Pat Mullan

I often want to know how someone came to write, what motivates them to 'hang in', often against all the odds. So I thought that I'd tell my story here.
MY NEED TO WRITE
I have always had a desire to write. Putting words together seems to be an innate ability. Over the years I exercised that (or maybe I should say, 'exorcised') in my business life by writing business papers and other creative documents - while my scribbled poems ended up in the 'sock drawer'. Many of those poems are now available in my collection, Childhood Hills . Some years ago I left a senior position in finance in the US and returned to live in Connemara in the west of Ireland . I had always wanted to write but I had never had the time. Of course, that was a convenient excuse. I was afraid that, if I ever sat down to write, I'd discover that I couldn't. Now that may seem to be a contradiction to you if I always had an innate ability to put words together. Contradiction or not, that's what I felt. So, I forced myself to write. I reserved three or four hours each day for writing. The weeks and months passed and one page turned into ten and ten into fifty. Soon I realized that I had written 25,000 words of my first novel and that I had created a family of characters. The new world they inhabited took over my consciousness. I stayed with it. It's a lonely pursuit and one that demands lots of fortitude and stamina. I finished that novel, The CIRCLE of SODOM , and it's available now on all the on-line stores. So the muse was always there with me. But I exorcised it by scribbling poems that conveyed my feelings or described an event I had witnessed. Over the years this became a kind of poetic diary. I never considered myself a poet. I still don't. When I think of poets I think of names like Yeats or Wordsworth or Seamus Heaney . When I think of American poets I think of Theodore Roethke , Galway Kinnell , W.S.Merwin , John Ashbery , James Dickey , and Dan Masterson who once told me "you can write - no doubt about it";..you have a voice that is your own and that's important. I want to help your voice confine itself to the pure statement that carries the image to the reader." I get most enjoyment from listening to a poet talk about the written work and the work in progress: why a poem was written, the spark that ignited the vision, the snatch of overheard conversation, the incident that retrieves a past memory, the choice of words and imagery, the simple scene transformed, the need to be a witness.

WRITING AND IRELAND
There's no way that one can grow up in Ireland without being surrounded by writers. Everybody writes! And, if they don't, they tell stories. The Celtic oral tradition is alive and well. When I was a little boy in our country farmhouse home, people (neighbors, friends, strangers) would come in of an evening, sit around the fire, and tell stories till the 'wee hours' of the morning. Later Irish writers: James Joyce, John McGahern, Brian Moore, Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde, Sean O'Casey - and today there's so many, starting with my old schoolmate, Seamus Heaney , and others such as Roddy Doyle . Of course my favorite read is the thriller and I love Irish thriller writers such as Jack Higgins and Victor O'Reilly .But I must not leave out my favorite American writers and there are so many of them: Hemingway, Steinbeck, O'Connor, Clancy, James T. Farrell , and many more. I've been scared by Dean Koontz and by Stephen King and Evan Kingsbury ( whom you may know better as Robert W. Walker , author of the INSTINCT and the EDGE series ) and I've laughed out loud in bed reading Carl Hiaasen . Lately I've been reading my favorite Irish author, Ken Bruen . At College I read the great Russian writers, such as Turgenev and Tolstoy and began a whole new love affair. I suppose every writer that I read has influenced me. I believe that if one wants to (has to) write, one must read, read, read ...
MY WRITING DAY
I’m a morning person so I do try to write every morning – even if it’s just scribbled thoughts for my next poem. I do find that I’m more driven when I’m half way into a novel. The story and the characters take over and, if other matters permit, I just lose the sense of time. When that happens, I can write just as readily in the middle of the day or in the evening as I can in the morning. If I go somewhere in the car and I know I will have to kill some time waiting for something or someone, I’ll take my briefcase along and use it to jot notes, plot, write, etc. I have three distinct briefcases, one for my poetry, one for my short stories, and one that contains the flotsam and jetsam of my current novel in progress. As you can imagine, they are all overflowing, some more organized than others. But, in a sense, I’m always writing in my head even when I’m gardening or mowing the lawn. … and some of my best novel setpieces come right out of my dreams. I always keep a notebook on my bedside table for those special dream segments that I happen to remember upon waking. In many ways one must be disciplined and set a writing schedule but one shouldn’t be deluded into thinking that that will produce the best or most creative output. Less structure and more development of the writerly mind creates a consciousness that is pervasive. Then writing in all its manifestation covers the entire day.
In my early days I only wrote using pen and paper. I would type it later into my computer. The word processor was the most efficient way to revise and cut and paste. But there was something distinct about the symbiosis between my hand, the pen, the paper and my mind; something that harnessed my creative mind, something that was missing when I used the computer keyboard. Since then I have adapted somewhat. I can now write directly into my desktop PC. But I still use pen and paper a lot. I imagine a laptop might be valuable when I’m traveling but I haven’t crossed that threshold. Pen and paper still serves me well when I’m on the move.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS
When I finished my novel, The CIRCLE of SODOM , I drafted the best query letter that I could and sent it out, in batches of about fifteen at a time, to agents that I selected from Writer’s Digest Guide To Literary Agents. I spent a year doing that and collected a range of reject letters from the standard form type to the personally drafted few regretting that they weren’t accepting new authors but offering me encouragement. Those few letters of encouragement were important to me. I believed those agents. So I persisted. After a year I acquired a New York agent who loved my novel. I was represented for a year by that New York agent who garnered a number of personal reject letters from the major publishers - few standard form letters - many thought enough of the work to say that 'it was not suitable for their list ..... but that they found it to be good reading ...and wished me well in placing it....' At the end of that year I did not renew my contract with my New York agent even though she wanted me to do so (.and would still sign me up today…). Instead I queried a number of smaller publishers myself, both in the US and in Europe . Then The CIRCLE of SODOM was accepted by a publisher in the UK but unfortunately that publisher encountered financial difficulty and my work was not published.
Finally I decided to get my work 'out there' and subject it to some good critical reviews. So I self-published it with a POD publisher and it's available on all the on-line stores. And my single objective is being attained: I am receiving some excellent reviews from important writers and reviewers. Take a look at some on the Amazon listing for 'The CIRCLE of SODOM'. I fully realize the disadvantage of POD: bad image due to the amount of poor quality stuff that's published using the POD method; inability to get the book into 'bricks and mortar' retail stores; POD pricing is too high, making the book uncompetitive with similar works in its genre; lack of marketing and publisher support, etc. But I am also aware of the numerous authors who failed to attract a publisher and who resorted to self-publishing. Many of those authors are household names today.

POD-DY MOUTH ( http://www.girlondemand.blogspot.com/ ) selected The CIRCLE of SODOM as one of her 2005 recommendations and said this about it:

THE CIRCLE OF SODOM by Pat Mullan , is compelling. It's a political thriller that happens to be timely. And timeless.
In the prologue we find an Army Colonel having some sort of bizarre surgery via a MASH unit it Korea (1975) whose only witness is Owen MacDara (our noble protagonist) who is forced to keep the surgery a secret. As the novel begins, we have moved twenty years forward (1975 + 20 = 1995) where MacDara is the head of a financial consulting firm. His Army buddies start getting knocked off and suddenly MacDara is flooded with memories from his days in Korea (a la MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.) As you can imagine, the conspiracy builds and builds and eventually finds its way to the President (of course), ultimately posing the greatest threat to the American Government that we have ever seen (okay, at least in the top ten.)
Now, if you're not into thrillers, this sounds sorta goofy. But it's not--it's engrossing. I'll admit the book has its usual share of thriller-esque elements (the hot sex that is misplaced, and oddly graphic; the close getaways that even James Bond might second-guess, etc.) But remember, these elements (almost) always exist in this genre and you have accept them and let them unfold accordingly.
With all that in consideration, this book is an even mix of Crichton and Clancy and written equally as well. It's a classic page-turner and almost comes across as though it had been adapted from a screenplay. It's was a guilty read for me. But who cares? I'm guilty of so much anyway.
If I could solve the quality perception problem, find a way to produce price competitive POD books, get retail store acceptance, get acceptance from critical reviewers, find a way to reach the consumer with a cost effective marketing campaign, then I don't believe that I'd be interested in a deal with one of the major traditional publishers. Unless they could assure me that I would get the Tom Clancy , James Patterson treatment. If you don't get blockbuster treatment, you'll find yourself getting minimal marketing spend, a miniscule royalty percentage, and being moved to the back of the bookstore almost immediately.
Despite that pessimistic view I go on…if one must write, one must go on. Besides, tomorrow is another day. Come visit me tomorrow and you'll get my optimistic view.
MY LATEST NOVELS
I have completed a new novel, BLOOD RED SQUARE , and I have written and emailed queries to numerous publishers, small presses, and (despite my reluctance) to a few selected agents. Again I am collecting some reject letters. But I am also getting a few acceptances: a small publisher has asked to see the full manuscript, and a New York agent has just asked for a synopsis and sample chapters. I want to get a traditional publishing deal for this novel. I have already garnered some praise from two prestigious authors; that and the good reviews from my first novel do build a foundation for me. So I'll keep writing and keep selling.

AN UPDATE

I have just signed with LBF Books in the US and BLOOD RED SQUARE will be on your shelves, .. and otherwise, in the Fall/Autumn of 2005 or early 2006. It will not be POD.

Some advance reviews :

Blood Red Square by Pat Mullan

Publishers: LBF Books, 2006 ISBN: 0977308251

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader

“…. blurb informs us that Mullan is ready with another MacDara thriller Who Killed Hammarskjold? I have already booked my copy!! Recommended, highly recommended.”

This is how I ended my review of THE CIRCLE OF SODOM by Pat Mullan in 2003. And I was WRONG. The new MacDara thriller is out, but the title has been changed to BLOOD RED SQUARE . And readers who expect the suspense, thrill and chill of THE CIRCLE OF SODOM are in store for a shock….for the suspense, thrill and chill are double in tone and content in BLOOD RED SQUARE- and its one hellovva read.

This time around former MASH Commanding Officer- turned- multimillionaire – turned Special envoy of the President of United States is called for duty .. international duty…. It all starts with the surfacing up of certain secret documents which shed light on the true story behind the death of Dag Hammarskjold. For those weak in history, here is the story- Dag Hammarskjold was the UN Secretary General during the late Fifties – y’know doing the same job our Kofi Annan does now. He died in mysterious circumstances, supposedly in an air crash in the Congo in 1961. though rumors were afloat that it was a murder, investigations drew a blank, and the death was considered as an accident. But now certain documents which throw light on the death of Dag Hammarskjold have reached the wrong hands, in particular one Misha Kedrow and a terrorist named Eduardo Kelly Herrara aka Conor Brady. If the documents, reaches the general public, and if a new twist is given to the same, it might simply mean a new world crisis, a new cold war…. A not so cold a war. Chaos is the verdict, and only one man can stop them, and that someone is our own Owen MacDara. How MacDara solves the problem, and how he prevents world chaos forms the theme of the work.

Pat Mullan is no one-book wonder. Each book is heavily researched and authenticated by factual reality and with some literary license, his books are not ‘fiction’ but ‘fact-ions’. The idea of taking a page from history, giving a fictional twist to it, has been used by many an author, in particular by Ken Follett (Eye of the Needle) and Jack Higgins (Eagle has Landed). These books were grand reads, and it was difficult to distinguish were reality ended and fiction started. Likewise herein, BLOOD RED SQUARE also provides a grand read, and as already said it’s a thrilling chilling read.

The blurb again informs us that the author is ready with another thriller TRIBUNAL: DUBLIN NOIR, and I for one have already booked my copy. With THE CIRCLE OF SODOM , Mullan had challenged Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, and with BLOOD RED SQUARE he has challenged Ken Follett and Jack Higgins. One thing is for sure, Mullan is a force to be reckoned with.

A brief update on my recent travels and appearances:
I attended the LOVE IS MURDER conference in Chicago on February 4 - 6, 2005, where I was a guest and panellist. My novel The CIRCLE of SODOM received two nominations: one for Best First Novel and one for Best Suspense Thriller. I was on a number of panels and spoke to various groups. I also met many important authors, New York Times bestselling folks like Anne Perry, James Rollins and Raymond Benson who has written all the James Bond novels since Ian Fleming's death (in fact he has a best seller in the NY Times list at present called 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' (written under the pseudonym of David Michaels). Good contacts, authors, magazines, etc.....
In March of 2006, I attended the LEFT COAST CRIME conference which was held in Bristol , England . It was especially important because INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS, INC - (ITW) - (of which I am a member) were presenting their list of nominees for their very first award 'The Thriller'. I had the pleasure of sitting on an ITW panel with David Morrell and Gayle Lynds (co-Presidents of ITW) and Barry Eisler , chaired by Ali Karim . This is what I wrote about that panel in the ITW Newsletter :
LCC Panel: Covert Specialists as Thrilling Authors
One of LCC's most talked about panels was ITW's "In from the Cold: The Spy Thriller Today". It consisted of ITW members David Morrell, Gayle Lynds (both co-presidents), Barry Eisler and yours truly, Pat Mullan.
The Saturday (March 18) panel attracted about 100 people, who listened to their favorite authors speak. Morrell opened by passionately explaining ITW's mission-to bring thrillers in from the cold and to recognize, warm and assist their authors. The moderator was charismatic Ali Karim -scientist, writer, assistant editor at Shots Magazine (UK), and a man of encyclopedic knowledge of thrillers. He guided the panellists through a wide-ranging discussion, from the post-Berlin Wall era to the aftermath of 9/11. "Who are the new bad guys today?" he asked. "Where are the new threats coming from?" And most importantly: "Is the world safer today?"
Each of us spoke from our personal, diverse experiences. Acclaimed author Morrell shared his thoughts based on his former job as a special operations man. The pioneering Lynds called on her days inside a government think tank, where she had top-secret security clearance. The articulate Eisler spoke about how his time as a CIA agent informs his novels. And I alluded to my stint in the U.S. Army and my years in the murky world of international banking.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the panel was summed up by an attendee, who said: "That panel really held my interest. No one turned the promotion of their book into a dominant topic."
---Pat Mullan
You can read Ali Karim 's full report on this conference - just click HERE .
Then in June/July 2006 I traveled to Phoenix , Arizona to attend THRILLERFEST 2006 , the inaugural conference of International Thriller Writers, Inc. Once again Ali Karim covered it in his inimitable way -read all about it HERE .
And my most recent public appearance was right here in Connemara at CLIFDEN ARTS WEEK , one of the best events you'll find anywhere:
Clifden Arts Week
2006 programme
18 September
Reading with crime writer and poet Pat Mullan
Reading with crime writer and poet Pat Mullan, of whose latest thriller Tribunal, Ken Bruen wrote ‘ it bristles with ingenuity, and a plot to kill for…..with dizzy narrative and marvellous readability.’ Admission €5
Clifden Library, 4:30pm
You can also see a reference HERE .
WHAT I'M WORKING ON NOW
I have just finished a crime thriller set mostly in Ireland (titled THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL )- and I am represented by Svetlana Pironko of AUTHOR RIGHTS AGENCY ) - you can read the first chapter HERE.
...and the other a work of science fiction - and you can read the Prologue HERE.
Tribunal ( the opening chapter from my novel THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL ) has been published (2006) in the anthology DUBLIN NOIR , edited by Ken Bruen. ( published in the USA by Akashic Books and in Ireland and the UK by Brandon Books ). You should be able to get DUBLIN NOIR in your local bookstore now.
Here are a few advance reviews for THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL :
“Pat Mullan’s latest, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, is a razor blade down the spine. So fast-paced, expect whiplash. This is Irish noir with a hero whom you’ll want at your back in any gunfight. Grab a copy and clear your schedule!” James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of BLACK ORDER.
"A high-powered legal thriller chocked full of betrayal, deceit, corruption, and murder. Mullan is Ireland 's answer to John Grisham, with a smattering of Ross MacDonald thrown in. THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL will make your head spin." JA Konrath, author of RUSTY NAIL.
“Pat Mullan is a natural born storyteller with a gripping, engaging style. He may just be the next big thing in Irish crime fiction.” Jason Starr , author of LIGHTS OUT.
“THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL bristles with ingenuity, and a plot to kill for … this is a thriller of such high caliber that it transcends all genres … has all the Irish gifts: dizzy narrative, sly humor, and marvelous readability. It rocks! " Ken Bruen, Edgar and Macavity Award winning author of THE GUARDS.
“THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL is a tight, intelligent thriller. Author Pat Mullan blends political intrigue and murder with a unique Irish flavor that goes down smooth. His hero, Ed Burke, is striking – almost an anti-hero in some respects. To unravel the deception and save himself, Burke must test old friendships, and determine who to trust in an Ireland changed by the Celtic Tiger. Mullan writes suspense with an edge reminiscent of Bob Ludlum. An author to watch.” Cerri Ellis, Mostly Mystery Reviews.

You can visit Pat at www.patmullan.com