Crime Writer Spotlight - Robin Spano

Robin Spano joins us for this month's Crime Writer spotlight. She is the author of the Clare Vengel Undercover Novels. Today she talks about money and personal values...

Money fascinates me. How people spend it, how they hoard it,how they'll manipulate things to get a bit more in their own wallet – it's oneof the most revealing tells about a person's character.
I was at a crime writing conference where two agents were invited.
There was a cocktail party with a cash bar. Agent #1 rolledhis eyes when he was asked to pay for his drink, flashed his badge to thebartender like the hotel employee was supposed to know the conference washosting him. He was annoyed that he'd have to wait for the manager's permissionto charge the drink to the host. He said, "Oh, don't worry about it then. I'llhave water."
Later in the hotel bar, Agent #2 was in a much easierposition to have her drinks bought for her. But when the waiter asked if she'dlike to charge her bar tab to her room, she said, "No, this is an expensiveScotch, I don't want the conference to have to pay for it."
Who would I trust with my career? The one who's not petty,not thinking of herself first, but takes an overview of the situation and makesa call based on what she sees as fair.
In fiction, I use similar scenarios to portray character.
In Dead Politician Society, a university professor isextremely cheap, unable to part with his money though he has more than enoughfor his bachelor needs. As the novel moves forward, he starts making awkwardgestures of generosity. For me, this a clear sign that he's opening up,starting to think about other people than himself.
In Death Plays Poker, money is at the heart of the story.Poker is all about cold, hard cash. Different players want it for differentreasons – security, status, lifestyle, independence – but they're all in thegame to win money. Some are even willing to cheat in order to line theirpockets quicker, at the expense of their friends and colleagues. The climax ofthe novel wouldn't work if money was not a central theme.
It used to bother me how money-conscious most people are. Ifelt it subtracted from the human experience, distracted us from experiencing theearth and each other as fully as we otherwise could. But over time I'mrealizing that materialism is part of humans' social nature – if not dollarsand euros and yuan, we'd be just as obsessed with livestock and spices andgems.
We each have a unique and complex relationship with money.So as a writer crafting character, money is one of my favorite tools.

For more about Robin, visit her website at www.robinspano.com, or find her on twitter at @robin_spano.  You can also check out her books on Amazon.