Author's Interview By Denny Darke

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us? 

Sure. Pink Sombrero is my debut book. Close friends, family, and colleagues describe me as a funny British guy (I haven’t been able to shake my Prince Harry accent) living on beautiful Vancouver Island, Canada, whose quick-witted, satirical, whack-a-mole humour has been perfected working as a child protection social worker, crisis counsellor and police officer. I have a couple of university degrees (Birmingham, UK and Victoria, Canada). 

I gained my writing inspiration from my four crazy-assed daughters, my love of spicy (Indian) food, Marmite, Brighton & Hove Albion football team, and sunbathing. I blame my sense of humour on my father, a very serious and decorated RAF war aviator, who introduced me to Frank Richards, Joseph Heller, Monty Python, and Peter Sellers. 

I’m happily married to my long-suffering wife, who has yet to disown me. 

2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book?

I have worked as a police officer (in the UK) and a child protection social worker—both very challenging careers. I use dry humour in real life and love to play pranks. 

I’ve experienced many weird and wonderful scenarios and managed to put a funny spin on them. So many people have told me to write books—so I gave into their nagging and put pen to paper. The Man with the Pink Sombrero was written on location in Mexico, a country, culture, and people that I have grown to love.

 Many of the events in the book are drawn from real-life experiences, so I decided to write about a family vacation that goes very, very wrong. 

3. What is the book all about? 

Have you ever yearned for a much-needed escape to a distant, exotic getaway? Are you eager to escape the hullabaloo and drama occurring back home? What if, just as you settle into your tropical paradise, you uncover the shocking truth that your partner (Jimmy Myers) is being pursued by a merciless hitman from a ruthless cartel? 

My book is a zany tale of a vacation gone very, very wrong. Myers’ initial challenge is making sense of the whimsical and unpredictable happenings in Los Piñata, Mexico, with its quirky and endearing characters. The eponymous “Pink Sombrero” is a stuttering and merciless hitman who loathes Myers and is at odds with his hilarious twin brother, who’d rather write poetry than be in the cartel. 

I weave a narrative that keeps the reader hooked and (hopefully) laughing out loud. 

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book? 

I would say the book is fiction—humorous satire. Satire is a genre in which exaggeration, irony, humour or ridicule are used to expose flaws in human nature and behaviour. 

I use irony, often in a humorous way, to shed light on crime, corruption, political correctness, and greed. For example, Sombrero includes references to murders, corruption, and drug trafficking—yet I put a zany spin on these serious and outrageous practices by cartels. Although I hope to make the reader laugh, I write because it also makes me laugh. 

In The Man with the Pink Sombrero, I’m optimistic that the story and characters make the reader guffaw at the foolishness and absurdities of human nature, but also include a tense plot that one is not sure what will happen next. 

5. How much time did it take to complete this book?

I wrote Pink Sombrero on location in a quaint Mexican coastal town. It took me about ten or eleven months from starting the process to publishing. 

I’m old school, and I write stories using pen and paper with the help of lots of sticky notes. I then type up the story in either Word or Scrivener, edit it like crazy, and then send the manuscript to a professional editor. 

6. What makes your Book Special? 

It makes me laugh every time I read or think about the zany characters and the situations they are involved in. 

One kind reviewer wrote this about the book, which helps me to answer the question: “If you’re in the mood for a wild ride of dark humour that will leave you howling with laughter, The Man with the Pink Sombrero is the perfect novel for you! 

This book takes irreverent humor to a whole new level, and I couldn’t get enough of the comedic chaos that unfolded from beginning to end.” I try to blend satire with dry/noir humour. The difference between the two is as follows: Satire makes fun of the expense of parenting, by suggesting that a couple having a baby ultimately leads to bankruptcy and a much poorer standard of living. 

Dark/noir humour suggests that a better way of saving money (and avoiding ultimate bankruptcy) would be that the couple eat the baby for Thanksgiving dinner. *Disclaimer* As a child protection worker, I have to reiterate that the 'eating a baby' comment was an example noir humour—and not an actual recommendation for financial prudence. 

7. When is your second book coming?

I’m writing it now, almost three-quarters of the way through. It’s about a very strange serial killer and a load of quirky characters who either help or hinder the investigation of his crimes. 

Again, it’s noir humour with a nice plot and plenty of twists. I also write nonfiction (memoir and generational complex trauma). 

My memoir is due to be released in June of this year. 

8. While writing did you get any writer's block? What is the Tip that you will give others who are facing writer's block?

I feel very blessed as this hasn’t been a problem for me. When I think about what I will write, I see the story as if it were a movie playing in my mind. I create the story from a skeleton of a concept.

 I use real-life situations and characters and put a funny or satirical twist into the plot or character.

 

9. What are your other hobbies besides being a talented author?

I love to read and have an eclectic taste in books (from Dostoevsky to Carl Hiaasen). Reading saved my life as a teenager; shout out to Heller’s Catch-22. 

This book helped me laugh through a great deal of childhood trauma and darkness. On a lighter note (he says, laughing), I adore three sports: football (soccer), Hockey (Ice), and Cricket.

 I played cricket at an elite level growing up in England. I adore travelling, and I also enjoy hanging out with my adult children, who always seem to make their dad laugh. 

10. Last but not the least, How did you feel, while giving this interview? 

I enjoyed answering the questions—they were very serious, and I had to put my 'sensible' head on for a few moments. 

I asked Rakhi to choose a picture for me—a silly or serious one—she couldn't decide so I went (naturally) for a funnier author pic taken on location in Mexico.

 *Disclaimer* No reptiles (or concrete crocodiles) were harmed during the author's photo session.

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