Meet Damien Larkin | Indie Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Damien Larkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Damien, why did you pursue a creative career?
Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to write a book, but I always put it off. I dreamed of fame and fortune without ever typing a word. In my mind, I created vast worlds and intriguing characters that I never shared with a single person.

Fast forward to my late twenties and I’d decided to work part-time to look after my first child while my wife focused on her career (she’s the corporate professional while I’m the dreamer). In what little free time I had, I slowly built an indie app development company and even landed three contracts. I pictured growing my business to the point that I could quit working for someone else, and then, finally focus on what I wanted to do. Write books.

Long story short, my short-lived venture into app development imploded. Everything that could’ve gone wrong, did. I might as well have taken what little cash I had left and burnt it for all the good it did me. In the aftermath, I experienced what poets refer to as the ‘dark night of the soul’ where I questioned my life choices and assessed if I wanted to keep going. Like a bolt of lightning, it struck me. Writing books was something I always wanted to do but only after I’d achieved X, Y or Z objectives. Why not cut the middleman out? Why not just focus on writing books and seeing where it takes me?

I wound down my business that week, started writing, and within three months, had a first draft written. After much polishing, I self-published it with scenes of swimming in riches floating through my mind.

It bombed. In absolutely every single metric it did terribly. I learned a lot from the experience, though. I dusted myself off, started writing something new and within a few months, I’d signed a publishing contract with a North Carolina-based publishing house. I still have a long way to go to where I want to be, but I’m truly enjoying this journey.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of good vs evil and it’s something I tend to explore in my work. I like to show ‘good’ people doing terrible things and ‘evil’ people with hints of redeeming qualities. Life isn’t always black and white. It’s those grey areas I find most intriguing.

Most of the stories I’ve published deal with the above conflict, often in a military setting. I draw upon my experience with the Reserve Defence Forces to paint action-packed novels with plenty of twists and turns, but which ask the reader to query what is crossing a line. How far will the protagonist go to defend his friends/family/mission? Will they commit unspeakable acts if it’s in the name of the ‘greater good’?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is where my terrible secret comes out… I’ve never been to USA, let alone Atlanta. As you’re reading this, I’m sitting here in Tallaght, a suburb in the southwest of Dublin county in Ireland. But I’m going to flip this around and let’s assume the question is where would I take you, if you were to visit Tallaght.

First off, Ireland is renowned for its pub culture. The first place I’d take you is Aherns pub and from that point, there are about four or five other pubs within a short walking distance. The pints will flow, we’ll share some pub grub and if we’re lucky, there’ll be some music on. The next day (assuming we’ve fully recovered) I’d take you up into the Dublin-Wicklow mountains for some stunning views of Dublin city and the surrounding area. After that, we’d have to head into the city to check out the old architecture, visit five-star restaurants, monuments, historical sites, and then (of course) more pubs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I give full credit for my development into a (somewhat) sane adult to the Reserve Defence Forces of Ireland. I had the privilege to serve for seven years in the infantry and I’m extremely grateful for the lessons I learned, the things I experienced, and the lifelong friends I made.

The Defence Forces not only taught me how to be a good soldier, but how to become a good man. I learned how to effectively communicate with people, believe in myself, work with others, and to never give up when things got hard or life threw me a curveball.

My first novel ‘Big Red’ is written from the perspective of an Irish soldier, so I leaned on my own experiences to add a layer of realism to the story. Some of my biggest fans are veterans (particularly in the US) and some of the best compliments I’ve received is how things don’t always work out as planned or the soldiers quite often don’t have what they need to get the job done (in terms of weapons, equipment or support) but still get it done anyway.

Website: https://www.damienlarkinbooks.com/

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