Interview with Mungo Magennis – author of”Kings and Criminals”
At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication?
I had the idea for Kings and Criminals whilst I was in still in senior school. It was not really an idea for a book, more a genuine way that I thought someone could change the balance of power in any country. It was only after I told a friend the idea a few years ago that I decided to turn it into a book. He was so excited by the concept that I started writing it the next day. After the first draft, I approached agents and publishers but found the whole process very frustrating. Authors still seem to have very little control and influence in traditional publishing. I had positive feedback from Penguin Random House but they said the seven-book project was too ambitious for them at that stage. They suggested I work with an editor to refine the book and that was invaluable. I found an editor in California who really helped to shape the book into the current version.
After my first experience with agents and publishers, I decided to go down the self-publishing route in order to manage the release myself. I worked with more editors, proofreaders and designers to get the book ready for publication. Each and every one of them was wonderful to work with and I’d recommend them to any self-publishing author.
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in education in your writing?
Absolutely. The first book is loosely based on my school life when I was the age of the characters. The overarching plot is fiction but many of the events and situations actually happened and felt relevant to the story so I wanted to include them. In one way, it’s a tribute to the people involved, in another, just because they were interesting events or people that influenced my life in some way.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
People will hear this advice all the time – ‘If you really want something, go for it. Don’t listen to what other people say.’ – It’s not rocket science but there have been many times when I thought that a goal was unrealistic and that doubt stopped me from trying. I remember a conversation with an older boy at school in which I told him I wanted to be a fighter pilot. He laughed and joked that I may as well try to be an astronaut. The painful part is that eight years later I actually applied and went through the selection process to be a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). After three days of intense testing, the one thing that I failed was the eye test. In those eight years, my vision had deteriorated ever so slightly but just enough to prevent me from being able to fly in the military. It was a tough lesson to learn but one that will stick with me forever… Never let someone else’s fear of trying stop you from doing so.
Describe the series in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
A group of ambitious teens plot to change the world.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
I hope the book provokes some thought about the people we allow into positions of power. Many countries in the world, especially the UK/EU/US, are facing some really politically turbulent and traumatic years. That has a lot to do with the people who are in charge. The entire basis for the series is that democracy can sometimes get it so wrong.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I like to try new things and learn new skills. Last year, at the age of 32, I started doing gymnastics as the gym got a bit boring after years of doing the same thing. I love the adrenaline of learning to tumble and flip. Skiing is another big favourite and I’d run away to live in the mountains tomorrow if I had the chance. It makes a peaceful change from the buzz of big cities. Friends and family are also a big part of my life. I have a new baby nephew and it’s so much fun to watch as he learns new things and grows into an awesome little boy.
Title: Kings and Criminals
Author: Mungo Magennis
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Blurb: Max is a bright young man looking for a way to change a broken world that he sees around him. An idea takes hold and won’t let go. He’s driven to create a secret group with the eventual aim of putting each of its members into the most powerful and influential positions in the United Kingdom. After recruiting them one by one for their varying interests and skills, he brings them together to ask that they dedicate their lives to the pursuit of something bigger. Their motivations are altruistic, long-term. However, as the group members plan their future paths to power, characters and events that could jeopardise everything force them to make questionable decisions. They must quickly learn the difference between the ‘battle’ and the ‘war’ and decide what is justifiable to ensure they all make it to act II. Does a sixteen-year-old boy have what it takes to build such a group? How far will each go to protect the rest?
About the Author
Mungo Magennis is the author of the new Kings and Criminals series. He’s worked in technology for the past ten years, advising some of the world’s biggest companies on digital strategy and transformation. His first book, Kings and Criminals, explores some of the themes that can be seen dominating current events around the globe: power, influence, corruption and ambition.
Born and raised on the Wirral Peninsula in the north-west of the UK, he moved to Leeds to attend university before heading to London to join one of the world’s largest technology consultancies.
Instagram: mungomagennis
www.mungomagennis.com
twitter @abandonedmungo
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