The Perseid Collapse Series Kindle World Interview Series:

Bestselling thriller writer and Highland warrior: Murray McDonald

Murray McDonald is a long time friend in the grand scheme of my writing career. Pretty much from the very start. We both rose through the Indie ranks with covert operations/political thrillers, sharing strategies, comparing story ideas and having some good laughs along the way. He’s been unflaggingly supportive of my writing, and didn’t hesitate to offer a story for The Perseid Collapse Series Kindle World.

As a native Scot, and a denizen of the U.K., I didn’t expect Murray to write a story about Doomsday Preppers surviving the Perseid Collapse “event.” Prepping hasn’t caught fire in the U.K., like it has in the U.S., and it’s not for a lack of post-apocalyptic imagination or a spirit of rugged individualism. Murray offers a bit of hilarious insight into WHY, a little later. I had something else in mind for his story, and so did Murray! As a matter of fact, he far exceeded my hopes and expectations with the story he pursued, helping to answer one of the primary questions readers posed about the series. Obviously, he had some of the same questions.

Without further delay, let’s hear it straight from Murray.

Being the questioning type, I wondered how the Chinese managed to pull off the attack, and how could the US have been blind sided. A quick call to Steve revealed we had roughly the same idea as to how they would have done it, although most definitely from a fictional sense!

Murray is being kind here. He essentially confirmed that I had taken some liberties with the story’s initial set up. I think he more accurately called it “bullshitting.” Sorry. Had to set the record straight. 😉 Your story?

Yes. My story therefore centers around the final 24 hours before the event and the massive operation to ensure that Red Dragon succeeds.

For those that don’t know, Red Dragon is the multifaceted operation led by the Chinese that is responsible for The Perseid Collapse.

The Perseid Collapse Series obviously falls under the post-apocalyptic genre, but it also delves into the technothriller realm. I hear you’ve come up with a new genre to describe ROCKLAND.

Technoprepper, I more or less just made that up. I wonder if it will catch on?

I think you’ve just redefined a thriving subsection of post-apocalyptic writing. I hope to see this category on Amazon shortly. 😉

One of your strengths as a writer is character development. Tell us a little about your main character. What will readers like about him or her.

There are a few, the goodie, the Police Chief, a large powerful guy who lost his wife during the craziness of the pandemic and is struggling to have a relationship with his son because of it. He also is convinced another event will happen and has prepared his town to make up for his previous failings during the pandemic in DC. The baddie, Special Agent Eva Young, is a calm, beautiful—cold hearted killer. Her job is to make sure the Chief’s son is killed.

Both characters make quite a splash in your novella, particularly Special Agent Eva Young. She really embodies some of the sinister characters you present in your other work. Ruthless, brutal and single focused. She leaves one hell of a trail of dead bodies in her path.

Fans of your books will absolutely love Rockland. This is classic Murray McDonald. For those not familiar with your work, how would you describe your stories?

I try to write books I’d love to read myself. Plenty of action with a twist and turn here and there that once you see it you kick yourself as the clues were there. I also take a view on storylines that pretty much anything is possible, when it comes to fiction I sometimes consider the things that have happened in the past. For example, had I written in the 1930’s (and maybe even early 40’s!) of a fascist state that would commit the holocaust that would kill 6,000,000 Jews and another 4 million+ ethnic or religious peoples in death factories, it would have been slammed as unbelievable, inconceivable in the modern world, as they viewed it then. Even recently, Rwanda, almost 1,000,000 people slaughtered in 100 days, hard to believe but that happened only 20 years ago. There are many more examples, as I’m sure you know. Sometimes as strange and ridiculous we make our fiction, if we look back to the past, we don’t even come close to how ridiculous reality can become. 

Whether fiction imitates reality, or the other way around, is often difficult to distinguish. Let’s just hope that none of our plots materialize in the real world. I don’t think the people are ready!

You’re another one of those authors that picked up a pen (or keyboard) later in life and started writing stories. No Master of Fine Arts and twenty years of querying agents. How did this all come about?

My son couldn’t find anything to read when he was fourteen and I had an idea for a story, I started to write it and who knew… especially given my background is in business with a degree in Chemical Engineering!!

I should have consulted you on my Black Flagged series. I delve into the world of designer chemical and biological weapons. Or maybe not! Your bullshit detector is pretty strong. 😉

Murray’s backlist is impressive. I’ll post a few of them here. Kidnap is the first in the series he wrote for his son, and is appropriate for that age. The rest are Rated R action/espionage thrillers.

I alluded to the answer to my next question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. I suspect a hilarious answer. Are you a prepper in any way, shape or form?

I’m European, our governments will make sure we’re safe – LOL!

I nearly spit out my Scotch laughing, which would have been a grave crime. I can sense you tensing up at the thought of it. Don’t worry; it’s not the good stuff. If you’re ever looking for advice regarding Scotch, look no further than Murray. He introduced me to fine Highland Scotch Whisky, Glen Goyne 17 Year to be precise, and I haven’t looked back.

Besides a critical shortage of Scotch Whisky, what do you see as the most likely threat to modern living in our lifetime? In other words, what might cause TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It)?

Definitely an object from space crashing into us, it’s happened before….

And I didn’t pay him to say that, though I should have. Though the chance might be remote (if we spot the incoming threat…and that’s a big IF), it would be catastrophic.

What are you working on next, aside from the next novella in The Perseid Collapse Series World? 😉

Something a little different, still an action based novel, just a different kind of action, cough, ahem…

I hear a Barry White song playing in the background.

You can check out the rest of Murray’s bestselling novels at his website HERE. If you’re a fan of fast paced thrillers filled with twists and turns, you can’t go wrong with ANY of his novels. And of course, check out ROCKLAND to uncover more of the mystery behind The Perseid Collapse.