Wednesday 3 October 2012

Five Thrilling Finalists - One Worthy Winner

I have to admit my heart sank and I was more than disappointed. Of course I would be. My book Chasing Innocence was in the final five for Best Indie Thriller 2012, and it wasn't me or my book they called out when they announced the winner.

I'm almost over it. It's been a month since Kirkus, Stephen, Rob, Craig and I were announced as the finalists. We were brought together by the promotional whirlwind that is Melissa Foster and I have to say the Google+ video chats I had with all of them were great for the soul. Talking to like minded writers will have that effect. The interviews they each did for me and this site were insightful and interesting.

The name they did call out and the winner of 2012's Best Indie Thriller was Craig O. Thompson's Omar. Listening to Craig describe the journey he undertook in writing the book and getting it published was remarkable in itself. I would highly recommend you check out the interview he did for me and then discover more about this incredibly accomplished man.

Omar itself is a rollercoaster of a novel that tracks the world's leading marine archaeologist as he attempts to save the Titanic's last undiscovered treasure: The Omar, from a french treasure hunter and an Islamic terrorist. The story not only follows the hunt for the Omar - a priceless book, but its journey from creation to the bottom of the ocean in the early 1900s. Written very much in the style of Wilbur Smith, Clive Cussler and for me Tom Clancy, the intellectual and moral hero sometimes also put me in mind of Dan Brown's main protagonist, although Craig's is somewhat more physically accomplished than Robert Langdon.

Omar will be a great addition to your Kindle or bookshelves and I have to agree, a very worthy holder of 2012's title for Best Indie Thriller. My heartfelt congratulations Craig. I'm looking forward to the movie and your audio commentary on Blu-ray.

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Craig O. Thompson

The Interviews

Creative Crow: Five Thrilling Finalists - Kirkus MacGowan
Creative Crow: Five Thrilling Finalists - Craig O. Thompson
Creative Crow: Five Thrilling Finalists - Stephen Woodfin
Creative Crow: Five Thrilling Finalists - Robert B. Lowe

2 comments:

Craig O. Thompson said...

John, you are a true gentleman and, as evidenced by your masterfully written "Chasing Innocence," a skilled author. I still can visualize a blockbuster adaptation to the big screen. It is and continues to be a real pleasure to count you and our compatriots, Robert, Stephen and Kirkus among a select list of admired colleagues. Thank you for you kind words and support. Continued success! :-{)

Unknown said...

And you Craig. Thank you for stopping by.