Sim Atkins, Overseas Division agent, returns to Earth, having saved the Moonbase from a deadly terrorist plot (see Rose Gold). All Sim can think about is finding the criminals responsible. But his fury and lust for revenge are put on hold when a nuclear warhead is stolen by Terra Former leader Matthias Larsson.
Can Sim and his colleagues track down the terrorist cell and disarm the device in time? White Gold is the gripping finale in the compellingly original Gaia Trilogy, page-turning thrillers that provoke as well as excite.
Q&A
Enjoy!
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1.When and where do you prefer to write?
I have a lovely office at home, and I tend to do all my best writing in the mornings, after I have taken my daughter to school. Though sometimes inspiration does strike in the middle of the night and I have to rush downstairs to put down my new ideas down on virtual paper.
2.Do you have a certain ritual?
When I’m in full-blown first-draft routine, I try to do one chapter (roughly 2000 words) per day (though not 7 days a week). I often start by quickly re-reading the previous session’s effort and doing a light-touch edit. That helps get me into writing mode and back into the world I’m creating.
3.Is there a drink or some food that keeps you company while you write?
Not that I’ve noticed. Coffee features large, but often that involves a stroll to the nearest café to get away from the computer and to think about the next scene, or whatever’s not quite working.
4.What is your favourite book?
To Kill A Mockingbird is probably the best-written novel I have ever read, but for pure enjoyment, I would choose a Douglas Adams. Maybe Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
5.Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
Yes, I am working on a middle-grade children’s adventure. It’s set in a dystopian vision of Britain when the country is torn apart by civil war (I bet you can’t guess the inspiration for that!). 12-year old Pax is just trying to survive the school bully but soon discovers he has a greater destiny.
6.Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
I don’t tend to use people I know wholesale, but there are certain traits that I incorporate into different characters. Or I’ll try to notice funny quirks of people I see in every day life and use them to make a character seem more 3D.
7.Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
Yes, I do. I used to have a very convenient pocket-sized Where’s Wally notebook, but it filled up so quickly that I’ve now graduated to a larger Moleskin.
8.Which genre do you not like at all?
I really can’t get my head around paranormal stories. My inner voice can’t stop saying ‘but they’re not real’ all the way through. Even though I’m perfectly happy to read about time travel or heroes knocking orc’s heads off with a magic sword… Go figure.
9.If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
My wife writes picture books, but I just know if we tried to collaborate it would surely risk our marriage! I think it would be far safer to co-write with somebody at the absolute top of their game from whom I could learn a great deal. Mick Herron or Philip Reeve.
10.If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you chose and why?
I would probably choose somewhere off the beaten track that’s hard to get a sense of via Google Maps or travel guides. Maybe Greenland or Siberia, though preferably not in winter!
Thank you, David Barker and Love Books Group Tours
About the author
David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time. David attended the Faber Academy course and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students.
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