(Disclosure: Linwood Barclay is represented by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, a public relations agency owned and operated by the author of this article.)
Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for The Toronto Star and the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 Sunday Times (UK) bestseller. His latest book, Fear the Worst, is available from Bantam Publishing.
We interviewed Linwood to find out more about his book and his life as a published author.
Thank you for this interview, Linwood. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
I was born in the U.S. but moved to Canada when I was only four years old. My father was offered a job in Toronto, and he took it. I started in newspapers at age 22, and at 26 joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper, where I worked in a variety of editing positions before becoming the humor columnist in 1993. I did four non-fiction books with Canadian publishers between 1996 and 2000, and my first novel, Bad Move, came out in 2004. No Time for Goodbye (2007) was the book that really changed things for me. It’s been sold around the world and in 2008 was the bestselling novel in the UK.
Do you write full-time?
Yes. I took early retirement from my newspaper job last year.
You’ve met an old friend from high school, and you want to pitch your book to him/her in five minutes or less. What would you say?
Do you like to sleep at night? Then don’t read Fear the Worst.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
I don’t think about an “intended” audience. I just want to write the best thriller I can, and hope that people will enjoy it. One thing that is gratifying, however, is how many younger readers I hear from – kids in their teens who have loved my stuff.
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