Larry’s Comments (group member since Oct 31, 2011)

Larry’s comments from the Q&A with Larry Kahn group.

The woman on the cover is scantily clad in an S&M harness and has a collar and leash around her neck. As you know, there's a strong BDSM theme in the main story line. The erotic cat-and-mouse game is central to the plot, although the language is rarely explicit.

Yeah, that was me asking the question. :)

I've struggled with that one. I love the cover, but I've wondered if it's too provocative, almost suggestive of erotica. My designer and I tried to counter that suggestion with the subtitle "A Suspense Novel" and with the dark tones. The book sells pretty well when it gets decent exposure, so I don't think it's turning a lot of people away, but I still have my doubts.

Very true, Lori. We left the northeast because of a great job opportunity, but I probably wouldn't have taken it if our parents were firmly committed to staying put. My wife's folks moved to Florida, and my parents stayed in NY but never committed to it. We hope to stay together by committing to Atlanta.

Hi, Susan. Thanks so much for joining me!

That's a tough question, but I think the most important point I'd make to a prospective reader is that it's first and foremost a fast-paced and entertaining whodunit. It's intended to also provoke thought about some current social issues, but these are secondary to the intricate plot.

Let me ask you a question, Lori. You've been a big fan of King of Paine, but you've said before in your blog comments that you almost passed it by in the book giveaway because of the suggestive cover. Do you think the cover will attract the right audience now that you've read the book?

I was born in upstate NY and worked in NYC at a big law firm for the first several years of my legal career. We moved down to Atlanta almost 20 years ago to take a job with one of my corporate clients, BellSouth, which has since merged with ATT.

We miss being close to family, but we love everything else about Atlanta. The weather is great, cost-of-living is much more manageable than NY. Most important, it's become home for my me, my wife and two sons. We're all committed to the area and remaining close as our boys establish their careers and families.

I appreciate any honest feedback on my marketing tools. If you write a great book but nobody reads it, you haven't accomplished much.

Yes, I received the contest form--an impressive list. You've got to be considered an odds on favorite to win something!

I keep a running list of titles throughout the process. King of Paine was originally entitled Come Into My Web, which was a play on the prevalence of the Internet in the story and the element of intrigue. As you know, it's also a key line delivered at a critical juncture in the story...Come into my web said the spider to the fly. I changed the title when I changed the main character.

It's a comfortable 68 in my house. I don't get out much. ;) It's about 60 and rainy outside.

Hi, Lori. I had a feeling I could count on you to keep me company! You've been a great supporter throughout this entire blog tour.

Hello. I'm ready to give this live experiment a go. If anybody's out there, please remember to refresh your browser every few minutes. This is not a chat room in the traditional sense, but you should be able to see "new" comments if you refresh. Let's go! (Feeling a little like John Belushi in Animal House, leading the charge...)

Welcome, fellow authors. Please use this folder for topics relating to book marketing. I set up the three-week blog tour for King of Paine myself, have sponsored a Kindle giveaway contest, and experimented with free and paid advertising. I'm happy to respond to questions about these efforts and trade marketing tips.

You can leave a comment at any time, but I will be responding live in this Q&A group today from 1-2PM EST and 7-8 PM EST. I hope to hear from you then.

You're so right, Lori. I don't know if I'll feel the same way after I've published my 10th novel, but the first two are my babies (and producing them was a lot more work than producing my two sons, at least before birth, and even then my wife might disagree). Unlike people, though, novels don't have feelings, so I have no qualms about expressing a preference. I'm proud of the original, outside-the-box plots in both, but I think I learned a lot about writing in the ten years between books, and King of Paine is better crafted. Much of that has to do with joining a critique group and obtaining feedback on the fly while writing King of Paine rather than relying upon beta readers only after each draft of The Jinx was completed. The Jinx got some great reviews from the likes of Publishers Weekly and The Legal Times, among others, but when I re-read it I see how my style has evolved for the better.

Thanks for the great question. I hope you'll be able to join me later today, at 1PM or 7PM (EST), for my live Q&A.

I'll be standing by live to chat and answer questions on Tuesday, 12/20, from 1-2PM and 7-8PM, both EST. Just say hello or ask a question here or in any of the other topics, and I'll respond as quickly as I can. In the unlikely event there's a big crowd, I'll stay as long as I can to respond to everybody. :) (always an optimist)

Thanks, Suzie. Your second question is timely--the subject of my guest post on tomorrow's blog tour stop is "Researching the Psychology of BDSM" on Owl Tell You About It (http://www.owltellyouaboutit.com). That will explain where I got the details on the BDSM lifestyle.

The answer to your first question is more complicated. I started King of Paine--originally entitled Come Into My Web--as a sequel to The Jinx, with Ben Kravner as the protagonist. Ben made a great ordinary guy hero in The Jinx, but he was falling flat as an FBI agent, and his background left no room for my villain to have a good reason to involve him in the BDSM case at the center of the story. (My inspiration for building the story around this BDSM case is the subject of another guest post on the blog tour.)

I actually completed the manuscript for Come Into My Web, which was a finalist in a respected novel competition, but then did a major rewrite with a new protagonist, Frank Paine, after discussing my dissatisfaction with Ben in my critique group. Because Ben was just so annoyingly normal, I wanted Frank to be larger than life. As I brainstormed the rewrite, I thought I could explore an interesting character AND enhance the plot by giving Frank some bad history with BDSM. When I cast him as a former Hollywood action star who hurt the woman he loved, his involvement in the BDSM case as an FBI agent fit much more organically into the plot. The entire story was transformed for the better. Jolynn Decker (Frank's ex) went from eye candy to femme fatale. My FBI protagonist (Frank/Ben) went from curious investigator to desperate target. The conflict and tension in the story ratcheted up tenfold.

My first reaction to that question was that it seemed like a really fun one--how to choose from so many great characters? But even setting aside any sentimental objections to even imagining life without the family I adore, I'm having trouble thinking of anyone else's life I'd prefer. Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird, perhaps--so noble, and he made a difference to his community as well as being such an incredible role model for his children. Or maybe Rearden or Galt from Atlas Shrugged--captains of industry (and the bedroom) but unafraid to give up their wealth and power to defend principles they believed in. I'm tempted to add Mikael Blomkvist from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to that list of men who had the courage--and the opportunity--to give up something dear for principles, but living in Sweden? I don't think so.

That's a really interesting question, Holly. In my first novel, The Jinx, my protagonist, Ben Kravner, was written as sort of the guy I wanted to be--a physically ordinary lawyer but ethical, quick-witted and amiable, although suffering from a bit of a temper when faced with injustice or ineptitude. In reality, I'm an introvert and read mostly thriller/suspense novels, so I'm not nearly colorful enough to star in anything I read! The closest match I can think of is Mitch McDeere, the young tax lawyer in John Grisham's breakout novel, The Firm.

Thanks for starting the discussion going here, Lori.

I'm a compulsive outliner. The story takes place over a two-week period, so I structured my outline in calendar form and tracked the advancement of each character and his/her plot developments day by day. That's how I was able to tie the threads together without relying on coincidence. Each character was where he/she needed to be in a natural way at the right times to connect the plot lines.

Like many thriller/suspense authors, especially those trained as attorneys, I craft intricate, well-researched plots, engage my characters in thought-provoking social drama and spice their lives with alluring romantic entanglements. The most challenging aspect of mastering this genre is incorporating contemporary social issues without preaching or compromising pace.

Check out my blog tour stop on December 4th at The Write To Make A Living for my guest post: “Writing Thought-Provoking Suspense: Social Themes” or fire away with your questions right here!