7 Minutes With... Chuck Driskell

What a treat for me to host my buddy Chuck Driskell here today. Chuck and I started off as pen pals several years ago, and a friendship bloomed. He's a great guy with a fascinating backstory, and even created the coolest piece of art hanging in my office. His thrillers are just that -- thrilling, tight and exciting and fun to read. If you haven't read him yet, I highly recommend his work.

Without further ado, I give you Chuck Driskell!

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

Simple Minds: Book of Brilliant Things

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

Today is a special day!  I finished the final draft of my newest, SEVEN YEARS DEAD.  Now it’s off to the editor.

What’s your latest book about? 

My latest book is TO THE LIONS.  It’s the second book in the Gage Hartline series.  Gage travels to Spain to protect a mob boss’s son in a federal prison.  He soon finds himself double-crossed by another rival syndicate who are backed by a number of crooked government officials.  The book is loaded with action and has one of my favorite antagonists, the leader of Los Leones, Xavier Zambrano.  Oh, for your eagle-eyed readers, there’s actually a JT Ellison mention inside the book.  Nothing like prisoners who dig JT Ellison novels, right?

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

I have an office in my house with a big, tattered recliner.  I sit there, pecking away on my Thinkpad in the near-dark, guzzling syrupy coffee as I weave my tall tales.  On weekends, I’ll often find a coffee shop and edit in the afternoon.

What was your favorite book as a child?

THE SHINING by Stephen King

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice? 

Sit down, turn off the Wi-Fi, and just write.  Don’t go back and rewrite, either.  Just write and get that first draft on the paper.  Then, and only then, can the real magic begin.  This is common advice…for a very good reason.

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

I follow Ken Follett’s advice.  I was with you, JT, at Thrillerfest when he said to either “kill someone” or “write a raunchy sex scene.”  He was correct.  That gets the words flowing again. 

What would you like to be remembered for? 

If there’s one thing I strive for, it’s to avoid writing the same book again and again.  While I may have limitations as a writer, I work hard to give my readers a fresh story each time.  I hope to be remembered as someone who kept people guessing.

 ______________

Chuck Driskell was a U.S. Army paratrooper. His post-military life has been spent in the advertising business and as a writer where he finds time to create stories with layered plots and flawed, yet sometimes forgivable, characters. Usually set in international locales, his stories are a blend of crime, suspense, and spy genres.  He lives in South Carolina with his wife and two children and is always scheming about his next trip to Europe. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChuckDriskell.

About TO THE LIONS (October 2013)

In Spain, former Green Beret Gage Hartline accepts a risky job inserting him into notorious Berga Prison—a place as sleazy as it is deadly. Charged with protecting the son of a wealthy mobster, Gage is pitted against rival gangs as well as corrupt government officials. He soon finds himself double-crossed by nearly everyone involved, leaving him on his own, fighting to survive. Gage has the training. Gage has the nerve. But will it be enough? 

The second novel in Chuck Driskell's Gage Hartline series, TO THE LIONS uses Driskell's trademark recipe of thrills, suspense, espionage and romance to create a memorable tale that Kirkus Reviews describes as "scorching" and "crisp with innovation". 

7 Minutes with . . . Jennifer Brooks

I'm so delighted to have Jennifer Brooks here today! Jennifer has been my first editor for many years, and she has just released her latest novel, WHISPER OF DARKNESS, a wonderful contemporary romantic suspense that you must add to your reading list. Her first book, NO EVIL LOST, was a winner as well. It's as exciting for me to see her books for sale as it is for her, I think.

Without further ado, I give you my adorable sister from another mister, Jennifer Brooks!

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

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel). Can I just comment on this? Since we’re talking about writing, it’s too perfect an allegory to let slide—it’s a story within a story: Two old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while meet for dinner, order a bottle of wine; the POV character catches his friend up on what’s been going on in his life, tells her how great she looks; they reminisce about old times, old friends; and then it’s time to go and it’s sad to see the evening end, knowing that it may be years before they see each other again, even though they agree to try to get together more often . . . all within the setting of Joel’s brilliant musical style, varying tempos, killer piano licks. One of my favorites. Sigh.

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

The next book! It’s a contemporary romance, a fish out of water tale about a young Chicago attorney, orphaned at a very young age, who finds the key to his past—and his future—on a Texas ranch. I wrote the original manuscript a few years ago, so it really just needs some dusting off and a bit of upgrading/tweaking/polishing. And a new title (to be revealed at a later date).

What’s your latest book about?

WHISPER OF DARKNESS is a romantic suspense about widowed author CJ Moore, who leaves her quiet life in Vermont for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to help a private production company adapt her most cherished book to the silver screen—and the psychotic fan who follows her there, intent on making sure the film is never made. It’s been called Nora Roberts meets Agatha Christie, and it has a bit of everything—intrigue, sex, humor, and a whole lot of tension, both romantic and suspenseful.

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

Ten years ago my husband and I were very fortunate to find a house that would accommodate our family of five so that each of us had our own “space”—mine is a 10 by 12 office, full of everything you’d expect a writer’s den to have: bookcases crammed to the hilt with all kinds of books, a couple of filing cabinets, a recliner, and two desks. This is my workshop, and these are my tools. The recliner is my reading space (when the kitten’s not sleeping in it). I use one desk for writing, on my laptop. The other desk has more books, mostly a collection of how-to’s on writing, reference books and such, as well as my CD player and music collection. (I have to have some kind of orchestral music playing while I write, always, or the Muse deserts me.) I generally write in Word, just because it’s been my friend and my crutch for about 25 years, although I do occasionally use Scrivener, which is the coolest program on the planet for getting your thoughts organized.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Oh my goodness I read everything when I was a kid—but my favorites were mysteries, mostly anything Nancy Drew or Agatha Christie. It seems funny to say a ten-year-old’s favorite book was And Then There Were None, but I thought it was the most brilliantly written thing I’d ever read in my life. If we’re going back further than that, my favorite children’s book was probably Ferdinand, the story of the bull who didn’t want to fight matadors but was more content to sit under his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers. Or Angus and the Cat. So precious.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

I think Stephen King came up with the most sound advice I’ve ever heard, even if it is the most simple—“Read a lot. Write a lot.” (I may be paraphrasing, but that was the gist.) I try to do at least a little of both every day, and would encourage other writers to do the same.

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

I have to take a break when that happens, and do something that stimulates and recharges my brain. Puzzles—of both the word and jigsaw variety—are my favorite vice. And hidden object games. But I read, too, to keep my finger on the pulse of the creative process. Once my cerebral palate is cleansed, I go back to the writing, and generally spot right away what the problem was in the first place. A very wise friend of mine (I won’t tell you her name, but her initials are J.T.) once said, “Writer’s block is your story’s way of telling you something’s wrong.” (Again, paraphrased.) But I’ve found that staring at the words on the page doesn’t give me the perspective I need to solve the issues.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Having raised my children well. And being the kind of woman that when my feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil said, “Oh crap, she’s up.”

Thanks for being here today, sweetie! Good luck with WHISPER OF DARKNESS!

________

Jennifer Brooks was born in Tucson, Arizona, the “quintessential Air Force brat” of a USAF fighter pilot and a stay-at-home mom who to this day is never seen without a book in her hand. An insatiable reader with an overactive imagination, Jennifer’s passion for literature manifested itself early in her youth, and she discovered her talent for writing during high school. In a career spanning 20+ years, Jennifer has written, edited and/or published a fairly lengthy list of books, novellas, short stories, essays, articles, interviews, and book and movie reviews, covering a wide range of genres, authors and topics in both the fiction and non-fiction realms.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. After a brief stint as a paralegal, she began working in the healthcare field and has now been there for almost 25 years. A bona fide Yankee transplanted to the South, she lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and a small menagerie of cats and dogs. They have three adult children.

About WHISPER OF DARKNESS: Acclaimed mystery author CJ Moore has strayed out of her regular genre and written a gripping love story based loosely on her own life. After six years, CJ is still grieving the loss of her husband, and unlike her novel’s heroine, she has yet to find someone to mend her shattered heart. Now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars wants to turn her most cherished book into a blockbuster film, and their whirlwind romance is at the heart of the deal.

Unfortunately, CJ has an overzealous fan who believes they are ruining her story, and his obsession drives him to eliminate those he feels responsible. When heartbreaking truths from the past come to light, CJ’s emotional strength is pushed to its limits—until she learns to let go of the past, embrace the present, and find her happily ever after in the most unexpected of places.

Win Naming Rights to a JT Ellison Character!

It's that time of year again, when the indomitable Brenda Novak hosts her annual Diabetes Auction. And I am so excited to be included! 

I'm giving away a chance  to win naming rights for a character in my upcoming Samantha Owens novel, WHAT LIES BEHIND, plus a signed set of Samantha Owens novels! Bidding starts today - so hop on over to the site and support a fabulous cause.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER 

Entries must be made on the auction site. 

A message from From Brenda Novak About the Auction   

Join me help my son and all the others out there who suffer from diabetes, which is the 5th deadliest killer.

This year, the money from my efforts will be donated to The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami.

The Diabetes Research Institute (DRI)is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet cell transplantation. From innovations in islet isolation and transplant procedures to advances in cell biology and immunology, the Diabetes Research Institute is now harnessing the power of emerging technologies to develop new cell-based therapies to restore insulin production.

By bidding you will not only win some exciting and unique items and/or opportunities, you'll be supporting a very worthy research-based organization. To find out more about the Diabetes Research Institute, visit their website at www.DiabetesResearch.org.

Happy Birthday, Will

In honor of William Shakespeare's birthday, thrillerkitten Jameson declaims for you.

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. 
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief, 
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious; 
Her vestal livery is but sick and green 
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.

On Breaking My Lenten Fast to Share Great News: More Nicholas Drummond Books Coming!

So I promised I'd reach out from my 40 Days of Silence if anything newsworthy happened. Well, this counts, I think. From Publishers Marketplace: 

DEAL OF THE DAY

Fiction: Thriller

NYT bestselling author Catherine Coulter's next two books in her BRIT IN THE FBI series, co-authored with J.T. Ellison, which expands her FBI books with the addition of the UK-bred hero Nicholas Drummond of Scotland Yard, to Ivan Held at Putnam, in a major deal, for seven figures, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group (NA).

I am so excited to continue working with my amazing friend Catherine Coulter on the Brit in the FBI series, with our incredible editor Chris Pepe, and awesome Putnam and Trident Media Group teams. We are having so much fun developing these books. The second in the series, THE LOST KEY, will release September 30. (Cover reveal coming soon - it is SO pretty!) 

So this means more exciting locales and intriguing characters and wild-ass villains. I can't wait.

And you must know, you make these awesome things happen. You buy and read the books, cheer us on, and I can't thank you enough for reading.

I hope everyone is doing wonderfully. I miss you all! Raising my champagne glass to you.

xoxo, JT