Weldon Burge's Blog, page 2

Best-Selling Crime Author Lisa Regan and Her Focus on Powerful Women

Best-selling suspense author Lisa Regan is perhaps best known for her two popular series, the Detective Josie Quinn and P.I. Jocelyn Rush novels. Her first published novel, Finding Claire Fletcher—about a woman kidnapped at the age of fifteen and imprisoned for a decade by her abductor—won her initial acclaim. The sequel to that novel, Losing Leah Holloway, also proved to be successful with readers. She's been writing incredible suspense novels ever since.

 

Lisa is also a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She enjoys interacting with her readers and other writers, so she was more than happy to answer some questions for us

 

Thanks for talking with us, Lisa. Let's start with your many readers. You have an enormous following. How do you think your active presence on social media contributes to that base?

 

I think it contributes a great deal to my fan base because they see I'm engaged and interested in their thoughts, and I want to provide a fun space for them online. I am extraordinarily lucky to have fans who are enthusiastic about the Josie Quinn detective series. I absolutely love interacting with them and hearing everything they have to say—even the criticism. Some have become good friends. I also get to use my social media platform to introduce my readers to many other fabulous authors.

 

I don't view time spent cultivating relationships with my fans as a waste. To me, it is essential. These are the lovely human beings willing to spend their time reading my words. That's a sacred thing as far as I'm concerned. I wish I had more time to interact with them all, but they're pretty understanding about me taking time to write the stories they're waiting to read!

 

Are your series characters, Josie Quinn and Joselyn Rush, modeled from people you know? Maybe composites of those folks?

 

Josie and Jocelyn are not modeled after people I know. Rather, they're modeled after people I wish I could be more like. Both characters are smart, tough, strong, and gritty. Most importantly, they always run toward the danger, and they've got a strong sense of justice. I've been lucky to see these qualities in people I know, but I didn't use anyone as a model.

 

Will Josie and Jocelyn ever cross paths?

 

There are no plans for that right now, but it sure would be fun to write. And, you know, Josie only lives about two hours away from Jocelyn.

 

What makes these two characters so endearing to your readers?

 

The thing I hear most often from readers is that they love that Josie and Jocelyn are incredibly strong women. What I hear most often about Josie specifically is readers love her because she's "badass." Also, it's not lost on my amazing readers that Josie's life and emotions can be extremely complex. She always works hard to navigate both in the most graceful way possible. Josie doesn't always succeed, but she grows as a character, even when it hurts. People relate to that. No matter what happens, she gets back up, dusts herself off, and keeps trying.

 

You once worked in a law office. How has your experience as a paralegal influenced your writing?

 

It definitely taught me to be more precise in whatever I try to write. But mostly, it has taught me how to be an extremely thorough researcher. I've learned to better evaluate sources. I have also become more confident in approaching experts in their fields and figuring out which questions I need to ask to get the details in my books correct. I had to be so thorough and meticulous in my work as a paralegal, and that has carried over into writing crime fiction. I try to make things as authentic as fiction allows.

 

Most authors maintain a "bible" for their series to maintain continuity from book to book, further develop characters, and avoid mistakes (a character with blue eyes in one book and brown in the next). Do you use a "bible" for your series?

 

I have to have a bible, especially now that the Josie Quinn series is going into Book 12. It's difficult to remember where I've put everything in her fictional city of Denton and character descriptions and even names I've already used. There is a lovely woman named Claire Milto who compiled my series bible for me. With each book, she adds to it. It's invaluable and I keep the document open on my computer whenever I'm working on a first draft.

 

Outliner or "pantser"?

 

I used to be a pantser, but it was a massively inefficient way for me to write. Now I outline. I will start with a basic premise like with book 11 of the Josie Quinn series, Hush Little Girl, it was a young girl is found dead at a wedding venue. I'll spend a couple of weeks writing notes and answering my own questions like "Who is this girl? Where did she come from? What is her home life like? Who killed her? Are there any strange circumstances surrounding her death?" I go from there until I've got the crime fully fleshed out. Then I write the crime's backstory, which includes all the things Josie eventually uncovers during her investigation. After that, I write the outline for the actual book, usually chapter by chapter. It changes as I write. Often, I stop writing to adjust my outline to the new direction the book has taken. However, overall, outlining works really well for me now and it takes a lot of the stress out of writing.

 

I noticed in Finding Claire Fletcher that you alternate POVs between chapters, usually juxtaposing Claire with Connor. Was this structure something you used from the start (from the first draft) or something you developed as the plot evolved?

 

It was that way from the start. That was my first published novel. It wasn't the first book I wrote—probably the fifth or sixth book. When I wrote it initially, it was just Claire's voice in my head. It was like I was channeling her. I wrote almost all her chapters first. I realized, as a crime novel, it might work better if I alternated Connor's investigation with Claire's story, so I decided to alternate.

 

On a similar note, the chapters with Claire's POV are all in first person, other chapters are in third person. This had to have been by design. What's your rationale?

 

There was no true rationale, to be perfectly honest. Claire's voice was so clear to me in first person, so that's how I wrote her. When I went to do the Connor chapters, I didn't feel comfortable doing them in first person, so I went with third. I kept waiting for some agent or publisher to tell me I couldn't do that, but no one ever did. Most important, that book is a huge favorite among my fans, so it worked out.

 

Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, or Karin Slaughter?

 

All these authors are legends, obviously. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Karin Slaughter. Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows Karin Slaughter is my idol and my biggest influence. I've met her twice now at signings, and I was so star-struck I could barely speak. I did talk to her, but I have no memory of what I said. I love how all her books are so intelligent, raw, gritty, and honest. I also love how the dynamics among her characters and the universes she creates are so authentic and real. Everything she writes is exquisite.

 

Writers know word-of-mouth is the best marketing. But have you used any strategies to garner reviews?

 

I have long-time beta readers who get early copies of each book and they're all so lovely, they'll leave reviews without being asked. My publisher has also cultivated relationships with fans and bloggers via NetGalley which garners reviews. I'm incredibly lucky that the readers who review on NetGalley before the book comes out always remember to post the reviews elsewhere after release. Personally, I give away a lot of paperback copies of my books. I give them away to social media followers and I'll often ask my long-time readers to "tag a friend" who might like my books and I'll provide some copies to those friends. In addition, my husband hands books to just about anyone from our plumber to the nurses in our family doctor's office. We always tell them, if you don't read crime fiction, give it to someone who does or donate it. You'd be surprised how many people read and review their free books. Many of those people pass them along to someone else and word spreads that way as well.

 

Tarantino, Scorsese, or Hitchcock?

 

Kathryn Bigelow!

 

Ah, excellent choice! With that in mind, if you could rewrite any suspense movie, what would it be? And what would you do differently?

 

I cannot think of one I would rewrite. But I can tell you many great suspense movies came out before the age of the limited series we now see on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. Many of these classic movies would have made better six-to-ten-episode series than two-hour movies. I'm thinking of films like The Cell with Jennifer Lopez, The Gift with Cate Blanchett, and Heat with Pacino and DeNiro.

 

My wife, Cindy, and I saw you at a library panel discussion a few years ago. Do you often participate in such public events or schedule public speaking? At writers' conferences? How important is this for writers?

 

I try to say 'yes' as often as I can. I love getting out there and meeting readers. Even if they don't read my books, it's great to hear their thoughts about what makes a book sensational or what makes it terrible. I also enjoy meeting other writers. I learn a lot from going to writers' conferences. I love listening to writers talk about everything from their process to the craft. Sometimes being on a panel with other authors can be a fantastic learning opportunity. I love to talk about reading and writing, and I love to listen to people talk about reading and writing.

 

Any public event is a win-win in my mind. Attending these events is important for writers, both to meet new readers and to network with one another. The writing community is incredibly kind and generous. Many writers have helped me along my journey by beta reading, giving reviews, promoting my books, or being supportive and encouraging. I try to pay that forward every chance I get. Plus, I'm such a big fan of so many writers in my genre, it's just so much fun to meet all my favorite authors in person.

 

You're a prolific author, publishing several books a year. How do you keep the pace? What is your writing regimen to maintain momentum?

 

It took me an awfully long time to figure out my specific regimen and process. I'm still fine-tuning it. I want to be clear that every writer's process, and therefore their regimen, is different. There's no "right" way to author a book. The "right" way is whatever way works best for you. Writers shouldn't beat themselves up if they're not writing at the same pace or via the same process as their colleagues. I used to think something was wrong with me, that I couldn't simply sit down each day and write for several hours straight like many authors do. I realized there was nothing wrong with me, that routine just didn't work for me. Every person's brain operates differently. Writers should honor that. Once you take the guilt out of the equation, it really does free your mind creatively.

 

But the pacing of your production?

 

For me, because of the way my brain works, I need plenty of pressure to produce. My publisher and I set a schedule and the tighter that schedule is, the easier it is for me to produce. If I had too long a lag between projects, I'd put my pen down and not pick it up for years because I'm easily distracted and have trouble staying on task. If I have a tight schedule, I'm forced to stay on task. For me, there is something about the constant pace a schedule demands that switches my brain into hyperfocus mode and allows me to get more done.

 

So, when a new novel is on the agenda, how do you jumpstart things?

 

I spend a couple of months working on my extremely long outline, tinkering with it for hours a day, sometimes sending it back and forth with my editor until we've worked out some things. At the same time, I research any topic I know is going to come up in the book. I will often write the opening chapters during this time. About four to six weeks (sometimes three) before my deadline, I go "into the book." I do absolutely nothing but write the book. It's like I'm going at the same pace as Josie while she's solving the case. I wake up and write all day. When I must break to eat or bathe or walk the dog, I'm still thinking about the book and what I'm going to write when I sit back down at my desk. I don't read during this time. I don't watch television. I don't go places or do anything. My husband quietly slides food across my desk and comes back later for my empty plate. Once I finish the first draft, it goes off to my editor. After that, there are two to three months of various rounds of editing and the pace is much slower. I then have plenty of downtime and I work on edits a few hours a day.

 

What's next for Detective Josie Quinn?

 

The next Josie Quinn book will be out on August 12th and in it, Josie must solve a case where members of a support group are being murdered one by one.

 

Last question: Pizza, tacos, or (being a Philly girl) cheesesteaks?

 

I don't want to cheat on cheesesteaks because they are a staple of my diet (Chubby's or Barry's only, thank you very much!). But I have to go with pizza. I could eat pizza for every meal for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

 

Thanks, Lisa! It was great talking with you.

 

For more about Lisa, check out her website, her Amazon author page, and her Facebook page.

 

 

(A version of this interview was first published in the Summer 2021 issue of Suspense Magazine.)

Meet Lanny Larcinese, Master of Noir

Lanny Larcinese didn't begin writing fiction until his late sixties, but he has already established himself as a respectable noir writer. His two crime novels, Death in the Family and I Detest All My Sins, are prime examples of his talent. He is currently shopping a third novel and just completed his fourth. Lanny is also active in the writing community, helping other writers establish themselves in the market, particularly in developing the Crime Writers Caravan to coordinate public events for fellow authors. Interviewing him proved to be enlightening.

 

 

Your novels Death in the Family and I Detest All My Sins are excellent examples of modern noir. Why your focus on noir?

 

I'm philosophically and temperamentally prone to see the dark side of human nature, as reflected by the Seven Deadly Sins. Also, my work is character-driven. Combining those two things lead me to noir, especially a character who knows what he's about to do is wrong but does it anyway. He can't help himself. Or can he?

 

 

What makes your fiction unique?

 

Not unique but not typical in that my work is theme-driven via characters experiencing events created to bring out their conflicts concerning moral themes. The genesis of my stories in my head always begins with a character with a problem. Also, my writing voice is unique, a weird combination of highly articulate and "street," or vernacular.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about writing?

 

The art of expression. Knowing I can create sentences that have never been said before by anyone, ever—neither as to form nor content. Not all of course, but many. It's a combination of being well-spoken or having a facility with language and an otherwise moral/immoral take on life.

 

 

I'm interested in your next novel, Fire in the Belly. What can you tell us about it? What inspired you to write the book?

 

I lived in Philadelphia as the event it's based on unfolded. As a maven of all things urban, I saw it as a dramatic microcosm of governmental incompetence, racism, and the unintended ricochet of hostile militance by a group whose cause was otherwise worthy. In 1985, the Philadelphia police dropped a bomb from a helicopter on the rowhouse headquarters of an anarcho/primitive/Black liberation cult. The resulting fire, at first allowed to burn, got out of hand and killed twelve cult members including five children, and burned sixty-one adjacent rowhouses to the ground. The homes were mostly owner-occupied by middle-class Black Philadelphians. They had been vacated pursuant to the police action against the cult. Nobody involved had clean hands except the neighbors who were victimized by both the cult and the police—which is not to say death was justified by the negligence which caused it.

 

I wrote the book substantially modifying the facts yet capturing the pros and cons of the positions of each of the entities involved—civic authorities, cops, and cult victims. The original event was grim, with not much edifying about it. My book reflects that. In my effort to be non-judgmental about the controversial event, I wrote purposely in a flat, quasi-reportorial tone. I want the reader to make the judgments. Dialogue by my main characters hews closely to the actual principals which inspired them, though much is added.

 

 

What research was involved when writing Fire in the Belly? Did you talk with police officers? Former MOVE members or neighborhood folks who witnessed the conflagration?

 

I lived through it, read books regarding it, read the MOVE Commission report, and re-read contemporary news and magazine articles. I hesitated to interview MOVE members since one of the original principals is still alive. I sought to keep my story a work of fiction and avoid a "true crime" treatment. Fire in the Belly adds many fictional story elements, especially to characters, while conforming to the overall arc of the actual event and much of their rhetoric gleaned from actual public pronouncements.  The "take" of each of the three groups involved were/are well-publicized, but I wanted the freedom to add my own take.

 

 

Who was the author who most inspired you to write?

 

Gosh, I was very well-read as a kid—fiction, history, poetry, classics, pot-boilers, philosophy, etc. so it's hard to pinpoint any one.  I am partial to Faulkner, and more modernly, Cormac McCarthy, for the rhythm of their language. Crime-wise, George V. Higgins, David Goodis, and James M. Cain are inspirations. I'm not a big Chandler guy but respect his place in the canon. Peter Blauner is also a contemporary writing crime in a graceful fashion.

 

 

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

 

a) finding my writing voice; b) ignorance of online publicity techniques and social media in general; and c) getting my work out there.

 

 

What's your worst nightmare?

 

A book or story gets published and distributed laden with errors.

 

 

You've attended writers' conferences such as the Crimes, Creatures, and Creativity con. How would you convince writers to attend such events?

 

Community is so important, and writers are the most forthcoming, egalitarian group I've ever been associated with. Nobody asks you what your publishing credits are, what awards you've won, or who you know; rather will happily exchange with you from minute one as if you're one of them—which you are. Writing is a glorious gift, publishing a nightmare and not for the faint of heart. Hearing that the big guys endure the same stuff while happily sharing what they know is a vaccine against discouragement.

 

 

You do readings at events, such as Noir at the Bar. Many writers would like to participate in readings but are hesitant because they fear public speaking. Any advice?

 

Only what works for me, i.e., a mindset that this piece is really good. It is well-written, clever, unique, and unusual. No one else but me could have written it this way and the world needs to hear it.

 

 

Last book you read? What are you reading now?

 

Now: Fellow Philadelphian James McCrone's Faithless Elector. Recent: Prelude to Intimacy, a memoir by Ira Einhorn, Philadelphia guru and murderer and quasi-model for my work in progress titled Get Bek. That manuscript currently awaits editing.

 

 

Dashiell Hammett, James Ellroy, or Patricia Highsmith?

 

Hammett all day.

 

 

What five books do you think are "must-reads" for novice writers?

 

How-to? None. Just write your damn book. Otherwise, find and dissect books or stories which grip you. Try to identify passages that set you up for an aha-moment or gave you a thrill or warmed your heart, etc. Note how they were done, and how the author did it. Finally, write, write, write. It's like playing tennis—eventually, your body tells you the optimum muscles and angles for the best shot. IMO, encouragement to keep writing is much more valuable than any substantive technique or silver bullet some "expert" will impart. The novice needs to discover what works best for them.

 

 

Many fiction writers prefer to read nonfiction for pleasure.  What nonfiction do you prefer?

 

History.

 

 

What was the last movie you watched?

 

Pitch Perfect. Don't tell anybody, I have a macho image to maintain.

 

 

Let's talk for a minute about your memoir, Women: One Man's Journey. What inspired you to write the book?

 

As of the time I wrote it, a lifelong quest to understand my relationship with women, beginning with my mother, and theirs with me. Also, to reconcile my direct experiences of women with many of the pronouncements of the feminist movement as it evolved. For me, a lot of the signals were mixed. Writing the memoir helped me to deeper understandings. It forced me to make an honest evaluation of how I resonated with women as a condition of better understanding them.

 

 

Scotch, bourbon, or beer?

 

Scotch to drink around the bar with others, but also a martini guy.

 

 

Last question … what do you do for fun?

 

These days, social media. Ninety-eight percent of my 3,500 or so friends are writers who are interesting and clever. I also listen to a lot of music on YouTube and enjoy all genres from all periods.

 

 

Thanks for a great interview, Lanny. And good luck with your further writing ventures.

You can read more about Lanny at his website, lannylarcinese.com

 

(A version of this interview was published in the December 2021 issue of Suspense Magazine.)

From Chasing Down Russian Subs to Writing Intense Suspense: Meet D.B. Corey

D.B. Corey didn't begin writing until he was in his mid-50s, after a wealth of interesting life experiences including a stint in the military and a career in IT. He now writes high-action suspense/thrillers that keep readers on the edges of their seats with expertly crafted characters and stories loaded with surprise twists and turns. If you enjoy intense fiction, D.B.'s got the goods!

 

I met D.B. a few years ago at the Creatures, Crime, and Creativity conference, and we immediately hit it off. I appreciate his willingness to answer a few questions for us.

 

 

Your first novel, Chain of Evidence, was published in 2013. Two more books, The Lesser Sin and The Unforgivable Sin, have been published since. How has your approach to writing changed over the years?

 

 I'd like to say I keep my nose to the grindstone, write for hours on end, and have no social life. But I actually write when I feel like it. I guess that's why it takes me 18 months to write a novel. Self-publishing allows me to do that as there is no deadline, so to speak. I lean toward series writing now, though. When I finish the Hanna Braver series, I'm going to bring Moby Truax (in Chain of Evidence) back as a stand-alone series character, which differs greatly from writing a connected series of novels.

 

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The Lesser Sin and The Unforgivable Sin are the beginning of the Hanna Braver series. In both books, Hanna is a CIA sniper in conflict over her profession and her Catholic faith. Just who is Hanna Braver?

 

Yes—book 1 and book 2, with book 3 on the way. Hanna is a product of my imagination. I've always been intrigued with the anti-hero, vigilante justice; the hero that does the wrong things for the right reasons. What better reason is there to do the wrong things than when justice fails you and the ones you love suffer? I didn't want a demure housewife who was wronged and must learn weapons, Kung-Fu, tactics, etc., like in Peppermint or The Terminator, so I created Hanna Braver, a gal with eyes like a hawk who works as a sniper for the CIA. That was fine for external conflict, but I wanted some gut-wrenching internal conflict as well. So, I threw in a healthy dose of my wife Maggie, a devout Catholic. I ended up with a strong female protagonist who is a woman of faith that kills within the confines of war, but struggles with her steadfast beliefs when she decides to commit murder and avenge her dead sister, thus jeopardizing her immortal soul.


Are you planning another novel in your Hanna Braver series?

 

Oh yes. Three is the charm as they say.

 

 

Have you considered writing outside the suspense genre?

 

I think Chain of Evidence was suspense/police procedural, but I think the Braver series is more action-oriented with elements of suspense running through it. When I think of suspense, I think of Alfred Hitchcock. He said (and I paraphrase), "It's not the bomb that creates the suspense, it's the minutes leading up to the explosion." Truer words were never spoken. I have putted around with Twilight Zone type horror, though. I have several ideas I'd like to get to one of these days.  

 

 

Mickey Spillane, Dashiell Hammett, or Michael Connolly?

 

Spillane. I like his gritty characters, settings, and dialogue.

 

 

Have you written any short fiction?

 

I have. Several of them appeared in the Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity (C3) anthologies and one in Insidious Assassins. Others are as yet unpublished.


After college, you joined the USNR flying aircrew aboard a Navy P-3 Orion chasing down Russian subs. How has your military experience impacted your writing career?

 

Hardly at all. I guess if I wrote military fiction, I would incorporate some of my experiences for authenticity.


A traditional publisher published your first novel, but you decided to self-publish after that. Why did you take that route?

 

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The ASININE ASSASSINS Kickstarter Campaign

I'm looking forward to publishing the third in Smart Rhino's "Assassins" series, ASININE ASSASSINS. Unlike UNCOMMON ASSASSINS and INSIDIOUS ASSASSINS, this new book includes stories of inept contract killers, absurd assassins, cockeyed hired guns, moronic murderers, and several of the worst hitmen (and women) you'd ever hope to never meet. Sure, there's suspense and intrigue. But there are plenty of laughs and fun, too.

 

But, like many small, independent publishers, Smart Rhino Publications has limited funding. So, that's why we've launched a Kickstarter campaign. Besides the usual costs (cover art, cover design, editing and proofreading, formatting, etc.), our chief reason to run a crowdfunding event is to be able to pay our writers fairly. We'd love to compensate the writers at a professional rate, but that's not possible with the funds currently available. Your support can make that happen.

 

We're proud to provide a venue for writers with our books and we can only continue to do so with your support. And the success of our most recent book feeds the production and promotion of the next one. And we do want the next one!

 

And there are numerous rewards for your support. Check out the Kickstarter page to see what we're offering. I'm sure you'll find something you'd like.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

 

Here's the Table of Contents for ASININE ASSASSINS. Excellent writers here, folks. They pretty much took the theme of the book and ran full tilt with it (and some are more "tilted" than others). You're sure to find some surprises in this diverse selection of stories. The titles alone should tempt you!

RIP HO, JASPERS! -- RICKY SPRAGUE

 
DUMBASS  -- F.J. TALLEY

 
THERE'S ONE FOR YOU, NINETEEN FOR ME -- CARSON BUCKINGHAM

 
UPCHUCK CHUCK -- BRUCE HARRIS

 
DIRTY POOL -- CHRIS BAUER

 
MR. BENEDICT'S WILD RIDE -- ROBIN HILL-PAGE GLANDEN

 
PAYBACK: WITH INTEREST -- MATT HILTON

 
SHOOTING FISH -- JAMES DORR

 
JUG HANDLES -- ALBERT TUCHER

 
SHORT-ORDER CROOK --  J. GREGORY SMITH

 
BLOOD IN THE URINE -- MARTIN ZEIGLER

 
JUST CALL WALLY -- WIL A. EMERSON

 
AIDING AND ABETTING -- ADRIAN LUDENS

 
LIZARDS AND OTHER VARMINTS -- SHARI HELD

 
KILLER FASHION -- MADDI DAVIDSON

 
ANGLING -- BEN GAMBLIN

 
SMALL CLAWS, SMALL GUNS -- JEZZY WOLFE

 
THE BUTCHER -- ROBERT PETYO

 
THE ADVENTURE OF THE ASININE ASSASSIN -- RICK HUDSON

 
THE LAST HIT -- ELDON LITCHFIELD

 
KILLINGS 4 SALE -- BLAIR KEETCH

 
THE THIRD DATE RULE --  JEFF MARKOWITZ

 
ONE GOOD THING -- KEVIN P. THORNTON

 

 

Any help you can offer during the Kickstarter campaign would be immensely appreciated. Thank you!

 

The ‘Thinking Person’s’ Horror and Suspense Fiction: Meet Greg F. Gifune

New York Times best-selling author Christopher Rice called him "the best writer of horror and thrillers at work today." Legendary author Ed Gorman said he was "among the finest dark suspense writers of our time." Greg F. Gifune has certainly earned an admirable reputation in the world of horror and suspense fiction.

 

Greg's novels, novellas, and short stories have been published all over the world and translated into several languages; received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, and others; is consistently praised by readers and critics alike, and has garnered attention from Hollywood. His novels, among many others, include Savages, Babylon Terminal, God Machine, Midnight Solitaire, Midnight Gods, and Drago Descending.

 

Greg's novel The Bleeding Season, originally published in 2003, has been hailed as a classic in the horror genre and is considered by many readers to be one of the best horror/thriller novels of our times.

 

 

 

Greg, let's start with The Bleeding Season, probably your first novel to thrust you into the limelight. Delirium Books published the first edition. I believe a new edition was recently reissued by Journalstone. What has been your experience working with various publishers throughout your career?

 

Yes, The Bleeding Season put me on the map, and it's continued to be in print and sell all over the world for years now. It's considered a cult classic, and many, including Famous Monsters of Filmland, listed it as one of the great horror novels alongside King's IT and McCammon's Boy's Life, so I'm very proud of it. It's done very well in Russia and Germany, so it has a broad fan base and a readership that is rather rabid in supporting the book.

 

The new edition is a fifteen-year anniversary edition that one of my publishers, Journalstone, released in 2018 and features a new introduction from Ronald Malfi (Bone White) and a new afterword from Eric Shapiro (Red Dennis). I'm happy to be with Journalstone. They have much of my backlist of novels and I'm doing new projects with them as well, including a new novella I wrote with Sandy DeLuca called Blue Hell that'll be out in March and available everywhere.

 

I'm fortunate in that I work with many great publishers, and my experience over the years has been incredibly good. I've had a few bad situations, of course, but everyone that's been in the business more than ten or fifteen minutes has too. Overall, I think I've had good relationships with almost all the publishers I've worked with in what's been a twenty-year career so far. Generally, it's been positive.

 

 

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And what advice would you offer authors who want to develop strong relationships with publishers?

 

I'd say be patient. Patience has never particularly been one of my strong suits, but it's something I've learned to develop in dealing with publishers. You must be open-minded, particularly when you're starting out. If you're working with professionals, people who know what they're doing—and odds are, if they're in those positions and you're just starting, they know more than you do—go in with an open mind and listen to what they tell you. A good editor is invaluable. I don't care what level of experience you have, an excellent editor only helps and makes the work, and by extension you, better.

 

I've been on both sides of that desk. I've worked for publishers as an editor, running lines and in acquisitions. I've worked in that capacity with seasoned veterans and newcomers, and the best experiences are always those that work as a partnership. A good editor doesn't write the novel or try to tell you how to write it. He or she simply guides you, keeps you focused and on track, and helps bring out the best in your work.

 

You must also realize there's nothing magical about publishers. They have good days and bad days like anyone else. As long as a publisher is honest, that's the key. If a publisher tells you something, it should happen. If it can't happen or doesn't, they should be upfront about why, and you go from there. Communications is big, and that (or should) go both ways because, to develop strong relationships with publishers, it's a two-way street. There must be mutual respect, and the publisher must want to work with their authors as much as authors want that with them. So, be a writer they want to work with again, who cares about what you and they are doing, and who wants to team with the publisher to make the book as good and as successful as it can be.

 

Do you believe there is true evil in the world, an underlying darkness that is beyond our control, the engine that drives the world? The Bleeding Season certainly suggests that.

 

The short answer is yes. 'Believe' is probably the wrong word because I think belief requires faith, in a sense, and suggests it's open to debate. For me, it's not. Evil is one engine driving the world. On the other hand, I think good drives it as well. It's usually a matter of which stream you want to swim in.

 

The Bleeding Season explores and suggests that, and I think there's a real-world parallel. It's a very personal novel. While it's fiction, there's also a good deal of truth in it, and the essence of what I explore in that novel is real. There's a lot of truth in terms of human behavior and the evil in the world. Much of it ties to a past of mine I don't talk about much, where my life went in a different direction than it is now. There's a deep truth to that novel and I think that's one reason it resonates with so many readers, has for so many years, and continues to.

 

The Bleeding Season is a harrowing, cerebral novel heavy on psychology—a thinking person's horror novel. Savages, on the other hand, reminded me of a '70s B movie—gruesome and fun. They're very different books with distinct styles. It was as if different authors wrote them. When you begin a novel, do you intentionally explore new writing styles, or does it just come down to the subject matter?

 

I don't necessarily explore different styles (in a technical sense), as my style remains more or less the same from one work to another. But Savages is a departure from my other novels. I'm glad it reminded you of 70s B movies because that's what I was going for. The whole idea behind Savages was to write a salute to those great 70s and 80s B drive-in movies that I've always loved and were great fun. That was my tip of the hat to that sort of thing. I stepped outside of what I normally do, and I think you're right that if you read Savages and then any number of other novels I've written, you'll see a difference.

 

My other work, as you said, is more cerebral and psychological. Then there are my crime novels, and most of them are something else again. But in terms of style, it pretty much stays the same. I just alter things for what I'm trying to accomplish or get across. And that's really what Savages was about, so it had to be written like a pulp exploitation novel or it wouldn't have worked.

 

 

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A Powerful First Line is Essential!

Many editors will tell you that, when plowing through a slush pile of freelance submissions, they often never get past the first sentence of a story, much less the first paragraph. Writers may think this unfair, but an editor's instinct about a story is usually dead on -- if the first few lines of a story don't snare your attention, you're not likely to read further.

 

Strong, compelling first lines are critical.

 

Consider the following examples of first lines from best-selling authors.

 

Everything, Sam Peebles decided later, was the fault of the god-damned acrobat. If the acrobat hadn't gotten drunk at exactly the wrong time, Sam never would have ended up in such trouble. ("The Library Policeman" by Stephen King)
 
Red Tongue Jurgis (we called him that because he ate red-hots all the time) stood under my window one cold October morning and yelled at the metal weathercock on top of our house. ("The Last Circus" by Ray Bradbury)
 
It was hell's season, and the air smelled of burning children. ("Gone South" by Robert McCammon)
 
On the night after the day she had stained the louvered window shutters of her new apartment on East 52nd Street, Beth saw a woman slowly and hideously knifed to death in the courtyard of her building. ("The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" by Harlan Ellison)
 
Barberio felt fine, despite the bullet. ("Son of Celluloid" by Clive Barker)

Well-written first lines engage the inquisitive human brain, pulling us into a story by appealing to our natural curiosity, appealing to our emotions, or ideally both. And very often brevity enhances those appeals. (Barker's six-word sentence, for example, begs many questions that urge you to read more.) First lines should raise questions in our minds, with the promise that the answers will be divulged if we continue reading the story. First lines should jumpstart the reader's imagination. The excellent writer understands the psychology of the reader and uses this knowledge to manipulate, entertain, and even educate the reader -- right out of the gate.

 

Consider the first sentence from Harlan Ellison's "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs." Ellison was inspired to write this short story after the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964; Genovese was stabbed repeatedly near her apartment in New York City, and the murder was witnessed by 38 of her neighbors who did not interfere with the killer, despite the woman's screams for help. Ellison starts the story with mention of a mundane chore (painting louvered window shutters), then counterpoints this with a knifing in Beth's courtyard. Subtle psychology going on here. In one sentence, Ellison has us hooked. What did Beth do? What happened next? Who was the slain woman? The murderer? How can you not read more?

 

If you are a fiction writer, spend a good deal of time tailoring the first sentence or two of your stories. Consider the questions you want in your reader's mind as the story begins, then write a lead that plants those questions -- and drive them to read more.

 

 

Stand-Up and Comics and Horror, Oh My: Meet Jasper Bark

Jasper Bark has a problem staying out of trouble. Much to our entertainment, he's embraced this lifelong ambition to find trouble and use it as the content for his writing. His broad experience has given us incredible horror stories, comics, and even a children's "pop-up" book of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. There's not much the man can't do, creatively speaking. Plus, he has a distinct, if somewhat warped, sense of humor. Interviewing him proved to be an adventure.

 

 

Let's start by dispelling a rumor. Do you really write in the nude?

 

Only when I'm trying to summon a Batrachian Daemon to spitball story ideas. But that has its drawbacks because those daemons are pretty possessive when it comes to their ideas, and there's nothing worse than being taken to court for plagiarism in a hell dimension. I mean, jeez, their legal system, talk about Kafkaesque.

 

Plus, as I'm constantly explaining to my wife, and the Mailman, technically it's not nudity if I'm dripping in Yak's blood.

 

You once performed (and maybe you still do) stand-up poetry. How did that happen? And did stand-up comedy have anything to do with it?

Did comedy have anything to do with it? I guess that would depend on how drunk my audiences were.

 

I have worked as both a stand-up and a performance poet over the years. Stand-up gigs pay much better than poetry gigs. At one point I combined the two, so I could cover twice the number of venues with the same set. Hence stand-up poetry.

 

I began stand-up when I was 15 years old. There weren't any comedy clubs in the North of England where I lived, which was very blue-collar. In those days, the comedy clubs were all down in the south of the UK, which was much richer. So, I played Working Men's Clubs, which had cheap beer and blue comedians. I used to skip school and hitchhike to the venues. Technically I was way too young to be in any of those places, but they let me in for some reason. I think it was because I looked about 12, had a potty mouth, and the customers found it hilarious.

 

I left school at 16, which you could do in the UK back in the '80s, and, having no qualifications and no other trade, I led a hand-to-mouth/gig-to-gig existence as a stand-up and actor throughout my late teens and twenties, eventually making quite a few 'blink and you'll miss me' appearances on TV. It was the closest I could get to running away to join the circus.

 

Some of your fiction runs to erotic horror, with a side of dark humor. Is this an intentional recipe (erotic fiction + horror with a dash of humor) or one that just comes naturally to you?

I think it's a little of both. Comedy, horror, and erotica are closely connected in a number of ways. First, they tend to be dismissed, or looked down on, by mainstream literature, so they're interesting places to do something subversive. Second, they're genres that want a specific reaction from their audience. At a basic level, they all involve building tension and then releasing it. For comedy the release is a laugh, for horror it's a scream and with erotica it's … y'know … I've always viewed horror as a particularly dark form of humor. It's a jet-black school of comedy where the laugh freezes in the throat and becomes a scream. Then again, most comedy involves people in awful and embarrassing situations too. We laugh as a way of distancing ourselves from their predicament because, if we didn't, we might shudder instead.

 

Horror is also an extremely stimulating and exciting genre, it gets the heart racing in the same way that a piece of really good erotica might. Think how much your heart races watching a slasher movie, and how much it races the first time you take someone to bed. There's always been a subconscious link between Thanatos (the death drive) and Eros. That's why, with the right person, horror films are surprisingly good date movies.

 

I love the visceral nature of all three genres. I love the fact that they provoke a reaction in the audience. I don't just want to make the reader think. I want you to laugh out loud in some passages. I want you to put the book down and jump on your lover, in others, and occasionally I want to make you lose your lunch. So that's why I tend to mix them up. I don't just want you to put down one of my books and say: "hmm, well, that was nice."

Your novel The Final Cut is about two filmmakers who are forced to watch a snuff film. The plot is a mix of crime, horror, and urban fantasy. I'm curious. How did you research this one? Read More 

For Action-Oriented Female Characters, You Can't Beat DV Berkom

DV Berkom loves strong, intelligent, smart-ass, and kick-ass female characters. So, it's not surprising that the USA Today best-selling author of two action-packed thriller series features impressive female leads: Kate Jones and Leine Basso. Her drive to create such women stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers—and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

After a lifetime of moving to places people typically like to visit on vacation, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and several imaginary characters who like to tell her what to do. Her most recent books include Dakota Burn, Absolution, Dark Return, The Last Deception, Vigilante Dead, A Killing Truth, and Cargo. She's currently working on her next thriller.

DV was happy to entertain some questions from us. If you enjoy reading (and perhaps writing) thrillers, you just might find her experiences and advice enlightening.

 

Thanks for playing along with us! Let's start with the obvious questions. What do you find most appealing about writing series? Do you think series are easier to write and market than stand-alone novels?

 

Other than short stories, I've only ever written a series—I really love them. The form gives me the ability to explore the main character much more in-depth than a stand-alone novel. Plus, I get to concentrate on the story, the setting, and the secondary characters since I'm familiar with the MC and don't have to build her from scratch. But easy to write? I'd have to say writing, in general, is about as easy as balancing on top of a unicycle in the middle of the I-5 during a Seattle rush hour, while sipping a cocktail and having a conversation with my editor.

 

As for marketing, I think having a series is definitely easier than writing one-offs. There are so many more entry points for a reader and, if they love a character, many will burn through the entire series, which helps tremendously.

 

When creating a series character like Leine Basso or Kate Jones, is the character growth and maturation planned or a natural progression?

 

To be completely honest, I started both series without a plan of any sort. At that point in my writing career, I was a pantser (seat of your pants writer). I'd sit down with a sketchy idea of what I wanted to accomplish, and then just have at it. While that was terrific fun, I ended up writing myself into so many corners that I would spend hours revising scenes so they'd work. Yeah, my novels used to take a LOT longer to write back then. Now, I usually work up an outline that I try to refer to when I get stuck. I say try because one of my later Leine Basso thrillers, Dakota Burn, went entirely off the rails because I got caught up in the storyline and completely forgot I'd written one. When I finally came up for air, I read through said outline and thought, "Huh. Well, that would have worked too."

 

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So, to answer your question, character growth for both Kate and Leine was a natural progression in the beginning (re: pantser days), then became a bit more planned as I worked my way through each of the series.

 

What do you think, will Leine and Kate ever cross paths?

 

Lots of readers have asked me that question. I've considered it, just haven't found the right story yet. It would definitely be an interesting encounter. They're so different—Leine is the calm, objective, capable professional, while Kate is an emotional, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kinda gal. But both are gutsy, independent women, so there is that.

 

Bourne or Bond?

 

Tough choice. I grew up reading Bond, and never miss a 007 movie, but I can say the same for Bourne. If I absolutely have to choose and we're talking movies, I'd say Bourne. The action scenes are soooo good (although I really like Daniel Craig as Bond). The books are a toss-up. I'd be happy with either.

 

Let's talk about Leine for a minute. She's a former government assassin. What research was required to develop her character?

 

If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Seriously, since I'm not exactly an international assassin, I had a lot of help. I'm fortunate to know several folks I can turn to for information who have been in similar situations as my character. First and foremost, I have a great relationship with a former Special Forces sniper. We met through a friend's Zoomba class if you can believe it. He made me meet him there (I'd never Zoomba'd in my life) and make a total ass of myself before he'd talk to me. It was great fun and soooo worth it J I'm also good friends with several law enforcement folks, and some people who possibly-might-have-been-okay-yes-they-were on the other side of that line. Then, once I've nailed down the human side of it, I dig deep and research as much as I can. I try to get to every place I write about, but if that isn't possible, I have friends all over the world I can rely on to help with logistics and setting.

 

I love to travel and have been to all kinds of places. So I can draw on those experiences, as well. I've also practiced with several different weapons throughout the years, so I have a familiarity with firearms.

 

As for her inner demons, we all have those to some degree. I'm great at playing what if and imagining how a character would feel if such and such happened (some call it empathetic, I say neurotic), but I also have a ton of experiences to draw from. One of the many perks of growing older…

 

Leine is something of a badass, no-holds-barred woman, with a bit of satire and dark humor mixed in. How much fun is she to write?

 

Way too much fun. My whole reason for creating Leine was to show that a woman can be a badass, but also have a human side. As one reader put it, she's effed up from her past but tries to work through that as best as she can—kind of like all of us.

 

Dark humor is second nature to me, so it had to bleed through into my books. Serial Date, the first novel I wrote with Leine Basso as the lead character, was intended to be a stand-alone thriller. I needed a strong female that could go toe-to-toe with a cannibal/serial killer. A former government assassin seemed the way to go. Both kill, but for different reasons. Are they really so different? I try to answer that question in the novel. The story itself came from a twisted dream I had, and I just let loose on the characters. The satire in the book (which is pretty much nonexistent in the later novels) was my response to the plethora of serial killer thrillers and reality shows on television at the time. Why not write about a reality show where ex-cons pose as serial killers and women vie for the opportunity to hook up with them? We're not that far from those kinds of "reality" based programs right now.

 

How much of Leine Basso is DV Berkom?

 

Good question. There's definitely some element of me in all my books—I don't think a writer can ever really erase that, and I don't think they should. It's what makes one book different from the others. That being said, Leine's tougher, more attractive, and a hell of a lot better shot than I am.

 

What is your most vexing problem when writing?

 

You'd think after 15+ novels, things would get easier. If anything, it's harder. I tend to jump into a book with great enthusiasm, then about 15k words in I wonder what the hell I was thinking. 20k to 50k I figure it'll be my last book, since I obviously don't know what I'm doing. 55k in and I'm finding it hard to dress—jammies and T-shirts all the way. At 60k+ personal hygiene takes a backseat, as does anything remotely resembling housecleaning. And then it's all unicorns and rainbows because I finished the book and I can start another one. Much champagne is had and life is wonderful. It's a wonder my long-suffering partner, Mark, doesn't just live at the nearest bar.

 

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

 

Work in finance? Seriously, I probably wouldn't change much. Every writer has to go through their own trajectory. Mine has been all kinds of fun, but also filled with challenges, which is the whole point, I think. I tend to remember the lesson more if it was difficult. Sad, but true.

 

Columbo or McGyver?

 

McGyver, definitely. Action, action, action.

 

You're planning a backyard barbecue and you can invite three special guests—authors or fictional characters, contemporary or from the past. Who do you invite? And what conversation would you hope to initiate?

 

Papa Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, and Miles Davis. Music, writing, and sarcasm—what more could a gal want? Of course, I'd ask them all to bring their friends. And, if I could have one more guest, I'd absolutely invite Amelia Earhart and ask her what happened when she and Fred Noonan disappeared.

 

Any new authors that have snared your interest?

 

I'm always on the lookout for new authors. Lately, I've been reading Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series (yeah, I know—I'm late to the party), but I also enjoy Tim Tigner, Carmen Amato, Andrew Warren, Kristi Belcamino, Mark Dawson, and scads of others that would take up way too much space to list here.

 

Who is your favorite superhero? And why?

 

Every woman I've ever met. From my mother and sister to friends and acquaintances to people I've only read about, women have proven to be resilient, fearless, and amazing. I am in awe of all of them.

 

Can you tell us about your current project?

 

I just published Leine Basso #10, Shadow of the Jaguar. This time, Leine's in South America in the Amazon, searching for a member of an expedition on the trail of a kind of El Dorado—a city of gold. I wanted to write more of an action-adventure similar to Cargo (Leine Basso #5), and the whole searching for a lost city thing really intrigued me. The entire time I was writing the book, though, I kept berating myself for attempting such a clichéd plotline (especially since so many other authors have already done it so well), so I worked hard to make the idea fresh rather than a rehash of the genre. From what early readers have said, I succeeded.

 

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Thanks, DV, for a great interview. It was fun!

For more information, visit her website at www.dvberkom.com. To be the first to hear about new releases and subscriber-only offers, go to bit.ly/DVB_RL

 

(A version of this interview was published in the 2020 Spring issue of Suspense Magazine.)

Alan Orloff: From Mechanical Engineering to Engineering Thriller, Mystery, and Horror Fiction

Alan Orloff has had a diversified career during his lifetime, far more than most folks. Lucky for us, he's now settled into writing awarding-winning novels and short stories. His debut mystery, Diamonds for the Dead, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. His novel, Pray for the Innocent, won the 2019 ITW Thriller Award in the Best E-Book Original category.

 

Alan's short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and other publications, including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, Noir at the Salad Bar, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and many others.  His story, "Rule Number One" was selected for the 2018 edition of The Best American Mystery Stories anthology. His story, "Happy Birthday" (published on Shotgun Honey), was a 2018 Derringer Award Finalist in the Flash Fiction category. And his story, "Dying in Dokesville" (published in Mystery Most Geographical) won the 2019 Derringer Award in the Short Story category.

 

Alan is always willing to chat with readers and fellow writers. So, it was no surprise when he agreed—without hesitation—to talk with us for Suspense Magazine.

 

Alan, thanks for chatting with us. You come from a diverse background. A degree in mechanical engineering, an MBA. You've worked on nuclear submarines, at a marketing research firm, and have even driven a forklift, among many other things. Now you're a full-time writer. How in the world did that happen?

A very good question, one that my wife asks me all the time. I wish I had a better answer, but one day I just decided to give writing a try. While I never (never!) had taken a creative writing class (or shown any desire to do so), I'd always been a big reader. I guess I finally got fed up reading other people's stories and wanted to write my own! I started slow, with a proof of concept. Could I write a short story? I did, it didn't stink (too bad), so I took a few workshops, then a few more, and kept at it. Still doing it, too.

 

 

Tell us about your  thriller, Pray for the Innocent.

 

Don't hate me, but I woke up at 4 am with the premise for this novel fully formed in my head. I recommend this method very highly! (Although, every morning since, when I wake up WITHOUT a great idea in my idea, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed.) The book kicks off with a slight sci-fi twist and then it's off to the races. (It was fortunate enough to win the ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original.) Here's a brief description:

 

In the shadow of the Pentagon, a secret DoD brain research experiment goes terribly wrong, and an ex-Special Ops soldier escapes, believing he is Viktor Dragunov, the Russian operative from the 80's thriller novel, Attack on America. To capture him, the Feds turn to the person uniquely qualified to predict his next moves, the man who created the fictional character, best-selling author Mathias King.

Now a reclusive English professor, King is reluctant to get involved, having sworn off the culture of violence after a deranged fan murdered his wife. But when innocent people start dying, King is thrust back into that dark world. With help from his enthusiastic graduate assistant Emily Phan, King must outsmart his own creation--while outmaneuvering the cover-up-loving Feds--before Dragunov succeeds in his hell-bent mission.

To destroy America.

 

 

Your first novel, Diamonds for the Dead, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. What was your inspiration for that book?

Two things came together for this novel. When I was around ten years old or so, my family discovered we had some relatives in Russia who were being persecuted. They'd been in and out of jail and were struggling to immigrate to Israel. I also had another relative, local, who I only saw on holidays. He was a diminutive man who always laughed at my jokes and enjoyed his schnapps just a little too much. I combined these two ideas to come up with the beginnings of my story.

 

You've self-published three horror novels—The Taste, First Time Killer, and Ride-Along—as Zak Allen. Why self-publish? And why did you decide to go with the pseudonym?

 

A few things factored into my decision. I got this great idea for a horror novel (in my opinion, of course), and I couldn't NOT write it. So I did. But my agent at the time didn't represent horror, so I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. At the time, many writers were having success self-publishing, and I figured I might as well give it a try. I discovered I wasn't very good at it. Of course that didn't stop me from trying again. And again. I think I've learned my lesson (at least for a while)—I'll do the writing and I'll leave the marketing and promotion to the professionals.

 

I used a semi-pseudonym (Alan Orloff writing as Zak Allen") to keep reader expectations in check. I didn't want those readers who enjoyed Diamonds for the Dead (a nonviolent, traditional mystery) to pick up another "Alan Orloff" expecting one thing, only to be grossed out reading about cannibals. Don't get me wrong—grossing out readers is fine, as long as they get sufficient warning!

 

 

Your Last Laff Mystery Series—Killer Routine and Deadly Campaign—has a comedian as your lead character. Do you have experience as a stand-up comic or have you worked in a comedy club? If not, what research did you do to write the novels?

I've never tried to perform comedy on stage—too terrifying. But as an experiment, I worked up about twenty minutes of "open-mic night quality" material to use at book events (for those people not familiar with open-mic nights, the routines can be really, really bad). I discovered that having an audience made up of your friends who have come out to support your book launch reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the heckling! You can actually see one of these events on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjcM7...

 

What authors inspired or influenced your writing?

In high school, while all the other students were laboring over James Joyce and William Faulkner, I was reading Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and Stephen King. Then Dean Koontz and Harry Harrison and Robert C. Clarke. In the 80's, I was working in Boston and my boss introduced me to a PI named Spenser. I devoured all those books as fast as I could.

 

Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, or Lawrence Block?

 

Put me down for Block.

 

 

You've completed the Herndon (VA) Police Department's Citizen's Police Academy. How has that advanced your career?

 

I wanted to write about crime, but I was a child of white-bread suburbia. So I took the Citizen's Police Academy to learn a few things. And learn I did! We talked about gangs and drugs, we saw a K9 demonstration, we got to use a LIDAR gun, we went to the shooting range to use a real gun, we visited the detention center, and we went on a ride-along. In fact, my ride-along experience was so incredible that I wrote a novel called … (wait for it) … Ride-Along.

 

 

We met at the Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity conference. What would you tell new writers are the benefits of attending such events?

 

I love conferences and conventions. In addition to learning about craft, you can also learn about the business of publishing (a squirrelly business, I have to say). Perhaps most important are the connections you can make with other writers. Writers are fascinating people, and they come to the table with such a wide variety of experiences—both within and outside of publishing.

 

 

On a similar note, you teach fiction-writing classes at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. How would you "sell" this to a young writer? What do you personally find most fulfilling doing this?

 

There's a saying: "Some writers are born, others are taught." Actually, I believe that most writers—no matter how much innate talent they might possess—can benefit from taking classes and workshops. There are so many writers looking to get published that you have to be really, really good to stand out from the crowd. For me, the benefits are twofold: I always learn something while teaching, and it feels good to be able to help beginning writers—we were all beginning writers once!

 

 

Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, or Quentin Tarantino?

Three faves, but I'll go with Scorsese.

 

 

If you could have written any classic novel, from any time period, what would it be?

I'm not really into the classics, unless Agatha Christie counts. I thought the device Christie used in Murder on the Orient Express was very clever. I wish I'd thought of the idea behind Jurassic Park. A dinosaur theme park, with real live dinosaurs? Brilliant.

 

 

Do you think about marketing at all when you're in the "creative mode"? In other words, do you tailor your work to its potential market?

I wrote The Taste, so you would think that potential markets don't factor into my writing. They definitely should, however! I have noticed that, increasingly, I'll put aside the more outlandish ideas I get and work on stuff that is a little more mainstream (read: marketable).

 

 

Tell us about I Know Where You Sleep, your latest release.

I was very excited about the release of I Know Where You Sleep (Down & Out Books, February 2020) because it's my first private eye novel! (I got to join the Private Eye Writers of America.) And working with the very passionate people at Down & Out Books has been great, too.

 

Here's a description:

 

"I know where you play," rasps an ominous voice on the phone at Jessica Smith's gym. "I know where you pray," whispers the same voice at her church. The police are no help, so Jessica, tired of fleeing and unwilling to be cowed into hiding, turns to her last resort—PI Anderson West.

 

West dives into Jessica's case, pro bono. With some overzealous help from his loose-cannon sister Carrie, he unearths a horde of suspicious men in Jessica's life—vindictive ex-beaus, squirrelly co-workers, skittish boyfriend wannabes. But are any twisted enough to terrorize her?

 

After the stalker breaks into Jessica's bedroom—I know where you sleep—and she goes missing, West must find her before the stalker does. Or before Jessica tries something foolhardy, like facing up to the tenacious bastard on her own, armed only with a handgun and a prayer.

 

 

And, last question, just for fun: Ginger or Mary Ann?

 

Mary Ann. Ginger is a little too high class (and high maintenance) for me. I'm a down-to-earth guy, and Mary Ann seems a little more my speed.

 

 

Always fun to talk with you Alan!

 

For more information about Alan Orloff, check his website at http://alanorloff.com/ and his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alanorloff.

(This interview first appeared in the Winter 2019 issue of Suspense Magazine.)

The Glorious Fountain Pen: A Friend to Every Writer

Unfortunately, it's becoming a rarity to see handwritten anything these days, our society is so inundated with technology and driven by word-processing systems. Many deem handwriting inefficient. Why write longhand when you can pound away at a keyboard and watch your work magically appear on a computer screen?

 

Good question.

 

I work on computers, desktop and laptop, every day. My regular job as an editor and writer demands that I sit in front of a computer screen and churn out words. However, as a freelance author, I write my first drafts, fiction and nonfiction, using my favorite writing instrument, a fountain pen. Let me tell you why. 

 

I have many notebooks filled with potential story ideas, snippets of dialogue, random plot points, research—anything that can be put to paper. In fact, what you are reading now started as ink on paper. I find the fountain pen to be more fluid and less stressful on the hand than other pens, especially ballpoint pens that require more pressure on paper when writing. With a fountain pen, the thoughts stream from the brain straight to the page. It greases the "writing" gears.

 

I'm sure many of you have a similar process. From brain to pen to paper seems more creative and natural than pounding on a keyboard and watching digitized letters appear on a monitor. Don't you agree? Maybe I'm just old school and younger writers approach the creative process differently. But I think using a fountain pen is the better way to go. Hey, if ink on paper was good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me.

 

Writing is an art. Using a fountain pen with ink is like using a brush with paint. Writing with a fountain pen is much like freestyle "doodling." You can quickly draw diagrams in the margins to visualize a scene you're developing, even draw a simple illustration of the story as you move along. A fountain pen offers a freedom to release your creativity that you simply can't achieve using a computer. Using a pen in hand is a natural process. Transferring that work to the computer is a mechanical process. Huge difference. Working on a computer seems more of a commitment—and certainly less fun than using a fountain pen.

 

I used a fountain pen throughout high school and college. But, when I began working as a full-time writer, editor, and publisher, a computer became a necessity. Only recently have I returned to using a fountain pen—and now wonder why I'd avoided my old friend for so many years. I prefer a Pilot, but also occasionally use a Waterman pen. 

 

Long before the typewriter and the computer, writers depended on pen and ink. So, I feel a part of that honored tradition. I and many other lovers of fountain pens are in good company. 

 

Arthur Conan Doyle and Graham Greene preferred the Parker Duofold.

 

Neil Gaiman wrote his novel Stardust using a Waterman pen. He wanted to experience writing the book as a writer in the 1920s would. He also changed ink colors daily to track his progress.

 

In a 2001 interview, Stephen King said that he thought his Waterman fountain pen was "the world's finest word processor." His son, Joe Hill, also writes longhand with a fountain pen. Must run in the family.

 

Mark Twain, Dylan Thomas, Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, Salman Rushdie, Peter Straub, H.P. Lovecraft. I could go on and on. Many renowned authors over the years have favored fountain pens. 

 

So, are you looking to spark your creative writing? Grab a fountain pen and a notepad ... and let it flow!