Author Quiz: Clive Eaton, author of The Pyramid Legacy

Clive Eaton is the author of The Pyramid Legacy, available for Kindle or PC from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk.

US: The Pyramid Legacy by Clive Eaton on amazon.com

UK: The Pyramid Legacy by Clive Eaton on amazon.co.uk

The Pyramid Legacy by Clive Eaton

The Pyramid Legacy by Clive Eaton

For over four millennia the Great Pyramid of Giza has guarded a secret image; until NOW!

The Great Pyramid of Giza, unlike most ancient Egyptian monuments, lacks one conspicuous feature: hieroglyphs. So when, for the first time in over four thousand years, a prominent young Egyptologist discovers the first engraving inside the Great Pyramid, why is he murdered by a senior colleague? The authorities are keen to cover it up, but they know they can’t achieve total closure whilst English robotics engineer, Ben Anderson, remains in possession of a powerful image. An image, which suggests the Great Pyramid at Giza was not built by ancient Egyptians.

What the Egyptian authorities don’t know is that unless the true meaning behind the image can be established, along with other images which will later surface, the future of mankind will face the most serious threat imaginable. Anderson manages to escape Egypt at the earliest opportunity, together with his astrophysicist girlfriend, Samantha Gibson, but the authorities are quickly on their tail when it becomes evident they have arrested the wrong person.

Keen to establish who really built the Pyramids, Anderson seeks to gain additional proof to support his theory. As he and Gibson begin to discover a series of seemingly disparate clues, they soon realise that everything is far from straightforward. Whilst seeking additional resources, Gibson is unwittingly embroiled in the internal politics of the US military, with the result that she becomes a pawn in a vicious power struggle involving a corrupt senior officer. Her path crosses that of an ex-lover and her relationship with Anderson stretches to breaking point.

As Anderson begins to see Gibson from a totally different perspective, his focus changes, and he pushes himself well beyond the limits of his comfort zone in an attempt to discover the truth. Gibson is now prepared to do anything to fulfil a lifetime ambition, but as her objective becomes almost within her grasp a virulent virus threatens to stop her . . . and Anderson has the antidote . . . together with a totally different agenda. And so an unprecedented race begins to finally reveal the true legacy of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Pyramid Legacy is a thriller, but also has a story of love and deceit deeply woven in.

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Author Quiz interviews Clive Eaton

What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?

I’m currently writing the sequel to The Pyramid Legacy, which I’ve titled Operation Stonehenge. Without giving too much away, when I was doing research for The Pyramid Legacy I stumbled across genuine facts, which link the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge. These are facts which are beyond being just a coincidence. I’d better leave it at that before giving the game away.

Where did the inspiration for your novel, The Pyramid Legacy, come from?

In 1993, a German robotics engineer, Rudolph Gantenbrink, was under contract to install ventilation fans in the King's Chamber shafts of The Great Pyramid. After cleaning away the debris using a robot, named "Upuant II", meaning 'opener of the ways'. Gantenbrink then proposed that he use his robot to explore the southern shaft in the Queen's Chamber, allowing him to hopefully coax, from the depths of the pyramid, more of its secrets. While the exits from the shafts of the King's Chamber are found on the outside of the pyramid, no exit has ever been found for either of the Queen's Chamber shafts. What he discovered was a door at the end of one of the shafts. The shafts are small, 20cms x 20cms, far too small for a human to climb into them. Several years later he was given permission to see what was behind the door. It turned out nothing was there . . . except ANOTHER door. This second door, to date, has never been opened . . . until The Pyramid Legacy was introduced.

Would your book, The Pyramid Legacy, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?

I’ve already had one review which ended with the line – “This would make a cool movie too.” As the book is set in the year 2025, quite a bit of CGI would need to be employed, and again I don’t want to say why for fear of spoiling things. I think the story would translate to movie far better than a TV series, but I wouldn’t turn either opportunity down.

If you could invite one character from your novel(s) to a dinner party who would it be and why?

It would have to be Professor Harry Carter. I know he has an even more fascinating back story than I’ve already let on in the book. He loves a glass of wine (or two), plays chess and is an astrophysicist. A few glasses of wine would loosen his tongue to so many fascinating subjects. I’m sure we’ll see more of Harry in the future.

Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?

As I have a business background, and have been involved in business development training for the last 17 years, across about 30 countries, I run a blog on my website titled ‘Marketing Tips for Authors’. Many fellow indie authors have remarked how useful the blog is, so my tip would be, take a look.

What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?

Obviously the quote already mentioned – “This would make a cool movie too.” – would be amongst them, but others include:

“The book is well researched, interestingly believable with undercurrents of intrigue, deception, and romance. The characters are all multiple layered and nothing is predictable.”

“If you love high spirited adventure, you won't be able to put down The Pyramid Legacy.”

“Right from the start, the characters are engaging, the descriptions of scenes just enough to allow the reader's own imagination to take flight, and the pace is electrifying. Set aside a couple of days and lose yourself in this great debut novel - you won't be disappointed.”

Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?

If people don’t read a book, they can’t review it and recommend it to others. I’m currently researching the Kindle KDP Select programme to see if all eggs in ‘one ebook basket’ is the wise option. I’ve come across a mixture of positive views, and negative ones. At the moment exposure is more important to me than royalties. I’ve already given a lot of copies away free, and will have similar promotions in the future.

Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?

The one I’m currently reading – The 50 megaton tweet – by R C Wade. It would make a superb prequel to one of the story lines I touch upon within The Pyramid Legacy, but will be expanding considerably in Operation Stonehenge.

What sort of audience will your books, The Pyramid Legacy and Operation Stonehenge most appeal to?

As I’ve previously mentioned, the book is set in the year 2025, so there is a certain sci-fi element to it, however, the main audience for me would be people who enjoy the sort of books written by Dan Brown et al, but who also enjoy solving puzzles/problems which are, at times, more complex than those from Mr Brown.

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Thanks for your comments, Clive, and good luck with your writing.

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