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Interview with Alan Cook

Published 2018-04-17.
When did you first start writing?
At about the time I could first hold a pencil.
What's the story behind your latest book?
"Your Move" is the 7th book in the Carol Golden series. She is a code breaker and game player, and is called on to figure out a game that a serial killer is playing.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I never found an agent I could work with and it's too difficult to find a publisher without one.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
By distributing my books to multiple sellers such as Kobo and Apple, Smashwords has been instrumental to my success as an indie author.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy is completing a book or other written piece, reading it over and discovering that I really like it.
What do your fans mean to you?
Fans are the lifeblood of the author. Without them we would be writing only for ourselves.
What are you working on next?
I am always working on a book as well as shorter pieces such as articles, short stories and poems.
Who are your favorite authors?
Ray Bradbury, Jeffery Deaver, Sue Grafton, Sir Walter Scott.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Something to do, someone to love (my wife and family) and something to look forward to.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Walking, traveling, working on puzzles and games.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Usually I look for them by author because I am familiar with his or her work. Publicity helps.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Actually, it was probably a poem and forgettable but a start, nevertheless.
What is your writing process?
Write every morning while I'm working on a project. After finishing a draft reread and rewrite until it's done.
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Latest books by This Author

Rocky Road to Denver by
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 101,600. Language: English. Published: January 2, 2023 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » General, Fiction » Adventure » Travel
The death of Roger McAllister’s wife in 1984 prompts him to take a break from his accounting firm and join a walk from Los Angeles to Denver, sponsored by Zeus Shoes. The people he encounters will shake him out of his comfort zone, providing comedy, peril and sexual temptation. In addition, his dead wife appears to be keeping an eye on him. Roger’s life will never be the same.
Death at Monksrest by
Series: Charlie and Liz Novels. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 18,510. Language: English. Published: August 14, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Amateur sleuth
Liz Reid flies to England in the 1960s because of a poem about an ancient curse that her coworker, Charlie Ebersole, has sent her, which may have led to the murder of the sister of Charlie’s English friend, Reggie, whose father is the owner of the hereditary estate of Monksrest. Liz works with Lord Wheatley to find clues in spite of the risks involved.
East of the Wall by
Series: Charlie and Liz Novels. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 84,140. Language: English. Published: June 4, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Historical » General
(4.00 from 1 review)
Charlie Ebersole and Liz Reid are recruited by the CIA to go into East Germany in June 1963, to attempt to obtain intelligence about a secret project of the Germans during World War II, about which information has been lost. The Berlin Wall and the Stasi (East German secret police) make this a perilous mission, but the two suspect that they are the most appropriate people for the job.
Trust Me if You Dare by
Series: Charlie and Liz Novels. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 87,960. Language: English. Published: June 29, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Travel, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Amateur sleuth
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
In 1962 Los Angeles, Charlie, a securities analyst, is offered a job in the fraud division of International Investments that will change his life. With his partner, Liz, they investigate a possible Ponzi scheme that will take them to Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale and possibly Fidel Castro's Cuba. But someone doesn't want them prying, and they could pay a heavy price for trying to do their job.
Your Move by
Series: Carol Golden. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 82,620. Language: English. Published: April 16, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
(4.00 from 1 review)
In the 7th Carol Golden novel Carol is asked to help find a serial killer who likes to play games.
Fool Me Twice by
Series: Carol Golden. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 51,080. Language: English. Published: March 2, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller
Carol Golden is asked to help Peter Griffenham recover a chunk of money he's lost in a scam, but he doesn't want to go to the police, and by the time she gets involved the prime suspect, a dazzling redhead named Amy, has disappeared along with the money. Or has she? Perhaps that was only the first chapter, to be followed by a much larger scam. Can Carol help prevent chapter two?
Good to the Last Death by
Series: Carol Golden. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 77,340. Language: English. Published: November 16, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
When Carol Golden’s husband, Rigo, disappears, she not only has to look for him but also elude the FBI at the same time since there is evidence she may have been involved in his disappearance. She doggedly follows a faint trail, keeping her location a secret from everybody except her friend, Jennifer, a spy-in-training, who takes time off from her top-secret job to help Carol.
Freedom's Light: Quotations from History's Champions of Freedom by
Price: Free! Words: 7,630. Language: English. Published: March 28, 2015 . Categories: Nonfiction » History » Reference, Nonfiction » Philosophy » Social
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
FREEDOM'S LIGHT contains quotations from 38 of history's champions of freedom, from Aristotle to Zlata Filipovic, from George Washington to Martin Luther King, Jr. Included are Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Anne Frank and many more.
Pictureland by
Series: Dancing with Bulls. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 32,960. Language: English. Published: February 9, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
Matthew and Mason are intrigued by the painting on their wall, and with the help of Amy, a girl in the picture, they enter the land behind the painting. What they find there is a dystopian world far different from the idyllic picture, where residents have chips in their heads and thought control is practiced. There is no Constitution and the laws are those imposed by the self-appointed rulers.
Hit that Blot by
Series: Carol Golden. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 92,020. Language: English. Published: January 5, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Spies & espionage
Carol Golden is working as a listener on a crisis hotline in Southern California when she receives a call from a man who calls himself Danny, and who says he’s afraid he will be killed. Since Carol plays backgammon, herself, and wants to help Danny she disobeys the rules of the hotline by trying to track him down. That leads her to the exciting and dangerous world of tournament backgammon.
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