Echoes of Navarre is a new book by Paul Richardson. It is my first novel in what I plan to be a trilogy involving my two protagonists, Alex Spellman and Deanna Darby. Other characters from Echoes’ will also carry over into the next two storylines. The book follows Alex from when he was an active operative working for the British government to being involved in a plot to uncover top secret information from the team members he led into Navarre. This was where a tragic event occurred changing his life, causing him to live with the guilt of responsibility. The novel has everything you would want out of a thriller; love interest, multiple locations, devilish antagonists and juicy twists. It has been described as a ‘pacy thriller’, ‘an intense, intricate thriller with compelling characters’ and ‘exciting and fast paced with lots of unexpected twists and turns’. The book is written to reflect Alex’s state of mind, in that it begins in a fragmented manner, jerking back and forward in time, only then settling down to a more linear style as the story unfolds and matters become clearer to Alex.
My inspiration for the book was probably a mid-life crisis project, wanting to leave something for prosperity that I could say I had achieved. I was approaching 50 years of age and had a germ of an idea which I felt I should write down. I had never written anything before and at the time did not know it would develop into a full length novel. I did not work on it full time because there were always regular life events that took precedence, but I would always find myself going back to the manuscript and getting it nearer to publication standard. Although the book is most definitely fiction I based the story in the real world, researching actual locations and existing equipment and weaponry wherever possible.
Inspiration for the style of story comes from being an avid reader all through my life, where I would devour many genres of book, often many times over. My favourite authors who have stayed with me are the likes of Ian Fleming, Stephen King, Frank Herbert and James Clavell to name a few. As I have become older I have veered towards authors such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Yuval Noah Harari, as I have become more curious about the world around me and the history of the people who inhabit the planet. I also find human nature, genetics and evolution endlessly fascinating. I believe that my story is inspired by Ian Fleming as it has many similar elements. It is not meant to be taken too seriously and should be read with entertainment and escapism in mind. Some of the characters are cartoon-ish and can look caricature but this is on purpose and I hope adds to the fun and excitement of the narrative.
I have found that marketing and promoting a new book is often harder than writing it. I have spent several weeks working very hard at getting it noticed. This why I am so excited about being able to contribute to Authors’ Lounge. I was lucky enough to get a half page editorial piece in my local weekly newspaper which also went up on the national news website (link below). I have decided that getting started on the second part of the trilogy is equally very important so have begun to write again. I am finding this prospect both exciting and scary. Echoes of Navarre ends on a cliff-hanger and the second book leads directly into the narrative. All three books will be stand-alone stories as well as being integral parts of the three book arc.
I was born and raised in West London where I met my wife of now 21 years. Once we were married and had our first child in 2001 we decided to move to the West Coast of Ireland where we have lived since. We moved into a cottage with an acre of land that was c100 years old and have renovated it over the years. It is an ongoing project. During lockdown I took a two year horticulture course and am now re-purposing an old trampoline frame and making it into a polytunnel to grow produce. My children are now both adults, my son is a game designer and artist releasing RPG games online while my daughter is at college hoping to go into the pharmaceutical research industry. I have had interesting job placements while in the UK, working as a painter & decorator, a fine-art screen-printer, a photographer and a publicist for a children’s TV and touring stage show. I am excited about where the next stage of this journey will take me and I am hoping that Authors’ Lounge will be part of that journey.
www.alexspellmanbook.wixsite.com/jaye-books
