I’ve just finished reading an exciting thriller – “The Tides Of March” by S D Price. The novel has several threads cleverly intertwined that kept me on my toes for sure! This is a fantastic debut novel for author S D Price …. and I am so pleased that Stephen agreed to be interviewed! But before I introduce Stephen to the blog, here’s a brief book summary:

BOOK SUMMARY

In the unseen shadows of Japan, where ancient curses intertwine with the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, an ominous cascade of incidents unfold…

The Tides of March weaves a tale of espionage, as ancient Samurai legacies and a nation’s struggle with an unseen enemy are revealed, against a backdrop of a series of apocalyptic events that draw in the bewitched descendants of a Samurai family serving as elite agents.

Tasked with the surveillance of activities within the murky world of high-level corruption and its connections with international adversaries, events begin to spiral out of control as they seek to confront a Korean spy ring’s deadly mission to draw a lethal advantage from the heart of chaos. The fate of the characters and the nation hangs in the balance as ancient powers clash with modern evils.

MY INTERVIEW

Welcome to the blog, Stephen …please introduce yourself 😊

I am a Welshman who has lived in the Southwest and now in Berkshire for over 40 years, where I work as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry.

My wife and I have been together for 23 years. We are both very driven individuals, always looking to get the most out of life while we still can!

I feel that I didn’t truly start living the life I wanted until after my fortieth birthday. Miraculously, for several reasons, things started to fall into place. It hasn’t all been plain sailing since, but my world now bears no resemblance to back then—long may it continue!

Who or what inspired you to write The Tides of March?

When I decided to take a break from my day job to write a novel, I was naturally drawn to formulating characters who were Japanese. As these characters developed, they created a vortex around them, pulling in my knowledge of Japan. This allowed me to weave historical threads and themes into the narrative, shaping the story in ways I hadn’t initially envisioned.

The Tides of March is an exciting thriller set in Japan. The characters are very believable, but what I loved most were the intertwined storylines: a murder investigation, a Korean spy ring, corruption, the supernatural, romance, and even a tsunami. Which character did you enjoy writing about the most? Which character was the hardest?

Developing the individual characters wasn’t my main challenge—it was the stitching together of the three generations of the eternally cursed Kurosawa family into the plot that proved most difficult.

What is it about Japan that has fuelled your imagination since you were young?

From a very young age, probably around 5 or 6 years old, I have been fascinated by Japan—its people and its unique culture.

Over the years, I have compiled extensive knowledge of Japan’s history, dating back to 600 BCE, tracing its evolution into a nation, and exploring how its society has interacted with the rest of the world through history to the present day.

If you could visit any country/place in the world to base your next novel, where would you go and why?

Ukraine. I have just written a short story, The Crap Hat, about a Royal Marine fighting there. The subject is highly topical, with real-time and real-life implications for all of us. I would like to write more about this conflict—to highlight the titanic struggle happening there, which will have repercussions for everyone in the West and Eastern Europe.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

Although I am extremely dyslexic—and still struggle to spell my own name correctly on occasion—I have always been an avid reader and enjoy a wide variety of material:
Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Horror, Historical Fiction, Westerns, the Classics
Non-fiction: Biographies, Military/Warfare, Strategy, Personal Development, and Technical Manuals.

Some of my favourite authors include Conn Iggulden, Stephen King, Steven Pressfield, Hilary Mantel, Irvine Welsh, Robert Greene, Yuval Noah Harari, and Antony Beevor.

I always have a printed book, a Kindle, and an audiobook on the go at any one time—each format serves a purpose depending on where I am and what I’m doing.

For my own novel, I was fortunate to have Brian Nishi, a Japanese-American actor, narrate the audiobook on Audible (ACX).

Is The Tides of March available to purchase worldwide?

Yes! It is available worldwide in print, eBook, and audiobook formats.

Growing up, had you always wanted to be an author, or did you have other career aspirations?

As a child, I was always making up stories—relaying them to friends, storyboarding them, or, much to my parents’ amusement, recording them on an old cartridge tape deck!

However, I never thought about actually writing them down until I had a serious head injury in a motorcycle accident. During my recovery, I experienced what people describe as an out-of-body, ‘up to the light’ moment. After that, I had a nagging urge to write—it was very strange.

That said, it took me a long time to get to this point. Life often gets in the way of creative aspirations, and I felt I needed to educate myself in many ways before committing to writing seriously.

Interestingly, I did write a Sci-Fi story read out on the radio shortly after the accident!

I also struggled with a chronic recurring illness, which wasn’t cured until my late thirties, making the journey even more challenging.

As a keen mountain climber, you’ve tackled many peaks, including the Matterhorn. Which has been your favourite? What’s next on your mountain-climbing bucket list?

As a keen climber and skier, I love being in the mountains, and each location holds special memories.

I mainly climb in Zermatt, Switzerland, and my first experience of high-altitude climbing was the Obergabelhorn Ridge traverse. It was utterly terrifying at the time, and my climbing partner and I were lucky to get out of it in one piece!

I’ve been back many times since. A year ago, I climbed Castor (4,228m) with a friend, who wanted to experience this type of climbing for the first time. We hired a local guide—who managed to fall off during the descent! Thankfully, we arrested his fall, as we were all roped together, the consequences of failing do so were not great…! All’s well that ends well, and my friend came away with a great story to tell!

What outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Fashion has been a personal journey for me—divided into pre-meeting my wife and post-meeting my wife!

I’ve evolved over the years and now own a mix of Moncler, Stone Island, Louis Vuitton, Dunhill, Paul Smith, Lacoste, Balmain, and Ralph Lauren. Belstaff jackets are my go-to for casual wear—I somehow own five of them!

One of my most extravagant pieces is a Dior jacket in dark blue with 20 buttons, a high collar, and embroidered stars on each side—a bit Sergeant Pepper-esque, but I love it! Even my wife was surprised I bought it! The icing on the cake that day was our ‘Mrs Harris goes to Paris’ moment when ladies in white coats came out into the Dior fitting room and measured me to have altered.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I rarely shop online for clothes—I need to try things on first and see how they fit and feel before buying.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I have too many shoes—most of which I barely wear anymore! I’m always on the lookout for timeless pieces that will last as part of my collection. I have to admit to becoming a real fashion victim over the last twenty years.

Boots or shoes?

I love boots, especially from Barker—a classic English brand.

For casual wear, I’ll go with white Adidas or Balmain trainers.

For specific occasions:

• Suede boots
• Patent shoes for formal wear
• Adidas trainers for running and gym workouts

Links you would like to share (website, social media, etc.)

🌍 Website: https://www.sd-price.com

Great book Stephen, and thank you for chatting to us! I love the fact that since meeting your wife your fashion buys have changed! Have you visited the Jeffery West Shoe Shop in Piccadilly yet? ….😜

My thanks to Stephen & Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing for the review copy of The Tides Of March. All photographs have been published with the kind permission of S D Price.