Bikes, books and bongos – well, drums not bongos but we liked the alliteration!
Meet local author, Chris Allen and find out more about his awesome series of novels, how he loves exploring the Illawarra on his trusty stead / motorbike, and how hanging out with mates while bangin’ out some tunes is how he relaxes away from the laptop and the flashing cursor.
1 :: Where do you live in the Illawarra and who do you live with?
I live in Wollongong with my two sons. The boys go to school here.
We moved up from Berry just last year. Before that we were in Sydney until about Christmas 2016. We absolutely love the Illawarra!
2 :: How did your writing career start and have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was about 14 or 15. At that time I’d discovered Ian Fleming’s James Bond books and read them all.
Then I moved on to authors like Alistair Maclean, Jack Higgins, Frederick Forsyth, Clive Cussler and Australian author, Jon Cleary – all the action thriller greats!
My own writing career really kicked off around 2010. I’d been toying around with a draft manuscript for years before that, but decided to knuckle down and finish it before my first son was born. By complete coincidence, I finished my second novel just before my second son was born.
3 :: What have you published?
So far, I have four novels and one novella (a short story) published: DEFENDER, HUNTER, AVENGER, HELLDIVER and RANGER (the novella).
I was originally published by Pan Macmillan, under their digital imprint Momentum. A few years ago, I decided to wrangle my publishing rights back and have re-released the series online under my own banner, Bright Sea Publishing.
In addition, DEFENDER, HUNTER, AVENGER and HELLDIVER have all recently been published as audiobooks by Wavesound Pty Ltd. I’m currently working on two new thrillers, a spy story for kids and I’m developing a TV series pilot.
4 :: What advice would you give anyone wanting to move into the field of writing?
Right now, there are so many options for writers to be able to make their work available to an international audience hungry for new material. So, don’t despair!
The most important thing to do is write.
And, in my opinion, write for yourself.
We all tend to write in the genre/s that we like to read. So, writing something that you’d personally like to pick up off the shelves and read is incredibly satisfying. WRITE WRITE WRITE and enjoy it!!
And have another creative outlet for when the writing gets a bit too much. It’s the drums for me!
5 :: Tell us about a career highlight.
I haven’t always been a writer. My career has included time in the military and law enforcement environments and as a government senior executive.
However, without doubt, the most significant highlight for me occurred while I was serving as a humanitarian aid worker with CARE International in East Timor in late 1999. I’d been tasked to plan the logistics and supervise a team of Timorese staff and expats in the implementation of distributions of food to over 45,000 people affected by civil strife in the district of Lautem. I worked with the most incredible team of people and met some of the most resilient local communities I could ever hope to meet. I’ll never forget it.
6 :: How do you unwind and spend your spare time in the Illawarra?
In addition to hanging out with my sons, my two favourite things to do with my spare time are playing drums with a few mates in our blues band and riding my motorbike.
The Illawarra is blessed with the most spectacular coastal and inland roads you can imagine. From the Sea Cliff Bridge up at Coledale, or through Marshall Mount and Jamberoo down to Berry, or up Macquarie Pass to the Southern Highlands, it’s picture perfect and great on the bike.
7 :: What do you love about living in the Illawarra?
Everything is so convenient here.
I’ve picked up a saying ‘…it’s fifteen minutes to everywhere’, which is so true. When you step back and remember the daily grind of Sydney traffic and compare it to what we have here, honestly, I can’t imagine ever going back to live up there.
Add to that the scenery we get to enjoy every day – the Escarpment, the coast, rolling green pastures, what more could you want?!
Sooo cool – thanks Chris! So many talented people doing their thing in the Illawarra, right?
To find out more about Chris’s books and how to purchase them, head here.