4.30.15 - 7 Minutes With... Jim Born

All hail Jim Born.

Not only because he’s an amazing writer. Nor because he’s a cop (two of my biggest likes in the world – writers and cops). 

Nor even because he went to a shooting range wearing a Killer Year T-shirt, and showed we debuts of 2007 so much love.

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Not even because he spent a day walking around a conference with my debut novel in his back pocket. Not even because he’s, you know, cool.

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No, we much all bend the knee to Mr. Born because it was he, and he alone, who cured me of my insane fear of public speaking. I’ve told the story far and wide (and, as some of you know, in the wrong forum, to the wrong people, using Mr. Born’s exact words – ahem), but I will sum it up here in less colorful language.

Nashville, 2007. The Southern Festival of Books. After his own panel, Jim was walking me to mine. It happened to be my very first time on a panel. I was scared. Actually, scared doesn’t even come close to describing the overwhelming fear and anxiety and panic I was experiencing (My palms are sweating just thinking back to it).

Jim saw my hands shaking as I opened a bottle of pills to take something to calm myself. He inquired why. I told him I was totally freaked by the idea of public speaking. He looked at me like I was a loon, and said something to the effect of, “What are you afraid of? The audience will rush the stage and beat you up?”

When I said, "Well, yes, that’s exactly it," we had a good laugh. He told me I was the expert, and I was the one who knew the most about my book. That the audience won’t know if I make a mistake or say something wrong. And they would forgive me if I did, because readers are wonderful people made of unicorns and puppies (I don’t’ think he said exactly that, but you catch my drift). I still took the pill, but it was the beginning of something for me. Every time I’ve ever spoken since, I remind myself that I’m not about to get mugged. It helps.

Jim has a new book out, which I highly encourage you to purchase immediately, and share among your friends. Any guy who will take pity on a scared girl and offer her succor is a prince among men, and deserves all the good things.

Welcome to the Tao, my friend.

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up? 

"Night Moves" by Bob Seeger

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today? 

Today I'm traveling to New York for the release of SCENT OF MURDER.  I will be making a few notes on a co-authored book with Lou Dobbs.  It is the sequel to last year's BORDER WAR.

What’s your latest book about? 

Three K-9 officers and their relationship with their dogs.  They end up on a task force on the trail of a kidnapper that forces them each to consider how far they're willing to go to catch the suspect.  It explores the relationship between dog handlers and their super talented partners.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use? 

Usually all my porch overlooking the water on a simple laptop.  The only thing unusual I use is Dragon NaturallySpeaking.  It takes extra editing, but I've probably saved myself carpal tunnel syndrome.

What was your favorite book as a child?

THE LIVING SEA by Jacques Cousteau, and a young reader's version of MOBY DICK.  I memorized the first page of MOBY DICK from my father reading it to me every night.  I would then tell people I could read when I was only a couple of years old by looking at the page and reciting it by memory.

What’s your secret talent? 

I am an excellent chef.

What book are you reading now? 

WORDS OF RADIANCE by Brandon Sanderson

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

In my late 20s.  I remember seriously starting my first novel (unpublished) in June of 1989.

Who is your writing idol? Have you met him/her? If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool? 

Elmore Leonard.  Yes, I worked for him for many years.  Now it would probably be Bernard Cornwell, whom I have not met and will nerd out when I do.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice? 

Keep it in perspective.  No one is shooting at you, and you're not putting a roof on a house in the middle of summer.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing? 

Go for a run.

Are you creatively satisfied? 

Generally yes.  All things being equal, I have a giant fantasy novel that would take six years to finish that I would like to write.

What would you like to be remembered for? 

Good kids who have their heads on straight.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

Beach or mountains?  Beach

Coffee or tea?  Neither.  I don't think I've ever had an entire cup of either.  In my whole life.

Skydive or bungee jump?  Skydiving

Chocolate or vanilla?  Chocolate.  Vanilla should be outlawed.

Winter or summer?  Summer

Cake or pie?  Cake.  Pies are meant to be thrown.

Cats or dogs?  Dogs

Pens or pencils?  Pens

Truth or dare?  Dare

Print or ebook?  Print

_________

James O. Born is a graduate of Florida State University and received a Master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Psychology.

 Born started his career in police work as a US Drug Agent (DEA) and was part of the late 1990’s Miami drug war.  He then moved on to become a Special Agent with the elite Florida Department of Law Enforcement, working undercover and spending eleven years on the agency’s Special Operation’s Team (also called SWAT).

In 2014, Born coauthored the popular BORDER WAR with TV commentator Lou Dobbs.  His current series is a realistic view of police K-9s.  The first novel in the series Scent of Murder, due for release in April of 2015, follows the pursuit of a serial kidnapper and showcases police service dogs.

A native Floridian, Born currently lives on the east coast with his wife, Donna and has two children, John and Emily.

And here's a little bit about Jim's newest book, SCENT OF MURDER, out in stores now!

Two years after being tossed from the detective bureau for his questionable tactics catching a child molester, deputy Tim Hallett’s life is finally on track.  Assigned to a special K-9 unit with the best partner in the world, a Belgian Malinois named Rocky, Hallett has finally learned to balance police work with his family life.  But that all changes in the heat of a Florida sugarcane field.

While searching for a kidnapper, Rocky locks on to the scent of a predator unlike anyone has ever seen.  Or have they?  The more Hallett digs, the closer he comes to the case that ended his career as a detective and appears to be the key to a series of kidnappings.

When the trail turns to murder, Hallett risks everything to catch the killer, even if it means clearing the child molester who drove him to violence and ruined his career.  Along the way, Hallett and his partners learn the true meaning of loyalty and courage as their canine partners take police work to a new level and show that instinct means more than training.

A realistic view of cops and canine’s lives from a veteran law enforcement agent and award-winning author, SCENT OF MURDER takes the reader into the world of police service dogs in a way no other novel will

4.23.15 - 7 Minutes With... Andrew Culver

This week, I give you another writing member of the Culver clan – Andrew Culver, son of last week’s guest, Carol. Lest you think I know everyone in the free world – I don’t, trust me – I’ve not met Andrew, nor read him, so this interview is his introduction to me, as well as to you.

I hope, as this series grows, to share all sorts of creatives with you – from readers to writers to artists and musicians. Some are friends, some are people I admire, some are strangers I’d like to get to know better. Some I will have consumed their art, some I will plan to do so, and encourage you to do the same. Regardless, I hope you’re enjoying the glimpse behind the scenes of your favorites, and those new to you, as well.

Take it away, Andrew! It’s nice to meet you!

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

I actually just did this, and it's "Love Dance" by Martin Denny, who released a lot of great exotica records in the fifties. It's pure kitsch and I love it. When you listen to Martin Denny you feel like you're in a bar in Honolulu in 1953 having a mai tai and you're surrounded by parrots and waterfalls. 

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

Brainstorming the next book in my series of cocktail mysteries. It's going to take place in a Mexican cantina. There will be a lot of margaritas, really good tequila, and probably murder.

What’s your latest book about?

My latest book, MAI TAIS AND MURDER, is about a guy who moves to a small town on the California coast and lives in a houseboat. He starts going to a tiki bar on the beach and he falls in love with the bar, and he gets wrapped up in a murder that could threaten everything that he cares about. He has to keep going to the bar in order to get clues to solve this murder. 

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I write in my house, in my writing room, with the stereo blasting and a strong cup of coffee next to me. The music has to fit the mood of the book I'm writing and it can't have lyrics for obvious reasons. Writing my last book I listened to a lot of tiki music, including the Tikiyaki Orchestra, a modern group who makes great retro exotica music. 

What was your favorite book as a child?

I read all of the Hardy Boys books. They were great because the brothers were always 17 years old and I wanted their lives. They never had to work or go to school, and they just solved mysteries all the time. 

What book are you reading now?

I just got an old translation of DON QUIXOTE by Charles Jarvis. It was published in 1742 and I just started it. I'm a little crazy about translations. I have three or four translations of Don Quixote and that many of Virgil and Homer. If it's in another language, I can't just trust one translation. Don Quixote is the greatest novel ever written because it has something the other great canonical novels don't have (except for TRISTRAM SHANDY): it's really, really funny. It's also very warm and human and it's about friendship, and on some level I would like to live in the fantasy world that Quixote lives in. 

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Charles Bukowski said something like "it should come roaring out of you." I think it has to be burning inside of you first, otherwise the book won't have any urgency. Even if you're writing a cozy mystery, or a story that takes place on Mars, it has to mean something to you personally. I like to wait until I'm bursting, until the story has been percolating in me for a while and I have the major substance of it figured out before I sit down to write. I'll go for a long time talking to people about stories, characters, and locations, or making notes, or making day trips to different places in Southern California to scout locations. I will talk to my wife during the whole process and see if ideas make sense. She was a film student and she watches all the new shows on Netflix and she has a good eye for story and character, and she helps soften and round out my ideas. I will even think about the story so much that I start having dreams about it - that's when a lot of the good stuff comes out. If you're dreaming about the world of your novel, you're on the right track. I love the story that Coleridge dreamed his poem "Kubla Khan" and woke up and wrote half of it. Then a friend came over and called him away on some business, and when he returned he had forgotten the rest of the poem, so he just published it like that. 

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Go for long walks. Exercise is the key for me to get ideas. I say just step away from the computer if it's not happening. I'm not going to sit there for two hours writing something that's terrible if I don't have any ideas. I like to go on a walk, plan the whole scene, and what needs to be communicated plot-wise, and what the atmosphere and setting are, and then come back and write it down. 

What would you like to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for writing books that were important to me, for following my muse wherever it took me. I always like the writers or musicians who let their muse call the shots. 

_________

Andrew Culver lives in Los Angeles with his wife. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and has a Master's Degree in English. His memoir, YELLOW DAYS, and other novels are available for download on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Here's a little more about Andrew's latest novel, MAI TAIS AND MURDER:

Law school dropout Aristotle McCreadie has just inherited a bunch of money from his dad, a lawyer to the stars. Now that he can do whatever he wants, he moves to the California beach town Playa Santiago. He is determined to spend his days in a houseboat lying in the sun and drinking mai tais at the legendary tiki bar, Pirate's Cove. 

But something weird is happening in this idyllic town. A wealthy old real estate mogul, and patron saint of Pirate's Cove, has just been murdered in his sprawling mansion. And whoever did it knew exactly how to dismantle the alarm system, where his cash was hidden, and where his most expensive antiques were. Now everyone in town seems to think it's no big deal and no one wants to answer Aristotle's questions about it. 

Aristotle can't enjoy his mai tais when an unsolved murder is killing his buzz. Now weird things are happening at the victim's house at night, and to complicate things, a sexy local girl wants to show him all around town. Which would be great if she didn't have a boyfriend in grad school in Portland. 

Why are the police so eager to pass off this crime as an isolated robbery? And why are people whispering about big real estate plans for Playa Santiago? Suddenly Aristotle gets the suspicion that this perfect little town is about to get very tacky and very crowded. Now the future of Pirate's Cove is in jeopardy, and this will mean the end of the best tiki bar, arguably, in the world. Which means that dozens of drinks with secret family recipes may be lost forever. The Pooka Pooka Bowl. The Mexican Mai Tai. The Naked Surfer Girl. All lost. And Aristotle can't let that happen. 

The good thing about tiki bars is when the liquor flows, people talk. So, in the interest of justice, Aristotle must go to Pirate’s Cove to get information out of these weird and colorful locals. With each mai tai he will get closer to the truth, and he may just save this town. 

4.16.15 - 7 Minutes With... Carol Culver

I have the distinct honor of hosting Carol Culver today. Carol is good friends with Catherine Coulter, and I met her at an author’s lunch at Catherine place a couple of years ago. She’s a fascinating woman, travels all over the world teaching writing, on cruises, mostly. I am not a cruiser – that whole can’t-swim-to-shore thing freaks me out – but I might be willing to make an exception for my friend. Enjoy your introduction to her wonderful world!

_________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

There's no music in the room where I work. It's hard enough to concentrate on those elusive characters and their problems without distraction. So here are the rules: no noise, no talking, no email, and no music.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

A new series about a family of five sisters, which coincidentally resembles my daughter-in-law's family. She's delighted, but she hasn't read it yet.

What’s your latest book about?

The newest book I'm writing is about a woman who gets sucked into being a bridesmaid for the 7th time. This time the wedding takes place on a cruise ship. Sound romantic? Not if you get seasick. But what if the ship's physician - Dr. McDreamy - prescribes dancing under the stars, plenty of fresh air, and some TLC?

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I have a spacious office in my house in a redwood forest. From my window I have an ocean view which inspires me, especially when I see a cruise ship sailing out into the Pacific. Did I mention I love being at sea? I often teach writing classes aboard cruise ships. I'll be sailing in April to Tahiti and other palm-fringed islands.

What was your favorite book as a child?

I loved the Heidi books, the ones where she lives in the Alps milking cows and eating cheese. It sounded like a wonderful life, once she won over her cold and frightening grandfather. Lots of conflict and a strong and plucky little heroine. Just like I wanted to be.

What book are you reading now?

I plan to read every book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, the queen of romance novels. Great characters, wonderful settings and to-die-for heroes. I'm currently in the middle of WHAT I DID FOR LOVE.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Keep writing whether you feel like it or not. What's that Nora Roberts says? "Put your butt in the chair and some words on the page." And that means every day. Day after day. Got it?

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

What, words flow? You mean like water or wine? Not in my life. I just keep pounding them out.

What would you like to be remembered for?

For making readers smile and even laugh out loud sometimes. It would be great if someone said, "Yes, I get it. That's just what it feels like." But I'll be happy just to finish a new book and publish every few months. It's the world's best job. I know because I've tried everything else - receptionist, ESL teacher, PR on a hospital ship, French translator and librarian.  

_________

Carol Grace is the author of over 40 romance novels for Harlequin, a mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, a YA series for Berkley Jam, a mystery series for Midnight Ink, and two romances for Pocket Books. She lives in California on a mountain overlooking the ocean and she travels the world for work and fun. Next month she's off to French Polynesia.

And here's a little more about the latest book Carol just released on April 1, THE BILLIONAIRE'S BRIDE:

Abbie Porter caught her French fiancé cheating on her, then she flunked out of cooking school in Paris. Feeling like a failure Abbie leaves for Bella Vista, her home in California, determined to get a new job but never ever to get married. 

When she arrives at her family’s woodsy property she’s met by Jake Crenshaw, the new neighbor and Silicon Valley entrepreneur. It’s love at first sight for the dot-com billionaire who is not only rich, he’s gorgeous, friendly and sexy too. 

But Abbie keeps her cool around Jake. She knows better than to fall for the first man she meets after her disastrous affair in Paris. Though Jake invests in her new food truck business, helps drum up business and buys her a puppy, she tells him they can be friends, nothing more. After a few weeks of working together making French crepes in the food truck, and after Jake has repaired the flat tire on her truck and fixed the faulty griddle and eaten every test crepe she creates, she finally falls madly in love. But Jake has to take a business trip which leaves Abbie to run the truck by herself. To her surprise she’s inundated by hungry customers and her food truck is a big success. 

Turns out Jake has secretly supported her venture by underwriting the cost of the lunches and sending customers her way. When she finds out she’s furious and determined to make it on her own . . . 

Get your own copy of THE BILLIONAIRE'S BRIDE to see how it all turns out!

4.9.15 - 7 Minutes With... Bryon Quertermous

I’m beyond thrilled to have my friend and very first editor Bryon Quertermous on the blog today. Bryon gave me my first break – accepting a short story I wrote for Demolition Magazine’s “Women of Crime Fiction” issue. That story was X – a title of his own choosing which was much better than my original – and I’ve always been indebted to him for taking a chance on a complete newbie. Now’s my chance to return the favor. Bryon’s debut novel, MURDER BOY, came out last week, and it’s burning up the charts, which isn’t a surprise to any of us who know him. Here’s what I thought about the book:

“Rough and raw and fast and furious and genuinely funny, with a dizzying array of villains and a hefty dose of madcap adventure, Bryon Quertermous’s love letter to the crime fiction genre, MURDER BOY, is an awesome debut from a talented, assured voice. MURDER BOY is a winner.”

As for what I think about Q? He’s a great guy, with a cool family, and a VERY twisted mind. So without further ado, may I present Bryon!

_________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

“Smoking Gun” by Robert Cray.  I love this song so much and it NEVER comes up in shuffle. Must be my lucky day today.

 Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

I’ve got some freelance editing projects I’m trying to wrap up so I can put more effort into finishing the second book on my contract (man, that is fun to write) called RIOT LOAD. On the surface the book is about a sperm bank robbery and a writer trying on a new career as a private detective, but at its core it’s about adjusting to fatherhood and dealing with real life after that one big dream in your life comes true. I’m very excited about the book but just last night realized I was attacking it in completely the wrong way and had to go back and rewrite a big chunk of the beginning. Oops.

What’s your latest book about?

It’s called MURDER BOY and it’s about a writer named Dominick Prince, a student in a Detroit creative writing program who has wasted a lot of great opportunities in his life but is determined not to waste his latest opportunity for a chance to live and write in New York City. The only thing standing in his way is his elitist thesis advisor who refuses to sign off on his final project because he thinks crime fiction is beneath a good writer. So, like any normal person would do, Dominick hires a bounty hunter to kidnap the professor and things go very, very wrong. But, as with the other book I mentioned, what it’s really about is my own struggle with writing and wasted opportunities and failure to reach my stated life goals in an appropriate time frame.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I have three little kids and a day job so I write anywhere I can. I like coffee shops and the McDonalds in town, as well as dive diners and book store cafés. My main tool is a laptop and that’s all I really need. I have an awesome little MacBook Air that works like a dream and also has software on it called Freedom that shuts me off from the internet so I can actual get stuff done. Though I do have to put an asterisk on this because I sat on the final draft of MURDER BOY for almost a year absolutely unable to figure out how to end it. But one cold fall day in an Arby’s in suburban Milwaukee, I grabbed a stick pen and a composition notebook and started writing by hand and was finally able to work out the ending. I enjoyed the experience and may try it again if (when) I get stuck again.

What was your favorite book as a child?

I read so fast and so varied that I never really had a favorite book. The first book I really remember speaking to me though was when I read THE OUTSIDERS in junior high. It was such a great book and hit me at just the right time that it really stuck with me.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading Lou Berney’s new one THE LONG AND FARAWAY GONE. It’s really amazing. I love it because Lou started like me by writing two fun caper style crime novels and I can only hope to eventually write a big book that’s even half as great as this one is. Everyone should go buy it RIGHT NOW.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Write 1,000 words a day. This seems to be pretty divisive writing advice and I know it won’t work for everyone, but for me, it makes all the difference. I need to be working on the book every day for everything to work right with it. When I start skipping days and only putting in minimal effort is when things start going poorly. Writing 1,000 words is enough to keep the pages piling up at a steady clip but isn’t so taxing mentally as to undercut the effort.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

If I haven’t been writing regularly, I’ll force myself to do my 1k every single day whether the words are good or not, and it usually only takes a day or two to clear the cobwebs. If I have been writing regularly and find the words suddenly go quiet, I read through the book to figure out where I went wrong. Writer’s block, for me at least, is almost always the result of a stupid decision I made somewhere in the book that took it in a direction it had no business going in.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I know I’m supposed to say my family and all of that, and it’s really true I hope I leave a legacy of great kids who change the world and are great people and good citizens. But I can’t shake the desire to be legendary. I want to be remembered as a writer who pushed the genre in a new direction or did something new with an old form.

_________

Bryon Quertermous is the author of the novel MURDER BOY and the forthcoming RIOT LOAD. His short stories have appeared in PLOTS WITH GUNS, THUGLIT, and CRIME FACTORY, among others, and in the anthologies HARDCORE HARDBOILED, THE YEAR’S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES, and UNCAGE ME. He was shortlisted for the Debut Dagger Award from the UK Crime Writers Association. He currently lives outside of Detroit with his wife and kids.

And here's a little more about MURDER BOY, now available wherever books are sold!

Dominick Prince is out of options. He’s lived in Detroit long enough to use his experiences of crime and poverty to fuel his writing, but he’s ready to move on to bigger and better things. Dominick’s thesis advisor, the elitist Parker Farmington, refuses to let Dominick pass his class, thinking the genre of potboilers beneath him. Which means rather than becoming the next literary sensation, Dominick will spend his life asking customers if they’d like fries with that. And if that’s the only plan, kidnapping doesn’t seem like such a bad plan B.

So if Farmington won’t pass him willfully, Dominick will make him do it forcefully. And once he has Farmington’s signature, fame and fortune are within Dominick’s grasp. But while Dominick may have a devious and brilliant mind on the page, in reality he’s more Betty White than Walter White. And before he can write ’the plot thickens,’ Dominick’s plan begins to go horribly wrong. Teaming with Farmington’s jilted mistress and her loose-cannon bounty hunter brother, Dominick finds that if even the best laid plans go awry, then his doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. And being a great writer won't matter much if he's six feet under.

4.2.15 - 7 Minutes With... Brenda Novak

Ah, Brenda Novak. EVERYONE in the industry knows this name. Brenda is an icon – a brilliant author, a wonderful friend, and one of the biggest voices in the fight against Juvenile Diabetes. Every year, Brenda conducts a massive fundraising campaign to help combat the disease. Readers of this blog will be familiar with the Brenda Novak Auction – which I’ve been honored to participate in for several years. This year, though, Brenda’s massive fundraiser is in the form of box sets – because what could be better for a reader than stories: brand-new stories, never before seen – from their favorite authors? SWEET DREAMS (Thrillers), SWEET TALK (Romance) and SWEET SEDUCTION (Erotica) all go on sale May 1. 

I’m very lucky to call Brenda my friend, and I’m honored to be a part of SWEET DREAMS. I’ve admired her for a very long time – her writing, her professionalism, her career trajectory, her work ethic, her wicked sense of humor and her honesty, and of course, her altruism. I’m so excited to have a chance to let you get to know her a little better today, too. 

_________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” (only that’s not very good for writing because it makes me dance…) So…maybe “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.  That should be a good song to get started on another Whiskey Creek romance. ;-)

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

Hmm…since I’m not working on a Whiskey Creek novel, I’m going to have to change the music again. (Actually, I don’t write to music. I can’t help listening and responding to it instead of concentrating on what I’m creating on the computer.) Today I’m working on HANOVER HOUSE, the prequel to my new suspense series that will be coming out from St. Martin’s Press next year. It features Evelyn Talbot, a psychiatrist who studies serial killers at a revolutionary new medical health center/prison in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska. She’s determined to unlock the mysteries of the anti-social mind, even if it kills her—and being surrounded by murderers who feel no remorse means it just might do that.

What’s your latest book about?

THIS HEART OF MINE (just released) is part of my Whiskey Creek series, which follows a tight-knit group of friends (both male and female) who grew up together in California’s beautiful and quaint “Gold Country.” THIS HEART OF MINE is the 8th book and is a “second chance at love” story, which features a woman who’s just been released from prison and is anxious to get to know the son she wasn’t able to raise.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I write in the retreat off my bedroom with a laptop and no other tools.

What was your favorite book as a child?

JANE EYRE.

What’s your secret talent?

I’m not sure I have any secret talents. Oh! I know! I’m good at guessing things. I could probably get work at some fair guessing people’s weight and/or age. LOL

What book are you reading now?

SAPIENS: A Brief History of Humankind

Who is your writing idol? Have you met him/her? If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool?

Ken Follett is one of my idols (EYE OF THE NEEDLE is iconic to me). I definitely did the fan girl thing when I met him at Thrillerfest a few years ago. I got a picture, which was the screensaver on my phone for the next year at least. LOL

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Believe. If you believe in yourself and your dream, you’ll work as hard as you have to in order to make it come true.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

I back up and see what I’ve done wrong. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. When I come to a grinding halt, it’s usually because I’ve taken a wrong turn, so I have to figure out what I did wrong and fix it. Then I’m able to move forward again.

Are you creatively satisfied?

Absolutely. I love what I do. I love that I’ve been able to experiment on a wide range of stories from contemporary romance to suspense to historical romance to women’s fiction (my first trade paper book—THE SECRET SISTER—will be out this August).

What would you like to be remembered for?

Like a lot of people, my motto is, “Do no harm.” I would like to be remembered as a person with integrity who did all she could to make the world a better place.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

Beach or mountains? Tough choice! Probably mountains.

Coffee or tea? Hot chocolate.

Skydive or bungee jump? Bungee jump. I like the added security of that rope. LOL

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate for sure.

Winter or summer? Summer. I get cold WAY too easily.

Cake or pie? Both.

Cats or dogs? Dogs.

Pens or pencils? Pens.

Truth or dare? Truth.

Print or ebook? Both.

_________

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of fifty books. A four-time Rita® nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.4 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

And here's a little more about Brenda's newest novel, THIS HEART OF MINE:

First love. Second chance?  

As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him—especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next. 

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming. 

Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both!