Peter Jackson
Interview by Sharon Swathi Gaddala
Peter lives with his family in County Durham in the North of England but comes originally from Lancashire. He reads Modern History at Oxford and then went to work in the City of London. After that he became a journalist and worked on papers in the North West and North East where he was business editor of the Newcastle Journal before becoming a freelance and writing Legions of the Moon.
Sharon - Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Author Peter Jackson -I live in an area of the North of England which has a lot of Roman archaeological remains and there are the ruins of a Roman fort only a few hundred yards from my house.
Sharon - What can you tell us about your book?
Author Peter Jackson -Legions of the Moon is set in the year 180AD. Quintus Suetonius and his stepson Manius are frumenatarii, the Roman Empire’s secret police. They are sent to Britannia on a mission whose purpose is kept veiled, even from them and there, they join forces with the formidable female spy Tita Amatia. The three become embroiled in plot, counter plot and assassination, unsure of either their allies or their enemies. They are reluctant players in a struggle between a ruthless imperial government and others seeking control of the Empire. They journey from bustling, cosmopolitan Londinium, as London was then called, to the wild North. Here, the three are caught up in rebellion and isolated, in snowbound, hostile country. They are trapped in a fort where they contend not only with an unidentified murderer but also the growing tensions between their own personal and conflicting agendas, which embrace not only espionage and politics, but also love. Ultimately, their own survival becomes bound up with that of the Roman Empire.
Sharon - What Genre is your book and why did you make that choice?
Author Peter Jackson -Historical Fiction. I read history at Oxford University and have always enjoyed history fiction and non fiction
Sharon - How long did it take for you to complete this book?
Author Peter Jackson -I was writing it over a period of about 10 years, but that might only have sometimes been a couple of hours a week, with other periods when it sat, untouched in my drawer for months. Probably there was about a year’s work there, including research.
Sharon - What was the hardest part while writing this book?
Author Peter Jackson -Many things are hard, Plotting is hard, character is hard and deciding when you have done enough research and must start writing is hard. But, probably the hardest is the editing, ruthlessly discarding passages to which you have devoted much effort, but which simply don’t serve a purpose
Sharon - How did you come up with the Title of this book?
Author Peter Jackson - It just seemed to spring from the story
Sharon - Did you design your book cover or hire a professional?
Author Peter Jackson -My publisher WriteSideLeft designed it.
Sharon - Did you self-Publish or use a publisher? Who was the publisher and how much time did they take to publish your book.
Author Peter Jackson -I used independent publisher WriteSideLeft. I first submitted my book to them in May 2020 and it was published on January 31 2021.
Sharon - How did you celebrate after you completed your book?
Author Peter Jackson -There was no celebration until I found a publisher and then I shared a bottle of champagne with my wife.
Sharon - How do you deal with negative reviews on your book review?
Author Peter Jackson -So far I have had about six reviews and they have all been very favourable. However, tastes differ and you can’t please everybody, so I’m sure there will be less flattering reviews to come. I hope I will take them philosophically.
Sharon - When did you start writing?
Author Peter Jackson -I worked as a journalist, so I wrote for a living.
Sharon - How many books have you written?
Author Peter Jackson -This is my first work of fiction. I have previously written and had published the history of a drinks business
Sharon - Who is your favourite Author and why?
Author Peter Jackson - An impossible question. I have many favourite authors writing in different genres. My favourite writer of historical fiction is probably the late Patrick O’Brian who wrote so convincingly and elegantly of the early 19th century.
Sharon - What advice would you give to a writer, for their first book?
Author Peter Jackson -Read extensively and learn from the writers you most admire
BUY FROM AMAZON Amazon.co.uk : legions of the moon peter jackson
To Follow the Author
FACEBOOK - Legions of the Moon | Facebook
INSTAGRAM - Legions of the Moon (@legionsofthemoon) • Instagram photos and videos
SELF WEBSITE - Peter Jackson - Freelance Journalist & Corporate Writer - North East Writer
LINKEDIN - Peter Jackson
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