Tomorrow at some point when I can be bothered I’m going to be reviewing A Time To Die which is the latest novel featuring Victor the Assassin by the indestructible Tom Wood. It is out this Thursday 3rd November in paperback or if you just can’t wait you could get the Kindle version right away. Spoiler: It was bloody good. ANYWAY before that I made Tom answer my 20 questions just because I can so here you go. Oh and read Victor if you have not so far if you do enjoy a damn good thriller I can highly recommend this series.
Bookish question to start with. Where do you get your ideas from (NO DON’T KILL ME I AM JOKING) I am however interested to hear about Victor. For everyone else you understand. I’m already insightful enough to have read them…so how much bang does Victor give for your buck?
How much bang does Victor give me for my buck? I don’t even know what that means, so I’ll guess and say three.
Thats about right..
Favourite flavour of ice cream (I’m not even going to ask you about cheese) (until later)
Vanilla, obviously. It was the first for a reason. Anything else is just disrespectful.
No of times a week on average you say things without letting your brain kick into gear first (my average is 50 times. Per day)
A bajillion squillion.
Last book you read and did you enjoy it? You can say you didn’t, we are allowed to not like books. Unless they are your books obviously…
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. We’re friends with more than a little frenemy rivalry going on, so naturally I wanted to hate it. Alas, it’s really good.
Most randomly ridiculous plot idea you’ve ever had and would you consider actually writing it…
I have a whole drawer full of ridiculous plot ideas that I’ll one day write. I’m not giving them away now. They’re gold.
The dinner party question…5 people in the writing world you would like to have over for dinner and why.
A good dinner party needs drama, so I would get Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to argue politics, Richard Dawkins and The Pope to argue religion, whilst I’ll be chatting with Kate Beckinsale…
And which one of them would you think the most likely to turn out to be the killer in a “And then there were None” scenario…
Kate, clearly. Twist ending.
Favourite cheese (I did say until later)
Cheddar. Like vanilla, it’s a classic for a reason.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse what skill do you have that would ensure your survival?
I’m really good at making friends with people who would be useful in an apocalypse, so my survivor’s team would be the one to be on. I know several experts in unarmed combat and a mate who has many shotguns, for example.
One thing (apart from me) that irritates you
Littering. It’s a pre-cursor to the end of civilisation. If you don’t care about the quality of your immediate environment then we’re all doomed.
Who would you like to see play Victor if there were movies…
I’ll only answer this question in person. For this I’ll say that an unknown would fit the character best, but no studio would back a big budget film without a star.
Talking of movies which one do you put on when you just need to do that (you know those moments)
I watched Drive again t’other night. It’s so slick and empty that it might as well be a reflection of my soul.
Supermarket of choice (perhaps remember who you are talking to here)
I try to buy organic food these days so it has to be Waitrose. Although I shop online, so I don’t know if the answer still counts.
Sigh. Can’t get the staff. EVERY LITTLE HELPS dammit! Never mind..
Maybe we had better plug the books a bit more. Tell me which of them is your favourite to date and why. It doesn’t HAVE to be the latest one you know (I’m still rather randomly attached to The Enemy but don’t let that sway you)
I was going to say The Enemy anyway, because I was writing it with the confidence (arrogance) of having the first book bought by a publisher, and thought I was the bee’s knees. So it made for a happy writing experience. Since then it’s been all self-doubt and tears.
Steak – bloody or well done. Erm you might be vegetarian or something (I’m not judging) in which case that question is a really useless question. Or we can change it to “Are you a vegetarian or a meat eating demon” maybe…
I’m a vegetarian.
Tea or Coffee. Or to put it another way what gets you through the day..
Coffee, coffee and then more coffee.
If Vampires were real and you could be one would you? Not a sparkly one. I don’t do sparkly…
Definitely. Sleep all day, party all night, never die… it’s fun to be a vampire. You get points if you know where that’s from.
I know that one. Classic movie (God that makes me feel old) We’ll let everyone else guess though. Anyway..
Top writing tip for aspiring authors…
Learn how to take criticism but also make sure it’s from a qualified source. And by qualified I mean don’t ask your mum what she thinks of your fantasy novel if all she reads are psychological thrillers.
Last thing that made you smile.
I had a particularly good piece of toast this morning.
How much do you hate me right now?
Not very much. The thought of answering twenty boring questions made me want to swallow razor blades, but turns out they weren’t boring after all. Which might be a first.
I do try not to be boring. Thank you sir!
About the Book:
If the assassin known only as Victor once had a moral compass, it is long since buried, along with his many victims. Yet some men are so evil even Victor accepts they must die for reasons other than just money.
One such is Milan Rados, a former commander in the Serbian army who has escaped trial at The Hague to become a formidable criminal power. Tracking down and killing this brutal man will win Victor a reprieve for his own recent crimes on British soil.
But Victor isn’t the only one who wants Rados dead. Ana, whose family was butchered on the tyrant’s orders, will do anything to see Rados’ blood spilled on the snow of Eastern Europe. Now Victor has an unlikely ally – but an army stands between them and justice.
To Purchase A Time To Die Clickety Click.
And if you like you can follow Tom on Twitter HERE
Happy Reading!
