Today, we’re visiting with David Lyons.  He was born in England and was raised and educated in the United States and abroad. After obtaining his license to practice law, he pursued advanced studies in international law and worked in Paris. With that career behind him, he now has time to write thrillers.  His first book has just come out to rave reviews, including my own review of it.

Jim: When did you first think about writing a book and when did you finally start writing? Was there something that encouraged you to actually begin?

David:  I was an international lawyer and spent a lot of time in airports and hotel rooms. I began writing as a means to pass the endless hours and found I enjoyed it. On one of my journeys, I mailed a manuscript to a literary agent in London. Her agency accepted my first novel, which was not published, but I was hooked.

Jim: I understand that you had an excellent mentor. Can you tell us a little about how that worked for you?

David:  I had help, advice and encouragement along the way from several sources, but I wouldn’t say I had a mentor. The word to me implies guidance and direction. I wrote what came to me and experimented with numerous genres. I received a lot of help from my local writers group.

Jim: How long did it take you to connect with an agent once you thought the book was ready?

David:  As I stated above, my first novel was accepted by a leading agent with my first submission, but it did not find a publisher. Through my writers group I met people in the business who submitted my work to colleagues of theirs in New York. It took over ten years before I submitted a work that had the combination of elements they were seeking.

Jim: I understand that Ice Fire came out in hardback, paperback, Kindle, and Audio. I’m guessing that the publisher set up a rather busy launch for you. Did you travel to the U.S. for a book tour?

David:  No. Book tours are expensive and from what I see, are being scaled back. Particularly for a new and unknown author, physical tours are rare. Also, the industry is changing, unfortunately, with brick and mortar stores declining.

Jim: Tell us a little about Jock Boucher. And how did you come up with a Cajun judge? Have you spent much time in Louisiana?

David:  One thing led to another. I began writing a thriller, with the essential body on the first pages. The subtext of the novel, a new energy source, prompted as setting a city with energy connections, and New Orleans fit that requirement. It is also one of the most colorful cities in the world and one I know well. I decided on a judicial background for my protagonist because there were already enough detectives, lawyers, and national security special ops experts in the thriller world.

Jim: You’ve said your first book took a number of years to complete. What is your deadline for the second Boucher book? How long will this one take you to write?

David:  It takes me six months to a year to write a book. I am at work on the second and it will be out in the fall of this year.

Jim: How important was your background in international law to writing this book, which doesn’t come across as a legal thriller, but whose protagonist is a U.S. district judge?

David:  I did not want to write a legal thriller, and do not think Ice Fire falls in that category. I know something about lawyers and judges, very little about CIA operatives and Navy SEALS. I had to make my character a renegade because a normal jurist spends all his time sitting down –not much of a thrill in that. So I made him a renegade, and a Cajun background seemed ideal.

Jim: With such an impressive beginning, can you give the less experienced writers one tip that might help them move forward?

David:   Jim, this ‘impressive beginning’ has taken decades to achieve. I could write several books on what not to do. It sounds plebian, but my advice is simple. Write what you enjoy and enjoy what you write. If you sincerely want to be published in a specific genre, then read authors who have been successful in that genre, and read about their lives. For example, the late thriller writer Robert B. Parker, knew exactly what he wanted. He studied extensively Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler before he wrote his first novel, which was accepted with his first submission, was a financial success, and he never looked back.

Jim:  Maybe I should have said impressive first publication.  But impressive still applies, David.  New York Times Bestselling author Graham Brown called your book almost clairvoyant. How so?

David:  The title Ice Fire refers to methane hydrate, which is natural gas encased in ice and found at great depths on the ocean floor. There is more than twice as much of it as all other forms of carbon-based energy combined. Major energy companies around the world have been involved in extensive research and development projects for years. Last month, Japan announced it was the first to successfully extract methane hydrate from the deep sea bed. If countries dependent upon oil and gas exports like Japan, China and India have their own energy source, the global economic balance of power may shift. It could be, as many experts are saying, a game-changer. My novel preceded Japan’s announcement by almost a year.

Jim: Lastly, where can we get our hands on this (to quote Kirkus) “auspicious beginning for a mystery series,” Ice Fire: A Jock Boucher Thriller?

David:  As I’m fond of saying, my novel is available wherever fine books are sold. If a bookstore doesn’t have it in stock, they’ll order it for you. It’s available online, and now available in paperback in book stores, airports, supermarkets all over the world.

 Thanks for the opportunity, Jim. Readers, I hope you enjoy Ice Fire. Look for the next in the Jock Boucher series, Blood Game, out later this year. Enjoy reading. David Lyons

You can also find David’s books on Amazon at:  http://amzn.to/10xl7I1

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