My Life of Crime: Owen Mullens, author of Deadly Harm ... and so many more, tells us all about his life of crime!

Owen Mullen has been a supportive friend for a good few years now and I am in awe of his writing, so it gives me great pleasure to welcome him onto The Crime Warp to find out all about his Life of Crime.

Here's a little bit about him:

Owen Mullen is a McIlvanney Crime Book Of The Year and best selling author.

Owen graduated from Strathclyde University, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; he still loves to perform on occasion. His passion for travel has taken him on many adventures from the Amazon and Africa to the colourful continent of India and Nepal. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow, and their home in the Greek Islands where Owen writes.

Over to Owen.

Thanks for inviting me on here Liz, I love this type of Q&A!

Ok, so what are the things that helped shape the man you have before you today? Let's find out!

2 Songs that influenced me...

She Loves You by The Beatles

When I first heard this as a teenager it blew me away. I'd never heard anything like it. I'd pass people in the street who were singing the chorus. Like a lot of young guys around that time it inspired me; I wanted to be a part of it. And that was the start of what was to become my main focus in life for many years; once I'd convinced my parents to buy my first guitar. Eventually I headed for London and a fame that was to elude me.

My Life by Billy Joel

I loved his voice, I loved his lyrics and I loved his songs. Still do; they were clever and slick. I drew a lot from the energy of his music. I'd always written my own music but after hearing Billy I was able to take my own music to a more mature level. I've been very fortunate to work with some great musicians and it always had the effect of improving my game.

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2 Books that influenced me...

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This book made me think about everything in an entirely new way. It taught me to put aside fear and follow my dreams. It also taught me to learn from the obstacles I had and would encounter on my journey. I was able to accept that I wasn't destined for a great career in music, but that I should pursue a dream I had put aside as a young boy to become a writer.

Neon Rain by James Lee Burke

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When I decided to pick up the pen I also decided that I wanted to write well - whatever that meant. So I started examining the books I was reading. I was looking for clues to help me shape my style. I was particularly interested in the use of language. Eventually I found my own voice and a clear understanding that crime fiction was the genre I could see myself in. Of all the great books I read Neon Rain had the most effect - I loved his imagery and the balance between poetic description and a hard-bitten detective.

2 Places that influenced me...

London

I've always found this city fascinating; there's a huge energy that affects me every time I visit it. It's a city of possibilities. I wrote a song about the first time I arrived in London, not knowing which direction my life would take. I had left my home town and headed for the capital on the overnight train. The song catches this moment. I'll let you read a little of it...

Where Does This Line Go

Where does this line go

Does it travel on for ever

If the end looks the same

Will I know it when I arrive

Where does this track run

Is the dark it's destination

In the light of the dawn

Will I wish ai was home again

The Indian Subcontinent

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I've been lucky enough to visit it many times, and my book Out Of The Silence is set in the region.

There's something about the sights and smells, the heat and dust and the aromas of hot spices in the air

that call to me; I never tire of it and it never stops calling me back.

2 People that influenced me...

Somerset Maugham

I don't think I would have liked him much as a guy, but I used to devour his short stories set in the South Seas. I can still remember the first time I read 'Rain'. His books were filled with far away places with strange sounding names that sparked my young imagination and fuelled a thirst for travel which continues to rage unabated. He was also the main inspiration behind my boyhood dream of writing a great novel on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean; I now live and write on a Greek hillside overlooking the Mediterranean.

My wife Christine

The day I met her was the day that truly changed my life. She helped me find my direction including selling everything and moving to Crete; that conversation took all of three minutes. She's my biggest fan and harshest critic; she really knows how to draw the best from me.

2 Films/TV series that influenced me...

The Godfather

As a writer it would be very difficult not to be influenced by this film - or any one of half-a-dozen films Al Pacino has done. The journey of the young Michael Corleone from family geek to cold-blooded mob boss is fantastic. It's one of the few instances - and there aren't many - where the film is better than the book. I want to create this type of gripping drama when I write.

The Maltese Falcon

Grainy, black and white, oozing intrigue and deception. Classic noir from Dashiell Hammett. It inspired my great love for wise- cracking detectives. I've got two detectives that sit in the noir mould; Charlie Cameron set in Scotland and Vincent Delaney at home in New Orleans. I had a wonderful time writing them.