My name is Douglas Misquita and I’m an action-thriller writer from India with a goal to create a new breed of visual literary entertainment. I’m also a hobby guitarist/vocalist contributing to the garage-band music scene in Bombay. “Haunted” is my debut novel and it’s garnered some pretty good reviews within its first few months. By day-time-profession work, I work in the wireless communications industry.

Read more at http://www.douglasmisquita.com

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a day job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

A: Yes, I do have a job other than writing until I’m famous enough (smiles) to only write and play music. Those are my passions. I work in the wireless communication industry and no, my work-life isn’t been exciting enough to inspire the genre I write other than give me fodder for anecdotes at a reunion party.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A: Big-scale-fast action movies. I had these great visual sequences in my head and just had to put them to paper and share them with everyone.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A: Yes, ever since I read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton in 1993. Imagine being able to hold people in the palm of your hand for the duration of the book and transport them anywhere and make them escape their routines and believe in the story.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

A: In a word “racy”. It’s based on formulas that work and formulas that people love: a cat-and-mouse-chase game, explosive gun-battles, car chases, double-crosses and a protagonist who is mentally and physically ‘haunted’. I believe the blurb conveys the story nicely, so I’ll just put that in here…

FBI Special Agent Kirk Ingram’s life is torn apart when his family is brutally murdered before his eyes. Devastated physically and psychologically, he vows to destroy organized crime in all forms.

In the Eastern bloc, a rogue dictator state is stockpiling Citex, a deadly nerve agent…

Across the globe, an international trade house funnels Balkan organized crime activities through its business channels and now hatches a plot to distribute Citex to major cities in the world, creating a nexus with terror that threatens to bring the world order to the point of anarchy.

And only one man stands in the way of global terror and paranoia…one man seeking redemption and waging a personal battle against the demons of his past.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Besides getting acquainted with the intricacies of promoting Haunted, I’ve got ideas for my next books. There’s also a rendition of Sir Lawrence Waddy’s musical ‘The Prodigal Son’. I’m playing lead guitar on the musical so that’s keeping me occupied too.

Q: Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

A: No, in my books I don’t have favorites. But otherwise, it’s Tintin, Batman, Dr. Alan Grant (from Jurassic Park), Dr. William Race (from Matthew Reilly’s Temple) and Dirk Pitt (from Clive Cussler’s adventures). Tintin because he’s everyone’s introduction to intrepid adventure stories. Batman because he’s the human pushed to the limits while holding onto his convictions. Alan and William because they’re academics who do great things when the situation calls for it: intelligence and action-men. Dirk Pitt? Well as the novels will tell you: He’s the consummate man-of-action who can walk into hell and come back holding a tequila on the rocks with a beautiful woman clinging to him. (smiles)

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

A: I can’t reply to this as a question in a few lines, so I’m going to point you to my blog post: http://douglasmisquita.com/blog/2011/01/22/i-had-a-dream/

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

A: I need silence so I can hear the voices in my head telling me what has to happen next.

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

A: I’d like to live in my next book. I won’t reveal much about it here, but you’ll be sure to know when I do have it ready.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

A: Yes, I think I get so involved in the story that I would rather not be disturbed. I have no timings. I write when I have an idea and don’t leave until I’m done. If something interrupts me I write as soon as I can again.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

A: Hmm, I haven’t analyzed that. I just try to make them not as practical as I am so that there’s no limit to where the story can go.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

A: Michael Crichton, Matthew Reilly, Steve Berry, James Rollins and Clive Cussler (for the Dirk Pitt adventures)

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

A: The Adventures of Tintin comic series by Herge, Michael Crichton and Clive Cussler.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

A: Sadly since Michael Crichton is no more, I eagerly anticipate stories from Matthew Reilly, Steve Berry, James Rollins and Clive Cussler. My genre is the historic-adventure-thriller/ action-thriller

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

A: “The guy who enthralled and transported us into wonderful exciting stories”

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

A: Yes, I draw on places I’ve been too or pictures of these places I’ve seen online.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

A: At my computer desk by the window. I’d like to have my own command center.

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

A: My Mum and Dad.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

A: Pretty much all the books of my favorite authors (smiles)

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

A: I want to make my next stories more relevant to our world and lives.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

A: Well, honestly nothing comes easy. I keep getting stuck at various points in the story where I’m fighting to get out of the plot-mire I’ve gotten into.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

A: No, no character has gotten away from me, but at times the entire story has just moved off from where I planned it spontaneously and so I have to change other parts to match up to the new direction.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

A: Well the promotion and marketing awareness of my book is entirely in my hands and as such I have to ration out my plan from a return on investment perspective. I have ideas but nothing concrete right now besides getting it reviewed/ read by a larger international audience. I may go in for online tours and hopefully one day pack a full house book signing.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

A: The editors contributed in terms of grammatical error and character continuity. When I received the edited copy, I went in and did massive revisions and it felt great, re-writing after a break because when you’re writing you tend to tire of the book and cut short or leave things at loose ends. A second or third revision after a long break definitely helps.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

A: No, it’s just as I imagined it. I’m glad people love the story and it feels peculiar to be called a story teller. I could well imagine myself wandering the wide world telling stories by the castle courtyard or town center under an ancient oak tree (smiles).

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

Well, I wrote my first story on a 100-page single-ruled book in eight-grade and based it on Jurassic Park with the theme of El Dorado. It didn’t get published; it was more for fun but it was the kick-start. I love music and the guitar and a rollicking impromptu jam-session and watch a lot of movies and read voraciously. I enjoy traveling to places that are full of history and I’d love to meet Bon Jovi and Matthew Reilly, Steve Berry, James Rollins and Clive Cussler.

You can fine me on www.facebook.com/Haunted.Novel and on Twitter @douglasmisquita. There are a number of freebies too on the Downloads section of my website. Have fun!

My books are available at a number of online sites (amazon and ebay for people outside India). You need to go to www.douglasmisquita.com, navigate to the Grab Your Copy page from the menu and therein you’ll see options like Publisher Store, Online Store, etc. Just click on the store logos and you’re good to go.

A point to note: Amazon.com will show the book as “temporarily out of stock” because they do not stock books from smaller publishers. But you can still order and then they place an order with the distributor.

A few reasons why you should read “Haunted”:

“A wonderful novel by Douglas Misquita, an author who seemed seasoned rather than a 1st timer, and one who knew how to weave a tale” – Aarti Krishnamurti, bookrack.in

“8/10 stars! Haunted is one book that fits the genre of a super ecstatic thriller” – Shana Ninan, Indian Book Reviews

“I think John Woo and all the other action directors have found their new script writer” – Akshay Menon, Brand Manager

“I think Douglas’s writing style is a combination of Tom Clancy and Lee Child. Douglas twists and turns.” – Jude Gomes, Writer & Columnist

“Very racy, enjoyable and different from other Indian authors” – Ralph Pais, Media Consultant