7 Deadly Questions with author Sean Keefer

 

1. In your debut thriller THE TRUST, you tell the story of attorney Noah Parks and what seems to be the simple task to probate a will. Of course, nothing is ever as it seems and Parks' efforts lead to some very unsettling places and discoveries. Talk to me about your inspiration for THE TRUST.

I describe myself to people as a struggling writer who supports himself by practicing law.  I've been an attorney for 15 years and during that time I have seen a lot of bizarre situations into which people have worked themselves.

I've also learned in the practice of law nothing is ever simple.  There's always another side to the coin or another layer to the story.

I expect this as the norm and in my practice and everyday life I frequently find myself wondering, "What if…," or "How would things turn out were 'X' to happen…"

The Trust was basically a product of these random thoughts.  I found myself continually returning to the question of how an attorney would react if his name appeared in a will in a situation where he had never heard of the deceased maker of the will or otherwise knew nothing about the matter.

After a few months of thinking about this, I started writing and the story unfolded itself from there.

2. Blame it on John Grisham, but I've always assumed that the best legal thrillers must be written by attorneys.  How much did your profession help and/or hinder your writing process?

I'm a firm believer in the statement that you write what you know.  I'm an attorney so I felt it only natural to pull my inspiration from the legal field.  I would simply have not been able to write a book about sailing or art collecting.

I found my practice to be crucial to the writing process, but I also had to be very guarded to make sure I didn't let my training as a lawyer interfere too much.

For instance, there are several procedural points in the book such as the process one must go through to administer a will, proper courtroom procedure, the manner in which an arrest is made or in which a person's bail is decided, etc.

For me on all of these points it was pretty uncomplicated to write having had the experience previously.  I didn't have to do a great deal of research as I could draw from personal having handled a number of similar matters myself.

However, my professional experience was a bit of a burden at some points.  For example, I completely avoided the area of law in which I routinely practice.  I didn't want any of my clients remotely thinking I had taken any license with their actual case or cases.  As well, I had to keep in mind that it was okay for me to vary a bit from the norm in my dealing with a situation.

The lawyer in me didn't want to cut any corners even when the story really called for it.  It was also difficult for me to create certain situations in the book where I knew in real life as an attorney I would have actually avoided the situation or would have handled it differently.

All things considered though, I believe that being an attorney made the book easier for me to write as I felt I could spot potential problems or challenging situations before they became a problem.

3. Setting plays a vital role in THE TRUST. Talk to me about how the South Carolina setting for THE TRUST influenced your characters and the story.

I don't believe I could have set the book anywhere other than the South Carolina coast without it feeling awkward.  Now this is in no way meant to say this story could only have happened in Charleston, South Carolina.

Rather when I close my eyes and imagine a setting, in my mind's eye I picture the Charleston, South Carolina area.  Whether it is a courtroom or a street corner, a beach or a neighborhood, the area I know and am most comfortable writing about is l the South Carolina coast.

I've been fortunate in that I have traveled across not only my native South Carolina, but also across the entire North American continent.  Even with all of my travels, there are only a few places I felt I could have used as the primary setting for any book.

It is one thing for me to have visited a place a few times and be able to describe the look of the area, but for me I find I have to have a substantial connection with a locale to effectively write about it and for me, the place where I feel the strongest connection is the lowcountry of South Carolina.

If I had set the book elsewhere I don't believe the story would have been as effective.

4. Without giving too much away, the contents of a mysterious safe deposit box are central in THE TRUST.  If you could lock three things away only to be revealed after your death what would they be and why?

1 – The first draft of The Trust so I wouldn't have to worry about people seeing how much work it needed after I thought I had finished it.

2 – The recipe for my Asparagus Risotto.  I think everyone should have one secret recipe.

3 –  A treasure map.  I could only imagine how surprised everyone would be to find a treasurer map after I had passed on to the great beyond.  I'd leave something to be discovered, but what it would be would be my little secret.

5. How would Noah Park fare in a trial against other lawyers from literature?  Could he handle Jake Brigance from Grisham's A TIME TO KILL? What if he stood toe to toe with Perry Mason?

I like to think that if an attorney is prepared for his case he could go against any other attorney, but with those two attorneys from the world of fiction, you pick up a few qualities that are not always present in every attorney.

With Brigance, there was a sense to a higher calling beyond the mere guilt or innocence of his client.  He was tested at every level, personally, professionally, morally, and ethically.  He kept his focus and was able to navigate numerous pitfalls, anyone of which could have caused his downfall.

Perry Mason, through the numerous books in which he appeared and the television series of the same name introduced legions to the crime drama that is so much of a mainstay today.  Perry Mason's talent was in his exhaustive investigation and his uncanny ability to generally find new evidence and have a culprit confess to the benefit of Mason's client.

Both Brigance and Mason share a number of similar characteristics and I like to think Noah Parks is cut from the same vein.  However, I believe that the tests that were thrown Parks' way in The Trust pushed him close to his limit.  As well, Brigance and Mason had the lofty goals of serving justice or the law as their motivation.  I would be remise if I didn't point out that while Parks' clearly wanted justice to prevail, he was also motivated by the girl.

I think Parks could hold his ground against both of these attorneys but it would be a trial that would certainly draw a lot of attention.  Perhaps a modern day Inherit the Wind.

6. What's next? Another legal thriller? Any plans to venture into other genres?

Presently I'm working on a follow up to The Trust.  It deals with several of the main characters and picks up where they left off.  It too is another legal thriller.

That having been said, I've developed a non-legal thriller.  It will be straightforward mystery/suspense though I will, based on how I write, have to have some thriller elements included.

7. Where can readers learn more about you?

Readers can follow me on Twitter @thetrustnovel for up to the minute, or at least, up to the several times a day, reports of what is going on with me, the book, the follow up and my web site. They can also check out SeanKeefer.com where I have an excerpt from The Trust, my blog and a load of other information.

 

About Sean

After studying law in North Carolina, Sean settled in Charleston, South Carolina and instantly became enamored with the people as well as the city he chose to call his home. Of course this is no surprise, Charleston makes it easy for this to happen.

Inspired by a life long love of the written word, without planning, one day Sean began writing. A page became a chapter which ultimately became a book known as The Trust. Hopefully if you are reading this bio you either have, or soon will have, your own copy of his debut novel.

The experience of taking a novel from conceptualization to print has been one of frustration, reward, learning and old fashion hard work. It was an accomplishment just to have finished the novel. Each step from the first words hitting the page to the eve of the publication of The Trust has been a personal reward for Sean and, as this first novel comes to publication, at least one more is in the works.

When Sean is not writing he practices Family Law and works as a Domestic Mediator. Sean can frequently be found wandering the Lowcountry of South Carolina with his camera, playing guitar in assorted venues around Charleston or exploring the underwater world of the southeastern US.

Sean lives with his wife and two Australian Shepherds in Charleston, South Carolina.