DREW L I N D S AY LOCAL AUTHOR Drew Lindsay is a local author who has just released his 40th novel. Mystery at Limeburners Creek is based in Port Macquarie and, like most of Drew’s stories, is based around his central character Ben Hood who is a detective and investigator; just like Drew was for the majority of his career.
H
i Drew. You moved to Port Macquarie from Sydney in recent years, what made you choose PMQ?
My mother was born and grew up in Port Macquarie and my parents brought me here for Christmas holidays from the time I was born. My mother’s family lived at Grantham, the old house on the hill behind the TAFE college. Port was just a part of my DNA. I have lots of cousins living here and although the place has changed from when I was a child, it still feels like my home. When did you first discover the joy of writing and that you had a knack for it? I have a bit of a wild imagination and loved making up stories from the time I was a teenager. I wrote some short stories for fun but stopped when I joined the workforce and took it up again when I retired. I am a fairly fast touch typist and my fingers type almost as quickly as my mind works, which makes writing easier.
32 GREATER PORT MACQUARIE
focus
Your work life has been very interesting and varied, can you tell us a bit about your career and where it’s taken you?
around 12 years, then took up investigation management positions within the insurance industry until retirement in 2010.
I have a General Engineering Trade. I then When did you decide to focus on your went to a Theological College in South writing and start Australia for 3 years and publishing novels? later took up a position It was in 2010. It stopped An old woman as the Pastor of the Five me from becoming bored living near the Dock – Drummoyne after I retired, and gave banks of Limeburners Uniting Church for 2 me something creative to years. I then joined the Creek, heard what do. Initially, I attempted NSW Police Force and appeared to be a to find a suitable agent worked in uniform for 3 plane in trouble, and a
and publisher, especially years before becoming subsequent crash.The a Designated Detective when I saw so much Tiger Moth and the in the Sydney area CIB interest and high volume pilot were never seen (Criminal Investigation of sales worldwide on again. Branch) and various the internet for my regional police stations work. However, I found for around 10 years. the submission requirements of agents and During this time, I also trained and qualified publishers to be unsuitable and somewhat as a PADI Dive Master and obtained my pilot’s frustrating so I decided to self-publish my licence. I resigned from the police to work as books online to make them easily available and a private investigator in my own business for very affordable for people to enjoy.