The writer has just published ‘On the Side of the Road’, a new thriller set in a roadside hotel. 

In 2011, journalist Paul Pen made his literary debut with «El Aviso», set in Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, where he was living at the time. After earning a degree in audiovisual communication and spending eight years working for entertainment magazines and non-fiction TV scripts, the 44-year-old Madrid native decided to focus on writing, specifically thrillers. He has since published five more books, the most recent of which is «A un lado de la carretera» (Harper Collins), set in a roadside motel in Alicante. His works have been translated into English, German, Italian, Russian, and Turkish, and two have been adapted for screen. Pen admits to being a critical writer, often doubting and revising his work until he is satisfied. He never starts a novel until he has a satisfying ending in mind. The protagonist of his latest book shares many traits with Pen himself, although this was not his initial intention. He doesn’t often read news stories for inspiration, preferring true crime documentaries. It usually takes him a year to write a novel, and he is disciplined about his writing schedule. Truman Capote’s «In Cold Blood» is one of his favorite books and a major influence. Pen is already working on his next project, another emotional thriller. He hopes to see «A un lado de la carretera» adapted for screen, perhaps as a mini-series, and believes that people are drawn to crime stories because they reveal the depths of human capability for horror.