Author Spotlight - Steven Bentley

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Bentley - Best-selling Author and HuffPost UK Blogger.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Stephen Bentley is a former UK Detective Sergeant, an undercover cop, and barrister (trial attorney). He now writes from the Philippines where he lives and is a Huffington Post UK blogger.
His true crime memoir Undercover: Operation Julie – The Inside Story was published in September 2016 and rapidly became an Amazon UK bestseller


Watch the 30-second Mini-Movie book trailer for Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story.





1. When and why did you begin writing?

I first started to write seriously after my retirement and on my move to the Philippines. Prior to that I had started and stopped several times on my memoir about my undercover cop days on the UK’s largest drug bust. I needed to finish my memoir so I finally had the time to complete it.

2. What inspired you to write your first book?

The road chaos I encountered when first driving in the Philippines. I mean chaos! No one follows the rules and I doubt if most drivers are aware of them. It inspired me to write How to Drive Like an Idiot in Bacolod: An Expat’s Experiences of Driving in the Philippines and How to Survive.


3. Do you have a specific writing style?

I believe I do. But only because readers have told me they become so immersed they feel as if I am holding a private conversation with them. I find that both pleasing and flattering.



4. What are your current projects?

My current writing projects involve my first novel about an undercover cop! I have also started a fiction book about my paternal grandfather who served in the British Royal Navy from 1916 to 1945.

5. Do you see writing as a career?

No. Because I came to it late in life. To me, it’s a bonus. I enjoy writing and it provides some extra income.


6. Who designed the covers?

My cover designer is Anna Argiropoulou. I love the work she does and she is great fun too. Anna can be found on Facebook.


7. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

To have the courage to be totally honest with myself.
There are parts of my life that are still difficult to deal with.
I forced myself to be frank with not only myself but the reader.

8. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Yes. Thank you to all who have bought my books and a huge thank you to those who left reviews.

9. What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Unsurprisingly I love TV shows and movies about cops. The Wire has to be high on that list of favorites.

10. If you were not a writer what else would you like to do?

I would love to be a professional travel photographer. That combines two passions of mine and would make me sublimely happy.

Steven Bentley can be contacted at these links:


Facebook
Twitter
Website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page

Get Undercover: Operation Julie - the Inside Story here.

A portion of all his book sales royalties will be donated to the Jamie Bulger Memorial Trust, a UK Registered Charity.
Please consider donating even if you never buy his books.

Brenda Mohammed on Author Spotlight with Stephen Bentley

Oct 6, 2016 - Brenda Mohammed, a very warm welcome to you and I am looking forward to the interview. Shall we start?

Interview Questions from Stephen Bentley.


Why do you write?

I started writing for pleasure after I left the corporate world.
I am a former bank manager.
I am inspired to write mainly on topics with which I am familiar. I love to write autobiographies of people I know and to tell true stories. I believe that people can learn from the experiences of others.

For example, I have written a book called, I am Cancer Free. It is about my bout with cancer. i wrote it in the hope that my experience can help someone or even many people. I have written thirteen books in various genres. So far, those books have received good reviews. I even wrote a few poems and they are included in some of my books.


What are you currently working on?

I am working on a new story ‘Zeeka’s Ghost.’ It will be released in October 2016. I cannot discuss it because I want it to be a surprise, but I can share the cover, which was done by the talented Sharon Brownlie, and the blurb..

Swift. Silent. Ghostly.
Zeeka's Ghost appears to Steven and he feels the ghost has evil intentions.
Coupled with that, Steven discovers that he and Mandy are the targets of unknown enemies and their lives are at stake.
Steven must find a way to hunt down and apprehend these ruthless maniacs and save his beloved wife.
Is Zeeka's Ghost here to harm or help?
Zeeka's Ghost is the fourth story in the series Revenge of Zeeka.
Revenge of Zeeka: Horror Trilogy received a five-star seal from Readers Favorite International in September 2016.



From where did you draw your inspiration to write your latest book?

My latest book was Revenge of Zeeka: Horror Trilogy, which I compiled in May 2016.
It comprises of three stories, which have also been published as kindle short reads.
The idea to write this series stemmed from current events - the prevalence of the zika virus in South America and the surrounding islands.
It was my first try at writing a sci-fi horror series for young adults, and the reviews have been good.
The book was a nominee for the Metamorph's Publishing Summer Indie Awards 2016.
It also received a five- star review and five-star seal from Readers Favorite on September 14th, 2016.

Zeeka has been playing with my brain and I decided to write Zeeka’s Ghost.





Which writers had the most influence on your decision to write?

My first attempt at writing was when I wrote a biography of my father while I was still employed at the Bank. The name of the book is Memoirs of Dr. Andrew Moonir Khan: A Great Educator in Trinidad and Tobago. I did that book out of love for my deceased father who was an Educator. He wrote all his notes in diaries and scraps of paper and I compiled his memoirs from those. The book was very popular among my father’s friends and relatives. A past President of Trinidad and Tobago and a current President requested copies of the book for their personal libraries.
After I left the bank I wrote my own autobiography, ‘My Life as a Banker: A Life worth Living.’ [That book was voted second in the category bio/memoirs in Metamorph Publishing Summer Indie Book Awards 2016.]

I wrote seven other books after that, but I stopped writing completely in 2015 as I had writer’s block.
In January 2016, I met John Hennessy, a British author of Paranormal Fantasy, online at a Facebook event. We started chatting online and he encouraged me to write again. That is when I decided to write the Zeeka series.




What was the last book you read?

I just finished reading ‘The Clouds Aren’t White ‘by Rachel Wright. She is a writer who writes with deep feelings and expressions.



Do you suffer from writers’ block?

Yes. I did in the year 2015 as I described above.



Biggest frustration as a self-published author?

As a self-published author, my biggest frustration is getting my books noticed among the mounting sea of other self-published authors. However, I have joined a Facebook group called Indies United. I am a proud member of the group.
INDIES UNITED is a membership community of independently published authors from all parts of the world, writing in different genres. We support, encourage and promote each other, with the belief that our united voices will have a broader reach, helping to spread our visibility and readership. Our membership includes many award-winning and bestselling independent authors, authors who regularly feature in the upper echelons of Amazon's bestseller charts.



Reviews for books are vital. Any tips on getting more reviews?

I have learned from many best-selling authors that the only way to get more reviews is to have a large email list. I am still in the process of building my email list. I have three free books, which I use as Reader Magnets.




Do you use social media? If so, do you like using it?

I use Facebook and Twitter. Yes, I enjoy using them. I have a personal Facebook page, an Author page, and one for updates on Zeeka stories.



Who is your biggest fan?

I have fans from all over the world, but my biggest fans are my two children.


Many people have a bucket list. What is #1 on yours?

My family will always be No 1 on my bucket list.


Any special message for your readers?

Yes, I would like to tell my readers that I love them and love all of their reviews. Their reviews give me encouragement to write. I joined a Facebook Group called Best Book Reviews and I have been posting their reviews and expressing my thanks to my readers openly.

Brenda's Books can be obtained at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Create Space, Kobo, Apple, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Page Foundry, Smashwords, and Tolino.