Cowboy Caleb the liberal arts, grown-up stuff & random mischief

Interview: Andrew Grant – Author & Badass

British agent Daniel Swann fled Thailand after murdering the son of the Kingdom’s top underworld boss. Now he is back, ordered by his government to recover a small black box from the bottom of the Andaman Sea. Business as usual, he doesn’t ask questions. But as his friends are beheaded one by one and he is pursued by CIA agents, Swann realises his mission has become personal. Someone wants him dead.

Andrew Grant’s latest book “Death In The Kingdom” is dead good thrilling James Bond stuff but set in the streets of Bangkok. Today I had the good fortune to interview author Andrew Grant before he gave a talk and signed books at Borders (after he appeared on both Channelnewsasia and 938LIVE).

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Where are you currently based?
I live in Rangoria, outside of Christchurch in New Zealand but I travel frequently to Thailand and Singapore.

How does one go from being a seaman to a bodyguard to an advertising copywriter and finally landing up as a published writer of novels?
Well I grew up in the bushlands of Otago and Southland so stuff like hunting and fishing were second nature to me. After a friend had an accident, I decided to find something safer to do so I enlisted in the merchant navy. Then I moved to the UK for some O.E (overseas experience) after I got married and worked for a bank for awhile until I met a nice SAS trooper who got me a job as a bodyguard. Later I got involved in copywriting so writing novels was the most natural thing to do based on my actual experiences – everything you read is authentic!

How many books exactly have you written?
I’ve written about 10 books. “Death In The Kingdom” is the first one that’s being released internationally. The rest were all published for audiences in New Zealand. My first novel was a best seller in NZ and won quite a few contests, after that there’s no looking back!

Is the protagonist in your novel (Daniel Swann) based on yourself?
No, there is a little of me in Daniel but he’s a composite of people I’ve known over the years. Like Daniel, I’ve been in situations where I was scared and hurt. It’s hard to write without the benefit of experiencing the sensations yourself or if you don’t know anybody who has gone through it. I’ve had the good luck to have known many interesting folk.

So where’s the next Daniel Swann book going to be set in?
Probably Singapore. And I’ll put in a pub called “The Cowboy Caleb” for good measure. Hahaha.

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The dude looks dead hardcore. He’s tall, lanky and has eyes the colour of winter diamonds. He moves like a panther, silently and quickly. Ian Fleming had James Bond – Andrew Grant has Daniel Swann. I’ve read the first few chapters of his new book and it’s really good.

You can learn more about Death In The Kingdom and download the first chapter here before purchasing a copy at a good bookstore in your neighbourhood.

(thanks to Monsoon Books for arranging the interview)

I know the guy.
Those guns are the real deal.
He’s also a former karate dude and boxer.
Not bad shape for 60, huh?