A Bookish Conversation with 'A Wanted Man' Robert Parker

Robert Parker is a new exciting voice, a married father of two, who lives in a village close to Manchester, UK. He has both a law degree and a degree in film and media production, and has worked in numerous employment positions, ranging from solicitor’s agent (essentially a courtroom gun for hire), to a van driver, to a warehouse order picker, to a commercial video director. He currently writes full time, while also making time to encourage new young readers and authors through readings and workshops at local schools and bookstores. In his spare time he adores pretty much all sport, boxing regularly for charity, loves fiction across all mediums, and his glass is always half full.

His latest book is the crime/thriller, A WANTED MAN.

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Title: A WANTED MAN
Author: Robert Parker
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Pages: 307
Genre: Crime Thriller

It’s down to fathers and fatherhood.

Ben Bracken, ex-soldier, has just got out of Strangeways.

Not by the front door.

With him, he has his ‘insurance policy’ – a bag of evidence that will guarantee his freedom, provided he can keep it safe – and he has money, carefully looked after by a friend, Jack Brooker.

Rejected by the army, disowned by his father, and any hopes of parenthood long since shattered, Ben has no anchors in his life.

No one to keep him steady. 

No one to stop his cause…

The plan: to wreak justice on the man who had put him in prison in the first place. 

Terry ‘The Turn-Up’ Masters, a nasty piece of work, whose crime organisation is based in London.

But before Ben can get started on his mission, another matter is brought to his attention: Jack’s father has been murdered and he will not rest until the killers are found.

Suddenly, Ben finds himself drawn in to helping Jack in his quest for revenge.

In the process, he descends into the fold of Manchester’s most notorious crime organisation – the Berg – the very people he wants to bring down…

This action-packed and fast-paced story will keep you turning the pages. Manchester is vividly portrayed as Ben races around the city seeking vengeance.

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What first inspired you to write or who inspired you?

Sunday afternoons watching cartoons and matinee movies with my Grandad, before I realized he had a pretty wonderful set of bookshelves hidden in the front bedroom. They were full of crime, adventures, thrillers, mysteries, you name it. Cups of tea and stories with Grandad – that’ll be where it all came from.

At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Age 6, although it could possibly be earlier. I knew very definitely at that point that telling stories was what I wanted to do, and that’s just what I did, working predominantly in the ‘preposterous dinosaur fiction’ genre as I recall.

Do you take notes when reading or watching a movie?

I used to, but then I realized I was just being a bit over-zealous and wasn’t really enjoying what I was reading or watching anymore! I love books and movies so much that I didn’t want anything to get in the way of that.

Has writing always been a passion for you or did you discover it years later?

Always, without doubt. I’d make my own books as a kid, and was never ever far from a pen and a scrap of paper – something which is still the case now. I have so many notebooks, all filled with all manner of gold and garbage (mostly garbage).

Can you name three writing tips to pass on to aspiring authors?

Write from your gut, enjoy yourself, and don’t you dare give up.

Do you let unimportant things get in the way of your writing?

Sometimes I can procrastinate as though my life depended on it, other times the words overflow. I tend to hold onto some control though, but there is one thing that I can’t dictate – the behavior of my kids! Sometimes they pick the worst moments to redecorate the living room in Sharpie – that said, I would never class my kids as unimportant. They always come first.

What hours do you write best?

Entirely depends! Sometimes in the dead of night, but I’ve noticed that early to mid afternoon is sort of my prime time.

How often do you write?

As close to everyday as I can, but I’m realistic enough to know that some days it just doesn’t work out. When there’s a deadline, or I set myself a target, I don’t let anything derail that.

Are you an avid reader?

Yes, I sure am.

What are you reading now?

The Forsaken by Ace Atkins, which is the fourth Quinn Colson book. The attitude and elegance of this series mesmerizes me every time, and the characters feel like family.

What are you currently working on?

Well, I’ve completed the next two books in the Ben Bracken series, and ruminating on direction of the fourth while I’m halfway through a standalone novel (as yet untitled). The standalone represents a bit of a departure for me I think, as it focusses on more of a pure mystery. Kind of letting my imagination wander with this one, and it feels good!