About
my Books ....
When I started writing crime novels just
after my 81st.birthday in May 2006 I realised time was not on
my side, but believing I had all my faculties I set myself a target,
and writing a trilogy of crime novels appealed to me.
The first was ` A Course for Investigation`Years
agoI was a keen golfer and I thought that would be a suitable
title for the first of my crime novels. My wife suggested `Death
is a Member` and the publishers agreed with her.
The second of the trilogy I completed
in about four or five months. Again the story evolved from an
interest I had many year ago in psychic research. What better
way then than to use a good detective with a psychic medium, and
by adding a murder or two the title came swiftly to mind.`Murder
in the Ascendant`
The third of the trilogy has taken longer
than I expected. Unfortunately the Glaucoma I seem to have developed
has gradually got worse, which limits the time I can spend on
the Computer. However the third book is now completed, and is
off to the publishers. Again in a sense this third one stems from
links in the past.My wife and I loved Antique auctions.So with
a little imagination, with the usual mix of a murder or two and
a Catholic priest and the title came swftly to my wife’s
mind, she suggested `The Sixth Commandment` I think its an ideal
title.
I still have two more books in mind I
would like to write of perhaps a different genre and god willing,
who knows what can happen?
The synopsis of each book can be seen
under its own heading above. Click on the individual titles at
top of this page. Each book carries its own reviews sent in by
readers. You will also notice the logo of `Armchair Interviews`Armchair
Interviews is an American Website. They have approximately One
Hundred reviewers. Their reviews of any book are then put onto
Amazon .com. websites. Both my books that have been published
have been reviewed by Armchair Interviews of America. They were
impressed by my efforts and requested I write a short article
for their monthly Newsletter`What prompted me to start writing
at the age of 81`. Below is the entry I submitted.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cover design for Death
is a Member. Julian Boyd Evans Julian Evans
<jbe@julianevans.co.uk>
_______________________________________________
http://www.armchairinterviews.com/
We asked Desmond, a Brit, to write about why
he waited so long—or in truth, why he never gave up on his
dream of writing books.
What prompted me to start writing at the age of 81 by Desmond
Evans.
I have no definitive answer. I believe I have a vivid Imagination
and good at telling stories. Anyway, that’s what my family
constantly reminds me. If I relate an event, my version is usually
more colourful than the event itself, but without altering the
facts. I embellish things a little. I think all storytellers have
vivid imaginations.
Why start so late? Earning a living to support a family doesn’t
leave much time to write. After our two children left to get married,
my wife and I bought a Residential caravan. Our Caravan was a
large one a bit ancient but served its purpose well. It had to
be towed to the site where we renovated our Walnut Cottage. Not
quite so luxurious as your mobile Homes one sees on TV. Then we
set about renovating a 15th Century cottage ourselves, taking
many years to complete the project, doing everything except the
roof thatching.
As a point of interest, in our renovations we found many coins
from the 16th & 17th. Century. We put them all back on top
of old Oak Beams with our modern-day coins, so perhaps in another
three or four hundred years, when its renovated again some one
will find them and compare them with their future modern coins—or
will they all be plastic cards then?
When we were our late 70s, we moved here to Much Wenlock Shropshire.
Now I had time to watch TV–the detective stories with gross
gratuitous violence, boozing detectives, car chases, naked women
in compromising situations and very little story content–so
I switched off the TV.
Only two good series enthralled me, the first was PD James’
character, Adam Dalgleish, and of course, Colin Dexter’s
Inspector Morse. Both are thinking detectives who carried you
along in their investigations, without the graphic violence–and
they always held you in suspense.
That’s what I wanted to do, and this challenge brought to
the surface a compulsion to write. My family encouraged me to
write a trilogy. As soon as I started my first mystery, A Course
for Investigation, I was hooked. My wife suggested Death is a
Member, a better title, and the publishers agreed.
A few years ago in between moving houses, I had scribbled a few
notes about a murder on a golf course, and when I found the notes
later, I used them as the basis for that first book. I used to
play golf a little.
It was essential I had two main characters. I steered away from
the conventional older man as the senior detective. I chose the
name Jim Langton as my Detective Chief Inspector and his associate,
a much older man, Sgt. Harry Mills. British police have this protocol
of calling their subordinates by their surname. I decided against
it. Langton respects his elder associate and uses his Christian
name. A close bond develops throughout the trilogy of “Langton
Investigates” books.
Writing crime novels is dependent on a writer’s imagination.
He has nothing really tangible, and it’s all in and from
the mind. The experiences throughout his life must surface at
sometime or other. In my first book, a golf course is the location,
and my second, Murder in the Ascendant, now completed and at the
publishers, includes a psychic because I had been interested in
researching that subject. My third book, well on its way, When
the Hammer Falls, is about auctions–a passion my wife and
I share
Note by me . The Reviewers in America asked why I say Hammer in
my third book, When the Hammer Falls` instead of Gavel, Hence
my clarification below, Clarification.--: It is a gavel that is
used, and that is the normal term, however, in England when the
auctioneer is in full flow, he often reminds people to shout up
and make sure their bid is seen as once “the hammer falls,”
the item has gone. In the story, without giving secrets away,
once the hammer falls in this auction, a trail of murder and suspense
follows. So in this instance, hammer is correct.
Imagination, life’s experiences, and a compulsion to write
have been my driving force to being an author. Does age make any
difference? Of course it does. Retirement gives you time–age
the experience!
See our review of Death is a Member: http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/death-is-a-member
by other readers. Click on Trilogy and then on Death is a member
