by Timothy Pike

This month, I’m pleased to feature thriller author and Toronto native Peter Thomas Pontsa. This British car enthusiast is the former head of a dental supply company, and for many years wrote articles for an industry journal before switching gears into fiction novels.

In our interview, Peter talks about the hobbies he shares with his characters, his idea of a perfect day (hint: it involves driving a British car), and the historical location he visited that inspired him to write thrillers.

Welcome, Peter. Are you from Ontario originally? What do you like most about living there?

Ontario has always been my home. Toronto, where I grew up, is a cosmopolitan city with great restaurants, museums, theaters, and the Distillery District. I live an hour north on a country estate, where my spouse and I tend our garden beds and our vegetable patch. It gives me immense pleasure to see various flowers bloom throughout the summer months.

The proximity also allows me access to secondary roads where our British cars can best be driven. The countryside and surrounding area are teeming with wildlife, forests, and parks. My neighbors are farmers and horse lovers. Orangeville, a town close by, has all the charm and culture one would need. We have theater, restaurants, and great shopping, and within minutes, you can find yourself in the pristine nature of this wonderful province. Further afield there is wine country, Niagara Falls, and the town of Stratford, well known for the Stratford Festival. Each season, they present productions in four distinct venues, such as the classics, contemporary dramas and musicals, and of course, Shakespearean plays.

Your latest release, Sanctity of Freedom, is the most recent installment in your Inspector William Fox series. How did you come up with the premise for the series?

The original idea of writing adventure and suspense thrillers came about when visiting Pelee Island on Lake Erie. While on vacation, my wife and I visited the local museum. Here, the history of the island came alive. Al Capone and the notorious Purple Gang ran illicit alcohol to the U.S. using the island as a waypoint. One rum runner with an infamous reputation was rammed by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, waiting in ambush. His character caught my attention.

Later, sitting on our cottage porch, a spark of inspiration began. Inspector William Fox’s grandfather was created, along with the bootlegger’s cruiser called the Midnight Fox. Wanting my book to be in modern times, I decided my protagonist should be the grandson, but I still needed a plot. A close friend of mine gifted me a book called 1421: The Year China Discovered The World, written by Gavin Menzies. I built the story around Admiral Zheng He’s treasure ships landing in Canada. Tracy Jordan, an archeologist, was kidnapped by the Triad over the treasure’s location. RCMP inspector William Fox is directed to rescue her. Both are former childhood sweethearts and become embroiled in dangerous exploits in my first book, Outfoxed, and second book, called Sanctity of Freedom.

I had serious doubts about my ability to write. I found out later it is called impostor syndrome, and many authors are afflicted by it. When my books started receiving five-star reviews, I began feeling less intimidated.

I noticed one of your characters, Mr. Kim, is a master of Tae Kwon Do—a martial art you practice yourself. How have your own interests and hobbies influenced your stories?

The hobbies I enjoy often appear in my novels. I slalom raced under the umbrella of the North American Jaguar Association and won a trophy for best time in my class. As a prerequisite for racing with Jagged Edge Motorsports, I enrolled with the Advance Autoslalom School and Track School in Ontario. That led to two seasons racing with the team. In Outfoxed, my first novel, Inspector William Fox and FBI agent Patrick Reilly commandeer a rally car to pursue two criminals. The chase is exciting, with near-collisions and impending danger as the duo race to catch up with the criminals. My experience racing allowed me to infuse a legitimacy into the chase scenes.

Also, years ago, I was a Tae Kwon Do instructor, and I used the skills I learned for the fight scenes in both Outfoxed and Sanctity of Freedom. The Tae Kwon Do moves include strikes and kicks I have used in my classes. To my mind, infusing both these hobbies into my stories has transferred realism to my novels.

How did you go from running a dental supply company to writing thriller novels?

While running our dental supply company, we used several types of marketing formats. We began with our customer newsletter. I authored dental articles that described our products and how to use them. Concurrently, we ran advertising promoting our dental products in professional dental journals. For over twenty years, my techno-clinical columns appeared adjacent to our advertising, creating an effective follow-through for our clients. Eventually, I became a well-known contributor, co-founded a denturist journal, and became the associate publisher of the magazine and a member of their advisory board.

After retiring, I needed an outlet to continue my passion for writing. I began by signing up for several writing workshops and advanced writing courses, and joined a local writing group called The Wordsmiths. Since I enjoyed thriller and suspense novels, it became easy to begin writing in that genre. And thus began my journey.

What was the best thing you ever did for your writing career?

Betterment comes from self-improvement. I invested in myself by enrolling in a course called Advanced Fiction Writing at the University of Waterloo, then later embraced another writing course from BBC Maestro with well-known author Lee Child. These programs enhanced my writing abilities.

What was your greatest challenge or obstacle when it came to building your career as an author? How did you overcome it?

Often, I had serious doubts about my ability to write. The self-imposed barrier made writing less rewarding. I found out later it is called impostor syndrome, and many authors are afflicted by it. When my books started receiving five-star reviews, I began feeling less intimidated. By meeting and conversing with my peers, I found support and understanding as many of them had been through it themselves. The best thing any writer can do is to be authentic and understand that fear plays a significant role in feeling defeated. Knowing that and moving forward by believing in yourself is what is needed to overcome the symptoms.

Outside of writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

There are several favorite things I like doing, but getting behind the wheel of my Aston Martin DB9 and driving the back roads is ultimately the best reward. Combine that with a two-hour road trip to Stratford to enjoy the theater, and a picnic on the lake with my wife, and it’s even better.

On a rainy day, would you rather watch a movie or write?

Drab, rainy days have a special kind of mood that inspires me to create. So much so that writing would please me more than taking in a movie.

How many more books do you see for this series?

The Inspector William Fox suspense thriller series has plenty of future potential. I intend to write at least five books for this series. However, I am flexible and would continue if my readers encouraged me to do so.

During the years Peter Thomas Pontsa operated his dental supply business, he shared his knowledge writing dental articles which appeared in many dental journals. He was president of the College of Dental Technologists of Ontario, where he helped develop the quality assurance program and was an associate publisher for a denturist magazine. He is an avid British sports car enthusiast, and while president of the Headwaters British Car Club authored many stories about cars in the club’s newsletter, British Driven. Peter spent two seasons racing with Jagged Edge Motorsports and is a student of Tae Kwon Do, holding a second-degree black belt. He belongs to The Wordsmiths and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. Peter lives in Loretto, Ontario, with his wife, Angela, and their orange tabby, Mr. Tee, where he combines his passions: British cars, writing, and gardening.

Visit Peter at his website, and connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Goodreads.