Brett Battles lives in Los Angeles, and is the author of three acclaimed novels in the Jonathan Quinn series: The Cleaner, which was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel in 2008; The Deceived, which has been nominated this year for a Barry Award for Best Thriller; and his latest Shadow of Betrayal. He is also one of the founding members of Killer Year, a group of thriller novelist who all had their debut books come out in 2007, and a member of both International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
Thank you for this interview, Brett. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
Brett: Sure. I guess you could say I’ve always been a writer. At least, I know that’s what I wanted to be since sixth grade. Of course, life kind of got in the way as I went along. In college, I studied film and television production and history, and landed a job at a small television studio in Hollywood. Somehow that led to a career in television graphics. All the while I kept writing, and finally broke through with my debut thriller The Cleaner in 2007. I’m an avid traveler, and am always interested in visiting new places, and learning new things.
Do you write full-time?
Brett: Yes. I was able to start writing full-time 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?
Brett: If you enjoy adventure, intrigue, and thrilling stories with an international flare, you should give Shadow of Betrayal a try. Quinn’s a freelance operative who specializes in making bodies disappear. Sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes they don’t. In Shadow, they definitely don’t.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
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