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Conrad Jones

WHEN Warrington was the target of a deadly IRA attack in March 1993, Conrad Jones experienced terrorism first hand.

For the author was the manager of McDonalds on Bridge Street at the time when the two bombs were detonated.

Fifty-six people were injured and three-year-old Johnathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry were killed.

It was a day that would change Conrad's outlook forever.

"At first, it was simply a case of evacuating the building," said the Orford Green resident.

"But after that, you have time for it to sink in.

"My most vivid memories are of the effect it had on the town afterwards. Warrington was desolate for weeks and weeks.

"I remember I had almost become a bit desensitised by the news because terrorism can feel like an every day occurrence until it's on your doorstep.

"So that's when I went away to see what it was all about. The incident on Bridge Street opened my eyes up.

"I started to study modern history and certainly Northern Ireland and the Middle East.

"I think having witnessed terrorism, it gives you an idea of the damage it causes."

Now Conrad believes schools have a responsibility to teach young people about world politics and conflicts and has used his own personal experiences of terrorism to pen his first novel.

Soft Target is a chilling and pulse-racing story about a task force led by agent John Tank' Tankersley trying to combat a terrorist cell in a range of familiar settings in the UK and America.

The book is a work of fiction but is also a poignant and analytical take on the world we live in today.

Conrad added: "The attack on Bridge Street is what first inspired the book and the book makes reference to a lot of historical and factual events.

"The majority of the action is in and around the north west and a fair amount of chapters are in Warrington. I found it very easy to write about places I had been.

"I wanted the story to have really recognisable scenes but with fictional characters."

After leaving McDonalds in 2002, Conrad set up his own carpet cleaning business and it was not until he took a 12-week trip to America with his wife Ruth, last summer, that he had a chance to start writing the book.

"The attack on Bridge Street is what first inspired the book and the book makes reference to a lot of historical and factual events." Conrad Jones

Touring the United States was a hive of inspiration for the author.

"Terrorism is a huge issue in the country and many Americans have no idea why the Islamic world is against them," said the 42-year-old.

"Soft Target is written from a Muslim perspective and I was conscious people would see it as anti-American.

"But it's had a very good reception in the US and I was even invited on a chat show in Austin, Texas to talk about it."

Yet, in a strange twist of fate, it was not until Conrad returned to the UK to find his Warrington home ransacked that he had the chance to complete the novel.

"They took everything, even my clothes," he said.

"They took my wife's car and my work van. My equipment inside the van wasn't insured so I was left virtually unemployed.

"It was also when there had been floods so it was six or seven weeks before an assessor could even come out.

"I had written about 10 or 11 chapters on the beach in America by hand so it just seemed the perfect time to finish it.

"As I've written in the book's notes - every cloud has a silver lining."

Writing Soft Target was initially a big challenge for Conrad as it was his first experience in creative writing, which meant he had to pick up things as he went along.

"I think I have been very lucky so far not to have hit a block," he said.

"I worked for McDonalds for 12 years in senior management and had to be very organised and structured and I have applied that discipline to my writing.

"I looked at a couple of books that I enjoyed reading and counted the pages. Most are about 300 pages long...and about 300 words per page - that's 90,000 words per book.

"So I set myself the target of 1500 words per day which can take anything from two hours to nine hours depending on how much of it is imagination and how much is research.

"That means, in theory, I can write a paperback in 60 days."

Indeed, the author has adapted to his new role well and his sequel to Soft Target is almost ready to hit the shelves.

"I'd love writing to be my full-time career," he added.

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