Jonathan Dunne ~ an interview and his novel The Black Hand

I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME AUTHOR

Jonathan Dunne

AUTHOR BIO:

Jonathan Dunne is a native of Dublin’s north inner city. The Black Hand is his second novel in the crime genre. The Takeover – his first crime novel went on to wide acclaim and regularly featured in Amazon’s bestseller lists.

He is also an avid MMA journalist who has penned articles for some of Ireland’s biggest publications. He holds a Degree from the Dublin Institute of Technology and is a strong advocate of lifelong learning and education. After returning to complete his leaving certificate as an adult, Jonathan has had four novels published.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dublinauthor/

BANTER – STUFF ABOUT YOU

Q: Tell me something you would like your readers (fans) to know about you.
A: I know where you ALL live. Especially the ones who wrote bad reviews.

Q: If you could morph into any creature, what would it be?
A: A Sloth.

If you don’t mind me asking, why?
A: Because I really need to rest.

Q: When you think of a garden, do you picture vegetables or flowers?
A: When I think of a garden – I think of a driveway with two lambroginis on a Pebble Stoned pavement – sorry.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have an all time favorite song?
A: Anything that my kids hate. The Arctic Monkeys -The Doors – Tupac Shakur– Fleetwood Mac – Lauryn Hill – Damien Dempsey – real musicians…

Lauryn Hill - ‘I Get Out’ is one of my favourite songs…ever

Q: If your life were a movie, would it be considered an action film, comedy, drama, romance, fantasy or a combination?
A: Oh that’s easy…high octane action and any film with Ryan Reynolds, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Tom Hardy…all the people who I resemble. I wouldn’t even have to act. Just be myself…Y’know:)

BOOKS – ABOUT THE CRAFT

Q: How did you come to write your genre of choice?
A: I was writing crime…before I was writing crime. I started writing Sci/Fi Fantasy and they were laced with daring raids and on-the-lamb criminals. It was a natural progression. I grew up on the folklore of local criminals, so the seed was planted early.

Q: What do you think is the hardest part of writing a book?
A: Sitting down and opening the computer. There are so many aspiring writers who don’t write! Sit your behind down and do the work. There’s nothing hard in doing something you love. A single mother with two jobs and two kids is hard work…this is not!

Q: Describe your favorite heroine?
A: My favourite heroine in a novel is Lisbeth Salander from ‘The girl with the dragon tattoo.’ What a hero! You think you’ve had a hard life? Pick this book up. Your heart just breaks for her – yet she is a born fighter…being a genius also helps.

Q: Who's your favorite author?
A: John Connolly – by a country mile. My uncles are big fans and when I picked up ‘The Wolf in Winter’ – I was hooked. Went right back to the start and have read ALL of his books. My daughter got me a signed copy from the man himself at Xmas -so we’re best friends now (John -not my daughter).

BOOKS - NOW LETS PROMOTE – STRUT YOUR STUFF

Q: What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything about it?
A: Just launched The Black Hand; my latest novel. It keeps me very busy however I am working on a script of a legendary policeman based in Dublin. He was considered one of the toughest men ever to walk the beat and broke up the animal gangs in Dublin back in the 30’s and 40’s.

Q: Do you have a new book coming out soon? Tell us about it.
A: Th Black hand has just been released. The reviews are really good and non stop promotion at the moment. The book is essentially a mystery. It’s based on the reigniting of a terrifying gang war in Ireland. The Black Hand is planning one of Europe’s biggest crimes and the pawn he picks as a distraction proves to be an unstoppable force.

Essentially the identity of the Black Hand is crux of the story. Happy Hunting!

Q: How can we find you? Do you have a web page, FaceBook page or any buy links?
A: You can find me here:
https://www.facebook.com/dublinauthor/
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Dunne_Jonathan/the-black-hand.htm

BUY LINKS:
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2I6LyRP
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2I4Wjnw
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128305853
iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781370854424
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=9781370854424
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/808034?ref=cw1985

Q: Are you currently participating in a blog tour? If you are let’s tell everyone where you’re going to be so they can catch up with you again.
A: Yes I am.

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/jonathan-dunne/ 

BLURB:
In the aftermath of Ireland’s most deadly gang war, Dublin’s ruling family has scattered to the wind.

Into the void steps a criminal genius known only as The Black Hand. His organisation’s powerful grip is ruthless, bloody and barbaric.

With Europe’s biggest crime in play, The Devil needs a distraction. And The Black Hand needs Jacob Boylan to return to Irish shores. He will stop at nothing to provoke Dublin’s most lethal criminal out of hiding.

But has the wily genius misstepped? As all eyes are on Jacob, the Dublin exile carefully plans a gangland wipeout, for he is nobody’s pawn.

EXCERPT:

The Hit

The Glaswegian sat sipping his coffee as the St Patrick’s Day parade rolled on by. It always amazed him that the Irish celebrated a man who unleashed Catholicism and all its ills on Ireland. They should be burning the effigies instead of celebrating them. He let the thought linger for a few seconds, then cleared his mind of all distractions. He had a job to do.

It was just after midday and he wouldn’t move until the band marched down O’Connell Street. The Glaswegian needed the noise to disguise the carnage he was about let loose. Half of his contract had been paid. The other half would be transferred upon completion of the assignment. Fifteen more minutes passed as he calmly ran his thumb over the edge of his cup. The coffee was good; not great, just good.

The band began their journey into the heart of Dublin as the Glaswegian ran a crisp white cloth over every surface he touched. Nothing was left to chance. He slipped off the main street and carefully shielded his appearance from every form of surveillance. His black beard, dark eyes, and protruding teeth were all false. The chances of being identified were negligible, but he was meticulous in that respect.

The old structure rested halfway down a urine-soaked back street. It had a fire escape leading to several windows. He knew the window, the layout, and the schematics of this building intimately. Quietly and deliberately, he made his way into the building and followed the carefully constructed holes that led to the basement. When he reached it, he found an old lift shaft with a long ladder leading down into the vault. From this point onwards, he listened intently as the drumming of the bands outside got louder and louder. Perfect, he thought, as he began his downward climb. The insulation confused him until he realised it was sound-proof – an extra precaution to further disguise the noise of the ongoing construction.

The Glaswegian allowed himself a rare smile. This was a team he admired. They were, like him, professional in their approach to criminality. Slowly, he unsheathed a blade and cut a section of the insulation, large enough to crawl through. As he crept into the vault, he noticed the team of four men working in perfect harmony. One was bagging the goods, another was manning the scanners, and two were emptying the strong-room. The timer was running down, and they were set to leave in exactly five minutes.

Once more he shook his head in admiration. This was like running a blade across the canvass of a masterpiece. He was momentarily saddened as he pulled the pin of the grenade and threw it into the vault. He stood left of the wide hole that had been drilled in the wall. There were slight muffles as the crack of the grenade silenced the team. He threw one more in, just to be sure.

He caught his breath, steadying his pulse before crawling into the vault. This was messy. Nevertheless, he had his instructions. He checked the vitals of each of his victims and the first three were dead. He was happy. Jimmy Boylan, who he knew well, had a pulse, of sorts. He pulled out a snub-nose gun and pressed it against Jimmy’s temple. He knew Jimmy would step in front of the grenade and, judging by his injuries, he had borne the brunt of the explosions.

The Glaswegian rarely saw that type of loyalty amongst criminals. It unsettled him. Jimmy was a bloody rag. The odds were stacked against him living the next ten minutes, let alone the next three days when the bank would reopen. He placed the gun back in his holster.

The executioner stepped away from Jimmy before taking two black duffel bags. It was all he could manage, and he wasn’t about to jeopardise his assignment by being greedy. His contract stipulated two bags. He would deliver two bags.

He looked back at Jimmy once more, wondering if he should put a bullet in the man’s head. No, he thought, he’s finished.

Today was a day of rarities for The Glaswegian. He stood in front of the vault entrance with the bags resting across his wide shoulders.

‘You’re dying because of a woman, Jimmy. I owe you that much. Now, let go.’

The Glaswegian doubted the other man heard one word.

Jimmy had heard every word.

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