The Doctor, The Plutocrat, and the Mendacious tells the story of 1940s England

 Glyn Pope’s re-telling of the post-war era takes you backwards in time to England with a stark reminder of what is was like for millions of people back in the 1940s.

DOCTOR LATYMER arrives on a council estate in Leicester, England, full of hope after the dreadful experiences of the war. He happily settles into life on the estate trying to forget the nightmare images in his memory. The young doctor quickly becomes the local miracle worker when he cures the attention-seeking hypochondriac Reginald, and takes the time to befriend a sad little boy who has lost his Mother.

However, when food poisoning strikes the estate residents, Doctor Latymer sets out to right injustices that he doesn’t fully understand. He tangles with Sir Brian Britley, the Plutocrat, and Sir Henry Norrington, the Mendacious Minister for the British Government. In the process, he unravels the delicate balance between rich and poor, and the struggling economy still reliant on rationing and the black market.

Glyn Pope grew up on a council estate in England. He studied theology at Nene University. In addition to writing short stories and novels, Glyn interviewed Bob Marley the night before Marley canceled his UK tour and went back to the warmth of Jamaica. Glyn has published articles for both Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan ‘fan’ magazines, and has won a short story competition in the magazine ‘Devon Life.’ He has two novels published. A few years ago he and his wife and daughter moved to France where he pursues a full time writing career.

Due to popular demand I have been informed that you can download The Doctor, The Pluocrat and The Medacious Minister from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30805 

Reviewed by Stephen Butt of BBC Radio who wrote ” Rich in atmosphere and the colour of the time, all the characters in Glyn Pope’s novel are alive. This is a true reflection of life in a certain suburb of Leicester in the English East Midlands, but the themes are universal. This could well be your neighbourhood facing the challenges of a changing world at the end of the 2nd World War. Enjoyable and challenging.” 

Click below for the interview:

Tell us about your current book?
The title is ‘The Doctor, The Plutocrat, and The Mendacious Minister.’ – from now on known as The Doc! Set in 1948 the novel is a simple accessible story written in authentic British English, adding to the richness that brings the local characters to life as the reader is whisked back to 1948 post-war Britain.

The Doctor, The Plutocrat, and The Mendacious Minister is now available as an iPad as well as Kindle (Amazon and Smashwords) and at the Cactus Rain site or from me if you live in Europe at £9.99 or 11.50euros inc. postage.

Why that genre?
Simple really, I like history.

Have you tried to write in another field?
Yes, I’ve written two other novels and I’m writing a third all three of which are different, contemporary fiction. The novels were ‘The Fall’ and ‘To The End of Love.’ These novels are no longer available, though I did find one in a second hand shop the other day. I haven’t plans to republish them in their present format. I may do a rewrite for ‘To The End of Love’ one day.

Is your book a stand-alone or part of a series?
The Doctor will be part of a series. I have in mind up to the late sixties Britain so far.

Have your characters or writing been inspired by friends/ family?
I think your are almost bound to use characters you know and exaggerate or simply use their traits. My wife and I read avidly and talk about books, so I suppose there is some influence there. But she won’t read what I’ve written so there is no feedback. The plot for The Doctor came about by something my daughter told me about food poisoning and a fact I read from a book by A.N Wilson. Two quite simple ideas but the story took off, nothing very complicated about it.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel ‘The Accused.’ This is quite contemporary. It tells of a teacher who is wrongly accused of sexually abusing two of his pupils. The reader knows he is innocent and we follow his downfall which he has no control over.

The follow up to ‘The Doctor, The Plutocrat and The Mendacious Minster’ has a working title which I just don’t want to give at present. I think the earliest it will be published will be Christmas 2011, but I have attached an extract:

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wiswor0a-21&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004D9FWIE&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrThe Reverend Adams opened the front door of the Vicarage, entered and closed it carefully behind him. It was bitterly cold outside, and he felt a positive pleasure at the warmth of the house. The anticipation of a roaring fire, wife and child, tea, and a meal. He had been dreaming of toad in the hole all that morning with mashed potatoes and lashings of gravy. His gloves he put safely in his pocket. His hat he hung on a hook; likewise his coat and scarf. Looking in the mirror he flattened his hair. He wasn’t particularly a vain man, but he like what he saw and as he met more women becoming himself worldlier he subscribed to the idea that some found him attractive. He formed a self satisfied smirk at himself, turned from the mirror and crossed the hall, opening the door to the kitchen. In the room he recognised domestic bliss. Benjamin sitting in his high chair, sucking on a Rusk, bounced up and down at the sight of his Father. Anne turned from her workbench and smiled.

‘Husband,’ she said, ‘did your morning go well?’

He went over and lightly brushed his lips against her cheek. He felt a physical attraction, perhaps when the child was having an afternoon nap…’It did, my dear.’ He brought himself back to earth, to where the pleasures of the flesh would wait an hour or two. ‘And for you, did you pay your visit to the Police Station?’

‘I did.’

‘Did you meet with the murderess?’

‘If you wish to call her that, I did.’ Anne was beginning to feel angry, but knew she held the ace, so behaved very amicably.

‘And at court, Anne, did she plead guilty to the stygian crime. Resipiscence! Locus paenitentiae, the repentant saving time and money for the courts of our land! Is she now awaiting her retributive justice, sent to her last account, judicial murder,’ his voice went to almost a whisper, ‘quietus, coup de grace awaiting in her final hours for execution when the Lord comes to jugdeth all?’ He took respite as if exhausted with his speech,

The child Benjamin was looking at his Father his eyes wide in amazement, the Rusk trapped in space halfway to his mouth.

The Reverend Adams began his rant again, ‘I must set forth, after dinner, with my staff in my hand, to be her comfort in her final hours, helping her to salvation as she awaits her punishment. It will be a grim time, but I will do my duty when the Lord calls.’

Anne stood looking at her husband, standing still with a hint of a smile on her lips.

‘There’s no need for that,’ she said.

Benjamin looked at his Mother and laughed.

Disappointment crossed Adam’s face.

‘Miss Harshaw is sitting by the fire with a cup of tea. Through there.’ She pointed as though he didn’t know the layout of his own house and he looked at the door. ‘The last time I saw her she was reading the Leicester Mercury.’

‘A cup of tea? Adam was appalled. ‘Drinking a cup of tea from our rations?’

‘Miss Harshaw will be having a lot than that,’ Anne told her husband. ‘She is on bail staying at our house for at least a week. She may not leave it.’

‘Will she have her ration book with her?’

‘You or I will go and get it. Adam, go and speak to her. She needs comfort.

Do you have an agent, or have you gone alone?
I had an agent, but with failing of companies it no longer exists. I publish with Cactus Rain, a proper signed contract which after years and years of trying I’ve framed! See: http://www.cactusrainpublishing.com/

Thoughts on self-publishing?
My first two novels were self published. I kidded myself that I’d published a novel. I don’t think you have until you have a contract. My first two novels weren’t edited properly. I have withdrawn them until I can work on them properly. That doesn’t mean that all traditional published books are the best. Not by any means. In my opinion Dan Brown doesn’t write very well, JK Rowling’s books, my daughter tells me aren’t very well edited.

How long does it take you to write a book?
I don’t know, probably from the first word to holding it in my hand 2 years.

Which comes first for you – characters or plot?
Plot, though I love my characters. It is one of the strong points of The Doc, see http://glynpopesnovels.blogspot.com/ for reviews.

How did you get into writing? Did you always want to become a writer?
My family were great readers. Once I truly realised people wrote, at the time it was Enid Blyton, then I wanted to become a writer. After I’d read Camus’ work I saw that there was quality as well.

What mistakes do you see new writers make?
When they’ve got to the end of a novel thinking they are finished. There’s a lot of rewrites to do.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Either it’s a hobby, or it’s a job. I can afford not to have a day job, so I call myself a writer. Treat it as you would going to work. I write for at least three hours each day seven days a week. When I go to visit people I take paper with me to write. I always write long hand first.

What is your view of the world of publishing.
A)Authors have to remember that they are tins of beans, a commodity to be sold. Too many believe that because they’ve written a great piece of literature agents and publisher swill fall over them selves to publish them.

B) In the UK the competition to sell a book is unfair. There is far too many offers, three for the price of two etc. this not only makes it difficult to break into them market but destroys independent book shops as well. Glance through the best sellers lists in the Times and the names hardly change from year to year. In France it is illegal to have these kind of book offers. All books are around £9.99 to £12.99 or over. At least when I place my book in a shop Dan Brown and the rest don’t have one over me price wise.

Contacts:

http://glynpopesnovels.blogspot.com/

http://glynpope.blogspot.com/

Link to Cactus Rain – http://www.cactusrainpublishing.com/the_doctor.html

Site where The Doc can be bought in the UK – http://www.stephenbutt.co.uk/shopcatalogue.htm

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