.
1. What inspired you to write this book? My investigative
current affairs documentary and print work on the on the 1982 Ocean Ranger oil
rig disaster, published as a Special Feature in Reader’s Digest won me a
National Magazine Award for Investigative Journalism. This included meeting
many family members who lost loved ones, as well as others who had worked on
the rig. I also followed the two government-led inquiries into the disaster.
That research formed the basis for the background of this novel.
2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? RIGGED is the
story of a bitter eco-warrior, Ty O’Connor, who wants to punish PetroStar, the
offshore oil rig’s owner, for their part in a massacre that he witnessed in
West Africa. Working with someone who he thinks has the same goal – to shut the
rig down and expose its greedy owners – he discovers too late that he has been
tricked into bringing explosives aboard the rig and that his family is being
held hostage. Further complicating his plan, his estranged father is in charge
of the rig. Secret family ties soon overwhelm Ty’s efforts to save the lives of
everyone on board as the rig is crippled in the midst of a deadly winter storm.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? No matter how
devious and powerful the enemy, a dedicated everyman can save the day.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I’ve always
loved the word “rigged” for its dual images of an oil rig and how one’s enemies
can “rig” the fight against you.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than
run!?
Find an honest and well-published writing group to critique your work, as well
as good, independent editors.
6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the
book publishing
industry is heading? As valuable as literary agents have become, the
explosion of unknown and indie authors has so overwhelmed the market that
breaking out of the crowd and finding eyes to see your book seems virtually a
near-impossible long shot.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy
when writing this book? I have been telling stories all of my life – first
as an actor in England and Canada, and later, as a documentary and print
journalist. On the business side, I have helped more than 50 mining and
resource companies reach investor audiences by telling their stories in
compelling and truthful ways.
8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is
your writing similar
to? My style is influenced by my journalism background, and I try to write in
clear, unembellished language, using descriptions and dialogue that reflect the
real world and real people. My strongest authorial influences are Karen
Slaughter, Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben.
My first three books are sharply different. One is a
thriller about a mother’s love for her autistic son. (EDGE OF THE FALL: The
storm is the least of her worries.) I have a family member who is on the
spectrum, and I have worked with emotionally disturbed children.
THE REDEMPTION: She lost her badge. She won’t lose
another child. This is essentially a police-procedural about a former detective
wrongly driven from the force by a crooked cop. Working as a security guard at
a county zoo, Cass Woodward sees evidence of a child kidnapping, which the
father first said had terrified him before he denied anything was wrong. Cass
follows the clues and finds another kidnapped child and ties them to
unspeakably evil perpetrators. (I am in the early stages of working on the sequel
to this story.)
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book?
Enabling my protagonist to overcome his antagonism toward his estranged father,
while not turning his distrust for “big oil” into a shallow environmentalist
rant.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be
yours?
RIGGED is as much a fact-based thriller as it is an
exciting story about family, honesty and being true to one’s values no matter
the cost.
About The Author: Gregory Wilson Taylor’s professional career includes more
than two decades as a current affairs documentary producer-director for
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and as a widely
published print journalist before becoming a business writer and consultant
focused on the international resource industry. His investigative work on the
on the 1982 Ocean Ranger oil rig disaster, published as a Special Feature in
Reader’s Digest won him a National Magazine Award for Investigative Journalism.
That research formed the basis for the background of this novel. Please see: Gregory Wilson Taylor – Author Website
Marketing Help?
Brian
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About Brian Feinblum
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For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many
first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.
His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s
The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs
He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers
Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod
Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five
times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and
Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.
His
letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester)
and The Washington Post. His first published book was The
Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It
was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Born
and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.
You
can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum
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