‘Tempest’ is a twisty, action/adventure novel based around a real-world conspiracy. There’s the faintest flavor of SciFi (think along the lines of Groundhog Day but with a bigger impact). Is it a spoiler if I tell you the protagonist is a female? It is a spoiler?

Darn! Tempest begins with the early personal challenges Laura must overcome before she can take up action. There are twists throughout the book and I don’t want to give too many away! Tempest starts in London, moves to Spain, and then, via a devious route, to Brazil, where the seeds of the plot are sown.

Laura then moves to the USA, where the climax takes place. Along the way, there’s a relationship that builds to a love interest. As the characters grow, they become more complex, and the biggest spoiler of all; Laura’s motivations are gradually revealed.

What inspired me to write ‘Tempest’?

That’s a great question! I love a good story – I read them all the time! When I started planning Tempest, I thought I had enough threads to allow me to knit together a really good story. I know you don’t do knitting with threads, but allow me to mix my metaphors. Anyway. I wanted to write a story that I wanted to read. And I have many times. And you know what? I still love it. On the topic of inspiration, the first book I loved was ‘Swallows and Amazons’ by Arthur Ransome.

I wanted to be in that book. I wanted to learn how to sail because of that book. And I wanted those adventures to happen to me. Well, with Tempest I wanted to create the same kind of feelings in anyone who reads it. Speaking as a grown-up (allegedly, anyway), the writer who had the most influence on me is the late Adam Hall. Adam wrote a thrilling series of Cold War spy novels. When I started writing (a long time ago), I corresponded with Adam (real name Elleston Trevor; see his book and, later, the film ‘Flight of the Phoenix’). Adam and his wife Jonquil were supportive of my early writing and helped me a lot.

What is the target audience?

I asked myself this question before I put my fingers on the keyboard. Despite my words in ‘What inspired me’, above, I didn’t want Tempest to appeal just to me. I wanted the reader to be able to fall into 100,000 words of fiction and enjoy the trip. Male, female, young, old.

I wanted readers to come from all of those categories. If the reader is open to some modern-day escapism, I like to think Tempest hits the mark for them. I’ve got positive feedback from people in the US, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. And I’ve got positive feedback from a mix of ages and, gratifyingly, 60% of the positive feedback has come from women. They should see how the sequel/prequel (Storm) starts oh yes!

What do you hope readers could get from the book?

The bottom line is I want all readers to get enjoyment. I want them to get to the end of the book, put it down, and think ‘Wow, that was some ride!’, and reflect on the fun they’ve had reading it. But along the way to that bottom line, I want them to get excited. And nervous. And breathless with anticipation as they discover what happens next.

I want them to feel for the characters, and I want them to invest a little of themselves in a gripping story. I want to hook the reader, and keep them dangling on the hook as the story unfolds, and as the layers are gradually peeled back. I want the reader to discover the twists. I want the reader to say ‘I didn’t see that coming!’

What are your future goals/plans for the book?

There are three answers to this question. So let me begin by saying that Tempest is already a paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook. Well, working with a friend, a member of the Writers Guild of America, West, we are turning the story into a Screenplay.

Once we’ve completed this transformation, we’re going to try to get a studio interested in making Tempest into a film. The second answer is I have just finished Storm, a prequel/sequel to Tempest. And I’m about 8,000 words into the third book in the series. I plan on there being four ‘Tempest-ish’ books.

Something more about me?

Really? Oh well, as you’ve asked so nicely. I’m an armed forces veteran who has served at home and overseas. I started writing for fun when I was a teenager and although I still write for fun, I like to think I’m a little better at it now. I’ve had a bunch of short stories published internationally.

Tempest is my second novel. Despite being Welsh born and bred, I now live in the East Midlands of England with my wife, four cats, four dogs, and two step-children. I escape the latter by going sailing as often as possible.

Tempest is available in paperback and Kindle via Amazon. My website, with links, is here brennigjones.com. Storm will be published in January 2024.