Larry Kelter's Brain Vault

Lawrence Kelter, author of The Brain Vault, is my guest today. Welcome, Larry. Have a cup of hot tea and a cookie and tell us something about yourself that readers might be surprised to learn.

Thanks for having me over, Susan, and the tea and cookie sound great.

Early on in my writing career, I got a real leg-up from bestselling novelist Nelson DeMille, who read BY EXECUTIVE ORDER &actually edited the manuscript. He sent the manuscript back to me with a note that read, “Your work needs editing, kid, but that’s a hell of a lot better than not being able to write. Keep it up.” I was also part of a tightly-knit writer’s workshop led by soap opera legend, Ann Loring (LOVE OF LIFE 1956-1970). She taught me the art of screenwriting and the first screenplay I wrote under her watchful eye finished prominently in the Nicholl’s Fellowship (AMPAS).

In high school I was voted the student least likely to be found in a library.

 LOL. Me too, Larry.

How many books have you written?

I’ve published four novels including three books in the Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series. The first two books in the series, DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES, and RANSOM BEACH are in the Amazon Top 100 for Mystery/Police procedurals. Chalice is a savvy NYPD detective with lots of psychological baggage.

I’ll be releasing a new novel in November, featuring a new hardboiled hero, PI Frank Mango (yes, that’s right, I said, Mango).  Mango is tough, funny, and oh so out there.

What books or authors have influenced you?

Needless to say I’m a huge fan of Nelson DeMille. In fact, his John Corey character who strongly influenced the personality of my protagonist, Stephanie Chalice. Both Corey and Chalice are cut from the same bolt of cloth; they are both shrewd law enforcement agents with a sharp tongue and incessant sense of humor. BookWire review wrote about her, “Chalice’s acerbic repartee is like an arsenal of nuclear missiles.”

 I’m also a huge fan of Thomas Harris and his perfect modern age monster, Hanniabal Lecter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and RED DRAGON. I positively never tire of the psychological jousting between Lecter an Starling. Harris is the father of forensic fiction and rarely get’s credit for his authentic portrayals of police work.

 What has been your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

 I’ve been blessed with very positive reader reviews. As any writer will tell you, you need a tough skin in this business—there is no shortage of rejection: agents and publishers are usually quick to point out flaws in your work, whether valid or not (okay, I had to slip that in). I am positively reborn every time I read a glowing review. Most of my readers have very nice things to say and often comment about aspects of my writing, confirming that I’m “getting through.”

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Yes, thank God. The bulk of my sales are in ebook format.

Does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

 Totally, most of my books take place in the Northeast with the bulk of the action in Manhattan and Long Island. I’ve always heard that you should write what you know about and so I do. I think it adds depth to the book when you can truly develop a setting and write about it at a level that transcends that which is visually apparent.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

 As I’ve moved away from traditional publishing and have gone “indie”, my promotion consists entirely of social media; Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and forums. I have someone who helps me with the social media as I am completely Twitter challenged. I’m planning a local New York tour later this year when Kiss of the Devil’s Breath debuts.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

Kiss of the Devil’s Breath will be released in November, featuring a new hardboiled detective named Frank Mango. Here’s the lowdown:

Once there was Marlow, now there’s Mango, Frank Mango, a new detective doing his job in a very old fashioned way, an unlikely hero in an age of computers, gadgets, and gizmos. Two dead bodies have been discarded along the Sunset Strip, both aspiring actors, women of talent and ambition in a town renown for eating you up and spitting you out. Who really cares about these nobodies? Mums the word—with the Academy Awards just days off, the powers that be are determined to sweep the dead under the carpet at least until Oscar can take his gratuitous bow. There are, however, wrinkles in this finely crafted plan of deception, most notably the disappearance of yet another woman, a killer whose sniper rifle is trained on the fabled red carpet, and a throwback detective who doesn’t like to get pushed around.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

 On my web site at: www.lawrencekelter.com, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Thanks for the tea and cookies, Susan.

You're welcome, Larry. Best of luck with sales.