The beat goes on: Between the covers with Jack Roney
We spoke to former cop turned author Jack Roney about the re-release of his intriguing crime novel, The Ghost Train and The Scarlet Moon.
Jack Roney is a former cop turned author. After 34 years walking the beat, chasing crooks, training other police and navigating bureaucracy he handed in his gun and badge to pursue his love of writing crime fiction. His stories are inspired by real policing experiences.
Can you tell us about that and how you came to use a train disaster as a central plot for The Ghost Train and The Scarlet Moon?
I first heard about the Camp Mountain train crash (Labour Day, May 5, 1947) after riding my bike through the picturesque bushland of the Samford Cycle Link, which follows the path of the original train line that no longer exists. I noticed the plaque off to the side of the track, which commemorates the crash, and it occurred to me that this event, which claimed 16 lives, seems to have been lost to history. The notion of a forgotten past, a ghost train, spawned ideas for a story. As I researched historical facts, a fictional historical mystery story with the train crash at its centre took shape in my mind.
What is the essential storyline and who is your target audience?
Thirty-five years after the disaster that claimed 16 lives, a rare super-blue-blood moon looms in the sky. Three boys set off on an adventure, but only two return. The mystery of the missing boy lingers for another generation, until the same lunar phenomenon reappears and history repeats itself. Now, Toby McIntyre must risk everything to uncover the truth, reunite with his lost friends and rewrite the past.
This novel appeals to both young adult and adult readers. It is told over four timelines and begins with three boys setting off on an adventure in 1982. It is inspired by stories such as Stephen King’s Stand by Me and the time-travelling mind-bender The Butterfly Effect. It asks the question – what would you do if you could go back and change your past.
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You have also published a crime trilogy. Can you tell us a little about that?
My Detective Jarrod O’Connor crime trilogy begins with book one, The Angels Wept. I first began writing this as a form of self-therapy. It turned out I was carrying around a lot of my own demons after years of exposure to traumatic events. I was suffering burn-out and depression but, of course, I didn’t recognise the warning signs at the time. Expressing my thoughts and feelings through writing fiction about my frustrations with the criminal justice system and the resilience of victims turned out to be a cathartic process. Upon completion of book one I went on to write book two (The Demons Woke) and book three (The Shadows Watch), which are each new stories but with common threads linking all three books.
How does your career as a former police officer inform your work and have you used any events from that career in your work?
My crime writing is inspired by my 33-year career as a Queensland Police Officer, 14 of those years as a detective primarily working in the youth crime and child protection area. I was significantly affected by a number of sad cases involving children as well as some homicide cases I was involved in. These experiences, along with a vast array of colourful characters I have met in real life over the years, formed the ideas for my crime fiction stories. My stories immerse the reader in the real world of policing through the eyes of an authentic small-town detective.
What do your police mates think of your books, assuming some of them may have read them?
At first, I was worried about “coming out” to my police colleagues that I was writing crime fiction, thinking they would make fun of me for writing crime fiction as a servicing officer. But my fears were unfounded and I have received nothing but support from other police who have loved the authenticity of my story telling and how I represent police as real people.
What authors influenced you growing up and did you get much time to read when you were a serving policeman?
I have always read crime fiction, even as a serving officer. I found it a great distraction from the real world. In my early writing days, I was influenced by American writer James Patterson, his fast-paced storytelling, short chapters ending with cliff-hangers. I adopted a similar writing style to keep the reader engaged. In more recent times as my writing has developed I have studied the craft of writing from Australian authors such as Garry Disher, Chris Hammer and Jane Harper. As a kid I loved reading The Hardy Boys. But I joined the police academy as a 17-year-old and, from then on, my studies in criminal law didn’t leave much time for recreational reading. I started reading again in my late 20s and started writing experimentally soon after.
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Your favourite book and why?
The Hirsch series by Garry Disher. His writing is authentic and paints an accurate picture of what it is like for a police officer policing a small regional town. His characters are genuine, plots are believable and his writing craft is flawless. I now aim to emulate his writing style. I have met Garry a number of times and have had the chance to have conversations about his writing process and inspiration for story ideas.
Did you quit the police force to write, and why?
Yes, I decided to leave the police to pursue my writing. I had received publishing contracts with Hawkeye Publishing for my three-book crime series and my standalone historical mystery The Ghost Train and The Scarlet Moon and I felt I couldn’t pursue both careers at the same time. It was time to go all-in, so I decided to pursue my passion for writing full-time. I am also studying full-time a masters in writing, editing and publishing at University of Queensland. I decided life is short, time to pursue my passions outside of the blue uniform. Ultimately, my race had been run as a police officer, and it was time to reinvent myself.
Tell us about your podcast?
I have teamed up with fellow Brisbane author Harry Colfer to host The Genre Fiction Podcast, where we interview writing and publishing industry experts from all over the world discussing all things fiction writing.
What are you working on as your next book?
I have a new manuscript completed called Black Gully. It was shortlisted for the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Assessment Prize as well as the Plaza Crime Prime (UK). It is currently unpublished and requires further editing. I have taken a break from it while I continue my second year at university. However, I have many more ideas for crime stories, so watch this space.
Jack Roney’s novels have been shortlisted in the Watpad Awards, the Hawkeye Prize and the Plaza Crime Prize. His short stories have been published in journals and magazines. His publisher is Brisbane-based Hawkeye Publishing. Re-released and slightly tweaked, The Ghost Train and The Scarlet Moon ($29.99) was inspired by a real-life tragedy.
hawkeyebooks.com.au/collections/coming-soon/products/the-ghost-train-and-the-scarlet-moon-2nd-ed
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