Grant Patterson

I started writing as a substitute for ranting. I was a frontline law enforcement officer with a lot of stories to tell, but I was still employed and couldn't speak freely.

My first book took me two years. My second took me one year. My third took me six months. Now, I average a new book every three to four months. I'm not racing, and I like to think I'm careful about getting it right. But, if there's one thing I've learned in eight years as a writer, it's that, if it's hard to write, it'll be hard to read, too. The good stuff flows naturally.

I write books that I want to read, and haven't been written yet. I've given up my fantasies of being on the NYT bestseller list. A good review from someone out there I've never met, and a few extra bucks every month are now good enough.

My books have been informed by my experiences. Being a lawman at the border. Travelling and living in Brazil. Growing up in Vancouver during the Olson murders, the son of a Mountie. They've also been influenced by the stories I've heard. Flying night missions over Germany. Deadly, close-quarters fighting in Normandy. And when all else fails, there's the imagination that kept me company as a lonely kid.

Whatever happens, with each book I publish, I build a legacy. That's something nobody can take away from me. I have no publisher to tell me "no," and no bottom line to speak of. Writing is an addiction, and I don't want to be cured.