with Philip Donlay
We are delighted to welcome author Philip Donlay to Omnimystery News today.
Philip's fifth thriller to feature globe-trotting pilot Donovan Nash is Aftershock (Oceanview Publishing; March 2015 hardcover and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to catch up with the busy author to talk more about his series.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about Donovan Nash.
Photo provided courtesy of
Philip Donlay
Philip Donlay: My series introduces the reader to Donovan Nash, a complicated, troubled man with a secret he'll try to keep hidden at any cost. He's in charge of Eco-Watch, a scientific research organization-for-hire, with a stable of state-of-the art Gulfstream jets, as well as ocean capable ships. With those tools in place, my characters can and do go anywhere in the world, where each novel will typically revolve around a natural or manmade disaster in the making. As a former international jet captain, everything I can bring to the table to help make the stories come alive will always appeal to me, and hopefully to the reader as well.
OMN: Into which fiction genre do you place the series?
PD: I call them Thrillers, but I've had people call them Action Suspense, Romantic Suspense. All true to a point — I like it best when people call them page-turners. Then I know I've done my job.
OMN: Tell us something about Aftershock that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
PD: I've been to Guatemala twice, Central America many times, I've had guns pointed at me, and been whisked away by police and interrogated. In the course of my flying career I've had to be mindful of volcanic plumes. Volcanic ash and jet engines don't mix.
OMN: Give us a summary of Aftershock in a tweet.
PD: Earthquake swarms, poisonous gas, lava flows — and a woman who holds the secrets to Nash's tortuous past. A truth that may destroy everything he holds dear.
OMN: You and Donovan Nash are both pilots. Is that where the similarity ends?
PD: Typically I keep my real life out of my books, (besides knowing how to fly) and the situations aren't real. Though from time to time, reality has come close to imitating my fiction, missing airliners, stolen jets, and mysterious crashes. I find an amalgamation of many people I know usually goes into creating one of my characters. I have friends who are sure they're represented in my books — I just smile.
OMN: Describe your writing process.
PD: I do outline, but I'm not a fanatic about it. It's more of a proof of concept for me, to make sure all the major pieces fit the way they I intend. The main storyline is set, and the bulk of research finished before I begin writing. The number of characters will contract from what I expect — and it's usually a surprise to me.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?
PD: I start with the Internet, and then consult with experts. My research has taken me into the control tower at O'Hare airport in Chicago, onto a research ship, into British Columbia and Alaska. It's one of the perks of being a novelist. The most challenging details are when I'm trying to figure out how to steal stuff, sneak into or out of places, or blow things up — big things. Not exactly questions you can get answered over the phone. The trick is to not end up with the FBI knocking down your door.
OMN: How true are you to the settings of your books?
PD: I use real places, and I'm true to the setting down to the time the sun sets. Readers tell me they've Googled things in my books, and have been pleasantly surprised when they find that I've done my homework. It's important to me, and I think it adds to the realism and my credibility as a novelist. So then, when it's time to create something from thin air, I have some credibility, and the readers trust me.
OMN: As a pilot, you've traveled pretty much everywhere in the world already, but if we could send you anywhere to research the setting for a story, where would it be?
PD: Fly fishing in New Zealand has always been in the top three of my bucket list — the Brown trout are legendary.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these made it into any of your books?
PD: I fly fish when I can, and yes, that does make an appearance in Aftershock.
OMN: What is the best advice you've received as an author?
PD: The best advice I ever received. "Make every sentence further the story." As far as critics go — ignore them if you can, follow your own path and stay true to your voice. Be brave, and always remember that writing isn't done by committee.
OMN: The cover for Aftershock is very striking. Were you involved with its design?
PD: I love the Aftershock cover! My publisher and the art department did an amazing job. Aftershock of course references the geological aspects of a volcano, which looms large in this book. But the story is more about the aftershocks we all encounter in our life, when past events and actions reach out and rattle us in ways we couldn't possibly predict.
OMN: Have any specific authors influenced how and what you write today?
PD: Great question. There's a top five list on my website: Franklin W. Dixon, Ernest K. Gann, Wilbur Smith, Richard Bach and Clive Cussler.
OMN: What do you read today for pleasure?
PD: I don't get to read as much as I used to, it's one of the casualties of being a novelist. But I still try to keep up with certain characters. Cork O'Connor, Harry Bosch, Gabriel Allon, Lucas Davenport, and Elvis Cole, are some of my favorites. They are all highly capable yet flawed men, with a strong moral compass and an elevated sense of duty. But best of all, they're human.
OMN: Your books have a cinematic quality to them. Do you enjoy watching movies? And have any provided inspiration for your stories?
PD: The one movie that perhaps inspired my books is a John Wayne movie called the Hellfighters. There was danger, explosions, airplanes, action, bravery, and romance. All of the same elements are found in my books. Now that you've brought it up, I'll have to dig it out and watch it for like the 100th time. It never gets old. I love action movies, comedy, and some science fiction. I try to find ideas in obscure places. If it's been done on the big screen it's been done.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.
PD: Top five cities in North America:
• Chicago, IL
• Seattle, WA
• Victoria, BC
• Monterey, CA
• Laguna Beach, CA
OMN: What's next for you?
PD: The sixth Donovan Nash thriller is now finished — so now begins my favorite part — dreaming up book seven.
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Philip Donlay learned to fly at age seventeen and was first published at eighteen. In the aviation world, success came quickly and he's been flying jets since he was twenty years old. Whether flying a Saudi sheik, nighttime freight, or executives of a Fortune 500 company, Donlay has logged over six million miles while spanning the globe. He is an avid fly fisherman and divides his time between Montana and the Pacific Northwest.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at PhilipDonlay.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Aftershock
Philip Donlay
A Donovan Nash Thriller
The flames of Donovan Nash's worst nightmare are fanned to life when Stephanie VanGelder, one of those closest to him, is kidnapped in the volcanic powder keg of a lawless Guatemala. With help from his inner circle that includes his estranged wife, Dr. Lauren McKenna, Donovan races headlong into the world of corruption and deception. Battling the kidnappers, as well as the deadly gas and lava from the impending eruption of a volcano, Donovan only has one chance to save Stephanie.
Amid earthquakes, volcanic ash, and lava from the eruption, the rescue goes horribly wrong, and Donovan is forced to find a way for everyone, including a mysterious woman who holds the secrets to his past, to escape one of the most powerful forces on earth. In the face of impending death, Donovan must garner the courage to endure a shocking revelation he's sought for decades — a truth that will change him forever.
