Frederick Lee Brooke is here today as part of his book tour with Orangeberry Book Tours. Frederick is the author of mystery & thriller/horror novels Doing Max Vinyl and Zombie Candy.
About Doing Max Vinyl:
Earth first. Okay, maybe second. Third? She’ll KILL you!Max Vinyl’s type of success story can only happen in America. Rising from humble beginnings, he has reached the height of the computer recycling racket. Problem is, he’s using Lake Michigan as his own personal profit center. Even that wouldn’t have been a problem if his environmentalist girlfriend Tris hadn’t found out his dirty secret. And while Max is devastated by his love crashing down around him, he’s about to learn that the rage of a woman scorned packs far more firepower and potential for destruction than he had ever imagined.
Iraq War veteran Annie Ogden has spent three tormented months living in a cabin alone trying to re-discover her purpose in life. When two of Max’s thugs threaten Annie’s sister, she is dragged into his corrupt world in an unwitting alliance with the environmentalist, Tris. Which is really lousy news for Max. Will he hold up under the coordinated attacks of two furious women? As things spin completely out of control and complications mount, it’s all Max can do to stay one step ahead until it’s all he can do to stay alive!
A farce full of hysterics and chicanery, Frederick Lee Brooke’s first installment of the Annie Ogden mysteries is an incisive examination of corporate lunacy, greed and modern disconnection. Having received multiple four and five-star reviews on Amazon, Doing Max Vinyl: An Annie Ogden Mystery is loaded with razor-sharp dialogue, ingenious plotting and so much fun it should be illegal!
What do you do in your free time?
Read, cook, walk, hike, exercise and talk to friends.
How do you react to a bad review?
I read them carefully, and sometimes learn things and kick myself. Lots of times people don’t like a book because it’s not their cup of tea. Not the kind of book they like to read in general. Those people can get a bit vitriolic in their reviews, and those I take with a big grain of salt. I believe in honest reviews.
Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
There’s a little bit of me in all my characters. But only a little bit. You know, they’re mostly all bad news. Can I take the Fifth Amendment on this?
Who are your favorite authors of all time?
OK, here we go: Shakespeare, Milton, Beckett, Proust, Camus, Tolstoy, Dickens, and then in modern times I would mention Tracy Chevalier, Geraldine Brooks, Vikram Seth, Jonathan Franzen, Orhan Pamuk, Carl Hiaasen, Christine Nolfi, R.S. Guthrie, Laura Elliot and Martha Bourke. Of course, there are dozens more, but attention spans are limited.
What is your favorite quote?
Just a little something I stumbled upon from Albert Einstein: “I fear the day when technology takes over our humanity. The world will then be a generation of idiots.”
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I’m a great fan of Istanbul. But it’s not so much the place that counts, or even the scenery or the weather, but the people you’re with, right?
What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?
I was definitely a Charlotte’s Web fanatic. I also loved every book Beverly Cleary ever wrote. Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret was a shocker for me. Excuse me, you wanted one title? Are you crazy?
Pet Peeves?
I don’t like the word “no,” closely followed by the word “can’t.” I don’t get along with people who use those words a lot. It’s like an allergy.
Skittles or M&Ms?
M&Ms.
Do you have any other books in the works?
A 3rd Annie Ogden book is on the way in 2013. Then I plan to plunge into the deep water of literary fiction.
About the Author:
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Frederick Lee Brooke
graduated from Amherst College and studied writing at the University of
Montana before moving to Europe. Having run his own company for almost
twenty years (though not in computer recycling), he was inspired to
write a novel that captured the way people talk to each other when
workday stress is compounded by the conflicts and ethical compromises of
everyday life. Brooke currently resides in Europe and visits Chicago
regularly. Doing Max Vinyl is his first novel. 
Connect with Frederick Lee Brooke:
Website
Buy the book:
Amazon
Amy, thanks so much for the interview!!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. Thanks for being here.
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