ABOUT THE BOOK
An edgy and intense thriller with a touch of the paranormal.
Private investigator Charlie Miner, freshly revived from his own murder, gets a call from Homicide Detective Dave Putnam. Self-styled “psychic to the stars” Tamara Gale has given crucial information about three murders, and the brass thinks it makes the Department look bad. Dave wants Charlie to help figure out the angle, since he has first-hand experience with the inexplicable. Trouble is, Charlie, just weeks after his full-death experience, once again has severe cognitive problems and may get them both killed.
At once a riveting mystery and a completely unique character study, Down to No Good will both captivate you and work its way into your heart.
Book Details:
Title: Down to No Good
Author’s name: Earl Javorsky
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: The Story Plant (October 31, 2017)
Paperback: 224 pages
Series: Sequel to Down Solo
Touring with: Partners in Crime Book Tours
INTERVIEW WITH EARL JAVORSKY
Welcome back, Earl. Can you tell us the story behind the title of your book?
It’s a riff on the title of my first book, Down Solo and a play on the common phrase “up to no good.”
Is Down to No Good a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
I certainly hope it works as a standalone, but it is the second in a series. It was an interesting challenge to make it self-contained yet non-redundant in the sense that some backstory was necessary.
Where’s home for you?
Oceanside, California.
Where did you grow up?
Brentwood, California, by way of immigrating from Germany, stopping in Queens, then Vegas for my mom’s divorce, and, finally, LaLa Land.
What’s your favorite memory?
Holding my infant son. He had just fallen asleep, and the stillness was incredible.
If you had an extra $100 a week to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
I have an extra hundred to spend on myself, but there’s nothing I want.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Be here now.
Who would you pick to write your biography?
Tim Hallinan.
What dumb things did you do during your college years?
Drop out a lot. Opt for the dope-dealer/aspiring-musician alternative.
What do you love about where you live?
A lot. Good people. Diversity. Coastal. Close to San Diego, a lovely small city.
Have you been in any natural disasters?
The LA earthquake of 1971. I was still awake that morning, capping LSD. It took a bit to register what was happening.
What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Every mistake I’ve ever made has led me to this moment, which I wouldn’t change. That said, I would have been more careful about sun exposure.
If someone gave you $5,000 and said you must solve a problem, what would you do with the money?
I have no problems that require $5000. A million bucks would perhaps make me stop thinking about running out some day.
Do you have another job outside of writing?
I work as an editor and proofreader. I currently have a ghostwriting project—big responsibility for decent money. I enjoy making other people’s work the best it can be.
Who are you?
Always wondered. I keep finding out who I am not, though.
How did you meet your spouse? Was it love at first sight?
Oh boy. I was in line to thank a speaker. I’ll leave it at that. Love at first sight? Not quite, but instant attraction.
If you could only save one thing from your house, what would it be?
Besides our cat, probably my guitar, a nice Taylor my wife bought me.
What brings you sheer delight?
An uncrowded wave in a warm-water spot. Shooting a winning corner shot when the score is close. Laughing with my wife.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
Oceanside, California. Maybe with a second place in Hanalei, Kauai.
What would you like people to say about you after you die?
Decent guy, funny, helped other people.
Is your book based on real events?
Not this one, but Trust Me is based on a sex predator in the Los Angeles recovery community.
Are you like any of your characters?
Jeff in Trust Me is fairly autobiographical in that he has a drug and alcohol problem, is a fairly bright guy who has exhausted his resources and his relationships but gets a break.
Who are your favorite authors?
Oh boy, here we go: Kem Nunn, James Lee Burke, Michael Gruber, Graham Greene, John Le Carre, A.A. Attanasio—so many more.
What book are you currently reading and in what format?
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, in paperback. I tend to want to skim more reading from a device, so I prefer paper.
What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
One? Nope, can’t do that. I work as an editor, so here we go: Dialog that doesn’t ring true; excessive description; POV jumps within a paragraph or section; pretentiousness, especially arcane literary references or use of ten-dollar words where a nickel word will do; must I go on?
Do you have a routine for writing?
I have a routine for avoiding writing; I’m really good at that.
I hear you. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
Just got it today from another writer: " . . . original, crisp, gritty. The story moved and kept me on my toes every second. Not only was I continually surprised but I never came close to guessing what came next. Conflict and human frailty combined with moral dilemmas that revealed character at every twist and turn. Charlie, hell, every character was multidimensional. Don’t even get me started on Z girl. What a trip. Had tremendous empathy for Charlie. Loved that his story was told on different planes of existence. And that he was there to fulfill his purpose. The settings and descriptions were fresh and vivid . . ."
If you could be a ghostwriter for any famous author, whom would you pick?
I wouldn’t presume to step into anyone’s shoes and mimic their voice. I’m 6’4, skinny with a big nose—anywhere I go, you know it’s me. Probably the same for my writing.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
Each book has been a thorough pain in the ass. I create these puzzles for myself, structurally, and get lost in middle, stuck without a solution. I modeled both Charlie Miner books after a film I really like—Christopher Nolan’s Memento—but in the first one, Down Solo, I finished the original story arc at page 100. It sat for almost a year, brewing in my subconscious until it became clear how to proceed.
You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
James Bond? He was my hero as an early teen. Or Doctor Strange.
What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing?
Here’s my first Amazon review for Trust Me: “Gratuitous sex, gratuitous violence, and a plot line that would be an embarrassment in an eighth-grade writing class. Want my money back.” I can’t imagine why someone would pay full pop for a book by an unknown author and read the whole thing while hating it.
How did you deal with it?
I posted it on Facebook.
Are you happy with your publishing decisions?
I harrassed Lou at the Story Plant until he finally agreed to look at my first two books. First, he gave me other writers’ work to proofread. I originally found him because I was driving to the beach, and he was on NPR, giving an interview about his experience in publishing and his new project, a startup boutique publishing outfit.
What are you working on now?
I’m collaborating/ghostwriting a novel with a fascinating personality who was referred to me by a writer friend. I have two novels roughly sketched out that I need to get moving on.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Howard was born Daniel Earl Javorsky in Berlin and immigrated to the US. He has been, among other things, a delivery boy, musician, product rep in the chemical entertainment industry, university music teacher, software salesman, copy editor, proofreader, and novelist. His novels include Down Solo, Trust Me, and Down to No Good.
Connect with Earl:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Read Earl's Love it Or Leave it Interview on A Blue Million Books here.
