Never Let Go is centred on a parent’s worst nightmare – the loss of a child. As a parent yourself, did the idea for this story come to you out of your own fears?
Absolutely. Never Let Go is unquestionably my mind's way of trying to deal with the unthinkable prospect of losing a young child. In many ways the story is half novel, half coping mechanism for its author. I have two young girls and I’m absolutely paranoid about their safety.
Which character do you identify with the most? Interestingly, there seem to be several parallels between yourself and the lead character, Reece Cole.
I think it's a well-known fact that most authors will, at some point in their careers, create a character that is largely based on themselves. In the case of Never Let Go, the character of Reece Cole (the father) is really a better version of me. More handsome and infinitely more heroic, he’s the sort of man and father that I would like to be. As it turns out, neither of us would be prepared to live on if our children were taken from us. I know how melodramatic that must sound, but it’s also the truth.
Why did you decide to set this story in Los Angeles?
It's an interesting question but a rather dull answer, I'm afraid. It's based in Los Angeles because that's how the story arrived in my mind. I could tell you that I chose America because of its celebrity culture and how plausible a high-profile kidnapping would be. I could go on to tell you that, in some ways, Never Let Go is a cautionary tale of how excess wealth and the desire for self-promotion comes with a price, but it would all be utter nonsense. The story arrived in my head. The characters were American and they lived in LA. It’s as simple as that. I remember listening to an interview on the radio a while back where a director was asked why he chose to shoot his film in black and white. Was it because he wanted to create a 'timeless' mood for the narrative?’ the interviewer asked. Was it an attempt to highlight the simplicity of the time? To illustrate that sometimes our lives are not as complex as we think. 'No,' answered the director. 'Coloured film was too expensive to process.'
Never Let Go is quite a departure from your previous two novels, which were both stories about animals. What made you change direction and why do you think fans of your previous work will also enjoy Never Let Go?
Interestingly, I don't see this novel as being much of a departure from my previous work. The reality is that, regardless of whether or not my stories involve animals, children, pensioners or tap dancing vampires for that matter, there will always be a common thread that binds them together. I think my novels will always be focused around the key themes of loyalty and sacrifice. If readers enjoyed my previous two novels, I'm confident that they will enjoy Never Let Go as well. At least I hope so. In the end, I always try to create memorable stories that move people. They don't have to be 'tearjerkers' per say, but they must make you feel something. I couldn't give a flying monkey about the commercial 'formula' I'm supposed to follow. For me, my work has to have some sort of beating heart at its core. A resonance, I guess.
Your previous novel, Journey from Darkness released in October 2012 and your fourth novel, King, is due for release in October 2013. Releasing three novels in a year is very impressive. How do you do it?
Actually, I don't think it's impressive at all. In fact, when I see other authors releasing books every few months I'm immediately suspicious of their work. Surely if they care about what they are doing it should take them longer than a couple of weeks to craft their stories? The truth, in my case, is that each of the three books you’ve mentioned took between 18 months and 3 years to complete. The only reason I'm in a position to launch them all within a year is because much of the work had already been done. I take the craft very seriously and I give it everything I have. If a reader is going to part with his or her hard-earned money to buy your book and invest time in your story, then you better make sure that it is money (and hours) well spent. Ultimately, whether or not my novels are any good is not the issue for me. I know that, in each case, I’ve done the best I can. And that’s all I really care about. If I fail a reader, at least I have the comfort of knowing that I gave the story everything I had. And there’s some real peace in that.
What are you reading at the moment and who are your favourite authors?
I'm reading Rupert Everett's Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins at the moment and, so far, it's pretty good. My favourite author is Stephen Fry. While he is not everyone's cup of tea, there is no denying the man's ability when faced with a blank page. He's an absolute magician. Otherwise, I don't have many other favourites. As far as genre fiction is concerned, I believe there are far too many sub-standard books out there. Readers deserve better.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
Well, given that I'm still trying to find my own way in many respects, I'm always cautious of giving advice. However, what I can say is this. Try to establish whether or not you have some genuine writing ability. This is trickier than it sounds as most of the people in your life are apt to give you biased feedback. If you honestly believe that you can write, then the next most important thing is to grow rhino-like skin and to persevere for as long as it takes. When I was starting out, I received enough rejection slips from publishers to wallpaper my house. There were many points at which I could have given up. But, instead, I learnt from what the industry was telling me, I worked hard to improve and, when I had grown sufficiently, things started to happen. There was no magic bean. No ‘special contacts’ in the industry. Just a great deal of hard work and dedication.
Interestingly, I know that had I not broken through several years ago, I would still be writing today. Which, in itself, is a rather telling sign. If you’re a true writer, you’ll be writing regardless of whether or not you’ve been published.
Gareth Crocker’s debut novel, Finding Jack (2011), was published in New York to international acclaim. It was translated into several languages and featured in eight volumes of the Reader’s Digest Select Editions. In 2012 Penguin Books published his adventure novel, Journey from Darkness. Crocker lives in Johannesburg with his wife and two young daughters. He writes only at night, unless Manchester United is playing.
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Author photograph by Brett May.