Audra Writes
  • Home
  • Monthly Blog
  • Watcher
  • Abomination
  • Hitchhiker
  • Middle Eight

Interview with Carlyle Clark

1/25/2014

0 Comments

 
Crime month is drawing to a close here on my blog. For my last interview, I’ve invited Carlyle Clark author of the crime thriller THE BLACK SONG INSIDE.
Thanks for being my guest today, Carlyle!


Thank you for having me, Audra; it’s a pleasure.

Who’s your favorite criminal mastermind (real or fictional) and why?
I’ll have to go with Keyser Söze from THE USUAL SUSPECTS. I loved the idea of a mastermind who would basically go undercover and manipulate other intelligent criminals into doing his bidding. And that he would be willing to disguise himself as the “least” of them to do it. And then the whole interview interchange throughout the movie was just so fun.

What type of research have you done for this series?
In general, I read a lot about the mechanics of drug smuggling and researched artificial legs. In particular, the research seemed endless. I was constantly Googling things: flora and fauna in the Anza-Borrego desert, Spanish architecture in the American Southwest, automatic shotguns, what those sweaters are with the patches on the shoulders that British Commandos wear are called (incidentally they’re just called commando sweaters, apparently.), etcetera, etcetera.

What made you decide to write in this genre?
Well, it wasn’t really a decision. I had an idea and I went with it. Ironically, the original idea didn’t make it in the final novel, but the idea lived on. Once I started I began thinking about what I wanted to do. Having read a ton in the genre I had a pretty good idea of what was expected, but I didn’t want to do something that was just like what was already out there. I also didn’t want to do some different just to do something different. Finally, I settled on writing the sort of thriller I would want to read, dark, funny, an action-packed with flawed but compelling protagonists you can root for and a unique villain.
 
What’s your latest novel about, in 25 words or less?
THE BLACK SONG INSIDE is a vivid crime thriller rife with murder, madness, gallows humor and the heroism of two flawed and compelling protagonists.  -- Ha! Pulled it off with a word to spare.
 
THIS or THAT?
This. Couldn’t resist.

Mystery or Thriller?
Since I could get stuck with Cozies if I chose mystery I’ll have to go with thriller. Nothing wrong with cozies, but they just don’t work for me. I prefer stories focused on the fringes of society.

Scooby Doo or Carmen San Diego?
I have to go with Carmen San Diego for the wholly irrelevant reason that I am from San Diego, the city, not Carmen—unless I have been seriously misled.

Criminal Minds or Dexter?
Dexter hands down – Of course I’ve never seen Criminal Minds, so like usual, I make a crucial decision half-cloaked in ignorance.

Planner or Pantser?
Pantser – I have a basic idea when I start and then the fun begins as I try to entertain myself since I figure that oughta entertain the readers also. It’s also more fun for me to come at the blank page fresh with possibility every time.

Where can we find out more about your books?
You can check out my Blog or my Amazon Author’s Page. By the way, THE BLACK SONG INSIDE is half price until the end of January as part of Amazon’s 20 Kindle Books for $2 promotion.

0 Comments

Interview with Joyce Proell

1/21/2014

3 Comments

 
Picture
It’s crime month here on my blog. I’m interviewing authors of crime novels twice a week, so be sure to catch them all! Today I’ve asked Joyce Proell, author of A Deadly Truth and A Burning Truth to be my guest star. Thanks for stopping by, Joyce!

Thanks for inviting me. It’s always fun to talk about books, especially mysteries. 

Tell us a little about your writing process. Are you more of a planner or a pantser?

With a mystery, I find plotting essential. I start with the crime and work backwards. I ask what does the criminal want enough that he or she is willing to kill to get it. I plot out the steps taken to achieve the goal. Just when it seems the murderer might get away with his plan, everything goes horribly wrong and he’s in jeopardy of being found out. In the Truth series, Cady and Doyle stumble upon crimes that threaten their livelihoods as well as them both personally. In order to remain safe and keep their lives on track, they must solve the caper as they can’t rely on the police to do the job.  

If you could have dinner with any detective, fictional or otherwise, who would you choose and why?

That’s a tough question for somebody who reads a lot of mysteries. I’d probably have dinner with Lucas Davenport, the detective from John Sandford’s Prey series as he’s well read, sarcastic and outrageous and lots of fun. If I want a little class Simon St. Cyr would do. And Maisie Dobbs is so terribly insightful and grounded.   

Where did you draw inspiration for your latest crime novel?

For some reason, I love the Victorian era. It’s so atmospheric.  

What’s your latest novel about, in 25 words or less?

A couple struggles to keep their upcoming nuptials on track while trying to stop a nefarious enemy bent on destroying their livelihood and reputation. 

THIS or THAT?

CSI or Law & Order?

Law and Order

In Cold Blood or Helter Skelter?

In Cold Blood

Psycho or Silence of the Lambs?

Both 

Murder by Poison or by Weapon?

Poison as it’s much more devious and requires some knowledge and skill if the murder is to go undetected.

Where can we find out more about your books?

I’d love to have people visit my website: http://www.joyceproell.com or my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/JoyceProellAuthor.



3 Comments

Susan Stec interview #3, with giveaway!

1/18/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
Crime month continues here on my blog. I’m interviewing two authors of crime novels each week, so be sure to catch them all!  

Today I’ve invited Susan Stec, author of Day-Tripper, a Dark and Deadly novella, volume 2, to be my guest again. Don't forget to enter her giveaway for a chance to win a free ebook copy of Day-Tripper. Welcome back, Susan!

Who is your all-time favorite writer, and why?

First let me thank you for having me, Audra. I always enjoy being a guest on your blog.

There are so many, but if I have to pick one author it would be Stephen King. His works are original, diverse, and always hold my attention. I love to start a book and have it stay in my mind during the day, making me eager to get back to it. His books do that. Just finished Doctor Sleep. OMG!



How do you get in the mood to write a grizzly crime story?

Research is a big part of writing, especially a crime or horror story. 

I only began to delve into dark horror/crime writing in the last year or two. The rest of my work has been humor with criminal plots, but never scary-grizzly, and always funny. A couple of years ago I was gifted a historical fiction about a notorious serial killer from the 1500's. The woman intrigued me so much that she consumed my dream-world for months before spurring a more horrific story than I normally write. I started researching psychopathic behavioral patterns, and the childhoods of some of the most infamous serial killers of my time. I soon found my dreams deep in a character of my creation, the fifteen year old deaf girl in Mirror, Mirror; the first novella in the Dark and Deadly series. 

A story comes to me first in a dream, or a thought, and if it grabs me and holds on tight, I have to write it. Viola Fisher, my Day-Tripper, stepped into my dreams even before I finished Mirror, Mirror.


What gave you the idea for a psychotic senior citizen as a protagonist?

My mother. LOLOLOL Okay, so for the record, my mother was NEVER a psychotic murderer, but she was a zany, fun, and terribly amusing senior citizen. So I used some of her botched lyrics in Viola's songs, her off the wall comments, quirky actions, and some of her memory hiccups. A few trips to bingo with my mother gave me my nursing home characters. 

Tell us about Day Tripper in 25 words or less.

Here is Day-Tripper's back cover blurb:

A demented mind? Or a mind with dementia? 

Viola Fisher may be in her eighties, look a bit zany, and pop out with an amusing rendition of a favorite song in the middle of a sentence. But tread lightly, because if you happen to resemble the antagonist in her last murder mystery or television show, or sound like a suspect in a recent news article, you may end up her next victim.

THIS or THAT?

This

Janet Evanovich or Agatha Christie?

Evanovich

Monk or Psych?

Monk

Murder by Poison or by Weapon?

Weapon

Silence of the Lambs or Psycho?

Oh, hard one, sheesh.....um, Silence of the Lambs.

Where can we learn more about your books?

More about me, my characters, and my books:  http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/
My Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=susan+stec&x=14&y=15
Connect with me on: https://www.facebook.com/GratefulUndead www.goodreads.com/author/show/4556170.Susan_Stec https://plus.google.com/100832701976536983931/posts?hl=en http://pinterest.com/stecsusan/
Twitter: @Suesan0814







a Rafflecopter giveaway
4 Comments

Interview with Gary Eddings

1/14/2014

3 Comments

 
Picture
Dust off those trench coats and magnifying glasses, it’s crime month here on my blog. Today I’ve invited Gary Eddings, author of several contemporary fiction titles. Thanks for being here, Gary!

It is a privilege to get this opportunity to contribute my humble ramblings on your blog today, Audra. I’ll try my best not to embarrass you!

Why do you write in this genre?

By way of an interest I developed growing up with a Nez Perce high school friend, I noticed that there were darned few stories about Native Americans in contemporary literature. The only thing I ever saw was historical in nature and sometimes the accuracy of the content was questionable. Heck, if non-fiction writers were going to mangle stories, I could at least write fictional stories of interest with some basic truths I learned along the way.

Ergo, I began to fire up the keyboard and have written four published works; Song of the Unsung, Heart of the Unsung (self-published), Buffalo Hump and now Hollow Point (through Champagne Book Group), a manuscript in the wings, The Sheep Eater, and another one in the research phase, The Backbone of the World. 


What type of research do you do for your novels? 

My research for these books all started with reading as much as possible about the different cultures online, plus trying to visit places they live and events they participate in and learning some basic etiquette for attending things like Pow Wows.

In my latest book Hollow Point, the Port Madison Indian Reservation is under siege by men manufacturing high-grade methamphetamine for export by a unique means around Puget Sound. A lone Tribal Police Officer who is already struggling with his belief system stumbles into a web of suspicious activity that could lead to the top of the Tribal Council. Everyone he knows and cares about is placed in danger. The druggers want him dead. A bit of tribal lore inserts itself when things seem hopeless and the personal losses mount.


Is there a character in your latest novel that you relate to? How so?

The character I most relate to in this story is a man named Grandfather Hawk and his guide dog, Sadie. He is severely vision-impaired, but knows most of the goings on around the Rez. He and his dog are symbiotic. He is aware of things he cannot see. He just shows up when he’s most needed and he usually brings his other friend, the Old Man with him. Grandfather Hawk is someone who has learned to use his disability as an advantage.

Tell us about your latest novel in 25 words or less.

Hollow Point takes place on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Kitsap County, Washington across the Puget Sound from Seattle, home of the Suquamish Tribe. It just happens to be fifteen minutes from my own front door.


Where can we learn more about your books?


Feel free to visit my website to learn more! http://www.garyeddings.weebly.com 




3 Comments

Interview with Nikki Andrews

1/4/2014

14 Comments

 
Picture
January is crime month here on my blog. I’m interviewing two authors of novels with crime themes each week. Today I’ve got Nikki Andrews, author of Framed, a cozy mystery set in a New Hampshire art gallery, to stop by. Thanks for being my guest today, Nikki!

~Thanks for hosting me, Audra. It’s a pleasure to be here. 

How do you get in the mood to write a cozy mystery? Any special music, snacks or other rituals?

~Ooh, I like that idea. A bag of dark chocolate M&Ms, please, and a pot of that yummy chocolate black tea from The Cozy Tea Cart. No, I don’t put on any music, as I prefer to write in silence. For my cozy mysteries, I need to find that special blend of anger at injustice and a hint of lightheartedness. Murder is the ultimate injustice, of course, and silliness is everywhere. Come on--a man terrified of frogs? A clue hidden under a pile of bear poop? To help with technique, I usually read a little Evanovich and/or Agatha Christie before I get started.  

What’s the most challenging part about writing a mystery?

~Knowing the outcome yet not letting my characters--or the reader--know it until the end. I usually start out with a good idea of what will happen and I write toward that conclusion. Then I have to rewrite backwards, hiding the clues and adding red herrings. 

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

~Sitting down and doing it. No, wait, that’s my least favorite part, judging by how hard it is to get me in the chair and writing. Once I do apply the bum gum, however, I really love watching the ideas and scenes in my head become words on paper that I can share with others.  

What’s your latest novel about, in 25 words or less?

~When the staff at Brush & Bevel follow clues in a long lost painting, they learn art is not the only thing that can be Framed. 

THIS or THAT:

Agatha Christie or James Patterson?

~Christie, of course

New Year’s Resolutions or Bucket List?

~Bucket List. Dreams are way more fun than objectives.

Perry Mason or Matlock?

~Jim Chee (Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police novels)

Dexter or Hannibal Lector?

~For pure evil, The Master in Doctor Who. Okay, that’s TV. I cheated.

Where can we learn more about your books?

~My website: www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com

~My blog: www.scrivenersriver.blogspot.com. 

Framed is available on Amazon in ebook and print, and you can also buy it through The Wild Rose Press.  

A Thousand Words, a sequel to Framed, is in the works.


14 Comments

Interview with Richard Hacker

1/1/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Happy New Year! Get out your pipes and magnifying glasses, January is crime month here on my blog. Twice a week I’ll be interviewing authors of novels with a crime theme. Be sure to catch them all!

Today I’ve invited Richard Hacker, author of the Nick Sibelius series, to stop by. Thanks for being here, Richard!


Where does the inspiration for the humor in your crime novels come from?
Thanks for having me today Audra.  Can you believe it's 2014?  You asked about the humor in my novels.  I've always been a fan of writers like Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty), Carl Hiaasen (Sick Puppy), and Donald Westlake (God Save the Mark). Injecting some humor in a crime novel gives everyone a little more humanity.  And I like to laugh.  
 
If your main character were to make a New Year’s resolution, what would it be?
The main character of the series is Nick Sibelius, who has had a run of back luck over the last few years.  He lost his wife, his police partner, his job on the Houston Police Department and has been living in a trailer just outside of Pflugerville, Texas.  As a private investigator, he keeps hoping for low stress, run of the mill jobs like a divorce case. Instead he keeps running into very bad people with schemes which always seem to attract Homeland Security. In Dirty Water, he finds himself in a struggle with a man intent on destroying the water supply of Central Texas. And in Chain Reaction, which comes out in March, he faces off with a secessionist prepared to go to war to make Texas a sovereign nation. Nick's New Year's resolutions include: drink only after 5pm, find a woman I can love, get a new carburetor for the pick-up, and find a client who is not some megalomaniac wanting to take over the world.
 
What type of research do you do for your crime novels?
Some of my research is simply staying current with events in Texas which almost write themselves. Gov. Rick Perry actually shot a coyote while on a jog. In other words, he runs with a loaded handgun. He also called for the succession of Texas from the Union. A man tapped an aquifer which provides San Antonio with much of its water in order to farm fish. I could go on and on, but these little tidbits fall into my brain and out comes the twisted world of Nick Sibelius.  I also do some background research. For example, with the desalination plant in Dirty Water, I had to get educated on how they work, what they look like and where you might want to build one in Texas.  And I also do some experiential research, which involves going to a gun range to fire the types of guns my characters are using.  It gives me a feel for the weapon, the kick back, the sound, the smell.  All important details -- even if I don't use it all.  And yes, while I'm more of a Booker bourbon man, I drink some of Nick's Jack Daniels for the sake of my art.  

Describe your latest novel in 25 words or less.
Hoping to lock in the desalinated water market, an egomaniacal gaming entreprenuer schemes to contaminate the Austin water supply for centuries, unless Nick can stop him.

THIS or THAT:

Dick Clark or Ryan Seacrest?


I'm a future oriented kind of guy. So Ryan Seacrest.

Conspiracy Theory or Whodunit?


Whodunit. 

Magnum PI or Rockford Files?


Magnum PI had a cool car and a helicopter. Magnum PI

Inspector Gadget or Carmen San Diego?


Go, Go Gadget!


Where can we learn more about your books?

You can learn more about my books, Toxic Relationship, Dirty Water, and in March -- Chain Reaction,  at my website, www.richardhacker.com and at your favorite digital bookseller.

Thanks Audra. Hope everyone has a great 2014!



2 Comments

    Author

    Audra Middleton is a somewhat neurotic and terminally sarcastic author and mother of three from Washington State.

    Archives

    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All
    3 Day 3 Quote Challenge
    Abomination
    Afterglow
    Ainsley
    Alan Joshua
    Allison Knight
    Andrea Cooper
    Angelica Hart
    Angelina J Windsor
    Ann Everett
    Ann Harvey
    Anxiety
    April Fool
    Authors
    Benaiah
    Ben Franklin
    Blog Hop
    Cancer
    Carlyle Clark
    Celia Breslin
    Character Interviews
    Charles Brass
    Church
    C Lee Brown
    Closet Cleaning
    Coffee
    Colleen S Myers
    Conferences
    Contest
    Cookies
    Crime Fiction
    Crime Fiction
    Dani Collins
    Diana Green
    Diet
    DJ Davis
    D.L. Tabor
    Dove
    Dragon Cookie
    Elizabeth Fountain
    Embarrassing Moments
    Emoji
    Exercise
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Writers
    Fashion
    Flip Phone
    Gary Eddings
    Getting Old
    Giveaway
    Google
    Goran
    Graeme Brown
    Grandma
    Hannah Lokos
    Haven
    Helen Henderson
    Heroes
    Highland Promise
    Historical Fiction
    Hitchhiker
    Holly Hunt
    Hollywood
    Humor
    Inspiring Quotes
    Into The Lyons' Den
    Jack
    J.A. Garland
    Jane
    January Bain
    Jenna Greene
    John Lennon
    Joyce Proell
    Joyce Ward
    JP Lundstrom
    JS Marlo
    Judy Gill
    Judy Goodwin
    Julie Eberhart Painter
    Karin Rita Gastreich
    Keir
    Keith McCoy
    Kenneth Schultz
    Kerry Tolan
    Kindle Fire
    Laundry
    Let's Eat
    Leukemia
    Linda Rettstatt
    Linda Ulleseit
    Little Things
    Love
    L.T. Getty
    Macaroni & Cheese
    Maggie Thom
    Mary Mccall
    Middle Eight
    Misa Buckley
    Mom Characters
    Moms
    Movies
    Mystery
    New Year's
    Nicholas Andrews
    Nikki Andrews
    Nordstrom
    Olga Godim
    On-line Shopping
    Over The Rainbow
    Paranormal
    Parenthood
    Paula Kennedy
    Pippa Jay
    Plants Vs Zombies
    Poetry
    Professional Development
    Recipe
    Resolutions
    Richard Hacker
    Rita Bay
    Roderick Vincent
    Romance
    Romance Writers
    Ron D Voigts
    Scary Movies
    Science Fiction
    Seahawks
    Shoe Shopping
    Sledding
    Smart Phone
    Sneak Peek
    Snow Day
    Spanx
    Super Bowl
    Susan Stec
    Suspense
    Swim Suits
    Tainted Waters
    Teaching
    Technology
    Term & Conditions Apply
    Texting
    The Cloud
    The Next Big Thing
    TV
    Ute Carbone
    Valentines
    Veronica Hart
    Villains
    Watcher
    Wii
    Wiifit
    Windsong
    Writer's Block
    Writing
    You
    Zi
    Zombie Apocalypse

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.