Interview with Texi Smith, author of ‘Jarrod Black – Guilty Party’
Following the success of the first two Jarrod Black novels, Introducing Jarrod Black, and Jarrod Black – Hospital Pass, we at footballbookreviews (FBR) are delighted that there is a third offering in the series – Guilty Party. Ahead of our review of the book, we caught up with their author Texi Smith (TS) to talk all things ‘lockdown’ and what readers can expect from this latest instalment.
(FBR): What has lockdown been like for you?
(TS): Lockdown seems to have been a lot less traumatic in this part of the world. Australia has been locked down state by state. Apart from letting a cruise ship dock in Sydney and let out a group of contaminated people, New South Wales has been well contained. Only Victoria remains as the hot spot for the virus. Park football started up again at the beginning of July, the NRL (rugby league) and AFL (Australian Rules football) have been going for a few weeks now behind closed doors, and A-League (football) restarts in a couple of weeks. Apart from having to hunt high and low for toilet paper and having six weeks with limited movement around town, we’ve been very lucky.
(FBR): Has it allowed for more reading and writing? If so, what has been a stand-out read and what have you been writing?
(TS): I was midway through writing a fourth book when COVID-19 struck. I absolutely powered through the writing and finished the first draft in May. It’s a different story this time, an aside from the chronicles of Jarrod Black, but I absolutely loved writing it. I’ll be getting back to the editing process when the publisher gives the green light. I found my favourite ever football book in lockdown too – Full Time: The Secret Life Of Tony Cascarino. It just struck a chord with me and I could not put it down. I’d recommend it to anyone who was around to experience the twilight of his career.
(FBR): What was the inspiration for writing the third instalment of the Jarrod Black series, ‘Guilty Party’?
(TS) Guilty Party was born from the exciting end to the second book, Hospital Pass. It allowed me to go back to the North East of England and write about Newcastle and St James Park. Again, it was great fun writing it and the story took some twists as it evolved. The next in the series is underway, but with life getting back to normal, progress is at a more realistic pace.
(FBR): Finally, what’s on the horizon for you?
(TS): Australia and New Zealand will be the hosts for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 – look out for the next book, as yet untitled, which delves into the World Cup scene for its storyline. You’ll love this one!