How a Bucket List Became a Book - Jamie Hutchison

About Jamie

After a very successful career in the Royal Navy Jamie Hutchison started working with young people who were homeless. During his naval career he specialised in underwater warfare and was serving on the Destroyer HMS Glasgow during the Falklands conflict. Jamie is now working for a charity on the the South coast of England which works with the homeless.
The novel is Red Swarm, the genre is action and adventure with a flavour of soft horror. The Author’s practical knowledge of navy procedures and sonar shines through the story and is well explained for the layman. This is Jamie’s first novel and all royalties for it during 2016 are being donated to a homeless charity.

Below is a short guest blog by Jamie.

So, why did I write the book?

I first decided to write a book a number of years ago, something I had on my bucket list to do. Finding myself being trapped in a 9 till 5 groundhog day routine I needed something to give me a challenge which subsequently ensured the completion of Red Swarm.
You get to a time in your life that you start looking back on what you have achieved, I cannot complain, I am happily married, had a long, successful and exciting career in the Royal Navy and after leaving the forces went into a job of my choice working with young people who are homeless. But whatever you achieve there always seems to that void hanging around you want to fill. That void for me was to write a book. I was not out to make money, or had visions of being the next Ian Fleming. It was never going to be a classic just a book that Joe and Jane Bloggs could kill a three or four hour flight with and hopefully like it enough to pass it on to someone . Would I mind if it sat on Amazon with no sales? Probably, yes, but purely due to my competitive nature.

Red Swarm (US)
Red Swarm (UK)

What is the book about?

The idea for the book was bouncing around in my head for a few months before I even typed the first sentence. I had the plot and the characters and I was knowledgable on the subject matter. Just had to make it interesting to the reader. When people ask me what is about, it is really hard to explain without it sounding corny. Ferocious fish that eat people, see it sounds corny, but really it is not.The characters and the story flow very well. And although it is about huge snake like fish that eat people, it is not that unbelievable.
I loved writing the book, the characters became very good friends. You start talking about them in daily conversation like they really do exist. In fact when I finished this book and sent it off to be published I did
feel some good friends had moved away. I probably spent more hours with them than my wife over the months it took to write. I imagine many authors of novels go through this.

Who would the book appeal to?

I would (of course), but it should appeal to everyone as although there is naval terminology, it is explained at layman’s terms. I believe all ages will be comfortable reading the book, although there are quite a few people who meet their deaths by the jaws of the creatures, they generally kill them in the best possible taste (excuse the pun). I would say the book moves at a fast pace with every chapter contributing, it is not over described , so it will not bore young or older readers alike. And I believe it will leave a smile on the reader’s face at the end.

Why donate royalties to a homeless charity?

It was never about making any money from it and donating to the homeless is a charity close to my heart. When you see homelessness close up with someone wearing shoes with huge holes in and no winter coat, well if the book makes anything they are more than welcome to it.

Will I follow up with a second book?

Well I ended the book wide open for a second. When you have written one book, it can be very addictive so as I write this I have already completed Chapter 1 of the follow up and it is great being back with the characters again.

My wish?

To be sat in a public area and see someone reading my book. Wow even bigger wish a call from Mr Speilberg