K.S. Brooks Stops By

My guest today is K.S. Brooks, truly a mystery herself. When asked about herself, she responded:“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” – The Wizard of Oz.  "That’s what I like to say when people ask me that.  I’m a full-time writer, and I like to hide behind my characters." 

Intriguing, indeed. Here is the rest of the interview:

How many books have you written, K.S.? 

I’ve written or at least started writing a lot of books.  Six have gone to publication:  Lust for Danger, The Mighty Oak and Me, The Kiss of Night, Postcards from Mr. Pish Vol.1, Night Undone, and Mr. Pish’s Woodland Adventure.

What books or authors have influenced you? 

I read a lot when I was younger.  Bookworm would have been the perfect word to describe me.  So the impact that these books had, to stand out above the rest, I think says a lot – to me anyway.  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (pere) taught me how to round out characters; pretty much anything by Oscar Wilde inspires painting with words; Rudyard Kipling magically provided a moral to the story; and Warren Murphy’s Pigs Get Fat was a fantastic lesson in writing better suspense.

Tell us about your latest release, Night Undone.  

I feel like I took a big risk with Night Undone.  I stepped way outside my comfort zone with this story.  I’d never written something so character-driven, so personal...while it reveals a lot about Agent Night I feel like it sort of leaves me standing naked in the middle of a busy intersection.  The story follows former Special Agent Kathrin Night as she tries to come to terms with her career-ending injury, civilian life, and her Russian lover after he reveals his deepest, darkest secret – turning their lives upside down. It’s available online and at Amazon.com in print, e-book and Kindle formats.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others?  

My educational children’s books are hard work because I want to make sure everything is absolutely correct.  A lot of verification has to be done.  My “Agent Night Adventure Series” books have been the most difficult to write – but that’s really my own fault.  I write faction, and I set these books in locations so exotic that they’re difficult to research. 

What are some of the problems you faced while plotting a series with ongoing characters, K.S.? 

I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, actually.  I’m daft enough to be writing two series with the same character simultaneously – the Agent Night Adventure Series features Special Agent Kathrin Night during the height of her career as a field agent (2000-2009).  The Cover Me Series follows Agent Night after an injury in the line of duty, as she struggles to deal with ‘civilian life’ while trying to resurrect her career (2010 and after).  At first, I found writing the latter was helping me improve the first series immensely.  It was making me think ‘cause and effect’ and enriching the first series by helping me plant the seeds that would bloom in the Cover Me Series.  Then I got an idea for a possible love interest who I could introduce in the early series – but I’d already limited myself as to how many “relationships” she’d had during a Cover Me session with a shrink. 

How do you develop characters?

My characters tend to develop themselves.  But if I have anything to do with it, I pile obstacles in front of them and see how they deal with them, pushing them to grow and learn in the process.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws? 

Special Agent Kathrin Night is complex, yet simple at the same time.  She’s dedicated her life to serving justice and protecting the innocent, at the same time isolating herself socially.  This makes her an extremely effective agent, but a somewhat inept human.  She has difficulties relating to the emotional and psychological needs of others since she’s closed off that part of herself. 

Can you tell us about current or future projects? 

I’m nearing completion of Postcards from Mr. Pish:  A Cross-Country Journal Volume 2.  This installment will take kids (and adults) on a journey through Mr. Pish’s (the traveling terrier) eyes from Washington State all the way to Maryland, including neat locations in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois...and so many more I can’t list them all.  I’m also working on the sequel to Lust for Danger, which I started back in 1991.  Yikes!  Some of the locational research really slowed me down, but now, thanks to the internet, and my fantastic research assistant Kyle Londagin, I’ve gotten what I need to get this action-packed thriller done.  I’m hoping to have the drafts of both these books completed this year. 

Where can folks learn more about your books and events, K.S.? 

Facebook is such a handy tool.  All my books, and whatever else is going on, is posted on my author page at http://www.facebook.com/KSBrooksAuthor.  My website, http://www.ksbrooks.com, has a lot of biographical information as well as some writing tidbits and links.  A fun place to learn about what’s going on with my children’s books is at http://www.facebook.com/MrPish.  We have lots of trivia and give-aways which promote outdoor learning and literacy – geared towards adults.

Thanks for stopping by, K.S. Continued success!

Randy Rawls: PI series

My guest today is Randy Rawls. Welcome, Randy.    

Good morning, Susan.

We'd be fascinated to know more about you.

I've been writing for quite a while.  I write for my pleasure, an avocation that keeps me young.  And, I must confess, I'm a much more serious Reader than I am a writer.  I love to read and my Kindle goes with me everywhere.   

How many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

I have six books published in my Ace Edwards, Dallas PI series, along with several short stories in anthologies.  The novels are pretty much out of print (I still have hard copies if anybody wants one), but the first two (JAKE'S BURN and JOSEPH'S KIDNAPPING) are available as ebooks published by L&L Dreamspell.  My Ace books are mysteries with chuckles built in.  Thorns on Roses is my first thriller and I will probably write a sequel to it.  I like series and believe the characters in Thorns can carry a series.  Thorns is available from www.lldreamspell.com as well as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other Internet sellers.  I'm also writing a female South Florida PI named Beth Bowman.  I have high hopes for Beth.  I also enjoy writing short stories and have had some published.  They run the gamut from young adult to Christmas stories to mysteries to thrillers to . . .  No romance or sci-fi yet.

What books or authors have influenced you?

Too many to name.  As I said above, I am an avid reader.  I read in almost all genres.  I'm a firm believer in learning from the best and hope I learn from each of the authors I read.  Three books that I read and re-read every couple of years are: To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Old Man and the Sea (Earnest Hemingway), and (are you ready?) Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll).  If you haven't read Alice as an adult, you should.  A totally different story from the one you read as a child.  However, don't get the idea I only read old books.  I'm always on the lookout for a new writer as well as waiting for the next release from such as Robert Crais, PJ Parrish, Harlan Coben, Ken Follett, Radine Trees Nehring, Sylvia Dickey Smith, CJ Box, Phillip Margolin, and many, many others.  Like I said, too many to name.

What are your writing goals?

Have fun and entertain as many people as possible.  If I can make a few bucks along the way, that's even better.

Tell us about your latest release.

Thorns on Roses is a thriller featuring Tom Jeffries, an ex-Special Forces NCO, who is now a PI in South Florida.  For good reason, Tom has no faith in the justice system.  When the seventeen-year-old daughter of his best friend is found dead in the trunk of an abandoned car—raped, strangled, and nude—Tom vows to avenge her murder.  As Tom tracks the gang, Thorns on Roses, he discovers more about himself than he ever dreamed existed.

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

Yes.  Thorns on Roses is available as an ebook for all readers and as a print book.  L&L Dreamspell is my publisher and Thorns can be found at their website www.lldreamspell.com  The Kindle version is at Amazon, Nook version at Barnes and Noble, etc.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? If so, why?

Yes, the Beth Bowman mystery that I am currently writing.  I call it Death by Vengeance.  The challenge comes from the crime that Beth is attempting to resolve—the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl.  While the story is absorbing and I love my characters, the aspects of a kidnapped child are difficult for me to handle.  I shall be glad when I have it finished, edited, and sold.

How do you develop characters?

Characters evolve as I write.  For example, the second lead in Thorns on Roses is a female lawyer.  To give Tom some degree of cover for his actions, I decided to have him on retainer with a major law firm in South Florida.  Suddenly, I had the senior partner and his son, a junior partner, assigning Abby Archer, one of their sharp young attorneys, to assist Tom.  Once she entered the picture, she became a driving force and the love interest for Tom, a confirmed bachelor.  When I started Thorns on Roses, I had no idea there would be an Abby.  She just appeared and took on the role.  And don't think she's just a piece of eye-candy.  She can dish it out—as Tom discovers.

How do you choose your setting?

I use settings that I know well.  I hate finding setting flaws in books I read.  My Ace Edwards stories are all set in Texas, five of them in small towns.  I went to those towns, walked the streets, talked with the people, and researched the area, learning as much as I could about them.  Then I wrote the story through the eyes of Ace as a stranger to the town.  It was fun weaving in a bit of the history of the area into each book. 

I now live in South Florida, thus Thorns on Roses and the Beth Bowman series are set here.  The streets are real, the kookiness of the area is real.  I want my settings to ring true to anyone who knows them.

Randy, do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

Don't I wish.  I start with a crime and it goes from there.  I envy those who can outline a story, then stick to that outline as they write the book.  But my way is more fun.  The story forms in front of my eyes as the book progresses.  A character that I see as major might become minor.  And a character I introduce as a bit player might take over.  In Joseph's Kidnapping, book two in the Ace Edwards series, I introduced a female lawyer and made her as unlikeable as I could.  She was a witch, no doubt about it.  But a funny thing happened as the storyline developed.  I liked her and she liked me.  Thus, by the end of the book I had made her a nice person and a keeper in the series.  She appeared in two more of Ace's adventures, each time on Ace's side.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

The environment of South Florida definitely colors my writing.  We have a saying here: There is no fiction in South Florida.  Anything you write happened yesterday, is happening today, or will happen tomorrow.  And, while I usually say it with a smile, it is true.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

The immediate future will be filled with promoting Thorns on Roses.  I'll be traveling to writers' conferences, hitting bookstores, and working the Net.  I am very hopeful it will be a winner in the eyes of readers across the country.  Depending on feedback, I may start book two in the series, send Tom and Abby off on another avenger adventure.  Also, I have a Beth Bowman to finish and ebooks to promote.  Oh, I'll also write and sell (I hope) more short stories.  There will be no letup in my writing life.  As long as it remains fun, I'll keep doing it.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

My website is www.RandyRawls.com and, as I say above, my publisher's website is www.lldreamspell.com  I'll try to keep my site up to date, and I know L&L will continue their sterling work.  Also, I love to hear from people.  Ask me anything, I'll try to answer.  And, don't think I'm only looking for praise.  I have thick skin.  Scold me if you think I deserve it.  Contact me at RandyRawls@att.net.  (But, if you insist, I also accept praise. J)

 LOL. Thanks for dropping by, Randy, and continued success!

Cynthia Vespia: Demon Hunter

My special guest today is Cynthia Vespia, author of Demon Hunter. Welcome to the blog, Cynthia!

Thanks, Susan.

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

It is always most rewarding to hear reader feedback, that's why I write. But during the writing process it becomes very rewarding to have the story tell itself. What I mean by that is the flow. When it is effortless enough that it feels like I'm reading it myself or when the story takes a different turn that I wasn't expecting. That's what brings me joy.

Tell us about your latest release, DEMON HUNTER: HEROES CALL

This is part three in the Demon Hunter trilogy. The final act calls for a test of will for the protagonist Costa. Since we met him in part one THE CHOSEN ONE, he was just coming into his skills as a demon hunter. In part two SEEK and DESTROY he had become more seasoned. And now when we visit him he has quietly stepped out of the life to tend to his family until danger once again comes knocking on his door. I really pushed him this time and challenged his choices. Does he take the same path or choose a different one. The thing about Demon Hunter has always been the underlying “demons” we all face in our own minds and daily lives. Those things that tell us we aren't good enough, smart enough, strong enough. Those demons are more dangerous than any physical being. This is what Costa faces head on in HEROES CALL...himself. It is available as an ebook on August 29^th, 2011.

What are some of the problems you faced while plotting a series with ongoing characters?

Growth mostly. It is important that these characters develop not only within the pages of the novel that they're in but the ongoing series itself. Realistically people change all the time. Through different experiences lives are shaped and character traits are born. When you're putting your characters through these extreme situations the way I did in the Demon Hunter series then they are going to be changed in some form or another...sometimes even physically. These are the things you want to keep in mind when going from book to book in a series. Then on the flip side I also like to make sure that they can stand alone as well. If someone picks up Demon Hunter 3: Heroes Call without having read 1 or 2 they are still going to get a great fantasy adventure that doesn't leave them confused on who these characters are or what the backstory is. 

How do you develop characters?

Developing characters is my favorite part about writing. You get to create the way you were created. If anyone has ever played The Sims it is a bit like that. You get to build your character from the ground up and decide what they look like, act like, work as, moral codes, values...everything. I make sure my characters fit my world. Even if I'm working on a contemporary piece I want them to react and behave like people really would given these situations...no matter how extreme. For Demon Hunter I wanted a trio of characters that all balanced each other. Each was different and unique which brought a sense of wholeness to this group as they went out on the stages of adventure put before them. This way the reader can find themselves able to relate to what is going on. I think that is the basis of good character building. Even if it is a villain, they need to be relateable in some way.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

Costa Calabrese comes from a long line of demon hunters. He has inherited skills such as strength, agility, intuition, as well as the gift of foresight. In other words sometimes he will dream things before they happen or have visions like premonitions.

His flaws come from just being human. None of us are perfect.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

I used to read a lot when I was very little. Those stories are what initially sparked my interest in writing and shaped my writing voice. Since then it has taken on a life of its own.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I can tell you that I'm working on two different thriller series, one about a hitman and the other about a private investigator team. There will also be more from the demon hunter saga in the future.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

You can find me at www.CynthiaVespia.com; www.facebook.com/cynthia.vespia; and www.twitter.com/cynfulcharm

I wish you continued success, Cynthia. Keep those great books coming!

Dwight Geddes: A Favor for a Favor

Dwight Geddes was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to New York as a teenager in the 1980’s. In 1999, his first book, a short story collection entitled Genesis was published by Denlinger’s Press. The collection was shortlisted for a Frankfurt E-Book Award, and several of the stories in Genesis have been reprinted in various literary outlets over the last decade. His second book, The Prodigal's Return was also published by Denlinger’s Press in 2000 and introduced character Blake Casson. Dwight is currently finishing a follow up to The Prodigal's Return, a novel entitled Empire of Dirt. He's a huge sports fan and  started a blog in 2010, called "Sports 'n Stuff". He also contributes to several widely read blogs, including Jamaicans.com.

Dwight, welcome to the blog. Let's jump right in, shall we?

Sure, Susan.

What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing?

I’ve been influenced more by specific writers than particular books. As a kid growing up in Jamaica, I read a wide range of books, from the Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins mysteries to Donald Goines, Nick Carter pulp novels and James Bond. Over the years I have also been influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavia Butler, Robert Ludlum and Walter Mosely among others.

What are your writing goals?

Quite simply, to influence people to read and enjoy the story that I’ve crafted. We live in an age of sensory overload, most of it visual, and the stimulus that the written word provides is often lost in the barrage of imagery available. I want people who read my stories to lose themselves in the world and scenarios I’m describing, to enjoy the story within the story that we all receive individually.

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

Getting to the end. The most euphoric feeling for me is typing those words ‘The End’ and stepping back from the work.

I know the feeling. It is wonderful, isn't it?

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest published work is a short story titled A Favor For A Favor" which will be released as an eBook by Untreed Reads publishers this spring. It’s another Blake Casson story set in New York City and involves Casson taking a job doing what he does best for an old friend. It fills in some of the back story of the character and hopefully will whet the readers’ appetite for Empire of Dirt.

Empire of Dirt, my next novel, is currently a work in progress. It will be completed by the summer.

Super! Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt? If so, in what way?


My writing has evolved in many ways since my first book was published. I have changed a lot of the subject matter I write about, and I have learned not to shy away from the emotional uneasiness that some topics may cause for myself and the reader. Empire of Dirt tangentially deals with terrorism and radical Islam and how we as people in Western society deal with it. Blake Casson, the protagonist of my novel and the upcoming short story, is a mixed race ex-government operative turned freelance agent for hire. In 2000 when the first novel was published, his character would be seen by many as an aberration. In the post-9/11 world, having someone such as Casson who can blend into almost any foreign culture is not just an asset, it is a requirement.

One of my earliest recollections as I tried to get published as a young writer was receiving rejection letters from various and sundry agents that basically said in sum ‘there is no market for your work.’ The subtext of that was initially troubling on several levels, including the fact that so many professionals in this industry didn’t think that a young black male writer who was not writing romance novels or ‘in the closet’ stories would find an audience for his work. Some of my earlier short stories, including Young Americans and Child Welfare for example contained elements and themes that are now projected in books and television and has even become a genre: Urban Fiction. Not so long ago-in the mid-90’s-I was being told no one wants to buy and read such work. So yes, my style has changed, but the world has changed also.

Any current projects?

Still working on Empire of Dirt. It’s the next Blake Casson story, and updates the character and his latest adventure. It pits Casson against a terrorist who has embarked on a series of attacks on the US and its allies in an effort to cripple the West. There are many subplots and issues that are touched on in this story, and I consider it to be not only my most challenging work to date, but quite possibly my best. But I promise to get better.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

I have a facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/jamaicanwriter, where people can see some of my work and information on my upcoming events. I can also be reached at jamaicanwriter@gmail.com

Continued success, Dwight!

Sean Sweeney's Zombie Showdown

Sean Sweeney is my guest today. Welcome, Sean. I’d be fascinated to know more about you. 

How many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

Zombie Showdown is my 11^th novel; I’m about to start work on my 14^th overall. My work spreads across several genres. I have many different interests, and I believe in writing the books I would want to read. I started out in fantasy (my first four novels were fantasy) before I switched to historical fiction for one book. I wrote a sci-fi space opera, went back to fantasy for three books (two of which to be released within the next couple of years), then switched up to thrillers. I have plenty of projects coming up – my list is at 10, and growing – so I’ll be entertaining readers for years to come.

What books or authors have influenced you?

For fantasy, obviously Professor Tolkien and Bob Salvatore. My father handed me The Hobbit at age 11, and I was hooked. Bob lives in the next city over, and we met about a year or so before I started writing my first novel. We stay in contact every so often; we’re both busy writers. For thrillers, my friend Steven Savile has been a huge influence in taking my writing in that direction. His debut thriller, Silver, is on my desk as inspiration for me. Another book I have as inspiration is The Last Juror by John Grisham.  Write the book that you’d want to read.

What are your writing goals, Sean?

First and foremost, the main goal is to entertain the reader by any means necessary. If that means blowing shit up to get a reaction, or to kill a character off in order to gauge a reaction, then that’s what I’ll do in order to have the reader turn pages. The secondary goal is to, in some ways, make the reader think about what they just read. Can what I described on the page actually happen? Not to give anything away, but a few readers have commented after reading my thriller Model Agent that they will now think twice about drinking bottled water or Gatorade.

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

Without a doubt, seeing the work evolve from a concept to a fully-formed idea is tops for me. I literally bounce in the chair when ideas spring up and invade my writing.

Tell us about your latest release.

I wrote Zombie Showdown on a dare, actually. I turned that dare into a story that I knew my cousin’s eldest son would read. In fact, he and his sister are the protagonists in this story, which is set in Tombstone. They’re on a class trip, and following a meteorite strike in the Boot Hill Cemetery, strange things begin happening. Zombies from the cemetery, in essence, Tombstone’s past, emerge and target the teens. It’s up to Chris, Rachel and their friends to find safety before they decide to take the town back.

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

Oh yes, I’m a firm believer in Kindle and digital reading. I make the Kindle file before I make the print file.

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

I’m an obsessive Facebook and Twitter user, and there are also blogs, vlogs (I’ve done one; I’m going to do more), and sometimes you have to go out and meet the public. For the most part, I’m online-based, but I never say no to an event.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

 My website is johnfitchv.com, I can also be found on Twitter at @SMSweeneyAuthor.

Continued success, Sean!

Lynda Fishman: An Inspiration To Us All

 In 1970, when she was thirteen years old, Lynda Fishman's life came to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters were killed in an Air Canada plane crash.

As a young teen, Lynda made a conscious decision to become happy and to lead a fulfilled life. She was committed to learning, growing and making a difference. Determined to find meaning and purpose in her life, she managed to muster up the courage and strength to dream big, to be idealistic, to strive for more, and to live a meaningful life where she could make a difference in the lives of others.

Lynda Fishman is a trained clinical social worker who has spent over twenty years as a camp director. In the early 90s, Lynda was one of the first camp directors in the Toronto area to incorporate children with special needs into mainstream camp life. Lynda has devoted a lifetime to organized camping and is passionate about the positive role of camping in a person’s life. She is the owner and director of Adventure Valley Day Camp.

Lynda is a motivational and inspirational speaker and facilitator. She has published articles and training manuals on leadership, teamwork, bullying, trust, childhood health and wellness,    communication and customer service.

Lynda’s husband, Barry Fishman, has his own amazing story to share, having been orphaned at age 17 and left alone to care for his brother with special needs. Lynda and Barry met as teenagers and    have been together since then. They have three grown children, and the whole family is heavily involved in supporting children dealing  with tragedy, cancer or other life-threatening diseases, fund-raising and charity events.

Barry has spent his entire career working in the health care and pharmaceutical industry. He is President and CEO of the Canadian operations for the world’s largest generic pharmaceutical company, Teva Pharmaceuticals. Barry serves on the Board of Directors of the Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Lynda is a woman of action. She has incredible enthusiasm for life. She is persistent, focused and faithful to her dreams and goals. She is willing to work for everything with patience, optimism and    determination. She finds ways to be grateful and positive. Lynda goes out there and does what she has to do with a CAN DO attitude of gratitude, positivity, compassion, and honesty.

Book Description:

    At thirteen years old, Lynda's life comes to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters are killed in a plane crash. Her father, overcome by despair, simply continues to exist, in a state devoid of hope. After burying a wife and two young children at the age of 44, the overwhelming responsibility of raising a daughter alone completely immobilizes him.
    Teetering on that tender brink between childhood and adolescence, Lynda faces the responsibility of a father in a complete state of shock, a house to take care of, and hundreds of decisions about how to proceed with their shattered lives.

    In Repairing Rainbows she candidly describes the agonizing memories, deafening silence and    endless hardships that are the fallout of incredible loss. As we follow her through marriage, motherhood and her own spiritual journey, Lynda reveals her complex feelings of hope, anger, pity and determination. Most importantly, she learns the crucial difference between "truly living" and the existence that is so often mistaken for being alive.

    A true story, written by a woman whose normal and abundant life hides a terrible past, Repairing      Rainbows is loaded with important lessons to help others overcome struggles and obstacles, and fulfill their lives. It is a powerful, captivating, riveting and easy-to-read story that will undoubtedly touch you. While I have never been through the traumatic hardships of Lynda and her husband, I believe this book can inspire those who have.

My review:

Lynda Fishman didn't mince words or wear rose-colored glasses after her mother and two sisters perished. Instead, after the tragedy she found the strength and perseverance to pull herself together, knowing that she simply had to overcome the devastating events  and get on with her life...not just living but finding rainbows again. Her story is inspiring. Pick up a copy.

Repairing Rainbows is available in print and digital formats.

Excerpt link:
http://repairing-rainbows.blogspot.com/search/label/Excerpt
Reviews link:
http://repairing-rainbows.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews
Paperback
    Price: $18.00
    ISBN: 9780986607400
    Pages: 272

                                                    

North Carolina's Rick Helms: Thunder Moon

Rick Helms is my special guest today. 
Such a nice guy and a member of The Carolina Conspiracy, as am I. Welcome, Rick. Have a barbecue sandwich and a glass of sweet iced tea.

Thanks, Susan.

I’d be fascinated to know more about you.

How many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

Thunder Moon, my fourteenth novel, came out in June, from Five Star Mysteries. They're already slated to bring out novel number fifteen, The Unresolved Seventh, a standalone, in April of 2012.

What books or authors have influenced you, Rick?

I was very strongly influenced early on by John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway, along with Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, John D. MacDonald, and John O'Hara. My early thrillers (The Valentine Profile, The Amadeus Legacy) were heavily derivative of Robert Ludlum and David Morrell. In the crime genre, I learned tons from reading the works of Robert B. Parker, Dennis Lynds, Dennis Lehane, Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly. Lately, I've been very interested in the work of Reed Farrel Coleman, Wallace Stroby, and S.J. Rozan.

What are your writing goals?

I want to score a multimillion dollar five book deal with Random House and retire to the island of Corfu in Greece to do nothing but write, drink caipirinhas and margaritas, and bask in the Mediterranean sun. Realistically, though, I would be content with leaving behind thirty well-written novels. I'm almost two-thirds of the way there.
What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist who specializes in the study of creativity, likes to talk about the state of flow, or that almost meditative state an artist can reach where he or she is totally tapped into the right brain, and the product is transmitted straight from the unconscious mind to the paper, or the canvas, or the musical instrument. I really crave this state. Sometimes I sit down in front of the computer and stumble over how to start a new passage or chapter. The first keystrokes are tortuous, but after a few minutes I reach a point where reality disappears and the world I'm writing about is real. I write stuff during the state of flow that I look back on later and say, “Where in hell did THAT come from?” It's like going on a vacation in your head. On the days when I can really drill down and access that creative flow, I feel really incredible.
Yes! It's a wonderful experience!

Tell us about your latest release, Thunder Moon.

Thunder Moon is the second book in my Judd Wheeler series, set in a fictional small North Carolina town called Prosperity. Wheeler is the Chief of Police there. He grew up in Prosperity, and was the local high school starting quarterback before heading off to college and eventually to Atlanta to become a cop. After returning to Prosperity to take over the family farm, he was recruited by his longtime friend Kent Kramer, a local real estate developer, to start a new police force in Prosperity.

In Thunder Moon, it's the hottest month of the year, and a top recruit for the Pythons NFL team in the next county is brutally murdered in Prosperity, in a house lent to him by Kent Kramer. Wheeler discovers bloodstained bills in Samples' pants pocket upstairs, and the county Sheriff's Department lab discovers that the blood isn't from Samples, but rather from a motorcycle gang chieftain who was killed in his car in Morgan, the Bliss County seat, several days earlier. Now, in addition to finding out who killed Samples, Chief Wheeler must figure out the connection between Samples and the slain gang member. His investigation will bring him into contact with a shady ex-con with an underaged girlfriend, pro football players with possible axes to grind, a paroled sex offender trying to set his life straight, and an itinerant tent preacher who may be running a variation on the Spanish Prisoner con game. Bodies begin to stack up like cordwood, as Wheeler's investigation uncovers a series of crimes reflecting a level of evil previously unknown in rural Prosperity.

Gulp. You've hooked me!
Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Right now, it's only available in hardcover format. I hope to have the first book in the series, Six Mile Creek, available in Kindle and Nook formats shortly.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? 

Thrillers are always more of a challenge, because of the intricate nature of interweaving plots and the need for intensive outlining beforehand to get everything straight. The availability of computers and word processing software has helped the process greatly, enabling authors to do what I call “Bill and Ted's Excellent Writing”. In other words, I suddenly decide to insert a new plot point or device, but I haven't set it up. So, I make a note to go back five or six chapters and insert the setup. I can always clean up the transitions in rewrite. With private eye novels, I very seldom do any outlining. I prefer to write them using the process that Robert B. Parker used, starting with a conversation between the PI and a client, and allowing the story to grow organically. Both processes work, but I really prefer to write the PI stories because their more fun (I actually surprise myself sometimes when the case is solved!).

How do you develop characters, Rick?

I attended a master class with Edward Albee back in the 1970s, and I recall that he said you should never write a word on paper until it can write itself. That means you are always writing, but now always putting down words. I'm not sure I totally agree with Albee, since I get a lot of mileage out of free-writing, especially in PI novels, but I do spend tons of time thinking through plots, running dialogue in my head, and figuring out what motivates my protagonists and antagonists, and sometimes even secondary characters. Being a psychologist, I understand motivation as a scientific concept, and the various theories of motivation, and I can use these to help grow my characters' personalities, again organically, so that they 'feel' real.

How do you choose your setting?

I think it's easier to write about places with which you are already familiar. I visited New Orleans several times, and explored it walking down a lot of dark alleyways, before I started writing my New Orleans-based Pat Gallegher books. With my Eamon Gold novels, I visited San Francisco several times and made a lot of notes and took a ton of pictures. The Judd Wheeler books are easy, since the fictional town of Prosperity looks very, very similar to the small North Carolina town where I live. Knowing your setting intimately makes it very easy to compose descriptions that provide readers with vivid pictures. I like to write about places where eccentric people are likely congregate.

John Berendts, in Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, said that strange people are more likely to be found in cities “where the road ends”. It's as if they search and search for someplace where they can be accepted, and finally run out of road, so they stop there. Places like New Orleans, San Francisco, Key West, Bar Harbor, etc, would all qualify. The other kind of place filled by eccentrics are small towns. In small towns, everybody knows everybody else, and they tend to overlook the quirks that might make someone stand out in a more impersonal setting. David Lynch exploited this wonderfully in Twin Peaks, with the Log Lady, the Colonel (“The owls are not what they seem.”), and even with the protagonist Agent Cooper, who seemed to fit right in immediately. I try to do that with my fictional town of Prosperity, populating it with rubes and rednecks and Mama's boys, and all the wide range of personalities you tend to find in rural backwaters.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

All of my protagonists share a similar set of ideals. They're rooted in the work of Thomas Malory and the Chivalric Code, which I believe to be the foundation of the private eye ethos, as stated by Raymond Chandler, who said, “Down these mean streets walks a man who is not himself mean.” My protagonists believe in a private code of behavior which provides clear boundaries between what they will and won't do. They might kill, but only under specific circumstances, and never without provocation. Sometimes they act in a way that seems contrary to traditional community values, but their behavior is entirely consistent with their codes. These boundaries may shift a bit from one protag to another, but for each one of them the codes are absolute, and constitute the personality factors that separate them from the antagonists, who will do whatever they need to in order to prevail.  For some of my protags, especially Pat Gallegher, the flaws are my flaws, which mostly involve basic insecurities and anxieties. Gallegher, for instance, spends a great deal of time wallowing in self-doubt, questioning which horn of a dilemma he will follow. There's a lot of me in that writing.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I'm putting the finishing touches on number sixteen, a historical PI novel set in the final days of the Batista regime in Havana (The Mojito Coast), and I'm working this summer on the third title in my Judd Wheeler series, with the working title Carolina Blue. I'm about halfway through the fifth book in my New Orleans-based Pat Gallegher series (Paid In Spades), and maybe a third of the way through my third Eamon Gold novel (Brittle Karma). I've started a standalone thriller featuring a county court psychologist, which has the working title The Four-Nine Profile. I tend to alternate between hardboiled private eye novels, small-town police procedurals, and thrillers. I'm considering doing a YA novel in the steampunk genre, and I've started the outline for a 'big book' (literary novel), centered on a very tragic event that took place during the First World War. I'm also working on several short stories which I hope will find their way into Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, now that I seem to have cracked that market.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

Please feel free to drop by my website, www.richardhelms.net  Besides the writing stuff, you will be able to look in on my woodworking hobbies. I have a set of pages there on lutherie, or the construction of stringed musical instruments such as guitars, dulcimers, banjos, and violins; and I'll put up a section shortly covering my summer project, building a Stickley Morris chair for my home office.

Rick, thanks for taking the time to visit, and I hope to see you soon at a Carolina Conspiracy event and certainly at the Cape Fear Crime Festival in Wilmington in February.

Thanks for the interview and the lunch, Susan.