April 30, 2015

4.30.15 - 7 Minutes With... Jim Born

April 30, 2015/ J.T. Ellison

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.

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.

Jim suavely sporting PRETTY GIRLS in his back pocket

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.

_________

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

April 27, 2015

4.27.15 - The Definition of a Win-Win

April 27, 2015/ J.T. Ellison

If you’ve been around the Tao for a while, you know that my first novel, a Taylor book, was shoved in a drawer long ago, never to see the light of day—let alone, a bookshelf.

But recently I’ve taken it out, dusted off the cobwebs, and remembered how proud I am of my first book. I’ll tell you, it was great fun to revisit where it all started for Taylor and Baldwin, albeit with a few more tools on my literary belt.

And now, I’d like to share it with you in one of the coolest projects I’ve ever been a part of.

The long-awaited prequel to the Taylor Jackson series, CROSSED, will be released this Friday, May 1, as part of SWEET DREAMS, a limited edition, digital-only boxed set curated by Brenda Novak for the benefit of diabetes research. It includes thirteen never-before-published novels and novellas for only $9.99 (that’s a deal, folks—less than $1/story).

Who else is in the set, you may ask? So many awesome writers and friends! Fellow New York Times bestselling authors Allison Brennan, Alex Kava (who is contributing BEFORE EVIL, the long awaited prequel to her fantastic Maggie O’Dell series), Erica Spindler, Cynthia Eden, Heather Graham, Liliana Hart, CJ Lyons, Carla Neggers, Brenda Novak, Theresa Ragan, Tiffany Snow and Jo Robertson.

Pre-order SWEET DREAMS now (wherever ebooks are sold—links are below!) so you’ll receive it when it’s released on May 1st.

Take note: once SWEET DREAMS goes on sale, it will only be available through June 30th. All proceeds will go to The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami (they are doing some amazing, cure-focused work). Our goal is to raise $300,000 and, with your help, we should be able to do it.

And with her wickedly sharp brain, Brenda has also curated a contemporary fiction box, set as well as a hot romance box set, so check those out too. You can find more information at http://brendanovakforthecure.org.

Go order your copy of SWEET DREAMS, and make a difference while you read!

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Google

April 23, 2015

4.23.15 - 7 Minutes With... Andrew Culver

April 23, 2015/ J.T. Ellison

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!

_________

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.