder Mystery
9) What’s the hardest part of being a writer?
The discipline needed. There are so many reasons not to write, and I have thought of most of them. To overcome my lethargy, I set a daily target for how many words I want to write. Sometimes, I achieve this, and other times, I fail miserably, but I force myself to persist.
10) Why should our readers pick your book up?
Off Season is a must-read for anyone who enjoys gripping, cozy murder mystery thrillers that follow the tradition of Richard Olsen, Lee Child, and Harlan Coben. Set in Australia, with more twists than a pretzel, the novel introduces an enigmatic, brilliant detective who’s an expert in fighting crime but a novice at forming relationships. Please give it a go. You won’t regret it.
Publisher – Coffeetown Press
Pages – 372
Release Date – 14th February 2024
ISBN 13 – 978-1684921478
Format – ebook, paperback
Synopsis
Detective Ramesh Ryan’s career with Sydney’s prestigious Organized Crime Unit is on the up, until he loses a court case against the city’s most powerful drug dealer. In disgrace, the detective is relocated to the tiny Australian beach town of Barton.
It is off-season in Barton-when its few criminals usually take a well-earned rest. But not this year! With the detective’s arrival, the town suddenly becomes murder central. Two bodies are discovered in the space of days, both victims of drug overdoses. Then a mysterious foot is found washed up on the beach, and memories are awoken of an unsolved cold case of the teenager who disappeared fifteen years ago. Add to this a blossoming romance, along with a contract taken out on Ryan’s life, and it’s clear that the detective has jumped out of the Sydney frying pan into the Barton fire.
What follows is an action-packed adventure, thrilling at every turn-where truth and lies are almost impossible to separate, and unexpected twists are the order of the day.
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Fun Questions
1) Do you have a writing buddy?
Louis, my cat, used to be my writing companion. He watched me from his perch on the top of a scratch post and jumped on my keyboard when he got bored. Unfortunately, now he’s in kitty heaven, so I write on my own.
2) Do you have any writing quirks?
I really need quiet when I work, but I also like to see people around. Writing in a library solves this contradiction. I begin at 9am on weekdays and finish five to six hours later. Weekends are my time off to refuel and rethink.
3) Where do you write?
I vary where I sit in the local library, regularly moving around to different places. I prefer to stay in one place but have no choice but to move when other people take my regular chair. I’ve come to see the moves as a positive — a way of not getting stuck in a routine.
4) Your book has been made into a movie, you’ve been offered a cameo role, what will you be doing?
I’d do an Alfred Hitchcock and play an innocent bystander walking through the back of the shot in a chosen scene.
5) A talking owl has just finished reading your book, what’s the first thing he says to you?
“I really enjoyed Off Season, but I have one criticism—there are weasels, pelicans, and ibis in it but no owls! Next time, you should find a way to introduce us to the story. It would be a hoot.”
Author links
Goodreads
Website
A big thank you to Clive Fleury for sharing his writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.
