Former Assembly Speaker Greg Cornwell… “There would be no danger of these characters getting elected in real life!” Photo by Andrew Finch
“I’m sure readers will identify a political bias given my background, but the books are not political and are most definitely fictional, using the workings of politics as the backdrop,” he says.
“Certainly none of the characters are based on any person, past or present, at the Assembly – I took pains to avoid that.
“Anyway, there would be no danger of these characters getting elected in real life!”
Greg, 77, says he wanted to write something set locally, although he’s taken several liberties with the realities of Canberra.
“Readers will note that the main character John Order, an MLA of the ACT Legislative Assembly, was elected in a by-election, but we don’t have those in Canberra,” he says.
“I’ve also expanded the population of the city and the size of the Assembly to make the story flow easier.”
Having already published an eBook a few years ago, Greg chose the same method for the John Order whodunit series of at least six novellas, which are sequential but complete in themselves and due to be published twice a year.
“I don’t see it as vanity publishing. You write because you enjoy it, not to make a profit,” he says. “You’re never going to know how many readers you will have unless you put the work out there.”
Greg cites his literary inspirations as the “87th Precinct” series by Ed McBain, the “Morse” series by Colin Dexter and the “Maigret” books by Georges Simenon.
“McBain taught me about using one background for many novels about the same characters, Dexter taught me about using place to create a sense of continuity, and Simenon taught me that great books don’t have to be long,” he says.
Greg says he writes longhand and corrects multiple times before going anywhere near a computer.
“It gives me more time to think and it’s easier to check facts and continuity that way,” he says.
“I enjoy words, and putting together a story. I quite often work with only a loose plan, start with an idea and just write it.
“I’ve found you need to write all the time, you can’t drop it. You have to enforce discipline to make sure you write something each day.”
Greg says the John Order series about a backbencher bachelor who “manages to attract bodies both dead and alive while simultaneously fighting off attempts to end his own (political) life” are “a bit of fun”.
“I’ve always enjoyed writing, but didn’t have the opportunity while I was in the Assembly,” he says.
“I hope people will find the series an amusing, easy read.”
“Order and the Suspect Suicide” is available at Apple iBook and Amazon Kindle eBook platforms, $4.99.
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