Brian Pinkerton
Brian Pinkerton is the author of novels and short stories in the thriller, science fiction, horror and mystery genres. His books include Abducted (a USA Today bestseller), Vengeance, The Intruders, The Nirvana Effect, The Gemini Experiment, Anatomy of Evil, Killer’s Diary, Rough Cut, Time Warp and How I Started the Apocalypse. Select titles have also been released as audio books and in foreign languages. His short stories have appeared in PULP!, Chicago Blues, Zombie Zoology, and The Horror Zine. Brian lives in the Chicago area with his family and a cunning pet poodle.
Brian can be found at:
Website: www.brianpinkerton.com
Facebook: facebook.com/people/Brian-Pinkerton-Books/100063675901891/
Bluesky: @brianpinkerton1.bsky.social
Instagram: @brianpinkerton1
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/288505.Brian_Pinkerton
TikTok: @brianpinkerton97
Were you a big reader as a child?
Definitely. My mother was a high school English teacher, and we made many trips to the local library to stock up on books. Then I wanted to create my own stories. At a very young age, I would enact dramas with the Fisher Price Little People and then write down the stories on notebook paper.
What can you tell us about your next book?
The Perfect Stranger is a tech thriller based on contemporary headlines about artificial intelligence, cyberattacks and deepfakes. The story is focused on Linda, a lonely remote worker for a company operating in a virtual workplace. She suspects something is not right with one of her coworkers and becomes convinced they are an A.I. persona with a destructive agenda. No one believes her. Before long, she faces digital gaslighting, online torment and identity theft from an unknown enemy. She must uncover the truth on her own. The Perfect Stranger will be released in February 2025 through Flame Tree Press/Simon & Schuster.
What inspired you to write this book?
Working at a company where they hired remote workers without ever meeting them in person. I began to think… what if one of these new hires wasn’t even human?
The Perfect Stranger
How hard was it to get your first book published?
It took a lot of perseverance. A ton of query letters. But I lucked out – there was a mainstream New York publisher of mass market paperbacks starting up a new thriller line. I had a thriller manuscript. There wasn’t yet a huge slush pile of submissions to get lost in, so I got noticed. They liked it, bought it and published it. Sometimes timing is everything. That was many years ago – now the mass market paperback format has mostly been replaced with eBooks and trade paperbacks.
How long does it take to write a novel?
About nine months – like giving birth. I have to stay super focused and committed during that time. From conception to delivery.
Do you take notice of online reviews?
I do. When someone is thrilled by something I wrote, it makes my day. Writing is such a solitary pursuit. It’s not like performing in front of a live audience with an instant reaction. The silence can be deafening. I really appreciate it when people take the time to share their response to one of my books.
Do you have any rituals when writing?
I handwrite my first drafts. I’m much more creative with a pen and paper than typing into the computer. I’m less distracted, more freed up to go on vacation in my imagination. I make edits on the handwritten pages and then eventually read them into a computer with dictation software. It’s a good exercise to read the prose out loud to make sure the dialogue sounds true and the sentences aren’t too clunky and overlong. Plus I’m a terrible typist.
How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?
Way too many. And it’s not just one pile. It’s many piles around the house. Many come from author friends, and I want to support them and read them. Time is my biggest enemy. There’s never enough time.
Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?
Actually, I do this already. It must drive my readers crazy, because they have to follow me from genre to genre. I’ve done mystery, thriller, horror, science fiction. In general, I like to write anything that involves suspense with everyday people confronting something extraordinary. It’s fun for me to see how the characters respond. And how they deal with seemingly impossible odds.
What is your current or latest read?
Collecting Laurel and Hardy by Danny Bacher and Bernie Hogya; and Hate Revisited #4 by Peter Bagge. Sorry, but you asked.
Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?
I’m super excited about the new book, The Perfect Stranger, so I’m lining up events to get out of the house and meet readers and sign books. I’ve also been working with publishers to bring some of my older works back into print, like How I Started the Apocalypse through Dark Arts Books.
What is your biggest motivator?
Readers. I wish more people read books in this era of endless online distractions. I am deeply appreciative of those people who still enjoy a good book.
