Today I have a quuick natter with one of the best writers working today ….
The Paul Heatley Interview
QUESTION ONE
YOU LIVE IN AMBLE, NORTHUMBERLAND AND, ACCORDING TO THE GPS/ SAT NAV, IT’S ‘‘IN THE MIDDLE OF BLODDY NOWNHERE?’ WHICH BEGGERS THE QUESTION - WHY? AND IS IT ANTHING LIKE THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN TV SERIES?
It is EXACTLY like The League Of Gentlemen. No, I kid, I kid, though perhaps it might present that way if you’re not local. Amble, like you say, is in Northumberland, on the north east coast of England, and is known as ‘The Friendliest Port’ – as with anywhere, your mileage may vary as to whether that holds true or not. It’s about thirty miles north of Newcastle, and about forty miles south of the Scottish Borders. I’ve actually lived in Hadston, which is the next town to the south, for the last decade, but I’m moving back to Amble as of this week funnily enough. As for the why, well, my family moved to Amble from Gateshead when I was seven. It’s a nice enough place. Northumberland is a beautiful area. I’m not a city boy – I made peace with that fact long ago. I’m a country bumpkin at heart. I prefer the quiet. I like being out the way.
QUESTION TWO
YOUR EARLIER BOOKS WERE MOSTLY DARK AND BITTER SLICES OF LOWLIFE, AMERICANA ROAD KILL, BUT YOUR MOST RECENT SERIES – THE TOM ROLLINS NOVELS - ARE ACTION-PACKED, HIGH-OCTANE THRILLERS. WITH PICTURES OF MEN’S BOTTOMS ON THE COVERS. WAS THAT A DELIBERATE CHANGE OF STYLE, AND AGAIN, WHY?
I like to think the Tom Rollins books retain some of that darkness, and there’s certainly plenty of lowlifes; I think the only real difference is that while Tom IS an anti-hero, he’s certainly a more hopeful, heroic one than the noir protagonists I used to write about. How he came about is basically I was approached at the start of the covid lockdown in 2020 by Inkubator Books to see if I’d have any interest in writing an action-adventure style series. I of course said yes and it all took off from there. Moving from noir to thriller has felt like a very natural progression to me. One of my favourite authors is Don Winslow, and there’s no one better than he at blending the two. I’m nowhere near his level, but I strive toward it.
QUESTION THREE
IS TOM ROLLINS NAMED AFTER MUMBLY TOM WAITS AND SHOUTY HENRY ROLLINS?
You’re half right! The Henry Rollins half. The front half is Tom Hardy, the actor. Tom Rollins is based on a combination of the two. Though if people want to believe in their headcanon that he’s named for Tom Waits and Henry Rollins then I’m fine with that, too.
QUESITION FOUR
I KNOW YOU LIKE GOING TO THE GYM AND MAKING YOURSELF LOOK BUFF AND THAT. IS AMBLE SO HARD THAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR WARFARE WITH MAURADING SHEEP?
If you saw the size of the sheep around here you’d understand. Them and the cows.
QUESTION FIVE
YOU USED TO WORK IN – AND MAYBE STILL DO - WORK IN A BOOKSHOP. DID IT EVER PUT YOU OFF WRITING HAVING ALL OF THOSE CLASSICS AT YOUR DISPOSAL?
I do still work in a bookshop, though I’ve migrated from second-hand to brand new these days. I’ve never been put off by what others have accomplished. If anything, it’s more of a driving factor.
QUESTION SIX
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO AMERICA FOR RESEARCH, OR IS PHSICAL RESEACH PRETTY MUCH IRRELEVENT THESE DAYS?
I’ve been to Florida, yes, though I was thirteen so it was more for Disneyworld than it was for research. I remember it well, though. But to be honest, the America I write about is movie and TV show America. It’s fictional. I’ll spend a lot of time on Google Maps if necessary, and I do my research on real places if Rollins is passing through them.
QUESTION SEVEN
WHAT’S ON THE CARDS FOR 2024?
Tom Rollins book thirteen’s first draft has been finished and is currently being edited. After that, I keep on keeping on and push forward.
BIO: Paul Heatley is the bestselling author of the Tom Rollins action thriller series, as well as many other titles including Cutthroat, the Eye For An Eye series, and Guillotine. He lives in the north east of England.
Paul, enjoyed that and I find Paul Heatley to be an excellent writer. The Rollins series is very good. Thanks for posting this.
Fascinating and amusing portrait of the writer and his surprising milieu