The influence of blues and poetry on Brian George’s creative process
Brian George discusses how his global adventures, spiritual practices, and musical influences shape his novels, creating authentic, rebellious characters and thrilling plots that challenge societal norms and explore justice unconventionally.
Brian George is a literary force to be reckoned with, a masterful storyteller whose diverse body of work spans romance, adventure, poetry, and thrillers, all imbued with a sensual edge. His novels are a testament to his rich tapestry of life experiences, drawing readers into worlds where characters are as complex and unconventional as the author himself. George’s ability to weave personal adventures into his narratives—whether it’s being shot at in Spain, escaping an arranged marriage in Iran, or dodging a military coup in Thailand—adds an authenticity and vibrancy to his stories that few can match. His characters, always sexy and diverse, fight for freedom and justice, often skirting the boundaries of legality, reflecting George’s own rebellious spirit and disdain for the status quo.
In this interview, Brian George opens up about the inspirations behind his acclaimed Dream Team series, where real-life experiences blend seamlessly with fictional adventures. He delves into the spiritual and mystical elements that enrich his narratives, drawing from his own practices as an Arhatic Yogi and Pranic Healer. George’s global experiences, from Southeast Asia to the Philippines, not only shape the authenticity of his settings but also influence the rebellious spirit that permeates his work. Join us as we explore the mind of a writer who crafts stories with the same passion and soul as a blues musician composing a heartfelt melody.
Brian George captivates readers with his authentic storytelling, blending personal adventures and spirituality into diverse, thrilling, and rebellious narratives.
Your Dream Team series features characters who navigate complex and often dangerous situations, blending real-life experiences with fictional adventures. What inspired you to create these characters, and how do your own life experiences influence their stories?
I used my own life experiences in the first book to get the main character, Barry Parker, to where I needed him for the rest of the plot. I had similar business issues involving a large bank, so I used that storyline as a form of revenge. I always try to make situations believable, as if they could happen to ordinary people. As a Brit, I tend to avoid guns where possible unless their use fits the character. Later in the series the personal choice of weapons becomes more obvious. The whole team must choose a martial art or other weapon as part of their training. I based most of the characters on people I knew that way I can hear their voices when I write dialogue. The only character I created from my head was Lin Fu, who I then went on a search to find someone to fit her character, so that I could then envision her when writing.
The use of Taoist principles and spiritual practices in New Blood, New Targets adds a unique layer to the story. How do these elements of spirituality and mysticism influence the characters and the narrative?
I try to blend the action so that it is believable, rather than supernatural. I meditated daily for over 6 years and met a few people who were clairvoyant or had certain mystic skills and did a lot of research on Ley Lines as a guide for the character’s pasts to point to their future actions. The theories of communicating with nature to send messages along those lines grew into more powerful meditations with out of body experiences. Those practices then grew into an advantage using birds and insects for assistance when in dangerous situations.
You’ve lived and worked in various countries, which are reflected in the settings of your novels. How does your global experience shape the authenticity of your stories, and do you have a favorite location that has particularly inspired your writing?
My global experience has made me into the person I am today. Those experiences broaden my whole outlook on life. The stories just follow how the characters react in those places, and by extension probably how I immersed when there. It is difficult to have a particular favourite without maybe offending those missing, but I loved most of Southeast Asia, the food, the cultural differences, the people, always the people. I have a favourite saying, “People are great, but governments are shit.” I did my spiritual training under a Chinese Master in the Philippines and although I went to a few places, would love to explore more. That is where the Dream Team gradually come back to for a violent finale in the 5th book that I will be releasing soon, titled “New Bloody Wars.”
The Dream Team is known for its anti-establishment and unconventional approach to justice. What do you hope readers take away from this rebellious spirit, and how does it reflect your own views on society?
The rebellious spirit has always been around in characters from Robin Hood, even on tv with the likes of the A Team, and The Equaliser. Those themes are that justice is not always served up by the laws, which are often written to favour or not upset the establishment, and those characters go along with my own attempt to level that playing field. I come from a background of “Laws are made to be broken” and bad laws even more so. Like I said in the last answer which I temper slightly here, “People are mostly great, but governments are often shit.”
As a musician who has played the blues harp in bands across Asia, how does your musical background influence your writing? Do you find parallels between composing music and crafting a story?
I loved the old Bluesmen and women, mostly those poor blacks from the southern states from my teens, and from them a love of The Rolling Stones who were always considered anti-establishment and a rebellious outfit. I wouldn’t really call myself a musician, but I did play with soul, so in that respect the emotions are the same as some of my storylines. Certainly, in the more romantic stories. I’ve tried songwriting a few times but favour my poetry.
You mention writing from the soul and being an Arhatic Yogi and Pranic Healer. How do these spiritual practices inform your creative process, and do they play a role in the development of your characters and plotlines?
Those teachings certainly played a part in Face and Honour, in Barry’s healing from a voodoo enchantment. In Face, Fire & Morality? with the Shaman and their travel through the old burial caves in the mountains of the Philippines. In New Blood, New Targets for their gradual induction and training of the younger characters Matthew and Wia Wia. Again, many personal experiences with real people and those practices I witnessed, so it was easy to weave them into the stories.
