Never Give Up Hope

Mar 7

Posted by

Peter Birkett Author Interview

Chiller follows a man trying to get his life together after a divorce and receiving a gift of healing from his friend, who encounters an alien during a protest. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

We have all, myself included, had to rebuild our lives to some extent at one point or another and it can be a difficult journey. Hopefully, the reader can sympathise with Andy’s predicament, which in turn adds authenticity to his character. Andy is just one everyday man trying to get his life in order and move forward. Ever asked yourself how much worse can things get? The answer is…a whole lot more!

One of the highlights of your novel is the characters. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?

The main characters in Chiller are a very disparate group of people. There is a lot of humour and even some silliness in their interactions, which reflects my sense of humour. Andy is the character who is most like me, but there is a little bit of Bill in there as well. I feel that one of Chiller’s strongest points is the characters. Once I had them, it was almost as if they told their own story.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The resilience and the strength of the human spirit and how people who are very different can form such strong bonds when faced with adversity. Also, never judge a book by its cover, as some of the book’s characters at certain points in the story are not who they appear to be. And importantly…never give up hope. Help can come in the darkest hour from the unlikeliest of places. Ultimately, it is about standing up for you and yours and trying to protect what is important to you.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Andy and the direction of the third book?

The third book, Viral, is already available. Andy is joined by some of the surviving characters from Chiller on an epic journey on the Trans-Siberian Express. Their objective is to find and destroy the Earth’s latest and, hopefully, final threat. Without spoiling the plot of Chiller, it is a long journey of wonder and discovery. Brutal in parts, thought-provoking in others and entertaining throughout.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

“…John’s first step outside seemed to echo. He stopped before he took another. It felt strange. He looked up at the cold blue sky; it was crisp and clear. He had an odd feeling that he was being watched and he turned around 360 degrees. There was nothing to see. It was quiet though. Dead quiet. No birds were tweeting at all. Surely not all of them had headed south for the winter? He walked over to his campervan. It was old and quite weathered, but they had shared some epic trips: all around Scotland and Wales, in fact, every corner of the U.K. at one time or another, in sun, rain and snow. He put the rusty key in the door lock. Before he turned it, he stopped. He had an overwhelming feeling that he should turn around and go back inside the house. He dismissed it as best he could. He had important things to do and friends to help. He turned the key in the ignition. As he did so, he had a flurry of memories, not just about his travels, but about many different things: his family, his wedding, and school days. Many instances of him healing people and their faces flashed through his mind. He felt completely at peace. The creature had struck with brutal efficiency. John’s partially dismembered body lay strewn, unceremoniously, in the street. From the bedroom window, Gilmour could see him, all broken and lifeless. He stared intently at the creature as it surveyed its handy work…”
Read less

Posted on March 7, 2024, in Interviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.