Friday 26 August 2016

Q&A author interview: Denzil Meyrick

Q&A Author interview with Denzil Meyrick






Thanks for agreeing to be a guest here today Denzil. Please could you tell us a bit about yourself.

After studying politics, I joined the police, serving in Glasgow. After suffering injury, I entered the business world, eventually owning my own companies. My first novel was published in late 2012. I live with my wife on Loch Lomondside in Scotland, close to our family. My stepdaughter Rachel Kennedy is also a writer.

Your Crime Fiction novels are very popular now and I read somewhere that Nicola Sturgeon might be a fan of yours (allegedly) Can you confirm or deny this? 

I'm glad to say all four Daley novels are bestsellers both as books and ebooks. It's great to embrace new markets and technology, but nice to sell so well in bookshops too.
Nicola Sturgeon was kind enough to contact me and let me know that she's a 'huge Daley fan'. She has also tweeted her followers saying, 'If you haven't read Denzil Meyrick's DCI Daley novels, you should!' MasterChef's Gregg Wallace is another celeb fan.

Wow! So as another fan, I'm in excellent company!

I've only read the first one in the DCI Daley series Whisky from Small Glasses and I'm already hooked. When did you first discover that you could write?

I've been writing since I was young. I've worked as a freelance journalist and written advertising copy, but books were a different discipline. I had a spell of illness, during which time I wrote Whisky from Small Glasses.

Apart from editors and perhaps Beta readers, does anyone close to you, either a friend or family member, read through the first draft of your books and give their opinion?

My wife and stepdaughter both read my books before I pass them down the line. Rachel is also a writer, so it's good to have their opinions. Handy too, that my agent is a former editor and publisher with one of the big five publishing houses.

Have you ever been approached by a TV production team to have your books serialised on the small screen? All that scenery, would be a shame if they weren't. 

There is interest from film and tv companies. All very hush hush, but as I've learned in publishing, things move at a very slow pace sometimes. Fingers crossed, I'd love to see beautiful Kintyre, where the books are set, on screen.

As a former police officer, do any of your books contain any part of your own experience within the Force? 

It's a long time since I was a police officer, but I think it's advantageous in creating a realistic atmosphere. I think it's important to represent the way police officers talk and relate to each other as closely as possible.

What kind of books do you like to read and who are your favourite authors?

I don't read a lot of crime fiction now, but loved William McIllvanney and Ian Rankin. Writing crime all day, it's nice to relax with something else when I have downtime. With the books already separately published in North America, and about to be in Germany by HarperCollins, there isn't too much of that. I like sci-fi, biography and history. Love books by the late, great Iain Banks, Tom Holland, Max Hastings, etc. I've read everything from Proust to Patrick O'Brian. I have an eclectic taste in literature.

Do you have a special preferred place in your home that you use for writing.

I have to be alone when I write, so I hideaway in a room to get it done. I normally try and write between 1500-2000 words a day when I'm working on something.

If you could choose anywhere in the world that you could visit for a peaceful holiday to just spend writing, where would it be?

My ideal holiday would be the peaceful beauty of the Tuscan coast, or Kintyre, of course. If you get a chance to visit, please do. You'll love it!

I have visited the area and it is beautiful

Thank you, that was really interesting and thanks for visiting my blog today


1 comment:

  1. Oh dear, another crime fiction writer I need to read! I think I might become a fan as well! A great interview, Caryl!

    ReplyDelete