Frenzy: A Daniel Jones Story
by Mark King
Synopsis:
Daniel leads
a peaceful life with his family until he finds out a repulsive secret about the
Over-seers, the ‘saviours of humanity’, and his security is blown to smithereens.
He enters a world where death is the only certainty and quickly learns to kill
– or be killed.
Enter
Gwendolyn, with the charm of a snake and a bite that’s twice as dangerous.
People skills aren’t her thing but she knows how to survive in a post-apocalyptic
world; she’s a hotshot with a bow and arrow and can rustle up a mean rat
soup.
Mary is the
only person left alive over forty. She’s not too good at fighting but she knows
where to find the one thing that could save their lives; the golden shield.
Only Mary can remember life before the invasion, before humanity was
brainwashed into following the procedures.
Pursued by
the Over-seers, the Triclops and the barbaric hunters, can the three brave
rebels triumph in their quest? The odds are stacked against them – hold tight
for a white-knuckle ride through a landscape of devastation!
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Author Interview
1. Tell a little about
yourself. What do you do when you’re not writing? What are your aspirations in
life?
I like to go
to the gym in the morning for either a 45 minute session on the running
machine, or to complete a spinning class on the bikes. I’m not as disciplined
as I should be with my visits to the gym, but I do find it’s a great way to
clear your head in the morning, ready for the days writing. For readers of my
blog at www.always-hanging-around.blogspot.com you will know that Mark King also
likes to socialise, and relax, over a couple of drinks with my friends. I also
complete a day or two of volunteering work in the local community, and of
course there is spending quality time with my family. As for the future I look forward to the day
when Frenzy a Daniel Jones story, and its sequel Daniel Jones Doom are made
into films.
2. When and why did you start writing?
After the
unexpected death of my father in-law it became clear to me that you had to do
whatever you want to achieve in life now, because you can never tell if
tomorrow will come. So in the autumn of 2010 while I was driving one Monday
morning to work feeling miserable I knew the point had come where I needed to
take a new direction in life. Over the next few weeks while I worked out my
notice the story formulated in my mind, and Frenzy by Mark King was born.
3. Have any particular novels or writers influenced your writing?
I’ve always
loved George Orwell ever since I first read his books at school, and I have
continued to re-read them over again and again. So it was an honour to be listed
for the Orwell Prize 2014. I also like Dan Brown’s writing because of his fast
pace style of storytelling which you will find throughout Frenzy a Daniel Jones
story, and which will continue with Daniel Jones Doom. My third favourite
author is Ken Follett. Again his writing is of such a good quality, and I try
my best to reach these standards too.
4. Give us some backstory about Frenzy. Where and when did you write it?
After I had
finished work I gave myself two years in which to get Frenzy published. This
may sound quite a long period of time, but for a first time author it can take
a life time to get published, and even then you still may not make it. I set
out a clear writing plan of working just like I would if I was still in full
time employment. I would write for up to eight hours a day from Monday to
Friday, and then take a break from it at the weekend to spend time with the
family. During my writing time I tried to spend two days out of the house
writing in public areas like the centre Library, or cafes, so I didn’t become
too house-bound.
5. What was your favourite part of writing Frenzy?
What I enjoy
the most is the simplest part of writing, and that’s the writing itself. I just
love it when I can get lost in my own mind to the point were the words flow
without ever having to take a pause to mull over what to write next. I found
this to be true with my second book Daniel Jones Doom as with Frenzy.
6. What does your writing schedule look like?
At the
moment I am two thirds of the way through my manuscript to Daniel Jones Doom,
but I haven’t been able to concentrate on it with the 100% I gave to Frenzy,
because I have to spend a certain percentage of my time promoting Frenzy;
especially though social media like my weekly blog at always hanging around, my
twitter page @author_king, through to Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook. Then
there are media interviews and reviews, so sometimes my schedule just goes out
the window.
7. Which fictional character would you like to take to dinner and why?
If it were
people who had lived in history I would have a long list of people, but
fictional characters makes it harder. I presume it can be anyone, and not just
from Frenzy, so if that is the case then there would only be one, and that
would be James Bond 007. He would make a perfect wingman for me as we sinned
the night away.
8. Besides your lead, do you have a favourite character in the story?
Although my
book is called Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story there are two other main characters
that in the end have equal roles to play as the story unfolds. Both are female,
one who is of similar age to Daniel called Gwendolyn, and the much older Mary.
I like all three in equal measure as they all have different traits that united
together makes for great reading. Because of these three central characters Frenzy
can be enjoyed by both male and female readers of any age from 13 to 93.
9. What is one of the most surprising things you’ve learned as a writer?
The most
surprising thing I learnt which I think is prominent in the U.K is how much of
the publishing industry is now controlled by women. At every stage from agents
to the publishing houses, and the people who work in them, from editing, proof
reading, publicity though to most of the awards, and even the judges on the
panels are mostly female. Publishing was an industry that for century’s women
would have to use a male pseudonym just to get published, but there may come a point
where men might have to start using female’s names to be taken seriously.
10. Any advice for aspiring authors?
The best
advice I can give is be prepared for disappointment. It starts from the very
beginning when you ask people to review your first manuscript asking them to
give you an honest answer. Don’t be surprised when they do, and then they tell
you that what you thought was the greatest story ever told is not their cup of
tea. It carries on through getting rejection after rejection from agents and
publishers. If you can’t face rejection then don’t even start. The other piece
of advice is never to give up, keep going. If you have made the commitment,
have the belief in your manuscript, and are prepared to listen to advice, you
will make it. Always listen, and carry on, and one day your dreams will come
true.
Excerpt from Frenzy
CHAPTER ONE
MARY
BANG, BANG, BANG.
And the ground shook
Bang, Bang, Bang.
And the ground shook with an almighty force.
Bang, Bang, Bang.
And the ground shook with such terrifying power that once again the souls of humanity would cry out in fear tonight.
Silence.
Mary’s heart was beating at such speed she wanted to shout out, release the pressure of horror which raged through her body, looking for an escape route. The warm palm of her mother’s hand was covering her mouth, and she could hear mother whisper very quietly into her ear as they crouched down together.
‘Mary, I love you my little angel.’
First the light came, a bright red beam lighting up the room, which revealed their hiding place behind the family sofa at the far corner, opposite the television.
She remembered one of her mother’s favourite sayings: “red sky at night, shepherds’ delight” but there was no delight tonight, only destruction.
Next the noise came, a high-pitched note that smothered all other sounds for a few brief seconds, to be followed by the crash of falling bricks as Mary’s home came tumbling down around her.
About the Author
Mark King
the author of FRENZY a Daniel Jones story which is now available for sale
around the world from America, Canada, U.K, Germany, India and Japan to name just
a few. Mark is also the writer behind the successful worldwide blog www.always-hanging-around.blogspot.com.
His varied
working life from being an Auctioneer on Lowestoft fish market through to a
Court bailiff, and then an area operations manager, plus other positions
in-between, has given Mark a rich tapestry of experiences that has helped feed
his imagination, and which is now used in his creative work as a successfully
published author.
Now working
on the sequel to FRENZY a Daniel Jones story his new book which has been
initialled titled Daniel Jones DOOM; Mark King’s intention is to carry on with
the fast paced exciting formula that fans have enjoyed with FRENZY.
You can
follow Mark via twitter @author_king. He tries his best to interact with fans
while writing on the new manuscript to Daniel Jones Doom.
Mark’s quote.
I'm a free
spirit, lover of life, family, friendships, good food, drink and travel. After
facing death on more occasions than is good for a hot blooded male I now let my
vivid imagination take the risks in life.
I will try
anything once, and if I like it I will try it again; and if I don't then I
won't. So even now I'm still making mistakes learning something new along the way,
and when I stop making these it will be the day my maker calls me to judgement.
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