The Interview that Didn't Run in the Charlotte Examiner

I'm happy to say that this interview with Stephanie Schmitz of the Charlotte Examiner is one of the best I've given. A lot of the credit goes to Schmitz, who pushed me to think hard about the answers. I like the way I described the layers of Cleansing Eden. It's hard to sum up the surface stories and underlying philosophies.

 

While I come across as serious in this interview, here's a fun fact. This was actually the second round of answers. I was in a Maynard Soloman mood for the first time around. That didn't fit the feel of the Examiner. I took no offense and reworked the answers. I was a guest, after all.

 

You can read that second, respectable interview here.

 

As for the first, unpublished interview (typed after a mass injection of coffee), have at it right here:

 

1. Tell me about your novel with Trestle Press.

 

It's a crime thriller called, Cleansing Eden, and it is one helluvan original undertaking. Lots of creative thrills you won't dig up anywhere else. Just look what I just did with the word "helluva." Changed it to "helluvan" so it fits with "original." That kind of blow-your-mind stuff.

 

In all seriousness, I worked on Cleansing Eden for five years because I didn't want my debut to be underwhelming. I wanted to do something different, with tons of layers that open up the more times you read it.

 

For example, I named one of the characters Ben and one of them Nick. I did this only so I could have a fictional conversation with my brother, Nick, who died when he and I were young.

 

There are names that change throughout the book as the characters develop their identities. It's very slight.

 

The "drug" in the novel adapts depending on who needs it. Sometimes it's this fictional thing called Bluegrasse. Other times it's submitting to a boss to advance a career. Or maybe it's pop culture. Each of those three things will get you euphoric, but there are consequences.

 

Here's the straight rundown of Cleansing Eden:

 

"When a smooth-talking stranger offers aimless runaway Nick Eden a way off the streets, he jumps on the chance at a new life. The stranger provides the things Nick never had: regular meals, a warm place to sleep, plenty of praise and a peculiar drug called Bluegrasse.

 

"But there's a catch. The stranger's purpose for Nick is killing celebrities deemed too damaging to society.

 

"As the body count rises, Nick must choose what means more to him: a twisted sense of purpose or the lives of the people he's called to kill."

 

2. How did you meet the infamous Giovanni Gelati? Tell us about how he invited you to be a part of Trestle Press.

 

He's infamous now? Jeez, I guess he finally went ahead and killed that guy. Talked about it for years. I never thought he had it in him.

 

I saw a blog post from him and, no shit, I left this exact comment:

 

"Yo, Gelati! What's the scoop on Trestle Press? Heard a lot about it, seen its name sky-written above high school football games, was mugged by its hired goons, and yet, I can't nail down if it has a website."

 

Those hired goons eventually forced me to sign a contract. I don't want to stir the wrath of Giovanni Gelati. I heard he's infamous now because he killed a guy.

 

On a side note, I probably come across as a supernova of a smart ass. But Cleansing Eden doesn't have that same flavor. It's a serious, gripping and intense crime novel. I just don't afford myself the same luxury in interviews. I'm always writing to an audience. I want this interview's audience to stay stimulated. I don't want to bore them.

 

3. Have you been published before? What are some of your other works in print?

 

I'm a journalist by trade. I started at a newspaper and now work for a magazine/book/TV/Web publisher, so yes to all that. Too many to list there.

 

Fictionwise, I also have a short story series about a crass and clueless detective named Maynard Soloman. Those are much more light-hearted than Cleansing Eden. Just look at the titles. Who Whacked the Blogger? Maynard Soloman Solves the War on Drugs. Maynard Soloman Fixes Social Security and Eats a Pony.

 

Drugs + Social Security + pony eating = light-hearted crime fiction fun!

 

4. What do you see in your future as a writer? What are you working on right now?

 

Broke, destitute and living behind an Arby's. Or rich, comfortable and still living behind an Arby's. I went to college in a town with the highest Arby's per capita. I am not making that up. There are Arby's all over the place.

 

I have another standalone novel in the works, and a new Maynard Soloman installment. Maybe he'll take on the obesity epidemic next. I should set it at an Arby's.

 

5. Take a moment and tell us about yourself. What are the best ways for readers to find you on the Web?

 

I don't crank out a lot of fiction material. I take my time, because I want to give the reader the best possible experience. I would never ask someone to pay for something that I wouldn't myself. I think some authors forget that concept now that it's become so easy to crank out an e-book. It's like they're saying, "I wrote this in an afternoon, give me some money." I can't do that to people. I produce quality over quantity. I don't rush myself. I write when I feel like writing. Otherwise, it all comes out uninspired.

 

My website is crimefictionbook.com. I'm also on Goodreads, CrimeSpace, BookTown, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. All my e-books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other fine e-retailers.

 

Maynard Soloman is on Facebook, too. Hit him up if you're in the mood for some hippie-hating.