Bookpleasures.com welcomes once again as our guest Gary D. McGugan author of the Three Weeks Less A Day, The Multima Scheme. Unrelenting Peril, and A Web of Deceit.

Norm: Good day Gary and thanks once again for taking part in an interview for Bookpleasures.com

Gary:  Thank you for the opportunity, Norm. It’s wonderful to be with you.

Norm: What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

Gary:  Digital sales become increasingly important each year. With that growth in popularity, traditional publishers play a less prominent role as authors create professional, compelling manuscripts, build electronic or print books entirely, and promote their work directly to readers.

Norm: How many times in your writing career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Gary:  I started writing later in life so I think my experience is atypical. Agents and publishers understandably showed little interest in an aging non-celebrity just setting out.

They had no way of knowing whether my capacity to generate revenue for them was limited to one book; or might offer more opportunities with others to follow.

When it became clear traditional routes showed little immediate interest, I decided to follow a self-publishing path instead of waiting for doors to open. I have no regrets.

Norm: What does a typical writing day look like for you, from waking to turning in at night, and how does it compare to a conventional 9 to 5 job?

Gary:  Three primary activities occupy much of my day: investing, writing, and fitness. Early mornings, I research data for an investment portfolio I manage. From 9-Noon, I research, write, or edit my novel in progress.

Two to three hours each afternoon are devoted to walking and stretching. The remainder of my day and evening is devoted to relaxation, reading, social and family activities.

Norm; Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?

Gary:  Writers owe their readers a satisfying reading experience. Non-fiction readers usually expect to gain new information and insights into a specific subject. Suspense readers expect a tale that entertains them with some mystery, twists and surprises.

 Readers pay hard-earned money when they buy books and should feel their expenditure was entirely justified when they reach the last page.

Norm: What do you consider to be your greatest success (or successes) so far in your writing career?

Gary:  Canada’s largest bookseller—Indigo—has become a wonderful supporter, with its stores across Ontario and Quebec inviting me to hold in-store events to promote and sign books with readers.

This personal interaction directly with prospective readers has significantly boosted my readership for all five novels.

Norm: Many people have the skills and drive to write a book, but failure to market and sell the book the right way is probably what keep a lot of people from finding success. Can you give us 2-3 strategies that have been effective for you promoting your books.

Gary:  Without a doubt, working with Indigo stores has been my most successful marketing thrust. I also communicate by email twice per month with readers who subscribe to my VIP Readers List. Folks who’d like to subscribe can do it easily by visiting my WEBSITE.

And I also use social media to inform and promote.

Norm: What inspires you?

Gary:  Learning. Throughout my adult life, I’ve learned continuously about business, people, science, the arts, and life itself. Crafting some of that knowledge into a unique story created from a blank piece of paper provides powerful inspiration. Writing a story demands more discovery to make each plot work and make it appealing to, and credible for, most readers.

Norm: Where did you get your information or ideas for A Web of Deceit?

Gary:  During the twenty-years I worked in commercial finance with some of the world’s most successful organizations, each of my employers invested huge amounts of time and money to educate its executives about continuously occurring pitfalls with digital commerce and money-laundering—and the massive risks each poses for successful businesses. It kindled a passion for me to learn more, read media articles, and listen intently to expert speakers at industry conferences. Over the years, I’ve considered many possible scenarios where the worlds of organized crime and thriving commercial businesses might intersect. With A Web of Deceit, I added a pinch of imagination to create a scenario that might just be possible as a criminal element uses technology to attack a major corporation and wage a war with others.

Norm: What was the time-line between the time you decided to write your book and publication? What were the major events along the way?

Gary:  Since 2016, I’ve written and published a new novel each year, and I’ll release another one in 2022. Before a story is fully completed, I usually started building the plot and begin research into settings and locales. A Web of Deceit takes place in the Caribbean, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and Australia.

With the exception of Australia, I spent considerable time in those locations in 2019 and 2020 before the pandemic restricted travel. My major events along the way are getting it all down on paper first, revising until I’m satisfied with the plot and content, then working with two professional editors to edit and modify as needed. I welcome their input and suggestions to make a story better, then fine tune it over several months. Finally, a professional proofreader points out any spelling and / or grammar concerns to polish a version ready for publishing.

Norm: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your story?

Gary:  When the subject relates to computer hacking there is little I find surprising. With enough technical knowledge, time, patience and creativity, expert hackers can penetrate virtually any computer system. For this reason, a next world war may well be waged more with technology weapons than conventional weapons.

Norm: Was there anything you found particularly challenging in writing A Web of Deceit? How did you deal with it?

Gary: For most people, technical talk can become boring very quickly. My goal in A Web of Deceit was to avoid ‘tech-speak’ and focus on activities and results that contributed directly to the plot.

Norm: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

Gary:  My primary goal with every story is to entertain my readers. Feedback from readers and reviewers suggest I was successful in A web of Deceit. I think most readers will find the pacing very quick, with a high level of intrigue, and insight into some of the dangers associated with digital commerce lurking in the background.

Norm: What is your secret in keeping the intensity of the plot throughout the narrative?

Gary: From the first chapter, my goal is to make every chapter in the book as exciting as possible. I try to avoid a natural inclination to provide backstory and focus instead on as much action and dialog as possible. During my editing reviews, I focus on specific passages where an additional twist or turn might heighten intensity and raise more questions for a reader.

Norm: How much research went into before writing the novel, and what were some of the references that you used while researching this book?

Gary:  My stories draw on experiences from my forty-year career with major corporations around the globe. So far, I’ve personally visited 66 countries and more than 635 cities on every continent but Africa and Antarctica. Sometimes Googlemaps.com is necessary to refresh memories about a specific location or calculate distance or travel times, but most research is the result of observing people, listening to experts, and reading about a book a week over most of my lifetime.

Norm: Did you know the end of your book at the beginning, and what is the most favorite part of your book?

Gary:  With every story, I have a beginning, middle, and end well established. The path I follow to reach the end often changes as I find more exciting routes to get from here to there!

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and A Web of Deceit?

Gary:  I have information about all five novels and myself at MY WEBSITE

Norm: What is next for Gary D. McGugan?

Gary:  In April 2022, I’ll release A Slippery Shadow. This new story will be an independent self-contained story like all my novels, but will pick up from where A Web of Deceit ends. So I’d encourage your readers to read a copy of A Web of Deceit first. A Slippery Shadow will focus more on Fidelia Morales who recently assumed command of The Organization. I think readers will find this female crime boss an intriguing character as she interacts once again with venerable Howard Knight who bungles into yet another crisis involving Suzanne Simpson and her Multima Corporation empire. Once started, I think readers will have a hard time putting down A Slippery Shadow.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, if you can invite three authors, dead or alive, of thrillers and crime to your dinner table, who would they be and what would you ask them?

Gary:  Wilbur Smith, John Grisham and James Patterson would all be delightful dinner companions. I’d ask each of them the same question: “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your writing career?” I have no doubt their answers would take far more than a dinner conversation to dissect and absorb!

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Gary: Thank you, Norm.  It’s been great talking with you again.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Review of A Web of Deceit