Fountain of Diamonds

Q. What inspired you to write this book? Was there a particular moment or event that sparked the idea?

Ans. It was a trip to Tahiti in May 2024, when after lunch in Papeete, my wife and I decided to walk back along the harbors edge. It was there where I came upon the Memorial Site for Nuclear Testing that was established in 2006, ten years after testing ceased in the South Pacific in 1996. The name Moruroa suddenly caught my attention as the somewhat forgotten memories of the French testing on the Atoll and the associated protests came back to me. When I got back to our room at the Hilton Hotel, I made a note, 'Mystery of Moruroa' and the idea of the novel was born. By searching Fountain of Diamonds on YouTube, you will find more details about the inspiration behind the book and other details from the Australian launch interview.

Q. What research did you undertake to write this book? Were there any surprising or unexpected findings that you discovered during your research?

Ans. There was an extensive amount of research for the book given it is inspired by historical events. What surprised me was the extent of the testing over 30 years from 1966 to 1996, and at times the cavalier approach by the French that resulted in tests that were poorly conceived that have had significant impacts on the people of French Polynesia. If you search YouTube for a film produced by an organization called Disclose in collaboration with Princeton University, it provides a very good account of one of the many botched detonations.

Q. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this book? How did you overcome it?

Ans. The greatest challenge was structure, editing and the endless rewrites. Employing a good editor and selecting a good publisher are fundamental. Whilst I am sure there are still some errors to be found it would've have been a lot harder without Greenhill the Australian Publisher.

Q. How did you go about developing the characters in the book? Were any of them based on real people or events?

Ans. Some of the characters in the book call on aspects of real people with some like Taxi Tess from Moorea in French Polynesia being very much based on a real person. If you ever go to Moorea, make sure you get Taxi Tess to take you on a tour. The lead character Robert Tait is a character I have had parked for some time waiting for the right opportunity to bring him to life. Fia the female lead is inspired by the women in my own family, strong, independent and smart. She is also inspired by people like Hina Cross a French Polynesian women fighting the French for due compensation to pay for the treatment of cancers resulting from the testing.