Dancing With Myself: JEDIDIAH AYRES interviews JEDIDIAH AYRES

Come watch cream rising to the top:

10 questions for Nigel Bird’s site. Take One:

What?

I don’t know.

Why?

Because.

When?

Always.

Where?

Everywhere.

Who?

Me.

How many questions is that?

Six.

Isn’t it five?

Seven.

Can you even count?

Yes.

So how many?

Nine.

What?

See my first answer.





Take Two. Redux:

Arighty, are you ready to “dance with yourself?”

Somebody once made me a compilation of masturbation songs. That’s always been my favorite.

The Billie Idol song?

No. Masturbation.

Ah. Are you any good at it?

About on par with my writing.

Yes, and how do you tell the difference?

One’s a whole lot more satisfying.

Which one would that be?

(wags finger) I don’t kiss and tell.

Wait. By Kiss and tell are you suggesting that you can (whispers) kiss yourself?

That’s not what I came to discuss.

What did you come to discuss?

Whatever you were asking that wasn’t about my sex life.

Fine. What would you say your greatest weakness is?

Lack of strength.

Are you kidding?

No. Dude, you’re at like nine questions again, don’t waste the last one.

Okay, asshole, what would you most like to improve?

My sex life.




Take Three. Once more into the breech:

(sigh) Why do you think you were even asked to participate in this series?

Wait. There’s a series?

Sure. You and a bunch of other writers are posting “self interviews” here for Nigel.

(under his breath) Son of a bitch.

And, that wasn’t a question. I still have nine more to go.

Okay.

Same, of course with that last bit. The pitch of my voice didn’t go up at the end of the thought. It was a statement, not a question. As is this. And I’m not going to ask if you understand me, I’m just going to assume you do. You are very difficult to get along with, has anyone ever told you that?

Are we counting that one?

Actually, yes. Not what I’m saying now, though. Please answer the question.

Sure, I’d say -

And ‘please answer the question’ is a directive, not interrogative.

Yes. I used to hear that a fair amount.

Please clarify which statement you were responding to.

I used to hear, fairly often, that I was very difficult to get along with.

Used to?

As in, not anymore.

Huh. Why do you think that is?

(shrugs).

Okay, that does not count as an answer, so I am not counting the question.

Y’know what? Fuck this. I’m just gonna go to some respectable author’s site and copy the questions out of the FAQ section.


TEN WRITTEN QUESTIONS FOR JEDIDIAH AYRES

1.When’s the next book coming out?

I don’t know. Soon, I hope.

2.What is the order of the Myron Bolitar novels?

I’m really not sure.

3.Will you write another Myron Bolitar novel?

I haven’t ever written one, but if I were asked to and there was decent money involved? Absolutely.

4.Where and when were you born?

Topeka Kansas. January.

5.Where did you go to school?

Kansas, Colorado & Arkansas. Grade schools.

6.Are any of the characters based on real people in your life?

Yeah. Based on. Which means, ‘not representative of” but based on, sure.

7.Where do you get your ideas?

Movies.

8.What about the books PLAY DEAD and MIRACLE CURE? Did you write those?

No.

9.What’s up with Hollywood? Any word on movies or TV shows based on the books?

What is up with Hollywood? No. No word. And again, I’m not sure which books you’re referring to. I haven’t had any published under my own name yet and I sure as hell hope no one knows about the early pseudononymous stuff. But, I do have some original scripts that get sniffed around some. Here’s hoping.

10.Will you come talk at our school, library, conference, etc?

Wow, that’s sweet of you. I’d be happy to if circumstances permit and if I feel I have anything to say, but that kind of lightening can’t be conjured at will.

http://spaceythompson.blogspot.com/

Dancing With Myself: VICKI DELANY interviews VICKI DELANY

Right at the end of this piece, you'll find one of the nicest 6 word bios you're ever likely to come across.

Great interview this one. Take it away Vicki.

1. Why does the phrase murder mystery make your hair stand on end?

Labelling all crime novels, with their incredible range of style, tone, setting, structure as a murder mystery goes a long way, I think, towards maintaining the ghetto image of the genre novel that we struggle so hard to overcome.

I much prefer to call them to crime novels.

A crime novel doesn’t have to contain a murder, nor does it have to be a mystery. Lots of crime novels are not really mysteries in the sense of the detective attempting to follow clues to arrive at the solution to the mystery of who killed someone. Novels of suspense often have no ‘mystery’ about them. You know who did what and why, the suspense or the drama comes in watching the protagonist attempt to track down the bad guy, or deal with the aftermath of a tragic event. Most crime novels do involve murder, probably because murder is the ultimate transgression. But they don’t have to. Think of a kidnapping for example: the stakes can be incredibly high, and thus so can the suspense and the emotion.

2. How would you classify your own novels?

I write three completely different types of books, all falling under the wide umbrella of crime novels. I write standalone psychological suspense, which I would not call mysteries because the protagonist in those books is not trying to solve any mystery – they are merely caught up in events beyond their control when a crime happens. Scare the Light Away and Burden of Memory, both from Poisoned Pen Press, are in that category. They both have a back-story of something that happened during World War II so I employ the dual narrative format. I also write the Constable Molly Smith series, a fairly traditional village/police procedural series set in a small town in the Interior of British Columbia. Last year’s book in that series, Winter of Secrets, is not a whodunit. It is more of a did-anyone-do-it, and if they did what-did-they-do? The newest book in the Molly Smith series will be released on November 1st from Poisoned Pen. It is titled Negative Image and can probably be classified as a, gasp, murder mystery.

And then... I write the Klondike Gold Rush series published by the Canadian publisher Rendezvous Crime. They are set in Dawson City, Yukon, in 1898, during the Klondike Gold Rush. These books (Gold Digger and Gold Fever) are intended to be light-hearted, just a wild mad-cap romp through the muddy streets of Dawson in that incredible time.

3. What is the appeal of crime writing?

Crime writing is suited to righting wrongs. Not all wrongs can be righted, of course, but in crime fiction we usually do have a sense of justice served and the world returned to normal. As a writer, crime writing takes me into worlds with which I am not familiar. I have no background in law enforcement, but write about the day-to-day life of being a police officer. I’ve had to learn a lot about cops and have made some good friends and had lots of fun in doing so. It also allows me to explore issues as varied as human trafficking, stalking, jealousy, poverty, love and hate, family.

4. Many writers complain if they have to bring out a book a year. How can you write so much?

(Shrug) I just do. I am, for reasons known not even to me, highly prolific. I lead a fairly simple life on a small rural property. I have rabbit ears on my 25-year-old TV (which gets me one channel) I don’t have a DVD player, rarely go to movies. It certainly helps that my three children are all grown up and out of the house. I love to try different things and write in different sub-genres, and being prolific means that I can try out a new series, or write a standalone, while still keeping up my existing series(s).

5. You seem to like small town settings. Any reason?

Small town are great places to set books, any sort of books. People really do know each other and they know each other’s business. What would be a huge coincidence in a big city is perfectly normal in a small town. Thus it’s a lot easier to have people like Molly Smith’s mother and John Winters’ wife involved in the story. Trafalgar, B.C. is a tourist town, so I hope I’ve avoided the Cabot Cove syndrome by bringing in outsiders as well.

6. As Negative Image is about to come out, tell us a bit about it.

Thank you for asking, Vicki. At its heart Negative Image is a novel about loyalty and betrayal. What would you do if you fear that the person you trust most in the world has betrayed you? And what would you do if you suspect the person you trust most in the world believes you capable of betrayal? Here’s the blurb:

When his wife’s former fiancé is found dead of a single shot to the back of the head,

Trafalgar police Sergeant John Winters is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life: loyalty to his job or to his wife. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes t the heart of Constable Molly Smith’s family.

Let me add that the first chapter is up on my web page (www.vickidelany.com) for anyone who wants a sneak peek.

6. Tell us a bit about Molly Smith.

Molly is really the co-protagonist. The books should be called “The Constable Molly Smith, Sergeant John Winters Novels”. As that’s a bit of a mouthful it had to be shortened. Molly is, as far as I know, unique in crime fiction. She is young and inexperienced. When the series begins she is just a probationary constable and still lives at home with her mom and dad. She’s very keen, very green. Makes lots of mistakes. Part of the reason the books are set in a small town: it’s easier for her to be involved in major crime investigation. In a big city she’d be writing traffic tickets.

7. Series vs standalones? Which do you prefer?

Another excellent question. My you’re good at this. They both have their strengths, and I like writing both. A standalone novel gives the protagonist that one opportunity to achieve great things; to have that grand adventure; to meet the everlasting love of their life; to conquer evil, once and for all. In a standalone, the characters face their demons and defeat them.

Or not.

Series novels present a different challenge. The central character, or characters, confront their demons, but they do not defeat them. Their weaknesses, all their problems, will be back in the next book. In each story the series character stands against, and usually defeats, someone else’s problem or society’s enemy, but she or he moves only one small step towards the resolution of their own issues, if at all.

8. Does being Canadian affect your writing?

Very much. I set all my books (at least to date) in Canada despite the fact that it is very difficult to get a Canadian-set book any recognition in the U.S. Setting is very important in my books, and I’d have a hard time setting a book in a place I don’t know well. Now your readers are going to pipe up: “What about Louise Penny?” To which I will reply, name me one other successful crime writer whose books are set in contemporary Canada? Okay, other than Giles Blunt.

Canadian books are different than American or British books in the same way that British books are different than American. Part of the reason I’ve worked hard to develop police contacts is so that I get my Canadian policing right, and not take what I see on TV or read in books as the right way of doing things. Canadian policing is very different from American or British.

9. What’s next?

I am currently working on Gold Mountain, the third in the Klondike Gold Rush series. Smith and Winters book #5, Among the Departed, is finished and scheduled for release on May 1, 2011. And on November 1st Negative Image will be released. I have a lot of appearances and book signings scheduled.

10. You participated in Jen Forbus’ You’ve the Right to Six Words project. What was your six word bio?

I know how lucky I am.

And I do.

http://www.vickidelany.com/

http://klondikeandtrafalgar.blogspot.com/

http://typem4murder.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Vicki Delany; Vicki Delany author of novels of mystery and suspense

Twitter: @vickidelany

Dancing With Myself: BRIAN WIPRUD interviews BRIAN WIPRUD

Dancing With Myself: Brian M. Wiprud

Award-winning author of the Garth Carson Series, FEELERS, BUYBACK and RINGER (2011 sequel to FEELERS)

1. Your early Garth Carson series centered on wild supernatural conspiracy theories, from mind control to telepathic goat horns to shape-shifting serial killers. Was there a central theme to these books beyond just coming up with the weirdest, twistiest plots conceivable?

That series was more or less a send-up of conspiracy theories and mass gullibility. It never ceases to amaze me how some of the most rational people I know will dismiss conspiracy theories and yet harbor one of their own that is “true.” Americans in particular are so ardent about their conspiracies even in the face of conflicting evidence that it becomes a belief system, often dependent on the supernatural and a defacto religion. They have to believe that Oswald didn’t shoot Kennedy or else there is no order in the universe – despite the fact that nobody disputes that Oswald pointed a gun at the president, pulled the trigger, the gun went off and an instant later the president took a bullet to the head. Garth is routinely faced with dire circumstance at the hands of people completely immersed in conspiracies and the supernatural, and has to sort out what is real and isn’t. This process is often commensurate with figuring out his relationship with his brother. What I particularly like about these novels is the way the truth is revealed as a tree with many branches.

2. Do you feel your books or protagonists possess a common trait?

I think there’s a strong existential streak to my protagonists. They are conscious that the decisions they make don’t happen in a vacuum and that the concepts of good and evil may or may not be human inventions. Stories are best when they examine the human condition beyond the narrative, and that’s what I pretty much set out to do in a crime/thriller/humor format.

3. The wacky, snide, referential and fantastic qualities of the early books were sometimes referred to by critics as “post ironic.” How would you classify your more recent work?

FEELERS, BUY BACK and RINGER are so steeped in urban subcultures and morays that I think they might be characterized as crime urblore. But for marketing purposes let’s stick with “thriller.”

4. An oft asked question of authors is where do you get your ideas, but perhaps what’s more important is how do you develop your ideas once you latch onto a premise. How do you build it out from, say, a simple story of some missing paintings to include a love-sick assassin?

I think of it as story layering.

For example, the story of my next book RINGER is that a La Paz (Mexico) priest asks our lothario protagonist Morty to recover a lost reliquary from a New York billionaire. Morty seizes on this mission as a defining religious quest. But a single-strand narrative isn’t like real life where many stories are happening at once and where they intersect creates interesting situations requiring people to make important choices.

Intersecting stories and cross purposes, narrative wheels turning in opposite directions, generates humorous situations and fallout that propels the characters forward. So I added a second story about the billionaire’ tabloid queen daughter. She’s a huge liability, and the billionaire is awaiting a Mexican hit man he’s hired to come kill her. Enter Morty, a man on a mission from God who is mistaken for the hit man.

That’s just one way of fleshing out story premise, of course. I’m currently working on a straight thriller, and so cross purposes are not a story element that plays well with the earnestness of the plot and suspense. In this case I have a jewel thief pursued by the Serbian mob from which he mistakenly stole gems. The mob, in turn, is being monitored by the FBI, who have set a sting operation to trap the Serbians and recover the gems. But our thief steals the gems so now the FBI is looking for him as well – only the protagonist doesn’t know this. Instead of cross purposes I’ve equipped the story with common purposes, the narrative wheels turning in the same direction. Our protagonist is being doubly pursued, which raises the stakes and suspense.


5. Since the last of that series – TAILED – you seem to have changed course. FEELERS and BUY BACK are both books about Brooklyn and with no supernatural elements. Can you explain the transition from the one to the other, as a natural progression in your writing?

I’d like to say that it was my idea to start writing standalone novels, but the market necessitated a change - i.e. the Carson series wasn’t selling briskly enough to be a going concern. That said, the practical considerations forced me to grow as an author, to expand beyond Garth and Angie. I view that series as a fun, complete trilogy about America’s obsession with conspiracies that said all the things about family, friendship and relationships that those characters had the capacity to relate. “Jumping the shark” with the series was inevitable at some point down the line, so I think it’s probably better that I spent my time and energies exploring other kinds of novels.

6. It’s obvious that you are keenly aware of the changing fiction marketplace. How do you write to stay competitive in the publishing world?

I have to produce a book a year to stay in the game and try to hold onto my fan base. When I wrote FEELERS on spec, I realized that I might lapse two years without a published novel unless I wrote quickly. I did the math; I needed twenty pages a week.

So I increased my most productive time – instead of working three hours straight I began writing twice a day for one and a half hours, once early in the morning and once in the evening. I also write on a laptop that is not online – I don’t do any research or check email while I write, that’s done on the side. Also, I re-write on paper while traveling and commuting, and then make those changes on a weekend or some time other than my twenty-page production sessions. Once I hit twenty pages for the week, I put my “pen” down no matter how far I feel I might be able to push the story that week. The reason is that I need a reward system in place, motivation to get those twenty and then have the rest of the week off. Sounds lazy, I suppose, but down time is necessary to let the characters percolate in my mind until the following week. With this method I can crank out a first draft in four months and still have a life.

7. Speeding up your writing seems to be a business decision- does that have a downside for the creative part of writing? Does it impact the quality or feel of what you write?

Actually, I think the process I’ve described makes my writing more intense. During the four months of writing I am totally immersed in the story, and to be honest it’s invigorating. This is a much better way to write for me, much more gratifying and I feel fully vested in my characters all week long, even when I’m not actively writing. I feel them wriggling around in my mind, and I take notes on what they’re thinking. All this translates directly to make a better novel.

8. As part of your strategizing for the marketplace, do you decide what to write about based on what kind of stories you believe will sell?

If I want to remain published I have to take the marketability of my subject matter into consideration – that’s what separates a writer from an author. It’s a balancing act, to be sure, but there’s a way to do it without “selling out” – which I define as tackling a topic you don’t care about only to cash in on a popular trend in fiction. The book I’m working on now is my first straight thriller, which is calculated only in so far as humor hasn’t generated the kinds of sales to keep me published. This is a story I’ve been considering writing for some time that I hope will help keep me competitive in the market but also challenge me to grow artistically. Novels are art but the only reason they get published is because they are also a product, that’s the deal.

9. Are there any books you would like to write but feel you can’t because of the current book market?

I would have liked to write a sequel to BUY BACK with my character Tommy Davin. But the sales don’t back it up. To be honest, the FEELERS numbers didn’t necessarily justify writing next year’s RINGER, but that was contractual, and I’m hedging my bets that a sequel will boost revenue down the line based on the current level of film and TV interest in that series.

10. If you could send a message back in time ten or fifteen years, what would you tell yourself ten years ago?

One thing I might have mentioned is that it's important not to invest your life TOO much into writing. Ultimately the vainglory of being published pales by comparison to the importance of family and friends. I seriously don't think that on my death bed I'll be fretting that I didn't write more. More so that I could have loved more.

Slow and steady gets the job done, which translates into a happier writing experience.

and

“Pssst, Brian: Add orange bitters to your martinis :o)”

http://www.wiprud.com/

Dancing With Myself: MARTIN EDWARDS interviews MARTIN EDWARDS

Today we're very fortunate to have Martin Edwards with us. He's a writer of stature and a blogger extra-ordinaire. He's a bit like a pedigree racehorse or a classic wine - sleek and tasty (not sure where I'm going with this - help!). Perhaps I'd do better handing straight over, but do yourself a favour and pop over to his blog (reviews, issues, information, you name it).

1 Do you see yourself mainly as a lawyer or a writer?

A writer, first and foremost!

2. Then why become a lawyer?

I always wanted to be a novelist - and specifically a crime novelist - but of course I needed to pay the mortgage as well, and I was lucky enough to find that I enjoyed being a lawyer, and enjoyed writing about the law. My first four books were on legal topics, simply because it was easier to get published with non-fiction than fiction.

3. Does your legal knowledge help you to write crime?

Criminal law is interesting in theory, but I’d hate to do it in practice. Rapists, paedophiles and muggers certainly have to be defended in a civilised society - but not by me. Employment law is a fast moving field, and has plenty of social and political significance - strikes, discrimination, working conditions, these things are relevant to most people in some way. Above all, employment law involves understanding and trying to solve issues arising in human relationships. This is where the link with the concerns of the novelist comes in, rather than in the technical legal subject matter. Though employment lawyers did feature to some extent in my stand-alone novel of psychological suspense, TAKE MY BREATH AWAY.

4. Do you identify with Harry Devlin in your Liverpool books?

Some people have suggested that Harry Devlin, the Liverpool lawyer who appeared in my first seven novels and later in WATERLOO SUNSET, is a fictionalised version of me. All I can say is, thank God he isn't! But I do enjoy writing about Harry and his misadventures. WATERLOO SUNSET in particular was a joy to write.

5. Do legal themes play a major part in your work?

Justice is important to me, and to Harry, and being involved with opportunities to see justice done is one of the appeals of being a lawyer. But you have to be realistic about what is achievable. You have to act in your client's best interests, whether you approve of your client personally or not. I wrote a novel about Dr Crippen, DANCING WITH THE HANGMAN, which tackles the question of justice head-on, and I found it a wonderful experience to research and write that particular story. It was very different from my other work, but I always believed in the story, and the reviews were tremendously gratifying.

6. What appeals to you about writing a series?

There are plenty of possibilities with a novel for the dissection of society, but perhaps even more if you write a series. My Liverpool series showed a fascinating city in transition over a period of years. My series set in the Lake District deals, perhaps more broadly, with the tensions between urban society and rural tradition, and the pressures on the countryside and rural ways of life in England. This is especially the case in the fourth and latest book in the series, THE SERPENT POOL. I've been interested in the positive way overseas readers have responded to the 'Englshness' of the books. I enjoy this aspect of writing, but I also enjoy the delineation and exploration of character, and creating a complex and unusual mystery. Above all, I like telling enjoyable stories - I genuinely find it exciting to write the last few chapters, when all becomes clear. At least, I enjoy the stories, and I hope other people do as well.

7. How important to you is research?

Of course it's desirable to avoid making mistakes. So if you are going to write about a legal topic, it's sensible to research it (and I researched DANCING WITH THE HANGMAN, for instance, with enormous care.). And it’s great ‘having’ to go to the Lake District to research the world of Hannah Scarlett and Daniel Kind! But you can write a good novel which skirts round stuff you don't want to research - for instance, police or courtroom procedure, if you find that boring. You can be selective, and focus on subjects you do know enough about to write confidently and without error. But when mistakes are made, it grates, and can lose you readers. I once watched a tv series about an employment lawyer which was hopelessly inaccurate. Though I have to admit that many employment lawyers watched it, simply to amuse themselves at the expense of the actors and script writer.


8. What was the first crime novel you ever read?

THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie which I read aged 9. Start at the top!

9. And the most recent you read?

STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG by Kate Atkinson. Really entertaining and very funny.

10. Finally, what have been the highlights of your writing career to date?

Winning the CWA Short Story Dagger for ‘The Bookbinder’s Apprentice’, being shortlisted for best crime novel of 2006 for THE COFFIN TRAIL and being elected to membership of the Detection Club.

http://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/

Dancing With Myself: ALICE THOMPSON interviews ALICE THOMSPSON

I emailed Alice about doing an interview and mentioned to her that I'd be going to see her in Portobello at an event with the fantastic Allan Guthrie, Doug Johnstone and Caroline Dunford. Things were to be orchestrated by Mr Ian Rankin.

Because I didn't have a ticket, I got there really early. It was cold, but I had a copy of Savages in my pocket and the event turned out to be superb. Mr Rankin doing a top job and the guests all adding colours to the rainbow.

I knew Alice was going to be nice before I met her - she agreed to an interview here for a start.

She also used to be in a rather fabulous band called The Woodentops that I saw play many years ago in London.

When she arrived (and all I'd said to her was that I'd be in the hat and the shoes), she had the presence of mind to come over and introduce herself to me at the door; you can imagine how that helped me warm up.

Later we went for a coffee, me muscling in somehow into the merry band of authors and all positive images were confirmed. Isn't it nice when that happens.

Her rather fine book, The Existential Detective recently came out; if you need to get a copy, maybe you'd like to order one from your local library. Why not? Or put your hands in your pockets.

Anyway, here she goes.

How are you feeling? The Existential Detective came out in late June and it must have been a very intensive few months…

Delighted, but there’s always a bit of an anticlimax following a book coming out. After all the attention –ahhh… the fickleness of it all- you’re left on your own again with the next book to write.

But you had fantastic reviews, coverage etc –Ian Rankin called The Existential Detective a “haunting strange, Kafkaesque,poetic mystery” - you must be so happy.

You have no idea how grateful I am for those reviews.

So when you say it’s a bit of an anticlimax you sound like you’re feeling slightly sorry for yourself….

What a cheek!.

Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I can tell that writing means a lot to you.

That’s uncanny. How did you guess?

I’m a writer too, actually.

You don’t look like a writer. You look too nice and cheerful. Are you working on something at the moment?

Yes, I’m writing a metaphysical horror story set on an island. It’s about the dangers of the imagination.

Amazing. That’s identical to the plot of my next novel!

Perhaps we should join forces?

Are you crazy? But thanks for the offer.

Well, good luck then. I hope it works out for you.

Good luck to you, too.

"The Existential Detective is unsettling, unsettlingly erotic, and somehow sadly beautiful. Thompson is fast becoming one of the most original and formidable writers in the English language today." Chris Dolan, the Herald

http://tinyurl.com/278lnhr

http://tinyurl.com/287jpzq

Dancing With Myself: TOM LLEWELLYN interviews TOM LLEWELLYN

Tom Llewellyn’s first book, The Tilting House, came out in June 2010 from Random House’s children’s imprint, Tricycle Press. The Tilting House is a middle reader novel—a mystery with a bit of magic realism thrown in. And word is Llewellyn is contracted with Tricycle Press for another book, scheduled for next September. Here’s his shot at 10 questions.

1. What’s your first book about?

It’s about 160 pages. Seriously, it’s about a family with two boys that finally leaves behind their crummy apartment (flat, for you Brits) and moves into their first house. This one has some problems. The floors all tilt three degrees toward the center. All the walls are covered in crazed, scientific scribblings. And the house is overrun by rats. But, you know, a little paint, a little elbow grease, a little imagination…The boys—Josh and Aaron—work on finding out why the house was built with tilting floors and what all the mad-science scribbles mean. Along the way, wackiness ensues. Walls disappear. Rats talk. Things grow to amazing sizes. And when they finally get close to solving the mystery of the house, the future of their family home is at stake.

2. Sounds a bit creepy. Is it?

Yeah. One reviewer compared it to a cross between Goosebumps and David Lynch. I guess I naturally lean to the macabre. One of my favorite chapters is a story all about how the grandpa has to get his leg amputated. It’s actually kind of a sweet story, but I left in all the creepy details. Grown-ups forget how much kids like details about stuff like that.

3. The book came out in June 2010. How’s it doing?

It’s gotten some great reviews (he says, humbly). Book Trends gave it 5 stars. Publishers Weekly called it “inventive” and “gripping,” which are now two of my favorite words. And Kirkus Reviews called it “a genre-bending page page-turner,” which I consider not just a good review, but a nice use of hyphens. And it’s sold out of its first printing and is on to number two. So hang on to your first edition. It could be worth, dare I say, millions.

By the way, if I were to use “inventive” and “gripping” in a sentence, I might say, “The butcher boy sure is inventive in the way he is gripping that slab of ham.” Or something like that.

4. This is your first book. How long did the process take?

Oh, Lord. Aside from the time I spent alpha-sorting my rejection letters and printing out unaccepted manuscripts, this took about four years. I first sent this one to Tricycle Press (a kids’ imprint of Random House) back in September of 2006. So what’s that? 45 months of negotiations, revisions, revisions, edits, and more revisions. But I had a great editor—the esteemed Abigail Samoun from Tricycle Press, who also edits the popular Edgar and Ellen series. She really helped shape this into a tight story.

Based on the money earned so far, I figure I’ve made about 50 cents an hour.

5. That sucks.

That’s not a question. Am I supposed to respond, or just sit here quietly.

6. Sorry. Let me try again. Does that suck?

Yes. It does. Thanks for asking. So in response to the sucking, I decided to write and distribute a book via blog— http://www.letteroffdead.com/. I began posting a page or two every day. Within six months, I had more than 10,000 unique visitors a month. With Google’s adsense program in place, I thought I’d start generating some serious income. After 10 months—when the story ended—I’d made about eight dollars. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that I loved the blog experience. Posting in the morning and getting immediate feedback—via blog or facebook comments—was pretty exhilarating. Aaannndd, Tricycle Press and Random House have decided the blog story is worthy of a traditional book. In fact, I just received the “formal offer letter” today. “Formal,” “offer,” and “letter” are three of my other favorite words.

The great news is that this time, the book—Letter Off Dead—comes out in less than a year. It’s scheduled for release September 2011, which seems lightning fast to me.

7. Pretty ironic, don’t you think, that the only way you found to make money with a blog was to go back to traditional publishing?

Yes. Oh, and if you were to ask me to use the words “formal,” “offer,” and “letter” in a sentence, I might say, “Mr. Postman, no need to be so formal in the way you offer me that letter—the one with the formal offer in it.”

8. I didn’t ask. But enough shilling for your next book. Let’s get back to The Tilting House. It seems setup for a sequel. Is one in the works?

I’d love for one to happen. I have it loosely outlined. It has this great subplot about a man who moves into the tree in the front yard and refuses to come down. But I’m going to wait and see if the publisher asks me to write it. So far they haven’t asked. If they don’t, I’m on to another story I’ve been mulling around for a few years.

9. That’s it for me. I’m all out of questions. Besides, I’m late for a meeting.

A meeting about what?

10. Hey, I’m the one asking questions here.

Right. Sorry. Never mind.

Dancing With Myself: GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD interviews GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD

Before the dancing begins, here's a list of interview postings for the weeks ahead.

Sunday 10th October - Tom Llewellyn

Monday 11th October - Alice Thomspon

Tuesday 12th October - Martin Edwards

Thursday 14th October - Brian Wiprud

Saturday 16th October - Vicki Delany

Sunday 17th October - Jedidiah Ayres

Saturday 23rd October - Benjamin Whitmer

Sunday 24th October - Charlie Stella

Tuesday 26th October - Graham Bowlin

Thursday 28th October - Jen Forbus

Saturday 30th October - Tim Hallinan

Sunday 31st October - Matthew McBride

And now to some dancing.

GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD is the Shamus and Anthony award-winning author of
eleven crime novels and numerous short stories. He has written six
mysteries featuring African-American private investigator Aaron Gunner;
two starring Joe and Dottie Loudermilk, retiree crime-solvers and
Airstream-owning parents to five grown Children From Hell; and three
standalone thrillers.

Gar has written for both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and for
such television shows as NEW YORK UNDERCOVER and THE DISTRICT. One of his
more recently published short stories---THE FIRST RULE IS---will be
featured in the 2010 edition of Best American Mystery Short Stories. His
latest novel is the urban crime drama CEMETERY ROAD, which Publisher's
Weekly has called, in its starred review, "a beautifully crafted novel of
unintended consequences."

Here he is, Dancing With Himself.

DANCING WITH MYSELF:
RAY SHANNON (AKA GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD) INTERVIEWS
GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD

RAY SHANNON: This feels weird. Does this feel weird to you?

GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD: It does, yes. Especially this business of jumping back and forth between your chair and mine between every question and answer.

RS: Yeah. Exhausting, isn't it? Anyway, shall we get started?

GAH: Fire away.

RS: Let's start with why you write what you write, and why you can't seem to make up your fucking mind what you want to do. Over a 22-year career, starting in 1988, you've published six hardboiled mysteries featuring South-Central L.A. P.I. Aaron Gunner; two comic cozies starring Joe and Dottie Loudermilk, a pair of fiftysomething Airstream owners with five troublesome grown children; and one standalone crime novel.

GAH: Actually, I've written three standalones. Or, to be precise, you've written two---MAN EATER and FIRECRACKER---and I've written one, CEMETERY ROAD. Does that make any sense?

RS: No.

GAH: I didn't think so. Your question?

RS: Why all the changing up? Are you really as easily distracted at it would appear, or is there a method to your madness?

GAH: Well, some of those sudden changes in direction were forced upon me and some were deliberate choices. I've always wanted to operate in more than one sub-genre, so the Loudermilk series was something I took on after finishing my third Gunner book strictly to test my chops for comedy. As a change of pace and just for the stupid fun of it, I'd still be doing those books if the market had demanded it.
As for the two standalones you wrote---or rather, I wrote as you---or, no, I guess what we did, technically, was write them together...

RS: Jesus God, man, just get on with it.

GAH: MAN EATER and FIRECRACKER. Those two books were my take on the Elmore Leonard crime novel, the unpredictable, character-driven adventure yarn which, speaking strictly as a reader, is damn near the most entertaining kind of read there is.

RS: Publisher's Weekly called MAN EATER "the best Elmore Leonard rip-off since Elmore Leonard," as I recall.

GAH: Yeah. That was a blast. I had no problem being outed as someone trying to imitate the master, because hell, that was exactly what I was doing. But if I'd been accused of doing it badly, of dishonoring the form Dutch has almost single-handedly created, that would have really sucked.

RS: Were those books fun to write?

GAH: Um, shouldn't I be asking you that question?

RS: Oh, yeah. I guess you should.

GAH: So? Were they fun to write?

RS: Hell, yes. Enough so that I plan to do more. In fact, I'm working on a book right now---

GAH: Are you talking about QUEEN'S RUN?

RS: Yes.

GAH: Actually, you're not the one writing that. I am.

RS: Excuse me?

GAH: I probably should have informed you of this earlier, but the pen name experiment was a bust. I'll never write using a pseudonym again.

RS: Say what?

GAH: Don't take this personally, but you only exist because Putnam's thought putting your name on the books instead of mine would have a profound impact on how the major chains would treat them.

RS: And?

GAH: Apparently, to Barnes & Noble, you're just as big a loser as I am. So despite some great reviews, all I ended up with were two examples of some of my best writing that many of my fans still don't know I wrote.

RS: Can we talk about something else? This subject is pissing me the hell off.

GAH: Okay. Ask me something about CEMETERY ROAD.

RS: Your latest book, and another one I had nothing to do with, correct?

GAH: Correct. It's also another shift in direction, in the sense that, while it's my third standalone, it has more in common with my Gunner novels than my---your---Ray Shannons.

RS: Pray tell how so.

GAH: Its tone is dark and its setting is Gunner's inner-city Los Angeles. It's a gritty, urban noir, featuring a predominantly African-American cast, that follows two separate story lines separated by 26 years.

RS: Sounds like it should have been a bear to write.

GAH: It was. But from a challenge standpoint, it was also a great deal of fun. Jumping back and forth between one time frame and set of characters to another is quite a balancing act, especially when the story you're telling is a mystery that can't be fully resolved until the end. Your timing has to be perfect. One false step and the entire construct comes crashing down. Nobody did this sort of thing better than Ross McDonald. It was his work I had most in mind when I set out to write this book.

RS: How about porn?

GAH: What?

RS: If you won't write any more novels as me, how about some porn? Nobody uses their real name to write porn. Just ask Larry Block.

GAH: Could we move on? Or do I have to do the rest of this interview myself?

RS:

GAH: Oh, yeah. I guess I'm already doing that, aren't I?

RS: Your last Aaron Gunner novel, ALL THE LUCKY ONES ARE DEAD, was published way back in 1999. Is Gunner himself dead?

GAH: Not a chance. I plan to start my next Gunner book early next year.

RS: Got a working title yet?

GAH: LOSER DIGS THE GRAVES.

RS: Pet peeves. You wanna talk about pet peeves?

GAH: Comparisons to Walter Mosley. Book titles that are either mind-numbingly obvious or criminally unoriginal. Self-professed "hardboiled" or "noir" writers who think "bastard" is a perfectly acceptable alternative for "motherfucker." People who confuse mediocre books with great ones. Cover blurbs that read like they were written at gunpoint, i.e., "Haywood has a style few readers will fail to find unforgettable." Egomaniacal authors who approach the necessary evil of self-promotion like global terrorism. Farmville.
RS: Last question: Writers whose books read like a masters class in crime writing?

GAH: Martin Cruz Smith. Ace Atkins. Elmore Leonard. James Lee Burke. Donna Leon. Richard Price. Michael Connelly.

RS: And Ray Shannon?

GAH: Say goodnight, Gracie.

RS: Goodnight, Gracie.


http://www.garanthonyhaywood.com/