I enjoyed all the research that went into the book. There are so many small facts and interesting tidbits that I found while doing my research and I strung them all together into the book, be it some obscure facts about cancer, the Chinese underworld in New York or some fancy computer programs that play a key role in the book. 

Nicholas Nash – 25 April 2017

The Back Flap

Rebecca, a brilliant cancer researcher disappears without a trace after a one-night stand with a neurotic man with a questionable past. Her sudden disappearance in the midst of a high-stakes quest to cure cancer between two rival billionaires sets into motion an inexplicable chain of events as the bodies start to pile up. No one knows why she disappeared. The race to find answers ensnares everyone around her, one of whom is a deeply disturbed psychopath lurking in the shadows.

Is Rebecca still alive? What happened to her? Who did it? And why? Questions about her vex everyone looking for answers. No one can be trusted and no one is above suspicion.

About the book

What is the book about?

The Girl at the Bar starts off with the disappearance of a top cancer researcher, Rebecca Chase, after she has a one-night stand with someone she meets in a bar.

The book is a classic whodunit with a lot of twists and turns. I cover the topic of cancer as a disease and the latest developments in cancer research in the book in a manner that the reader can follow. That said, the book is about people, how they think and how they react in situations.

I wrote the book trying to keep the reader at the edge right up to the end. I hope readers of the book feel the same way.

When did you start writing the book?

I have been writing for around a year. I started writing my book in summer. I tried writing the book in various different places in the city where I live. I enjoyed all the research that went into the book. There are so many small facts and interesting tidbits that I found while doing my research and I strung them all together into the book, be it some obscure facts about cancer, the Chinese underworld in New York or some fancy computer programs that play a key role in the book.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me around a year to complete the book.

Where did you get the idea from?

There is some truly groundbreaking research and developments taking place in the quest to cure cancer that the average person is not aware of. The biotech industry in general is making huge advances in finding unique cures for cancer. I wanted to highlight the work that I have been reading about.

The biotech industry, particularly on the research side, is heavily dominated by men. However, there are several strong well-rounded women who are instrumental in the industry either as researchers, CEOs or biotech investors. Rebecca is in some respects a composite of these real-life women who play a key role in the progress we’ve made in the war on cancer.

I believe The Girl At The Bar will help readers learn a lot about the mysterious world of cancer. Pair that with a roller coaster mystery and this will be a book readers will be happy they picked up.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The biggest challenge in writing about cancer research is being able to synthesize all the research into plain language that a regular reader can understand and appreciate. That was the toughest part of the research. I was constantly afraid that readers would lose me if I became too technical in my descriptions, so that kept me on guard whenever I wrote about cancer in the book.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

For the book, I drew inspiration from my own real life experiences in creating settings, characters or story lines. I have met some very interesting people in my life. The characters are composites of several people, borrowing interesting features and creating a character that is completely different from others but at the same time interesting and striking, someone you would like to read about and root for.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I enjoyed reading Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged) and Daniel Yergin (The Prize). Their work is sweeping in vision with a whole bunch of interesting characters and intriguing story lines that are grand. In the case of The Prize, those are real people and real history. I enjoy reading stories with multiple characters and complex intertwined story lines. Simple two or three character stories don’t appeal to me much.

I immensely enjoyed Andy Weir’s The Martian. When I found out that Andy was a first time writer but wrote about what he knew best, I was really inspired to follow in his footsteps and write about topics that I knew quite a bit about – cutting edge research for cancer.

Do you have a target reader?

Readers who enjoy fast paced thrillers will love the book.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I have been writing for around a year. I started writing my book in summer. I tried writing the book in various different places in the city where I live. I enjoyed all the research that went into the book. There are so many small facts and interesting tidbits that I found while doing my research and I strung them all together into the book, be it some obscure facts about cancer, the Chinese underworld in New York or some fancy computer programs that play a key role in the book.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I wrote the first few chapters impromptu. Once the story started taking twists and turns I had to create an outline for the book. I had the whole book mapped out before I could write the last few chapters.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I usually edit if I reread any chapter or after the book is done.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Sometimes I listen to music when I am writing. I like to listen to rock music. Besides the usual staple of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Def Leppard and Guns N Roses, I like The Veils, Home Ties, Kings At Heart and Light Your Anchor. The Veils has an incredible discography. Finn Andrews is highly underrated and probably one of the best song writers of his generation.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I didn’t submit my work to any agent. I chanced upon meeting my publisher from Fireflies Publishing. She loved the book and added a few fantastic ideas so I decided to work with her on the book.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It just happened. I like to go with the flow and I thought I would establish myself before reaching out as an unknown author to traditional publishers.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The book cover has been done professionally. It went through numerous edits before the final one was created.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My publisher and I do have plans. We are reaching out to readers on social media. Have given out ARCs. We hope to reach out to libraries and Indie bookstores down the road.

About You

Where do you live now?

I’ve been in New York City for over a decade now and I love every moment of it. That said, I travel to across the country for work and enjoy the different places, food and people everywhere I go.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on my second novel set during the last days of World War II. The book title is still under wraps because I don’t want to give the story setting away just yet. There was an interesting time period during the Second World War that I chose as the backdrop.

Hitler died, having committed suicide, on April 30th, 1945 but the war in Europe did not end with his death. Germany continued fighting the Allies and surrendered only a week later on May 7th, 1945. During these days between his death and eventual German surrender, an unimaginable series of events took place that remains unexplained and shrouded in mystery to this very day. My second novel revolves around one of those events during that period of uncertainty, with my imagination filling in the blanks that history has left unanswered forever.

I first read about it a few years ago and I always wondered to myself, “What exactly happened there? Why did they the retreating Germans that? Who was really responsible? What were they thinking?”

I searched and searched and searched and never found any satisfactory answers. That was when I said to myself, “Hmm, that’s interesting. The magnitude of what happened then was immense and here we are over 70 years later and we still don’t know much about it.” That’s when I decided to write my second book around these bizarre events.

The first chapter of my second book will be available to all readers of The Girl at the Bar. The details on how to get it will be at the end of my first book.

End of Interview:

For more from Nicholas visit his website or like his Facebook page.

Get your copy of The Girl at the Bar from Amazon US or Amazon UK.