Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature hosted by yours truly and celebrates authors. Focusing on Indie, self-published and debut authors, we love them all. This week I have the pleasure of introducing readers to:
LAYTON GREEN
~author of The Summoner~
~Q&A~
Hi Layton, welcome to the blog, please tell us about yourself.
I attended law school in New Orleans and was a practicing attorney for the better part of a decade (even though I still resent having cut my hair for that first interview. I have also been an intern for the United Nations, an ESL teacher in Central America, a bartender in London, a seller of cheap knives on the streets of Brixton, a door to door phone book deliverer, and the list goes downhill from there.
I have traveled to more than fifty countries, lived in a number of them, and have a burning desire to see every country, city, beach, moor, castle, cemetery, twisted street and far flung dot on the map. Religion and cults, as well as all things spiritual and supernatural, have also been a lifelong interest. Combine the travel and the religion with fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training, and the Dominic Grey series was born.
What Inspired to write The Summoner?
My wife is Zimbabwean, and after traveling to Zimbabwe a few times I reallly felt a passion to write something that spoke about what was going on over there. Since I'm a fiction author, I stuck the Zimbabwe setting within a story that combined the other elements I love: mystery, suspense, religion, paranormal, etc. The Zimbabwe political message is a subtle one in the book, just a hint really, but it is there.
Have any authors or books inspired your work?
So many. John Fowles, Herman Hesse, Michael Crichton, Michael Gruber, and James Lee Burke to name a few.
Did you have to do any traveling or major research for the book?
I traveled to Zimbabwe numerous times with my family, and I did copious research on the religious and political elements.
What are reading right now?
Havana Bay by Martin Cruz Smith. I'm about to start the third book in the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons, which is amazing.
Can you share any future projects with us?
I'm working on the third Dominic Grey novel right now, and I have an urban fantasy series I plan to start soon.
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Layton, in addition to writing, attended law school in New Orleans and was a practicing attorney for the better part of a decade (even though he still resents having cut his hair for that first interview). He has also been an intern for the United Nations, an ESL teacher in Central America, a bartender in London, a seller of cheap knives on the streets of Brixton, a door-to-door phone book deliverer, and the list goes downhill from there.
He has traveled to more than fifty countries, lived in a number of them, and has a burning desire to see every country, city, beach, moor, castle, cemetery, twisted street and far flung dot on the map. Religion and cults, as well as all things spiritual and supernatural, have also been a lifelong interest. Combine the travel and the religion with fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training, and the Dominic Grey series was born.
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Thanks Layton for stopping by today and Zimbabwe is defiantly a political danger spot, not to mention scary for a traveling writer, granted the little that I do know myself they have a very interesting culture. I wish you all the success in your writing career and look forward to reading The Summoner.
GIVEAWAY
Today Layton is offering a paperback copy of his novel The Summoner to one lucky winner. This is open to everyone and you know the drill, leave a comment for an entry and a way to email or link to you. Winners are drawn the following Saturday. Thanks and Goodluck!
ps...I really love this cover, it says creepy...
The Summoner (Dominic Grey #1)
A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe.
Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent, product of a violent childhood and a worn passport, is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, religious phenomenologist and expert on cults, and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison.
What Grey uncovers is a terrifying cult older than Western civilization, the harsh underbelly of a country in despair, a priest seemingly able to perform impossibilities, and the identity of the newest target.
Himself . . .
Thanks so much for the giveaway! This book sounds awesome!
ReplyDelete[email protected]
Sounds good, count me in! [email protected]
ReplyDeleteSounds really good! Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeletenatcleary(at)gmail(dot)com
wow...quite a new foray into an often forgot about land..thx for the chance
ReplyDeletetwinmomx5 at gmail
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOoh, sounds interesting! I've always wanted to visit Zimbabwe. And yeah, totally creepy cover--in a good way!
ReplyDeleteSmiles!
Lori
serena423[@]yahoo.com
would enjoy reading this book...thanks for the chance :)
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com