Introducing the author of "a riveting thriller"-Foreword Clarion Reviews


Reviewer Gabriella Harrison Interviews Lloyd Reman, Author of Oceans for a Thief

Let’s face it, we live boring lives compared to the characters we encounter on the screen and in books. But before you start complaining, admit that you never actually applied for a job as a CIA agent in Cairo or agreed to smuggle rubies out of the jungles of Myanmar. We’re creatures of our cautious decisions.

So, it’s a wondrous thing, really, to grab a book off the shelf and briefly escape into a heart pounding story knowing that the only potential danger is a paper cut.

In Lloyd Reman’s Oceans for a Thief, we meet Matt, an average-joe investment banker caught in a no-good-deed-goes-unpunished blackmail scheme that drags him off to the pirate waters of Somalia. We recently discovered Lloyd’s thriller through a highly complimentary Clarion review by Gabriella Harrison and threw caution to the wind by setting up this author-reviewer conversation.

When the law-abiding son of a mob underboss is blackmailed by a woman demanding help to pirate a ship…

It seems that from the moment Matt meets Ana, his life is permanently altered. He is trying to do the right thing and be the good guy, but he faces inner struggles/battles. Did you have a clear path for Matt when you started writing the book, or did you let him develop with the story?

It’s more the latter. I knew Matt’s predicament but wasn’t sure what he’d do in response, or how he’d be influenced by others and events. I let him tell me as the book progressed. I think characters should drive a story, and not be forced into doing something because of a pre-determined plot point. Of course, the story must be interesting for the reader at all times.

Alert—please bear with me for stating the obvious—the below text provides a great many spoilers, which is understandable. I wish I could come up with a way to market the book while saying little about the story, to enhance the reader’s experience. Unfortunately, for an undiscovered author, that’s not realistic. Perhaps one day my name alone will do the work? 😊 Until then …

The descriptions of pirate activities—the way they operate, etc.—were in-depth. Did you have to travel to the places you mentioned, like Somalia, to speak with any pirates, or was it all based on your imagination or maybe online research?

I take your question as a great compliment, especially the part about my speaking with pirates. If the pirates seemed real to you, that’s quite an accomplishment.

I did research of actual pirating events, and how methods of hijacking ships changed as countermeasures changed. I also spent considerable time traveling, including within Africa, so I had a sense of the territory, and I’ve had access to security experts plus shipping/energy company personnel. I combined what I learned and what I knew with a dose of imagination. I was also influenced by what Tamara, the head of the pirate group, would do, and perhaps more importantly, what she would not be willing to do.

In your book, Ana and Tamara come together to establish the AMB Foundation for disadvantaged/abused females to give them a chance at a better life. You wrote about the struggles of girls like Adika, who was around thirteen when she was impregnated and savagely beaten. Then she was dumped at the side of a road to die. Was this a way to raise awareness about the type of abuse some girls like Adika are exposed to, especially in third-world/developing countries?

I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking the purpose of the book was something other than to entertain readers (and to get some notoriety as a successful author). However, it’s fair to say, I’ve been to many countries where young people who were born poor have no opportunity to get a quality education. They’re locked into their status. They can be taken advantage of by others more fortunate. Adika is but an extreme example. It’s not that the particular countries have limited wealth—it’s that their leaders and governmental systems are corrupt.

Part of what led me to develop this story was the thought of what a disadvantaged yet highly talented young woman could do, if she refused to accept the status quo. I’m proud that Oceans features three such characters: Ana, Tamara, and Addie Mae.

“A riveting thriller.”-Foreword Clarion Reviews Written by Lloyd Reman, Founder of criminalparty.com

There is a complexity in the portrayal of the family dynamics in this book, with Matt’s absolute trust in his brother, Butch, and his disdain for his mobster father (who remains estranged because of a promise they both made to Matt’s late mother never to contact each other). Then there’s also his love-hate relationship with his wife, Jennifer, who can barely tolerate him but has no problem pampering his brother. Eventually, there’s this moment of truth when the puzzle pieces fall into place before Matt’s eyes, and he realizes who has his back. What inspired this complex family portrayal?

I’d characterize the book’s relationships somewhat differently (I don’t think Matt despised his father, and I don’t think there was any hate in his relationship with Jennifer), but I think you ask a good question. I believe family dynamics are often complex, challenging … and problematic. A blood connection doesn’t guarantee friendship … and dysfunction is more interesting than the alternative. Thus, aspects you mention were included because they portray reality, and they’re interesting.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?

I’d say it’s the way changes in my personal life influenced my view of the characters. I had the original concept for the book’s opening before meeting the love of my life, Colleen. She’s now my partner (as in, till death do us part). I think the book would have been different had I not met her, in particular, in reference to Matt’s relationships with Jennifer and Ana.

Can you describe your writing process? What came first to you—the plot or the characters? Did you do a lot of research?

I started with the initial plot points (essentially the essence of chapters one and three) and some initial thoughts about the main characters. I then developed the characters further, and when ready, let them drive the initial plot points forward. As the story progressed, I culled anything I believed would not be of interest to the reader.

Regarding your last query, I think my experiences provided much of the research. I’ve traveled the globe and worked with people in perhaps more than fifty countries. God bless anyone who can write a great international thriller without that experience. Of course, I also researched particular aspects of the story, including piracy, global drug smuggling and modern-day slavery.

What would you say was the hardest scene for you to write?

That’s a tough one. I think every scene is hard to write (and rewrite and rewrite etc., etc.). If I had to pick one (although perhaps it’s not a scene), I’d say the one paragraph prologue combined with the first two paragraphs of chapter one. How do you instantly capture a reader’s interest, such that he or she knows this is a book worth reading?

Which character was your favorite, easiest, and most difficult to write about? Why?

Again, this is tough to answer, but I’ll try, and please assume each response begins with “perhaps.”

Favorite: Tamara Hakuna Jina. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in Ghana, and marveled at some local women, the way they combined strength, toughness, beauty, and brains.

Easiest: Holly McQueen. I like the idea of a highly successful divorced woman dating younger men.

Most difficult: Frank Cavalcanti. It’s hard to imagine the end game for a successful mob underboss with no family other than an estranged son.

Are there any lessons you want your readers to take with them from Matt’s story and the book in general?

I’d like to say there are many lessons embedded within the story, but this is really for the readers to decide. Perhaps one I’d mention … you can find talent in unexpected places.

I felt the book ended in a way that left room for a potential sequel if you so wish. Is this something you were or are considering? Did you end it that way with a sequel in mind?

No. I think this is a one-off story, unless readers tell me they’re interested in knowing more.

Can you give us a glimpse of any project you’re currently working on?

A next project would likely be another thriller, although I’m toying with the idea of a brilliant high school student, nicknamed Wobbles, who’s obsessed with the occult. Wobbles lives near an abandoned elementary school that’s rumored to be haunted and is scheduled for demolition. After losing a bet, Wobbles is goaded into spending a night at the school. That night, a storm ensues—a section of the school collapses—Wobbles cringes, expecting to be crushed to death, except … the collapsed roof defies gravity … it remains suspended in midair, enabling Wobbles to regain composure and escape unharmed. Wobbles gets to a safe space, looks back at the school, and wonders …

“A fast-paced thriller with plenty of action to keep readers engaged.”-BlueInk Reviews Available at Amazon

Gabriella Harrison

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