Talking with Kathleen Brooks

A few months ago, I met Kathleen Brooks at a Centre College alumni author event. Today I’m happy to have the author here to talk about her romantic suspense novel, A Bluegrass State of Mind. In addition to attending the same college and being a fellow Kentucky author, I was surprised to find how much we are alike. From the quirky characters in our fictional small southern towns, to both wanting to live in Charleston, South Carolina, to...well, this is her interview, so I’ll just say that after each of her answers, I found myself saying, oh my gosh—me too!




About the book:
See where the USA Today Bestselling Author Kathleen Brooks began!
 This is the first book in Kathleen Brooks' Best-Selling Bluegrass series.

 McKenna Mason, a New York City attorney with a love of all things Prada, is on the run from a group of powerful, dangerous men. McKenna turns to a teenage crush, Will Ashton, for help in starting a new life in beautiful horse country.

She finds that Will is now a handsome, successful racehorse farm owner. As the old flame is ignited, complications are aplenty in the form of a nasty ex-wife, an ex-boyfriend intent on killing her, and a feisty racehorse who refuses to race without a kiss. Can Will and McKenna cross the finish line together, and more importantly, alive?

Welcome, Kathleen.

Let’s get right to it. What do you like best about writing?

I love getting lost in my imaginary world of Keeneston, Kentucky. 



What’s your least favorite thing?

I hate that I sometimes get totally lost in the writing and let the laundry and dust pile up.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I begin by creating an outline that lays out the beginning, middle and end. As I'm writing, I let the characters take over.

Characters really do make the best writers! What about cover art--I found my cover artist online and worked with her to produce the front and back book covers. Did you have any say in your cover art?

Yes, I hire my own cover artist. Her name is Calista Taylor, and she is wonderful. We work together to find the right combination that really embraces the story within. We laugh and have a great time with the process. This part is very exciting because you know it is getting very close to release at that point.

You’re so right. I was so excited to see the first draft of my cover, because it was like seeing the face of my “baby” for the first time. When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

Yes, Bluegrass State of Mind is the first book of the Bluegrass series. Each of the books is set in the same town, so many of the secondary characters appear in each book. Also, as a reader, I always wanted to know what happened to my favorite characters after the book was done. So I always include updates on couples from past books in each new release.  There are always new characters brought into the new stories, but they are all created before I get into the writing process.

Again, I totally agree. I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

Here in Kentucky, you get a variety of different names.  I have tried to infuse that in my stories.  My main characters all feature first names that I personally like. To get the last names, I typically look through online sources to find the best combination. But the most fun is picking Southern names and nicknames.  I have several double first names that seem to just roll off the tongue.  The nicknames are a result of funny life experiences.

Ditto, ditto, ditto! Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I really enjoyed creating the scenes at the Kentucky Derby. It was so much fun to create a scene for the readers who may never get to experience the real thing.

Well, as a Louisvillian, the Kentucky Derby holds a special place in my heart. Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?


Yes, I have a playlist of music that is upbeat rock music. I also have to call my husband in to work out fight scenes and mental blocks during writing. He never knows what's about to happen when he walks in the room!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?


I absolutely love living in Central Kentucky.  But if I had to select a second place to live, I would choose Charleston, South Carolina.  I visit the area often and absolutely love the local food.  This history of the city is well preserved and celebrated by the residents.  The Southern flare is definitely a big plus for me. And you can't beat being so close to many wonderful beaches!

Last question--what are you working on now? 


I am currently working on my sixth book (the third in the Bluegrass Brothers series).  It does not have a title right now, but will soon.  I am anticipating a January 2013 release.

I know your fans are excited to hear that! Thank you so much for talking to me today, Kathleen.

I just want to mention the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway that Kathleen is sponsoring. Each day will feature different prizes which will be announced in that day’s post on her blog. Kathleen is giving away tons of books donated by some great authors. Prizes range from e-books, signed books, gift cards, and more! Visit Kathleen’s blog for the rules and more information, and the promotion is running on her Facebook page.

About the author:

Kathleen Brooks has garnered attention for her debut novel, Bluegrass State of Mind, as a new voice in romance with a warm Southern feel. Her books feature quirky small town characters you’ll feel like you’ve known forever, romance, humor, and mystery all mixed into one perfect glass of sweet tea. Kathleen is an animal lover who supports rescue organizations and other non-profit organizations whose goals are to protect and save our four-legged family members. Kathleen lives in Central Kentucky with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and a cat who thinks he’s a dog.

Find Kathleen:
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Meet Sam Jenkins

Sam's latest book is Heroes & Lovers:

Sam Jenkins might say, “Falling in love is like catching a cold. It’s infectious and involuntary. Just don’t sneeze on any innocent people.”

Getting kidnapped and becoming infatuated with a married policeman never made TV reporter Rachel Williamson’s list of things to do before Christmas. But helping her friend, Sam Jenkins with a fraud investigation would be fun and get her an exclusive story.
Sam’s investigation put Rachel in the wrong place at the wrong time and her abduction by a mentally disturbed fan, ruined several days of her life.

When Jenkins learns Rachel has gone missing, he cancels holiday leaves, mobilizes the personnel at Prospect PD, and enlists his friends from the FBI to help find her.

During the early stages of the investigation, Sam develops several promising leads, but as they begin to fizzle, his prime suspect drops off the planet and all the resources of the FBI aren’t helping.

After a lucky break and a little old-fashioned pressure on an informant produce an important clue, the chief leads his team deep into the Smoky Mountains to rescue his friend. But after Rachel is once again safe at home, he finds their problems are far from over.


In October we talked with the author of the Sam Jenkins mystery series, Wayne Zurl, about his new book, Heroes & Lovers. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to get his main character, Sam Jenkins, to talk to me. I’m happy to say he’s finally here. Sam is a personable, laid back, affable man, who is remarkably a lot like Wayne. Sam is the police chief of Prospect, Tennessee and coincidentally, Wayne is a former police officer. Everybody likes Sam, and I think you will too. Grab a glass of sweet tea, and sit back and enjoy this interview with Sam Jenkins.


Sam, thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me. It’s a pleasure to meet you. How did you first meet your writer?

Wayne and I were born in Brooklyn, and around 1949, our parents moved east on Long Island. I met him again at a place called Goodrich Street School. From there it was uncanny--high school, a job and part-time college, then the Army, the police department, more college on the GI Bill, and then we retired. We never hung out together, but our paths always crossed. Occasionally, we’d work on something together. Now we’re retired and living in east Tennessee, and he wanted to become my Doctor Watson. You’d think he had his own war stories to tell. And I’m still waiting for my share of the royalties on these books. If you’re talking with him, refresh his memory.


He said he doesn’t know what you’re talking about. Sorry. I tried. I wouldn’t hold my breath on him coughing up any royalties. What is Wayne’s best trait?

I just told you how he’s welching on our business agreement, and now I’ll contradict myself. The man is honest to a fault--almost disgusting. I think he really believes that old Army motto: ‘Death before dishonor.’ I think he’s kinda nuts.


Well, maybe there’s hope for some royalties yet. Okay, now that we’ve been nice, give us some dirt. What’s his worst trait? Besides stiffing you with the royalties.

I’m afraid he suffers from the same shortcoming I have. He’s terminally impatient. And that can get a cop into trouble. I won’t mention that he drinks more than me, and I think he falls in love much too easily.


So Wayne’s as big a flirt as you are? Who gets whom into trouble with your flirting? Do you make Wayne write those scenes and dialogue or does he make you say and do those things?

Does he say I flirt?

Um...yeah...

I’m just being nice to people—and they happen to be women.

Mmm hmmm.

I get along with women better than men. And nobody likes a detective with a broomstick stuck--

Ho, ho, hold it right there, mister!

Would you answer questions or do a favor for someone who was stuffy or mean to you?

Well, no, I guess not...

I guess he’s just writing about what he sees. I’ll explain things and straighten him out.


Good luck with that. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

The whole idea about the kidnapping and me accomplishing more than the FBI is something I’ll always love. But that scene in the cabin at Top O’ the World is what I’d like to see on film. Who do you think should play me in the movie? 


I love that scene too. I really do. Hmmm...who should play you in the movie...um...how about Billy Bob Thornton?

He’s a little off-beat and too short.


Clint Eastwood? Too old. 


Dennis Hopper?

He’s dead!

Oops. Really? How about Bruce Willis? 


Not a bad choice, but he’d have to get over the shaved head thing.


Wayne Zurl?

Hmmm. He knows how to act like a cop, but he doesn’t belong to the actors union. 


I don’t know. I’m terrible at casting. Hey, how about Mark Harmon? I think you’ve got it. 


Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

Wayne and the publisher weren’t crazy about telling the world I got a little carried away interrogating that miscreant Elrod Swaggerty. But that’s the way it happened. Hey, I’m only human and needed to get some answers. Andy Sipowitz has done worse on NYPD Blue.


For sure. I wouldn’t feel bad about it. I mean, it was Elrod, for Pete’s sake. Great name, by the way--Elrod. How did you come up with it? 


I was looking in a local phone book for character names. I made two columns of interesting possibilities, one for first names and one for surnames. Then I mixed and matched by sound and the character’s personality. Elrod Swaggerty had a ring to it.


It certainly does. What's the worst thing that's happened in your life--aside from meeting Elrod Swaggerty?

The third time I got wounded in Vietnam, I ended up in a hospital for almost a month. I was hurt, but so many guys there were in worse shape than me. The government must be totally sure we need to go to war before we charge in and waste young lives or cause kids to spend the rest of their lives disabled. I couldn’t have made a simple arrest with the amount of reasonable cause to believe they had when Bush said Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. With nothing more than a suspicion, based on unconfirmed intelligence, they started a war lasting more than ten years. Makes you wonder why. No one should be asked to fight for economic reasons. 


Agreed. And thank you for your service. Being a soldier and a policeman can be dangerous work. What are you most afraid of?

Losing my hair.


Ha! That’s cheating, but okay, I guess you’re fearless. What’s the best trait your author has given you?
He portrays me as my own man. I like that. Peer pressure, political pressure, taking the easy way out, isn’t as important as professionally doing the right thing. Wow—shades of King Arthur and Sir Galahad.

What’s the worst? 

I think he’s annoyed at himself, and he lays that impatience thing on me too. But I guess that’s true. Sometimes you’ve just got to make things happen.

Absolutely. Does Wayne know that patience is a virtue? 
Oh well, at this point, he’s probably not going to change, right? How do you feel about the life Wayne’s given you right now?

If nothing else, the old guy’s got a good memory and gets the facts straight. I like how he makes me look in print. In the PD we’d call it ‘good ink.’ I just hope he doesn’t think I owe him now. If he gets that idea, he’ll want to borrow my Austin-Healey.


Oh no. You can’t let that happen. What aspect of your author’s writing style do you like best?

He’s learned a lot from a guy named Robert B. Parker--the man who wrote the Spenser and Jesse Stone novels. Wayne tries to tell the stories in the fewest possible words with lots of realistic dialogue. I like that idea. 


Robert B. Parker is my hero. Sigh. And don't forget he wrote the Sunny Randall series too. You know what else you have in common with him? He set his stories in the town where he lived. You do that too with Prospect, Tennessee. Describe Prospect for us.

Prospect is the quintessential small American town. Clean streets, old trees, a town square, and a municipal building that looks like one of those great old Carnegie libraries. Hit one of the high spots, and you’ve got breathtaking views of mountains almost 7,000 feet tall. The sun doesn’t always shine, but it’s a nice place. And if you like really good-looking blondes, Prospect PD has the most beautiful desk sergeant on the planet. 


How can you be so sure? Have you met every desk sergeant on the planet? Never mind. What kind of trouble do you think Wayne will get you into next?

Right now he’s working on a book about my first--and only, I hope--venture into the world of country and western music. No, he doesn’t have me playing the banjo or singing. My buddy, the mayor, asks me to guard C.J. Profitt, his old school chum, who’s made it to the top of the Nashville charts. She’s back in Prospect for a benefit concert, and a group of right-wing nitwits have sent her several threatening letters. They take exception to her alternative lifestyle and want her out of town or else. With the help of a few others, keeping her safe wouldn’t be too difficult, but she doesn’t like me and refuses to cooperate. I can’t imagine why she hates me. 


She doesn’t like you? No way. Maybe she needs more time to get to know you. But you said “alternative lifestyle.” That might be the key word. Your flirting won’t work with her, will it? Into each life a little rain must fall... What kind of trouble will you get Wayne into next?


Wayne should stop spending so much time peddling his books on Facebook and Twitter. If he had more free time and any sense, he’d work cases with me. That’s the kind of trouble we’d call fun. We did it for twenty years in New York. There’s no reason to stop now. 


I totally agree. More writing, less social networking. Okay, tell the truth. Just between you and me, what do you think of the mayor of Prospect?

Ronnie Shields is a nice man, but he’s a politician. I can’t understand why people consider that a legitimate occupation and give prostitutes such a bad rap. 


That’s an interesting take on things. I’m gonna leave that one alone, though. Wayne is from Long Island, but he now lives near Knoxville, Tennessee. Is his dialect more Yankee or southern?

Wayne tries to cover his Nu Yawk accent. And he does a pretty good job until we get together with people from back home. Everyone speaks faster, uses the old expressions from on the block, and we all sound like we just stepped off Flatbush Avenue.


Ha! I knew it. But, Sam, you’re a southern boy. Tell the truth. You like sweet tea, don’t you?

I lived in South Hempstead once when Kate and I were first married. Even though I’ve been in Tennessee for twenty years, the sweetest thing I’ll drink is a Manhattan made with red vermouth.


For shame. Not liking sweet tea is a crime in my book. Are you amazed at the crime rate of Prospect, Tennessee?

Stunned. If you believe what Wayne writes, you’d think Prospect had a homicide rate greater than Detroit. But small towns can have their share of problems. Remember Jessica Fletcher in Cabot Cove, Maine? Those people dropped like flies. The reader has to remember these cases are transplanted from New York to Tennessee. We stay here because the taxes are low.


I prefer to think of Prospect as a hotbed of crime. If you ever need any help, give the Goose Pimple Junction chief of police, Johnny Butterfield, a call. He’ll be glad to hep ya. What case are you working on now, by the way?

Funny you asked. Just the other day, the resident OSI agent--beautiful woman named Roxy Wallace--walked into my office and asked me to help with a major case at McGhee-Tyson Air Base. That’s not my territory, but who could refuse someone like Roxy? I doubt we’ll need much time to clear this one, so Wayne can write one of his novelettes and get it published as an audio book. I like those. Kate and I listen to them when we take long drives.

I admit to listening to you a time or two on road trips, Sam.

Okay, Amy, we’ve played Twenty Questions, and now we’re finished. When you told me about that little place called Goose Pimple Junction, I checked the map. It’s not too far from Prospect. Come on, I’ll buy you lunch and you can tell me more about it. Oh, and thanks for inviting me here. I hope I’ve straightened out your fans and now they know Wayne’s not such a bad guy. 

Darlin’, they’re your fans. I don’t know though, you may have gotten Wayne into some hot water. But I can vouch for him. He’s a good guy and a good writer too.  So gwon, y’all—buy Heroes & Lovers. You’ll be glad you did. And yes, GPJ is purt near to Prospect. How about we gwon over to Slick & Junebug’s diner? And bring your wife, Kate. I always like talking to her. Thanks for being here, Sam. Come back when your next adventure hits the stands. And hey—let’s be careful out there.

About the author:

Wayne Zurl grew up on Long Island and retired after twenty years with the Suffolk County Police Department, one of the largest municipal law enforcement agencies in New York and the nation. For thirteen of those years he served as a section commander supervising investigators. He is a graduate of SUNY, Empire State College and served on active duty in the US Army during the Vietnam War and later in the reserves. Zurl left New York to live in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with his wife, Barbara.

Fifteen (15) of his Sam Jenkins mysteries have been produced as audio books and simultaneously published as eBooks. Ten (10) of these novelettes are now available in print under the titles of A Murder In Knoxville and Other Smoky Mountain Mysteries and Reenacting A Murder and Other Smoky Mountain Mysteries. Zurl’s first full-length novel, A New Prospect, was named best mystery at the 2011 Indie Book Awards, chosen as 1st Runner-Up from all Commercial Fiction at the 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Awards, and was nominated for a Montaigne Medal and First Horizon Book Award. His second novel, A Leprechaun's Lament, is available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle. A third full-length novel, Heroes & Lovers, was released on Sept 29, 2012.

For more information on Wayne’s Sam Jenkins mystery series see www.waynezurlbooks.net. You can read excerpts, reviews and endorsements, interviews, coming events, and see photos of the area where the stories take place.

Find Wayne and his books:

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Heroes & Lovers on Amazon
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Review

Heroes & Lovers is another Sam Jenkins mystery, and Wayne Zurl doesn't disappoint. The more we get to know Sam, the more we like him. He's a laid back type of hero, but he has his flaws. He also has a weakness for a pretty woman, which tends to get him in trouble from time to time because he has a beautiful wife waiting for him at home. But Sam is human, and life happens.

Wayne's characters are always likeable, and I'm a fan of the use of dialect. Wayne has the Tennessee speech down perfect. Being a retired police officer, he knows police procedure. And he's great at combining these elements and coming out with a good mystery. You read one Sam Jenkins story, and you'll want to read them all. The series is fictional, but the books always read like real life.

If you like well-developed characters, witty banter, and a good mystery, you'll love books by Wayne Zurl, and Heroes & Lovers is no exception. Highly enjoyable.

Excerpt from Life Minus 3 1/2

Life Minus 3 1/2 is the true story of a man with a deep-seated need to please his family and friends, and how he became addicted to gambling, which led to the embezzlement of over eleven million dollars. In the book, Dennis recounts this time in his life that included bookies, the mob, and trouble. He describes, with brutal honesty, the bad decisions he made and how they affected his life. This book is dramatic, suspenseful, poignant, exciting, sad, and hilarious. Kirkus recommends it "as both a suspenseful story and a cautionary tale of yielding to temptation." 

In yesterday's interview with Dennis Hart, we talked about the tomato scene in the book and Dennis's trouble and bad luck magnets. This excerpt is one of my favorite scenes in the book. I think it shows Hart's gift of combining suspense and humor to show the reader the fear he lived with on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Life Minus 3 1/2 by Dennis Hart.


Hide and Seek

I was two days back from Arizona when the first of several confrontations took place. As I was leaving on my lunch hour from AESAR to get cash for the bookies, I found a young man leaning on the tail end of my truck. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. I had no reason to suspect anything other than a guy taking a break, but because I lived my life constantly on edge, I thought about doubling back into my office to retrieve my gun. But then I remembered the one in my truck. I just needed to unlock the door and get in. Before I could do that, the guy started walking toward me.

“Excuse me, sir. Do you know if Kelly is inside?”

I put the key in the lock. “There’s no Kelly inside.” The door locks popped up.

“How do you know? Do you own this place?” he asked, his tone suddenly changing.

I should have suspected the worst, climbed into my truck, and driven away, but I didn’t. My trouble magnet, in need of some attention, gave me a thumbs-up. I turned to the guy and said, “Yeah, I own this place, and I don’t employ anyone named Kelly.”

I opened the truck and started to get in, but the guy maneuvered his way between me and the open door. He was a little taller than me with slim features. He had a scar on his left jaw and some tats peeking out from his short-sleeved t-shirt.

“We need to talk,” he said, getting in my face.

“Who the hell are you?” I asked.

“I’m a messenger, a tax collector, a civil f#^@*in’servant. It don’t matter who I am. It matters that you listen.”

I rolled my eyes. I should have been nervous, but my fear tank was running on fumes. I just didn’t care anymore.

“I’m listening, chief,” I replied.

“Good. My people want some money, plain and simple. I meet you here every week, and you give me an envelope of cash. This buys you protection—like an insurance policy. Am I explaining this clearly?”

A shakedown? I couldn’t believe it, but then again, I was getting used to the incredible which was my life. I wanted to slam the truck door into the guy and break every bone in his face, but instead I started to laugh. When I laughed, he laughed. We looked like two good buddies sharing a joke.

“Who put you up to this?” I asked, smiling.

The guy grabbed my shirt with both fists and got so close our noses briefly touched. His eyes were ablaze. I hoped my coworkers weren’t looking.

“Five thousand each week or the shit hits the fan for you. It starts right here next week. You’ll be hearing back from me.”

Without waiting for a reply, he released his grip on my shirt, stepped away, and started walking toward Route 1. I followed his movements for a few seconds. He had trouble crossing with the traffic. It gave me enough time to open the glove compartment and grab my gun. I jammed it into my pocket and followed his path across the busy two-lane street. I watched from a distance as he walked through the parking lot of several small one-story offices anchored by a family-owned fruit and vegetable stand. He never looked back. Too confident, I thought. He paused in front of the farm stand, examined the offerings displayed in several bushel baskets, and then walked inside the market. This guy threatens me and then goes food shopping?

I followed Scarface into the market. He was examining something in aisle two as I walked parallel to him down aisle one. I could see him over the tops of the fruit and vegetable racks. A woman walked in behind me with two young boys in tow. In aisle two, several people were shopping casually. Once I got past the highest stack of produce, Scarface came into full view, blocked only by a hanging scale. On his arm was a plastic shopping basket with handles. I stared at him as he massaged a melon. In front of me were open containers of cherries. I lifted one by the stem and threw it at him.

The cherry whizzed past his right ear. Scarface sensed it. He quickly looked to his right, then turned and looked behind him. I picked another cherry and threw it. My second toss was dead on, hitting Scarface on the cheek, startling him momentarily before he regained his focus. One of the little boys near me howled with laughter. Scarface looked across the aisles, first at the boy, then at me. He seemed surprised to see me at first, then gave me his I’m- the-toughest-bastard-in-the-world look before mouthing the word, “Outside.” I nodded, inviting him to join me immediately. I had banks to visit and checks to cash, so I couldn’t spend all day playing with this thug.

But instead of meeting me outside, he continued to shop. I moved a few feet down to the tomato crates and selected a bright red one. I tossed it across the aisle, and it bounced off Scarface’s chest. The kid behind me howled again. I turned and smiled at the astute young man. His mother was asking him what was so funny. In the meantime, I had Scarface’s full attention. He dropped his basket and came around the end of the aisle toward me.
When he was close enough, he grabbed me with one hand around the back of my neck and guided me out of the store like an insolent child. I went limp, like the pathetic target he thought I was. Outside of the farm stand, he gripped my neck harder and directed me along the storefronts toward a cemetery that bordered the parking lot. When we were close to the graveyard and clear of shoppers, I pulled out my gun and jammed it into his side. Scarface stopped in his tracks. He released his grip on me.

“What are you driving, tough guy?” I asked. He pointed to a Ford Taurus.

We walked over to his car. I instructed him to get inside and place his hands on the wheel. As he got in, he said, “You’re making a big f#*^in’mistake, Mister Businessman.”
I pointed the gun at his head. I thought for a second about what he said and agreed with a nod. “I’ve been making big f#%^*ng mistakes all my life, tough guy. Tell me, have you or someone you know been sitting in a pick-up truck over in my parking lot, checking me out the past few months?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sounded convincing. Plus, he didn’t look like the guy I had seen. The thought of being stalked by one guy and threatened by another infuriated me. That, on top of the bookies applying more pressure, the embezzlement I couldn’t stop, and the future that offered nothing more than a ruinous finale, pushed me to the edge of my sanity. I pushed the gun against his neck.

“You don’t want to find out how screwed up I am, OK? Just drive back to whatever asshole of a life farted you out, and I’ll forget you tried to extort money from me. Don’t come back. Tell your people you don’t want to mess with someone as f#%^*d up as me.” I withdrew the gun. Scarface started his engine, left the parking lot and headed south on Route 1.
I stood alone trying to figure out what just happened. Who was that guy and who was he working for? Was it random, a tout service from Vegas, or some bookie trying to extort from me? I couldn’t imagine what else could go wrong in my life, but my trouble magnet opened a book that held pages of possibilities.

I spent the next several weeks in a heightened state of paranoia. I confronted each bookie and asked if they had eyes on me; none admitted to it, but I didn’t believe any of them. I spent too much time looking out my office window to see if someone was watching me from the parking lot. On two occasions I spotted the pick-up truck, but when I ran out of my office to confront the driver, he sped off. I wrote down the license plate, but it would do me no good since I had no connections at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and I certainly couldn’t call the police. I thought about a private investigator, but that might open up a can of worms with regards to my embezzlement. Scarface hadn’t returned, but I figured it was only a matter of time.

Essentially, I came to accept the fact I needed to live my life in a constant state of awareness, to have eyes in the back of my head. I had to be suspicious of strangers and fearful of figures lurking in the shadows. I had to carry my gun with me twenty-four, seven.

About the author:

Dennis Hart is the owner of an environmental equipment rental company in Massachusetts. He is married, with four children and four grandchildren. An active member of a writer’s forum since 2010 called “The Next Big Writer,” his work has been well received and critiqued by other authors. His memoir, Life Minus 3½, was ranked number one for several weeks out of hundreds of submissions. In a separate writing contest judged by published authors, the memoir was selected third best out of 427 entries. It has also received a recommended review by KIRKUS.

His full-length novels include Gulf Boulevard, which is currently under representation, Pictures of Children, Flight of the Owl, and his short stories include Storms, Bandits, and Heat Wave. He is currently working on the sequel to Gulf Boulevard titled Gulf Boulevard-Postcards from the World.


Where to find Dennis:
email: writingsbyhart@yahoo.com
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Writings By Hart

KIRKUS Review for Life Minus 3 1/2:

A habitual gambler recounts a life of bad decisions in sports books and corporate embezzlement, and the effect it had on his family.

No one’s saying Dennis Hart had it easy. A father at 17 with an unstable girlfriend and bills to pay, he shelved his nascent college career to begin life in the working world. There—facing dire straits that many of us have encountered at one time or another—Hart gave in to the first of many opportunities to bend the law and profit while doing so. From there, despite his lack of formal training, Hart was skilled enough as an accountant to land jobs in numerous financial departments at mid-sized companies. When he and two colleagues began their own precious-metals company (and Hart began a separate travel agency), he developed the means and the structure to begin cashing illegal checks to support his gambling habit. His sports bets—and the Hollywood-named hustlers who are on his tail—continue to multiply while he draws money from his companies and conceals the misdeeds on the balance sheet. As Hart juggles this downward-spiraling mélange of family, lawyers, hustlers and hit men, Hart’s readers will feel the stress once corporate managers finally notice the balance sheet irregularities. The inherent suspense throughout contrasts well with Hart’s candid and effortless writing style; he recounts every mistake from a refreshingly honest and self-effacing perspective. What may strike readers most is the ultimately tragic nature of Hart’s story. A handsome, intelligent, charismatic man, he seemed to have the world at his feet. But a series of bad decisions and weakened resistance to temptation sent him down a path that twisted toward lifelong infamy. In a moment of bleak anguish, Hart describes his future wife agreeing to a first date with him: “It would prove to be the worst decision she ever made.” In the end, perhaps Hart’s greatest victory is keeping his wife, his dream of Florida and his readers on his side.

Recommended both as a suspenseful story and a cautionary tale of yielding to temptation.

Interview with Dennis Hart

Today I’m happy to introduce Dennis Hart, author of a true crime novel that tells the story surrounding his gambling addiction and the embezzlement of millions of dollars. I met Dennis several years ago on a writer’s critique site, where I had the pleasure of first reading Life Minus 3 1/2. I loved it then, and I’m so excited it’s finally in print. 

Dennis figures he wagered in the neighborhood of thirty-five million dollars over seven years with up to six bookies. He says he won somewhere around twelve million and lost around twenty-three million. If that boggles your mind, wait until you read the rest of the story. It’s truly a gripping novel that you won’t want to put down.

Dennis, I know you’re a social media virgin, so let’s try to get you started. On Twitter, each post has to be under 140 characters, including spaces. So…how would you describe Life Minus 3 1/2 in a tweet?

I’m not currently in the tweetersphere because I’m sure people don’t give a crap what I’m doing every second of the day. But if you were to dangle a bag of M&M’s for an answer, I’d say: Life is one man’s plunge from obscurity to ignominy by way of a need to gain acceptance from family & friends & a whole lot in between.    

140 exactly. Woohoo. See? You can tweet with the best of them. Life Minus 3 1/2 is the true story of someone you know very well. Do you plan to identify who the main character is?
I’m not sure I know the main character very well, but I can tell you (spoiler alert) his name and my name are the same. 

What a coincidence. I heard your daughter encouraged you to write this book. What are your feelings now that it’s out there in the world?

When I finished the first draft, I decided it would make an excellent booster seat for my grandchildren. It was only after I joined a writer’s forum and offered my work for critique that I realized writing was becoming a passion for me. Life Minus 3 1/2 leaves me naked to the reader and allows people to judge me for good or bad. That doesn’t quite reconcile with my introverted personality. However, the driving force was always simple: Would my story help someone traveling a similar path or highlight the warning signs to a spouse or other family member? I hope it does and that alone trumps whatever uneasiness I feel about leaving my dirty laundry out there for all to read.      

Naked? My copy didn't come with pictures. Never mind. I believe you cut a lot from your original manuscript. Was it like cutting off an appendage to trim your word count?

Sorry…Life is not a picture book. You’ll have to use your fifty-shades-of-gray imagination. I did cut a lot, Amy, and yes partially to keep the word count down so the eventual book could be lifted. In writing a memoir, I fell into the trap of telling the story from the beginning, which for me was conception. A literary agent suggested I dispense of my childhood activities and get right to the meat of the story. Originally, I thought it best to lay the groundwork to answer the eventual question, “Why did he end up like that?” However, I learned I would better serve the reader by jumping right into the action instead of building a foundation.   

Maybe you can write a prequel after Life becomes a bestseller. Tell us about one scene you cut that you wish you could have left in.

That’s interesting, Amy, because I did research on my parents and grandparents to see if I had inherited any compulsive behaviors. While doing the research, I learned about my grandparents’ escape from Armenia during the Ottoman Holocaust that killed a million Armenians. It was a compelling scene, but in the end it was deemed irrelevant to my story.  

I smell not only a prequel but a spin off. What do you think? But back to this book: it has drama, action, suspense, and humor. A lot of humor. Was the humor therapeutic when writing the book, included to lighten the story, or is it just indicative of how you think?

A shrink might answer yes, but the truth is no, it wasn’t therapeutic. The reason is simple—even in my darkest hours I created humor. Now you may think I probably laugh at funerals too, but I feel my inner defensive mechanisms rummaged for the absurd to offset the effects of my bad luck and trouble magnets.

You gotta either laugh or cry, and I admire your ability to laugh under the darkest of circumstances. Your personality really comes out in your writing. I think it’s one of the things that make this book such a compelling read. Life involves the mob, the FBI, gambling addiction, near-death scenes, disappointing your family, divorce, embezzlement, and prison. Which was the hardest to write about?

I’d say disappointing my family. The mob, the FBI, the gambling etc was all noise—loud noise, no doubt. But being a failure was the hardest to admit and write about. It is a prominent scar that lingers long after the other noises dissipate.

I’m one of those who believes everything happens for a reason. It can be said that the events in Life led to you becoming a writer. Do you agree? Does that make all you went through worth it?

Well, that would be one heck of a practical joke to go through the events in Life just to end up on the other side as a writer. I tend to agree with you though, and in several instances in the book it actually comes into play. I often ask myself, if I hadn’t left behind Santa’s bells, would we even be having this conversation? So yes, some things happen for a reason, but in the overall picture, I caused too much pain to my family for it ever to be considered worth it.   

What advice would you give to someone struggling with a gambling addiction right now?

Read Life Minus 3 1/2. I can only show by example. My situation was unique in that my life was constantly in a vice. But if I had a mentor or a guide early on before it became too late, who knows what might have happened. If you read Life, you will walk with me as I unravel, but you will also see the light of redemption. If I had the foresight to see the results of my actions years before they happened, I question whether the outcome would’ve been the same. So Life is the foresight I wish I had, and hopefully it can serve others.      

That’s a noble and brave motivation for writing the book. And I think it’s the proverbial turning lemons into lemonade. Your own experience was horrible, but by writing about it, you will help other people. That’s not too shabby, Dennis. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I have many favorite scenes, but because my life lists toward the insane side, I like the chapter Good Cop, Bad Cop...Same Cop. I wanted so badly to mess with the polygraph that my magnets were on a sugar-high to get me in trouble.

Can you tell us a little bit about your bad luck and trouble magnets?

I can’t speak for them, they won’t let me. But I can reveal that these inherent dweebs, trouble and bad luck, have loitered in my head since childhood. They’ve consistently found mischief to tempt me, or hailed a bully to challenge. 

They certainly hailed a lot in Life. What song would you pick to go with your book?

I’m sure there are a few tunes out there that would capture the essence of a man circling the drain. My preference would be something from Sesame Street.


You mean, like The Rubber Ducky Song?
No, maybe: Will.i.am’s “What I Am?”
"Everyone Makes Mistakes", sung by Big Bird?
Oh! I know! Because of your ex-wife and ex-in-laws:"Martian Cutie", sung/written/animated, appropriately enough, by Bud Luckey!
Maybe Bert’s "In My Book" would be appropriate.
Any of those?

Okay, enough of this foolishness. On to more foolishness. Who would you pick to play the main character in a movie version of Life?

Mark Wahlberg.

Hmmm…I can see Mark Wahlberg. Say, you’ve written an action/adventure book about a private citizen out to stop some very bad people, a humorous book about a man who only wants to be a hermit but gets mixed up with a hit man, and a true crime novel. Which is your favorite genre to write?

I’m being pushed toward humor. Every time I try to write something serious, I find something humorous tagging along. It’s a curse because I don’t think I’m funny. It’s those magnets messing with me.

Oh good grief. Magnets, or no magnets, you’re one of the funniest people I know. And I know a lot of funny people. Well, at least a few. If we were to have dinner together, I doubt I’d eat because I’d be too busy laughing. Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix me? I mean, him. Or her.

Okay, we’ll grab a bite after this interview, and I promise you won’t laugh once. As far as other famous people, I’d invite Carl Hiaasen to talk crazy humor and fix him some American Chop Suey. Then I’d invite Nelson DeMille and talk about the art of sarcastic interaction within a thriller and serve him Prime Rib. Then I’d invite Amy Metz and tell her what I’ve learned over a bowl of Haagen-Daz.

Wait. DeMille gets prime rib, and I get ice cream? Is that just because he’s a bestselling author, or do you really like his books best? No, don’t answer that. I’ll take what I can get. What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
It’s more fun to have ice cream with me than to have prime rib.
I'm reading The Panther by Nelson DeMille (hardcover)

I thought maybe you’d say you were re-reading Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction. Oh well. I’m used to rejection. Critiques, reviews, criticism: all part of a writer’s life. How do you handle criticism of your work?

I did re-read Murder and Mayhem, and I love how you ended up hiding the key. I await the sequel.
It depends on the criticism. I’m always open to constructive advice, and I welcome it with open arms. It is a great way to learn. Nasty criticism angers me, and I start looking for blunt objects. 

Or the cherry tomatoes. Gosh, I love that scene in Life. You live near Boston. Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.
Or cherry tomatoes, yes. A lot of tomatoes are thrown in my books. Poor Jason in Gulf Boulevard is throwing them too. I guess I need to consult my shrink about this.
Weird: I live in Massachusetts-a one party state.
Nice: Cape Cod.
Fact: The Big Dig was the biggest rip-off ever to the American taxpayer. 

Good to know.  Do you ever get writer’s block?
I never get writer’s block. If I get writer’s pause, I simply read over the chapter I’m in and for some reason it inspires new ideas or scenes which carries me forward. In addition, I never sleep. Most of my scenes are developed while I’m trying to sleep, so I’m forced to get up and write down stuff. My best material presents itself when head meets pillow. 

It’s that trouble magnet at work again, no doubt. What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” ~ Will Rogers

I love it! Going to remember that one. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I have a vegetable garden that serves a multitude of animals at harvest time. I consider it a success if I get one ear of corn without squirrel scratches, a head of lettuce that the rabbits haven’t nibbled on, or a handful of grape tomatoes without chipmunk bites. Aside from that, I run my own business; ride my Can Am Roadster; read a lot and dream of books I will write that people will never read.

Don’t be so sure. And thank you for being so good to the wildlife of Massachusetts. I hear your novel, Gulf Boulevard, was recently picked up by an agent. Congratulations. Last question: What are you working on now?

The sequel to Gulf Boulevard titled, Gulf Boulevard-Postcards from the World.
Okay, I lied. This is the last question: Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Postcards picks up with our hero Jason continuing the story in first person, present tense, after the murder of his obnoxious neighbor, Sal the hitman, on his beach by Fiona, the hitwoman, Jason’s ex-love interest. Convoluted? Of course. In the sequel, the other mafia types come after Jason for information, a drug cartel invades Sand Key where Jason is trying his best to become a hermit, and a whole bunch of other crazy characters turn Jason’s idyllic paradise into a humorous adventure.

I have read Gulf Boulevard and loved it, so I can’t wait to read the sequel. I hope you'll come back when it's published. Thank you, Dennis, for answering all of my annoying questions. You’re a patient man. Go treat yourself to a bag of M&Ms. And best wishes with Life Minus 3 1/2.


Find Dennis:
email: writingsbyhart@yahoo.com
Blog
Facebook page
Goodreads
Amazon

Author Bio:
Dennis Hart is the owner of an environmental equipment rental company in Massachusetts. He is married, with four children and four grandchildren. An active member of a writer’s forum since 2010 called “The Next Big Writer,” his work has been well received and critiqued by other authors. His memoir, Life Minus 3½, was ranked number one for several weeks out of hundreds of submissions. In a separate writing contest judged by published authors, the memoir was selected third best out of 427 entries. It has also received a recommended review by KIRKUS.

His full-length novels include Gulf Boulevard, which is currently under representation, Pictures of Children, Flight of the Owl, and his short stories include Storms, Bandits, and Heat Wave. He is currently working on the sequel to Gulf Boulevard titled Gulf Boulevard-Postcards from the World. 

Review

Life Minus 3 1/2 by Dennis Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Life Minus 3 1/2 is one of my favorite books. Ever. This true story of a man in the grips of a gambling addiction, who embezzles over eleven million dollars, and gets mixed up with the mob and the FBI, is a fascinating tale told with honesty, grit, and humor. Dennis Hart does not attempt to glorify what happened. He simply narrates a time in his life that started out of a need to please his family and friends. Time and time again, he's sure he can gamble and win enough to pay thousands of dollars back to his bookie. The thousands turn into hundreds of thousands, eventually millions, and to cover the bets, Dennis embezzles from his workplace, fully intending to pay the money back once he scores that big win.

Add a teenage marriage (which he likens to an alien abduction,) crazy parents-in law (the mothership,) a failed marriage (it dissolved faster than an ice cube on an open fire pit,) a crazy ex-wife (the alien,) an early career mistake (a result of his trouble and bad luck magnets,) and you get a tired, dejected young father of two (and eventually four) who is desperately trying to prove himself.

Through Hart's narration, the reader sees how easy it is to get sucked into a gambling addiction. We see the stress of his keeping his addiction and theft from his family and his workplace. We see him getting further and further buried under debt and fear. But what makes this story such a compelling read is Hart's innate humor. He relays danger, drama, melodrama, and suspense, but he peppers all of it with his wonderful sense of humor. The man is flat out funny. He doesn't make light of the situations, but he shows us there is humor in everything, even the darkest of moments.

This book sucked me in. It's a nail biting, pound your chair, laugh out loud story of one man's mistakes and his redemption. I couldn't put it down.

View all my reviews

Talking With Patti Roberts

I'm happy to be talking with Australian author Patti Roberts today. Patti's newest book, Paradox--Bound By Blood, is the third in her Paradox series.

About the book:

Love is not counted in years - Love is counted in heartbeats
Love is not bound by distance - Love is bound by blood
In the Ancient World, In the New World - Love will prevail
Some will kill for love — Some will die for love - Some will love until it hurts.
And some will make the greatest sacrifice of all.
"Paradox is not a story in a place - it is the legend of a whole world."  Ella Medler.


Welcome, Patti. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I started writing at the end of 2009. I had just had my heart broken, and I needed to do something for me – other than feel sorry for myself – which I did for almost a year. So, rather than go out and get a haircut, buy a new outfit, a new pair of shoes, the usual feel-good therapy, I bought a new laptop and started writing the Paradox Series.

What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite thing?

The freedom to get lost in imaginary worlds, I love that. It's a total high. There is nothing you can't do. My least favorite thing is housework.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

I liked the word Paradox, what it means, so I wanted that to be the theme throughout the entire series.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I also make book cover, trailers, formatting - for ebook and print - and promotional material for other authors.

Yes, you do. If anyone would like to see an example of your work, they can take a look at the book trailer you did for Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction, or your own book trailer here and over on my Trailer Park page. 

Let's talk tweets. How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

"Paradox is not a story in a place - it is the legend of a whole world." --Book review by Ella Medler.

Excellent. How did you create the plot for this book?

I had no idea what I was doing, so I just started... I had an idea, but that soon changed along the way. Characters have a way of driving the story forward – they certainly have a mind of their own.

Yes they do. Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

There you go... you know what I mean – seat of the pants/character driven.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

I design all my own cover art. I buy royalty-free images then manipulate them to fit the Paradox style.

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?

There are way to many books out there to be read, so I don't read the same book twice. Although, having said that, I am very tempted to re-read Stephen King's book on writing. That was so entertaining. What an incredible life and talent... not that I have read many of his books.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

I love the Game Of Thrones series by George RR Martin. Big stories, big worlds, big cast of characters, plus dragons.

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover?

I have bought many books by the cover, many I am yet to read.

What do you do to market your book?

Twitter, Facebook and blogs, such as this one. Thank you, by the way. I also have a pretty extensive blog dedicated to the ancient Paradox world of Altair.

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

My "friends" like to visit fist thing, when I wake up, or on the verge of waking up.  They are also very prominent when I shower.

How do you get to know your characters?
I have an idea of who I think should play a part. Then I will go looking online until I find a face that fits the character. I buy it, print it out, and pin it to my character wall.

A character wall. I love it! Okay, Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

Way too many. But I have to say, I really like writing for the most vile ones...

I do too! When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

I have my regulars, but there are always ones that come to visit because 1 – they have a part to play later on. And 2 – you have to have someone to exterminate.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

At the moment I would have to say Abaddon. He doesn't look all that evil. But we all know looks can be very deceiving.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

Bounce names around off the top of my head from favorite books, TV shows, movies or people I know.

What would your main character say about you?

I know where you live.

Bwah ha ha! I like writing characters who do and say things I never would, as well as characters who do and say things I wish I could. Do you have characters who fit into one of those categories?

Absolutely! All the time. I guess that is why I like writing for the vile ones. They do and say things I never would.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Holly. Kick arse Princess from the Ancient Forest Of Doors. She is part witch, has a hot body and great hair, and is great with a bow and arrow.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?

Wade or Cerberus. If I were younger. Damon, Riley or Zach. Or Josh, if he wasn't so obsessed with Angela.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I really like the Ancient world. Dragons, castles, witches, Angels, Grigori (vampires) ... I love all those scenes.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

I have a list. But for the Ancient world I really like "Two Steps From Hell." Most of my characters have songs that I have chosen just for them. For example "Halo" by Beyonce is the song I chose for Riley and Grace. For Cerberus and Cleona, "Fireflies" by Ron Pope. For Wade and Kate, "A drop in the ocean" by Ron Pope.

Who are your favorite authors?

George RR Martin, Game Of Thrones series.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix?

George RR Martin. And we would have pasta and prawns or Thai green curry or slow cooked lamb shanks.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

Love my kindle! Currently reading book 3 (Game of Thrones) A storm of swords by George RR Martin.

How do you handle criticism of your work?

I love honest feedback, you can learn just as much, if not more from honest feedback, which in turn, helps you become a better writer. I know not everyone is going to like my books, not at all. There are millions of books out there that I don't like, doesn't mean they aren't great, just that they aren’t for me. Not everyone likes George RR Martin, yet I think he's brilliant.


Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

Mostly at night, when it's really quiet. Not that I'd know when I have my headphones on.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I have a writing desk, a very messy one, in my bedroom.

Where’s home for you?
Cairns, Australia.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.

Not sure if there is anything weird about Cairns.
Nice thing: we don't really have a winter.
Fact: Cairns is where the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest rainforests in the world, meets the Great Barrier Reef.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?

Never get writers block. I think when a writer gets writers block, it is because they are on the wrong track.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?
All of the above – plus looking at great pieces of art from DeviantArt – some really talented artists there – very inspirational.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

All of the Game of thrones – I'm hooked.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? 

Catch up with friends, read, watch a few of my favorite TV shows.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I'd like to own and operate a writers retreat on the Atherton Tablelands, which is about an hour’s drive from where I currently live.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? (Don’t worry about the money. Your publisher is paying.)

That would be me, so I would be paying! You know I love just taking a drive up to the tablelands – I love it up there. I traveled when I was a child quite a bit – so it isn't really in my blood to travel – hell, I do so much traveling in my head everyday!

What are you working on now?

Paradox – Equilibrium. Book 4 in the Paradox Series. And, I am about to begin co-authoring a book with a very talented indie author... A romance/feel-good/drama, due for a Christmas 2013 release. There is also a paranormal/mystery in the works, but I'll have to see how I'm traveling for time.

I want to mention that Patti is sponsoring a Kindle giveaway for Christmas. The winner will not only get a Kindle, but several ebook copies as well. (Including Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction!) Click on the graphic under "Kindle Giveaway" on the sidebar of this blog to be taken to Patti's website for more information. Thanks, Patti for sponsoring that giveaway and for talking with me.

Thank you, Amy for taking the time in getting to know me. I really appreciate it.

About the author:

Patti Roberts was born in Brisbane Australia but soon moved to Darwin in the Northern Territory. Her son Luke was born in 1980. She currently lives in Cairns, Queensland where she is writing the Paradox Series of books.  Paradox – The Angels Are Here, is the first book in the Paradox Series and was first published as an eBook with Smashwords in 2010 and Amazon in 2011. Patti continues to write the Paradox Series. It is Patti's wish to one day own and operate a writer's retreat in FNQ - Australia.


Find Patti:
Blog
Facebook page
Goodreads author page
Twitter
Amazon

One Lovely Blog Award

 



Thank you, Tricia Drammeh, for being so kind to nominate me for the One Lovely Blog Award. Tricia's blog, Authors To Watch, is great place to read about...say it with me...authors to watch. You should definitely check it out and add it to your blog list.





The Rules

The rules of the One Lovely Blog Award are:



1) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.


2) Place the One Lovely Blog Award badge on your blog.


3) Tell seven things about yourself.


4) Nominate other blogs for the award. List them with links to their blogs. (I've seen the number to nominate vary from four to fifteen. You decide!)

 
Seven Random Things

And now...according to rule three, here are Seven Random Things about myself:

1.    I collect heart rocks.
2.    My favorite holiday is Halloween.
3.    I drink way too much sweet tea.
4.    My favorite sound is a marching band’s drumline.
5.    I love lemon anything except for lemon jellybeans.
6.    Robert B. Parker's Spenser is my favorite fictional character.
7.    Every book I write has a character with the name Lou or some derivative thereof (for
      Louisville, where I live).

Nominations

* Ask Chrissy, Chrissy Anderson
* My Book and My Coffee, Ara C.T.
* Melissa’s Mochas Mysteries and More, Melissa Lapierre
* Chick Lit Plus, Samantha Robey
* Jersey girl book reviews, Kathleen Higgins-Anderson 
* Southern Belle Reviews and Giveaways Jennifer Hall
* Joss Landry.com, Joss Landry

Talking With Joss Landry

My guest today is Joss Landry, author of the romantic suspense novel, Mirror Deep. I had the pleasure to read Mirror Deep in its infancy, so I'm delighted to see it published. Joss and I have encouraged each other for years, and it's my pleasure to have her here.
 
About Mirror Deep:
Danger and romance roll like thunder through horse whisperer Kat Bonner’s world, when a known felon comes to the ranch to drop a bomb about her past. Kat turns to Pierce for help; the same Pierce who bucks her every chance he gets, and whose feverish investigation lands them in trouble with the law and directly in the path of a serial killer.

Mystery deepens, fraught with wrong turns, bumbling detectives, old murders, and Kat’s doppelganger no one sees but her, just as she never sees the change in Pierce’s feelings toward her, brewing, mounting, until she can no longer deny them.

Hi Joss, thank you for taking time to talk to us. I know you've been writing for at least a few years, since we met on an online writer's site. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?
Diaries, when I was young, written in long hand. Never had to hide them as no one could read my handwriting, not even me.  I used to write poetry, along with my deepest thoughts to see where they would take me…

What do you like best about writing?
I like bringing people to life, stepping into their world and getting to know them and their story. Pure escapism at its best. When the kids were young and life became hectic, every now and then they would hear me say… “Quick, I’ve got to get into someone else’s life…”

How did you come up with the title of your book?
Surprisingly enough, a premise comes to me for a story, usually very early morning. Sometimes, it’s during the course of the day, when something flicks my imagination. I know it’s a real vein when the plot explodes, the characters are vivid and have names already, and there is a title that flashes through my mind. The surprising part is that I’ve never changed a title. A lot of editing goes on from the time the book is conceived, but the title never changes.

Yes, and it all takes time. Do you have another job outside of writing?
Yes, I do—a day job. Not that I am ungrateful. It’s a wonderful job. I provide answers for clients via e-mail, and from home, in the telecommunication field. Everything from billing queries, to problems with technology, to a gamut of help and questions they need me to answer. 

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?
First thing I do is write a short synopsis, using any random order that pictures are thrown at me. Naturally, because I see pictures, the first thing I do after I’ve written down the ideas is hunt for character photos to find the people I’ve just encountered in my mind. I find them online. Then I write 5 pages of data on the main characters, everything from astrological signs to likes and dislikes and favorite foods, favorite sports… on everything. I write history on them and lineage, parents, family, friends, education… Every single person that comes on board, no matter how trivial their role, has at least one page. This is my outline. Then I allow my characters free rein within the story.

When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?
Absolutely. There are other secondary characters that arrive along the way. But the main characters are all there.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?
Again, it’s odd, but the names come as easily to me as does the book’s title. I never change their names and… that’s who they are. Katherine Bonner. I saw her, and I saw Pierce, her second cousin. He was also a Bonner. The name of the ranch was there. Bonner-Willow. Actually, the only thing I changed in the book was the fact that in the beginning, Kat and Pierce were first cousins. I changed that to second cousins, which made more sense since Pierce and Kat’s fathers, Bill and Franklin are quite different.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? Who?
I believe most of my characters are probably an amalgamation of all the people I’ve met in my life. But never just one person, though. Like a fine wine, I feel I need to use several varieties of grapes, I guess, before I can reach the perfect blend.

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but...with which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?
I guess it’s safe to say: Pierce Bonner. Blue eyes, dark hair and a smile that makes me weak at the knees. Sexy man who can have any woman he picks. And he loves horses. What more can I ask?

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?
Two things… movies. I will watch movies or some sitcom that will let me relax. And swimming.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Sports. Tennis, biking, swimming, horseback riding… I like to play outside.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
New York or Paris. It’s a toss up. I’d probably spend my time between the two continents. I also like Lyon and Miami.

What are you working on now?
An urban fantasy that is running around in my mind. I need to finish it. It’s driving me crazy. That’s what happens when I start writing a story. It grabs hold of me and will not let me rest until I finish.

I know what you mean. Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?
Morning. Definitely morning. By the afternoon, story has gone. Sometimes inspiration will last a whole day, but only if I begin in the morning.

What books have you read more than once or want to read again? Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain Fournier. It was written in 1909 and is absolutely magical. It was translated in English in 1957 and titled The Lost Domain.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
Favorite scene in Mirror Deep is when Pierce and Kat are dancing, she totally oblivious to how he feels about her, and Pierce wonders how he will keep enough of a distance between them so she doesn’t find out just how much he wants her. That whole scene is touching.

I remember that scene. You're right--very touching. What song would you pick to go with your book?
"Rainy Day People" by Gordon Lightfoot. He’s Pierce’s favorite singer and Pierce plays the guitar and sings as well as he does. “Bitter Green” would be in there too.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?
I have never gotten writer’s block. I’m not the one writing. They are. So, unless they’re too tired to go on, which never happens, I don’t get writer’s block.

Lucky girl! Thanks again for talking with me, Joss. Good luck with Mirror Deep.

About the author:
With a degree in commerce, Joss has worked as a consultant for more than twenty years, writing copy for marketing firms and assisting start-up companies launch their business. She recently made the switch from composing copy and promos, to writing fiction and prose. She is developing her style through courses and the support of other writers. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and is presently working on honing three other novels for publication. 

Blessed with four children and five grandchildren, she resides in Montreal with her husband, a staunch supporter, and enjoys spending time biking, rollerblading, playing tennis, and swimming. She loves creating stories as she says they fulfill her need to think outside the box.

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