<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

by James Fisher, The Miramichi Reader<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Chuck Bowie is the New Brunswick author of three novels, all in the \u201cSean Donovan: Thief for Hire<\/em>\u201d series. He\u00a0recently\u00a0released Book Three: \u201cSteal it All<\/em>\u201c. Chuck took a few moments to answer my questions about his influences, where and when his Sean Donovan character was born, and how Book Four is coming along.<\/p>\n

Miramichi Reader: Tell us about your background, education, employment, etc.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

My name is Chuck Bowie. I was born in what used to be Chatham, NB, and as an \u201cair force brat\u201d, I\u2019d moved 19\u00a0times by the time I was 21. I left home at age\u00a016\u00a0and went to UNB at age 18. These unusual circumstances helped form and inform me. I have a Science degree\u2014Biology\u2014and did a bit of research as a technician before going into banking. After five years of moving around as a banker, I joined the Public Service and stuck at it for 30\u00a0years.<\/p>\n

Over the years, I coached sports, taught music and raised a family, all the while learning things and people-watching. In the past 15\u00a0years, I\u2019ve improved as a cook, and learned the difference between plonk and wine (although I still drink a bit of both, truth be known!) I\u2019ve written since I was 14.<\/p>\n

MR: Tell us about your Sean Donovan character. Is he a composite of people you have known, or is he entirely fictitious? Where did you get the idea\u00a0for \u201cThief for Hire\u201d?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I will be careful here, in explaining Donovan. I wrote the character several years before I saw an image of Allan Hawco, from The Republic of Doyle<\/em>. At that point, I was shocked to find that, to me, Donovan looks like Mr. Hawco. And when I was learning how to write more professionally, Donovan had some of my character traits and spoke a bit like me. He does NOT resemble me in any way, now, although I have shared several of my experiences with him. My editors saw to that! Finally, Donovan isn\u2019t a composite of anyone I have ever met.<\/p>\n

The idea of T4H came to me when I was working in Romania. I had received an assignment to work in Bucharest for just over a month. Very early on in that month, I awoke in a luxury hotel to the sound of dogs and orphans playing in the early morning light. I asked myself, \u201cWhat if I found myself in a strange country, with no conscience and the desire to make money? What might that be like?\u201d I began writing Book One immediately.<\/p>\n

Trailer for Book One, Three Wrongs<\/em>:
\n