In 1993 Conrad Jones was an assistant manager for MacDonalds' on a bustling Warrington street. It was a mild spring day and the streets were busy with shoppers, but Jonathan Ball, just three years old, and Tim Parry, 12, died. They were both caught in an IRA bomb which left 56 people injured.
Conrad Jones was an eyewitness to the atrocity; he tended to the injured offering first aid. It was the start to a long succession of bad luck which lasted several years.
Conrad Jones and his wife set off on an extended tour of US and found the post 9/11 paranoia utterly startling, something which Jones was able to identify with, but halfway through the trip he received a call telling him his home had been burgled. Everything was taken, even clothes and ornaments.
The summer of 2007 was when the UK was flooded, and insurers told the Jones' that it would be months before they could help. Conrad had started a small upholstery and carpet cleaning business but his vehicles and equipment were stolen and he was left unemployed. They were practically homeless as well as penniless.
But was he angry or dejected? Instead he poured his passion into his first book: Soft Target, and hasn’t stopped writing since.
To date he has written six thrillers, with the seventh due out later this year. All are about suicide bombers attacking major tourist attractions across the US.
Conrad Jones book signing SOFT TARGET
His titles include a trilogy (although they can be read as a stand-alone novel):
An avid reader but with no writing experience, his first three books were published by Authorhouse, and his experience with them taught him many lessons about the business and the sharks that circle it.
In 2009 he launched GerriCon Books Ltd, republished the trilogy and then his next titles. He supplies Amazon, Gardners and Bertrams, who in turn supply Waterstones and the libraries. The company hasn't published other authors as yet, but will extend their list in 2011.
Sorry to hear of your traumas, Conrad. But a shining example of turning negative to positive.
ReplyDeleteMy kinda guy!
Regards,
Col