Interview: Robert Beck author of Dawn of the Knight

Author: Robert Beck

 

Im 54 years old and I am originally from Montreal, Canada. I came down to the United States in 1981 to go to school (Cairn University) , met my future wife there, and decided to stay after I got married. I have been married 28 years and I have four children, two boys and two girls. I am currently residing in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, which is approximately 30 miles west of Philadelphia.


Writing


I never, ever, thought Id be a writer. I never had any desire for it. I actually had a desire to be an artist/illustrator, but my life didnt turn out the way I thought it would. My oldest son was a communications major in college. I thought that he would be the one to take up writing. I did an Amazon.com search and bought three of the most highly recommended books on how to write fiction that I could find, and then gave them to him. He chose not to pursue a writing career, however. Three years ago I became extremely discouraged with my job and my life. I decided I would try to write a story as a means of escaping the boredom. But first, I read the three books I had purchased for him. They were so helpful that Ive actually credited them in the acknowledgment section of my book!


The book: Dawn Of The Knight 


 

Blurb

I"n this thrilling and suspenseful action/romance novel, a fatherless Canadian high school boy, Lance Rock, has been raised and trained by the United States governments former top operative. For his senior year, Lance decides to travel to California in the hope of finding a girlfriend as well as freedom from his regimented life. Once there, he inadvertently ends up in the home of a mother and her two teenage daughters. He is forced to use his skills to defend them and himself from the womans ex-husbanda crime lord who has been terrorizing the family for over a decade!



Im a huge fan of cool, operative/secret agent type characters having grown up watching James Bond, Derek Flint, The Wild, Wild West, The Avengers, The Man from Uncle, and more recently, Jason Bourne and Alex Rider. When I was younger, I had read a 1960s young adult teen spy series titled, Chris Cool/Teen Agent, by Jack Lancer, and I loved it. That series only lasted six books and I decided that if I would ever write a book/series it would involve an operative type teenage character. Since Im originally from Canada, I made the protagonist Canadian as well. Being a romantic at heart, I also knew I wanted the book to contain a romantic element as a major part of the storyline. Finally, I didnt want my protagonist working for a government agency. I thought, what would happen if you put a teenage boy with operative type skills in a high school setting? The result is this story.


Why should we pick up Dawn of the Knight?

 

I read fiction to escape the world I live in with all its ups and downs and to be entertained. I think entertaining should be the most important quality a fiction book possesses. I can honestly say that my story, Dawn of the Knight is pure escapist entertainment, if nothing else.


Your fave;
 

Series you love.


The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison. This sci-fi series had a tremendous influence upon me so much so that I incorporated the first person POV that Harrison uses into my own writing.


A perfect summer read



“Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel DeFoe, or “King Solomon’ s Mines by H. Rider Haggard. You simply cant beat the classical works and both books are packed with adventure!

 


 



2 comments

  1. Hi Robert. Always nice to know where authors get their ideas. Good luck on what sounds like an exciting novel.

    ReplyDelete