Daily Archives: March 28, 2011

Those in Peril by Wilbur Smith – Book Review

Posted on March 28, 2011
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I’ve always found it strange how, the older you get, time just seems to flyby uncontrollably! When you compare a full day in work and a day in school the two are incomparable – oh and don’t get me started on the holiday phenomenon! Why do two week holidays never feel like two weeks? With all this in mind – and there is a point to my ramble honest! – when I received Wilbur Smith’s latest African thriller “Those in Peril” from Pan Macmillan it made me sit back and think when I last read a Wilbur Smith novel.

After my memory recall was severely tested I came to the conclusion that it was approximately 15 years ago – the book was “The Seventh Scroll” – the second in the Egyptian series following the amazing “River God – review”.

“Those in Peril” is my first African based novel from Wilbur Smith – the Egyptian series has always fascinated me and I’ve always given his African genre a wide berth (no idea why!) – and given the recent events in Somalia the subject matter is incredibly relevant and up to date. As of last month Somali pirates are holding 31 vessels and 688 hostages, this includes the latest victims – a Danish family of five including three teenagers – incredible.

“Hazel Bannock is the heir to the Bannock Oil Corp, one of the major oil producers with global reach. While cruising in the Indian Ocean, Hazel’s private yacht is hijacked by African pirates. Hazel is not on board at the time, but her nineteen year old daughter, Cayla, is kidnapped and held to ransom. The pirates demand a crippling twenty billion dollar ransom for her release. Complicated political and diplomatic considerations render the …

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An Interview with Robert Goddard

Posted on March 28, 2011
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Robert, welcome to milorambles.com, given your long and distinguished career as a novelist when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I first realized I wanted to be a writer in my childhood, probably around the age of nine or ten. Reading other people’s stories made me want to create my own. Later, I went through a long period of disregarding the ambition as unrealistic. But it never went away.

How long did it take you to write Blood Count?

Blood Count took me about fifteen months to write from first conceiving the idea. There was a lot of research to be done before any actual writing, of course, but that’s part of the process.

What books/authors have most influenced you most and why?

I’ve often said my greatest inspirations before I started writing were Wilkie Collins and John Fowles and that’s undoubtedly true. You could say I tried to combine their storytelling styles.

What was the hardest part of writing Blood Count and do you find it hard, now that you have had over 20 books published, to come up with ideas and keep things fresh?

I’d have to say foot-slogging round Belgrade in grim February weather was the hardest part of writing Blood Count, but it gave me lots of ideas and illustrates how the flow of ideas can be maintained. You have to put yourself where the ideas are likely to be found.

Check out the “Blood Count” book review here

With that in mind do you find it hard to motivate yourself during the writing and ideas stage and what is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I enjoy the whole process of writing a novel, so motivation really isn’t a problem. For the same reason, I’m pretty relaxed about maintaining a …

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