In 2014 Booktrust surveyed 1500 adults and found that 36% give up on books because they get bored. I think we need more high-octane, gripping, blistering-paced reads to reach this demographic. I’m actually part of this demographic. I give up on loads of books because I get bored. I want to write books that no one could ever say are boring.

Matt Walker – 8 July 2018

The Back Flap

“I’m no hero. I’m a Licensed Vigilante. And I kill people for a living.”

Government hitman John Steele has just completed his current contract, and has the bullet wound to show for it. That’s when he meets a vicious criminal loan shark called Gary Brooker. But Brooker has got his own problems. He’s picked on the wrong guy.

Shark Bait is an all-action thriller that will leave you breathless, and the first novel introducing Licensed Vigilante John Steele.

Explosive action. Blistering pace. Gripping plots. For readers who don’t like reading.

About the book

What is the book about?

Shark Bait is an all-action thriller for adults. John Steele is a government hitman, and has just completed his contract – the assassination of two drug kingpins. He then inadvertently gets embroiled with a violent loan shark called Gary Brooker. But Brooker has his own problems. He’s picked on the wrong guy.

When did you start writing the book?

I started planning the novel back in 2014.

How long did it take you to write it?

About a year. I was submitting it by the end of 2015.

Where did you get the idea from?

I remember seeing a storyline on Coronation Street about one of the characters being threatened by a loan shark. And I thought, what if a loan shark happened to pick on someone who was actually more dangerous than him? That’s how the character of Gary Brooker was born. And I’ve always enjoyed lone wolf stories where the hero is a kind of vigilante, acting just within the law (or perhaps just outside it). John Steele is a Licensed Vigilante, fulfilling that role.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

It took a lot of research. The drug Ecstasy, guns, the army, conflict in Bosnia, espionage. I wrote and rewrote certain scenes a few times, unsure whether this should happen, or that should happen. But I had a fantastic editor, which helped a lot!

What came easily?

The characters. Shark Bait is written from the first person point of the view of both Steele and Brooker – which is fairly unusual – so it’s important that they both have a unique voice. But I think they were fully formed in my head when I started writing so I felt able to achieve that.

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

I would say they are entirely fictitious, but I guess everyone we meet rubs off on us in some way. So, my characters are probably an amalgamation of all kinds of people, both real and imagined, all squashed together in my head.

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 love J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Philip Pullman, Patrick Ness… and for a long time all I wrote was YA fiction. But then I read Lee Child. Even though I do like Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, Simon Kernick, Peter James etc. I don’t think any other thriller writer gets anywhere close to Child’s control of prose and pace. And his style influenced Shark Bait the most. I love pace. I wanted my novel to be totally gripping.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who likes a good thriller! But I also target people who don’t necessarily like reading. In 2014 Booktrust surveyed 1500 adults and found that 36% give up on books because they get bored. I think we need more high-octane, gripping, blistering-paced reads to reach this demographic. I’m actually part of this demographic. I give up on loads of books because I get bored. I want to write books that no one could ever say are boring.

About Writing

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

I plan extensively. First a few ideas, key scenes, characters etc. before creating a plot overview and then fleshing it out. Everything is written in my head before I write it on paper. I imagine every scene like in a movie. That’s why I don’t suffer from writer’s block; I know what I’m writing because I’ve planned everything out before hand.

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

Yes. As above. Everything extensively.

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

I know that Dean Koontz edited as he went, but few of us have that kind of skill! The prevailing advice is to get the first draft down as quickly as possible then go back to it. Afterwards, leave the manuscript a few weeks and go back to it again with fresh eyes. Ernest Hemingway pointed out: “The first draft of everything is shit”.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I would recommend every indie author gets a professional editor. In 2015 Shark Bait was taken on by the wonderful Sarah Manning, now of The Bent Agency. She proved just how valuable an editor is, and the manuscript is much better for her input.

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

No. I find it distracts me!

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes, and accepted representation by Sarah Manning, as mentioned above.

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

Shark Bait was put forward to the board of acquisitions at both Orion and Harlequin Harper Collins, but despite high praise from them and lots of other publishers, it was never picked up. Publishers seem to be looking at psychological thrillers for debuts. Mine is an all-action, plot-driven novel.

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

I designed it myself. A risk, I admit, because the one thing that shows an indie author up straight away is a poor cover. But I did a lot of research and spent a lot of time working on it, and took on the advice of a lot of people. I would never have used anything I considered unprofessional.

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

No plan, per se. I started off with the usual posts on Facebook and Twitter, and now have started contacting book bloggers and the local press.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t pay a vanity publisher. There are enough print-on-demand companies now, like Lulu and Amazon KDP, that don’t charge any setup fees. Get a good editor and a good cover. But try literary agents before doing any of that. Let’s not pretend that self-publishing is better than being published by a big traditional publisher (it’s not).

About You

Where did you grow up?

Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham.

Where do you live now?

Walsall, also near Birmingham.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a piano teacher by trade, but I love composing and writing. Shark Bait is actually my sixth novel.

What are you working on now?

My agent and I both worked on a new high-concept thriller, Memories Unspeakable… but that didn’t get picked up either! It will be published on Amazon Winter 2018.

End of Interview:

For more from Matt, visit his website and follow him on Twitter.

Get your copy of Shark Bait from Amazon US or Amazon UK.