Interview with Mark H. Jackson, Author of The Atlantis Deception @markjackson873 #interview

Mark is a qualified solicitor who splits his time between protecting the rights of academics, writing thriller fiction and raising five mostly lovely children. He studied Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plots for his future novels were born.

Mark’s writing career extends back over a decade and his diverse portfolio includes three novels, a number of short stories and even a six-part sitcom. Long listed for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, he is currently a featured author on the popular writing website, Wattpad, with over 6,000 followers from all around the world and well over one million reads of his first novel. Aside from Wattpad, Mark is an active member on a number of other writing websites, spending his spare time offering editorial and structural advice to fellow authors. Up to now Mark has considered writing as a creative outlet for the myriad of characters and ideas roaming about his head. The time has come to tease them out of hiding and breathe a little life into their lungs.

His latest book is the adventure/thriller The Atlantis Deception.

Website Link: https://markhjackson.com/

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/MarkJackson873

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantisDeception/

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

The Atlantis Deception is my first foray into the tumultuous world of novel writing, and a book I started writing way back in 2009. The journey to publication has certainly been lengthy and one scattered with numerous moments of elation, despair and lashings of writer’s block. In what feels like a different lifetime, I studied Archaeology and Ancient History at university with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on topics such as the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plot for The Atlantis Deception was born.

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

I can’t pretend adventure books of this type are easy to write. First and foremost, one must know one’s subject inside out, be it theories, artifacts, myths, legends – the research phase is all important. Poor research will result in a poor book and I have certainly seen even established names fall into this trap (particularly once they have a number of books behind them and the ideas are running thin). Planning the plot, at least at a basic level is also a must. Some novels can meander, dictated only by the tip of your pen and the whimsy of the particular day one chooses to write. Adventure novels cannot be created in this manner. They must be gripping from the start and sustain that level or risk losing the reader. I’m not sure anything I say can make the journey easier for any budding Dan Brown. There are no real short cuts, but if you are dedicated and put in the hours, the rewards are certainly there.

Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

I am published by the crowdfunding publisher, Unbound (which had links to Penguin at the time). The route is still in its infancy and certainly cannot be considered an easy option. Unbound set a target figure to publish, between £4k and 20k depending on how the novel is published, digital only, paperback, hardback or audio. As an author, it is then up to you to market and sell your novel on the basis of customers receiving a pre-order and additional rewards depending on the pledge level (art prints, name in the novel or even dinner with the author, to name but a few). It is certainly a tough introduction into the world of publication and certainly sets you up for the post-publication marketing phase. I now have the hide of a Rhino due to the countless number of rejections received!

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

The biggest surprise was the length of time everything takes. It was an eye opening experience. I expected my draft to be panned by editors and copy editors but I didn’t expect to be chasing everything as much as I did. The treatment I received from Amazon was also a bit of a shock. Unfortunately, Amazon messed up the launch of the ebook version of The Atlantis Deception and kept delaying the release. Unbound complained which resulted in Amazon removing the ebook from their website and cancelling all pre-orders. It was a tough experience and not one I ever wish to repeat.

Q: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

I am working on two novels at present in the same series as The Atlantis Deception. The first, The First Shot Fired, Roswell, is complete and awaiting the editing phase. As the title suggests the book offers an alternative to the Roswell narrative and throws Dr John Hunter into the deep end of a world he doesn’t understand. It is a fast paced action adventure and takes in locations ranging from the Soviet era Russia, the Americas and Europe. The truth is out there!

Q: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

I imagine the biggest shock would be that most of the theories described in the book are based on facts and evidence already publicly available. There is a map of Antarctica showing the continent without ice; the various sets of pyramids across Egypt do all point to a specific point in Heliopolis; there is evidence to suggest the Great Sphinx at Giza is thousands of years older than our current date – the list goes on and on.

Q: Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

I’m not going to pretend the main goal of my work is anything more than to create a credible piece of escapist entertainment, but if I can achieve that whilst educating and creating a situation whereby my readers can question the rhetoric of the establishment, all the better. I’m not saying we should all be looking for conspiracies under every rock, only that it is sometimes worth enquiring as to why certain rocks are harder to lift…

Q: Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to interact with my readers and potential readers. I am always available and willing to discuss my work or wider questions in general. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via the following mediums and thank you again for taking an interest in my work.

About the Book:

Title: THE ATLANTIS DECEPTION
Author: Mark H. Jackson
Publisher: Unbound Digital
Pages: 288
Genre: Adventure/Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

A German property developer, Hans Hoffmann, revels in the belief he has discovered the key to unleashing the weapon responsible for sinking Atlantis. Hoffmann requests the help of Cambridge archaeologist, Dr John Hunter to validate his mysterious find. Hunter's acceptance leads the maverick academic on a journey from the headquarters of a clandestine organisation in England, to a lost city in the heart of the Brazilian Rainforest, and climaxes inside a chamber hidden deep beneath Egyptian Heliopolis. Pioneering theory is spliced by epic battles, daring escapes, and elaborate schemes aimed at unravelling a secret history hidden from humanity for the past twelve thousand years.

Atlantis is a very visual word. A word evoking mystery, forgotten realms, underwater palaces… the list goes on. I find this Plato inspired concept of Atlantis fascinating and read anything and everything I can lay my hands on. The theories are diverse and range from the feasible to the outlandish, but certain concepts keep reoccurring. The Atlantis Deception takes the ideas of accepted and alternative theory, weaving them together to create a believable universe where our past still dictates our future.

The novel follows the trials and tribulations of a fictional Cambridge academic, Dr John Hunter. The focus is not on Atlantis itself, but rather on what happened to its people it the wake of the loss of their homeland. The Atlantis Deception is a classic action adventure tale with heroes, villains, shadowy organisations and self-serving plots, each underpinned by progressive archaeological theory. The novel is written with the aim of both exciting and making readers think in equal measure. Although imagined, many of the conclusions the characters reach are cutting edge and described in such a way so as to blur the line between fact and fiction.