7.23.15 - 7 Minutes With... Sean Chercover

Sean is one of my all-time favorites, and not only because he used to let me sneak off and smoke with him. Killer Year brought us together, he won a slew of awards for his work, and here we are, nearly a decade later, celebrating his new thriller, THE DEVIL'S GAME. Awesome cover, don't you think? Sean is rushing up the charts his new series, which isn't a surprise. He's an amazing crime fiction writer, and has really spread his wings with The Game Trilogy. The books are thick with prophecy and miracles and mysteries, and sharp, evocative writing. You're going to LOVE them. Welcome, Sean!

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 I was lucky enough to chat with SEAN in New York last week at Thrillerfest!

_________

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

“She’s Gone,” by Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers.

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

Right now, this interview. Then I’ll dive back in on the final book of the Game Trilogy.

What’s your latest book about?

Intrigue, adventure, romance . . . also deceit, betrayal, and villainy (all the good things in life). In my previous thriller, THE TRINITY GAME, [my protagonist] Daniel Byrne was searching for a miracle, but found much more than he was looking for. Perhaps the real miracle he found was the healing of his relationship with his uncle and childhood guardian, the Reverend Tim Trinity, televangelist-grifter-turned-maybe-prophet. In THE DEVIL’S GAME, Daniel is no longer searching for a miracle—now he’s searching for the truth.

And the truth is, Trinity was not the only person strangely afflicted with an apparent gift of prophecy. While the world only knows about Trinity, what’s come to be known as the Trinity Phenomenon has actually manifested in thousands of people, and it’s spreading like a contagion. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that the universe is trying to tell us something. So Daniel hooks up with some shady rich dudes and goes running off to try and solve the thing. And then everybody starts shooting at each other.

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

I rent an office in the same building as my apartment, which makes for an easy commute. Tools? I write my first drafts in a notebook, using Blackwing 602 pencils, then move to my MacBook Air. And I write at a standing desk, which is a life saver.

What was your favorite book as a child?          

THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE, by Beverly Cleary.

What’s your secret talent?

I can move my consciousness back and forth between parallel universes.

What book are you reading now?

WAYS TO DIE IN GLASGOW, by Jay Stringer. Loving it.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew for sure by the 3rd grade. But I kept it a secret for a long time.

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

Oh, gawd. I’ve nerded out more times than I can count. Which is odd, because I don’t really think of artists I admire as “idols.” I used to work in television, where I met a ton of famous actors and musicians, and I never nerded out over them (Well, once. I totally nerded out when I met Bob Dylan, but I think I can be forgiven that). So I thought I was immune to the syndrome. But for some reason, when I first joined the crime fiction community, I acted like a tongue-tied teenybopper when I met authors I admire. Thankfully, they were very gracious, and I’m long over that phase. Still, I reserve the right to nerd out if I ever meet Beverly Cleary.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Just write the book that you want to read.

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

Hate myself. Then write anyway.

Are you creatively satisfied?

No. But there’s joy to be had in the journey, and moments of great elation along the way. As Peter Tosh said, “Peace is the diploma you get in the cemetery.”

What would you like to be remembered for?

I don’t presume that I’ll be remembered, except by the people who share my life. I hope that the people I love will find my presence in their lives preferable to my absence.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

Beach or mountains? Beach!

Coffee or tea? Coffee (although I drink a lot of green tea).

Skydive or bungee jump? Skydive (but only if the plane is going down).

Chocolate or vanilla? Are you crazy? Chocolate. Dark, bitter chocolate.

Winter or summer? Summer.

Cake or pie? I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth, but I like a good piece of pie.

Cats or dogs? I have both, love both. But if you put a gun to my head, I’ll take dogs (sorry, Fiona).

Pens or pencils? Pencils.

Truth or dare? Truth with friends, dare with acquaintances.

Print or ebook? Both. Audiobook too, when my eyes are required elsewhere.

_________

Sean Chercover is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller THE TRINITY GAME, and the newly released thriller THE DEVIL’S GAME. He’s won a bunch of awards and stuff, and he lives in Toronto with his wife and son and dog and cat. To learn more, please visit www.chercover.com.

7.16.15 - 7 Minutes With... Kerry Madden

How fitting it is that we have Kerry Madden here today. With the wild incredible outpouring of opinion about this week's new Harper Lee release, GO SET A WATCHMAN, who better to have on the blog than the woman who wrote HARPER LEE (UP CLOSE), the definitive biography of the woman and the author?

I met Kerry high atop a mountain in northern Georgia during a writers weekend. Engaging and funny and generous, she taught me how to make oatmeal from scratch (something I've utilized pretty much every day since), made me laugh with her zany stories, intrigued the hell out of my literary mind with the concept for the novel she's talking about below, and turned me on to Brenda Ueland. Earned her keep, wouldn't you say?

Welcome aboard, Kerry!

_________

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

I’m playing Pandora and George Jones’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” just started playing. And since I have a glass of wine now that’s the end of the day, it seems appropriate.

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

I’m working on several things, but the one I just finished is a picture book called GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP ORGAN. The one I intend to finish very soon is a novel called HOP THE POND.

What’s your latest book about?

GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP, a picture book, is about an incorrigible child who plays the pump organ to get out of doing chores. HOP THE POND, a novel, is a kind of MY FAIR LADY meets TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL meets WUTHERING HEIGHTS and is told in the voices of three generations of women with some flash fiction voices from the men in their lives. George, formerly Shelly Grace, is an exchange student at Manchester University in England and is thrilled to be out of East Tennessee for the first time in her life and gets adopted by a group of British Drama students who educate her into becoming a proper person. She changes her name from Shelly Grace to George because she adores both George Eliot and Boy George. Her mother can’t imagine why anyone would want to hoof it off to England for an entire year and leave Maryville, Tennessee, but the grandmother, Maime, suddenly realizes she wants to see something pretty before she dies, and she’s always loved the Brontës and Lawrence Olivier and the Catholic Church. I finished a draft, finally, and although I'm still fine-tuning it's gone out to trusted readers for edits.

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

I used Microsoft Word, but I have downloaded Scrivener, and so it awaits me. I also write longhand sometimes.

 What was your favorite book as a child?

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith.

 What book are you reading now?

THE NIGHT OF THE GUN by David Carr and I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Alexander (They even each other out – Memoir and YA) but I just finished them so next on the stack is REFUND by Karen E. Bender. I am also listening MY BRILLIANT FRIEND (Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante) on Audible, which is pure escape into an Italian girlhood.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

"The imagination needs moodling—long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering. People who are always briskly doing something and are as busy as waltzing mice, they have little, sharp, staccato ideas . . . but they have no slow, big ideas." – Brenda Ueland

And also this by Brenda Ueland:

“Be Careless, Reckless! Be a Lion, Be a Pirate, When You Write.”

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

I take a walk—a long walk and try to think. Sometimes I go to the movies, but the movies are more of a reward. Sometimes, I open a file/chapter and just start reading it without any objective and begin to play with the words already on the page, and before I know it, I’m writing again.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered for kindness and that I wrote some good stories and that I loved my children and husband very much. 

_________

Kerry Madden is the author of the Maggie Valley Trilogy for children, which includes GENTLE’S HOLLER (2005), LOUISIANA’S SONG (2007) and JESSIE’S MOUNTAIN (2008), set in the heart of the Smokies and published by Viking. Her first novel, OFFSIDES, (William Morrow) was a New York Public Library Pick for the Teen Age in 1997 and has been released on Kindle by Foreverland Press in a revised and updated edition. Her American Girl book WRITING SMARTS is full of story sparks for young writers. UP CLOSE HARPER LEE made Booklist’s Ten Top Biographies of 2009 for Youth and was also a Kirkus Pick for 2009. Her first picture book, NOTHING FANCY ABOUT KATHRYN AND CHARLIE, was illustrated by her daughter, Lucy Madden-Lunsford, and published by Mockingbird Publishers in the spring of 2013 about the friendship of storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham and folk artist Charlie Lucas. Her newest book, GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP ORGAN, is currently being submitted to editors. She is at work on two new novels, one for children and one for adults, and a memoir. She has published stories in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Five Points, Shenandoah, Salon, Redux, and the Washington Post. She appeared for in her first indie film, LITTLE FEET, as a bag lady in Echo Park, directed by Alex Rockwell and premiered at the IFC in New York this past December.  Kerry is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of Alabama Birmingham and the editor of PoemMemoirStory at UAB. She also mentors in the MFA low-residency program at Antioch University in Los Angeles. She divides her time between Birmingham and Los Angeles. Learn more about Kerry at www.kerrymadden.com.

*And here's a little more about Kerry's book HARPER LEE (UP CLOSE), which you should totally pick up as a companion book as you read GO SET A WATCHMAN!

Nelle Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD was published in 1960 and became an instant bestseller. Two years later it was an Academy Award–winning film. Today, it remains standard—and beloved—reading in English classes. But Lee never wanted “the book” to define who she was, which explains her aversion to any kind of publicity. Kerry Madden conducted extensive research for this Up Close biography, which reveals Lee to be a down-to-earth Southern woman who enjoys baseball games and playing golf—and whose one and only published book (until now!) happened to win the Pulitzer Prize.

7.2.15 - 7 Minutes With... Carla Norton

Carla and I met on a warm April day at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest, where we served together on the thriller panel. But I already knew of her from her stellar fiction debut, THE EDGE OF NORMAL, which was one of best books I read in 2014. The writing was excellent, but it was her main character, Reeve LeClaire, who was so striking. I couldn’t wait to read more about her, and this year, Carla is releasing the sequel, WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER, which walks a fascinating line between straight-out thriller and really creepy stalker story. Carla’s got a very cool background, too, so let’s get to it. I will say this, if you’re new to Carla’s work, I can’t wait to hear what you think. Welcome, Carla!

_________

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

Ah, it’s a nice piece by acoustic guitarist Eric Hansen, called “String Theory.”

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

This morning I’m working on my novel-in-progress, which I can’t talk about until it’s close to finished. (I’m a bit superstitious about that.) Later today, I need to work on handouts for a writing workshop I’m teaching.

What’s your latest book about?

WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER is a crime novel about a 23-year-old survivor of kidnapping and captivity named Reeve who is just getting her life back on track when her abductor escapes from a mental lock-up facility. His escape is Reeve’s worst nightmare, and as he evades capture—baffling authorities and leaving a bloody trail through the forests of Washington State—she realizes that she knows him better than anyone, and must risk everything to try to stop him.

It’s the second in my series—the sequel to THE EDGE OF NORMAL—but I’m getting great responses from first-time readers, so I’m hugely relieved that it works as a stand-alone.

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

For me, the first hours of the day are for carrying the dream state onto the page, so I mostly write in bed in the morning, then migrate to my office in the afternoon. But I’ll carry my laptop all over the house, and I keep notepads everywhere—even by the shower—so that I can always jot down ideas.

What was your favorite book as a child?        

I read Nancy Drew, but she was already driving, which made her hard to relate to, so I preferred the Trixie Belden series, because a 13-year-old tomboy who solved crimes while riding a bike was more to my taste. The next book that springs to mind is HENDERSON THE RAIN KING, which I read it in high school. Before that, I saw literature as a dusty stack of books by dead guys from which teachers pulled reading assignments, but Saul Bellow’s writing was so vibrant, he rocked my world.  

What’s your secret talent?

Ha! That’s a good one. I can’t sing, tap dance, or juggle. Does speaking Japanese count?

What book are you reading now?         

I’m reading a lot of nonfiction, which is research for my next book, so I can’t talk about it. But I recently read ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, which was absolutely terrific. No wonder it won the Pulitzer Prize.

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

I’d love to be cool, but unfortunately, I either freeze or nerd out. For instance, my stomach was doing flips when I first spotted Stephen King at the Edgar Awards. He looked extremely handsome and quite imposing in his tux, and it took several glasses of wine before I rallied the courage to speak to him. Then I grinned and babbled while pumping his hand. To his credit, he was thoroughly gracious.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

My all-time favorite quote about writing is from Walter Mosley: “Plot is the structure of revelation.” I love that. But there’s a more down-to-earth quote from my grandfather that also resonates with me. He used to say, “I don’t give a damn about it unless it breathes,” and that applies to writing as well as to life. Forget the pontification. Don’t try to dazzle everyone with long, lyrical passages and esoteric vocabulary. Readers want to be moved, so it’s our job to slip inside the skins of our characters and breathe life into them.

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

When I’m stuck, I’ll go for a walk on the beach, where I can draw in the sand and talk to myself like a crazy lady without frightening anyone. Then I might approach a scene from another character’s point of view, or I might set that scene aside and move on to the next one. Recently, I was struggling to find drama in a section that needed to be cut out of the action and relegated to backstory.

Are you creatively satisfied?

Oh, for brief, glorious moments I’m lifted by a kind of literary glee. But then I’ll write something leaden, which brings me back down to earth.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I’ve never even considered that question. Let’s see… World peace?

Alright, now for the really important questions:

• Beach or mountains? Beach, please, though I love to ski when given the chance.
• Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, and tea in the afternoon. Writing requires frequent doses of caffeine.
• Skydive or bungee jump? Neither, thank you very much. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground.
• Chocolate or vanilla? CHOCOLATE! It’s brain food, right? So there’s no guilt in having some dark chocolate, especially with almonds, or orange, or chili.
• Winter or summer? Summer. I love the long days.
• Cake or pie?  Peach pie with ice cream. Yum.
• Cats or dogs? That’s a tough one. Dogs are brave, empathetic creatures, and I’m a secretly in love with Cesar Milan, but dogs are also a lot of work. The truth is, I prefer cats because they’re wonderfully independent and I’m just plain lazy.
• Pens or pencils? Pens.
• Truth or dare? Truth.
• Print or ebook? I read ebooks when I travel, but I prefer to have physical books—especially the ones I love most—close at hand, on the bookshelf, where I can fondle them at will.

_________

Carla Norton is a novelist, journalist, and true crime writer. Her debut fiction, THE EDGE OF NORMAL, was a Thriller Award finalist in 2014. The sequel, WHAT DOESN'T KILL HER, is coming in June. Carla’s true crime books include PERFECT VICTIM, which was put on the reading list for the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. She also writes monthly for AlgonquinRedux.com. To learn more, visit CarlaNorton.com, or find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

And you can catch Carla at some of her book tour stops below!
Tues. July 7: Book Culture,  450 Columbus Ave., NYC, 7:00 p.m.

July 8-11: Various events, ThrillerFest, NYC

Wed. Aug. 5: Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA, 7:00 p.m.

6.30.15 - Welcome Back, Killer Year!

Such great news from our friends at St. Martin's Press -- KILLER YEAR, the ultimate anthology of debut authors from the crime fiction class of 2007, has been reissued today in mass market, with a snazzy new cover and some updates inside. And for the first time ever, there is an audio edition! It is so cool to see this little project back in print and better than ever. Grab yours today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | iBooks | Indiebound | Kobo | Powell's Books 

A collection of killer stories from some of today's hottest crime fiction writers, edited by grandmaster and #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, Killer Year is a group of thirteen authors whose first novels were published in the year 2007. Now, each member of this widely-praised organization has written a story with his or her own unique twist on the world of crime. Each entry in this one-of-a-kind collection is introduced by the author's Killer Year mentor, including bestselling authors James Rollins, Tess Gerritsen, and Jeffery Deaver. Other contributors—of original stories, essays, and commentary—include acclaimed veterans Ken Bruen, Allison Brennan, Duane Swierczynski, Laura Lippman, and M.J. Rose. This is an book/audiobook that no fan of the genre can do without.

This one of a kind anthology features stories from members of Killer Year, who were all fresh-faced debut authors in 2007:

Brett Battles
J.T. Ellison
Jason Pinter
Bill Cameron
Dave White
Derek Nikitas
Gregg Olsen 
Marcus Sakey 
Robert Gregory Browne 
Patry Francis
Toni McGee Causey
Marc Lecard 
Sean Chercover

And words from some seasoned vets:

Lee Child
Laura Lippman
MJ Rose
Duane Sweirczynski
Ken Bruen
Allison Brennan

The reviews are super, too. 

“The disturbingly good new talent showcased in this volume bodes well for the future of the genre.”
— Publishers Weekly

“The mentors’ introductions to these stories, plus brief biographies at the end, should entice readers to longer works by these promising new authors. Even amid a recent rash of anthologies in the genre, this one is well worth a look.”                                                                                                                               — Library Journal

Gems come from the 13 Killer Year members…. Remarkably for a collection this ample, there’s no sign of a clinker.”                   
 — Kirkus Reviews

Killer Year is a group of 13 debut crime/mystery/suspense authors whose books were first published in 2007. The graduating class included such rising stars as Robert Gregory Browne, Toni McGee Causey, Marcus Sakey, Derek Nikitas, Marc Lecard, JT Ellison, Brett Battles, Jason Pinter, Bill Cameron, Sean Chercover, Patry Francis, Gregg Olsen, and David White. Each of the short stories displaying their talents are introduced by their Killer Year mentors, some of which include bestselling authors Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen and Jeffrey Deaver, with additional stories by Ken Bruen, Allison Brennan and Duane Swierczynski. Bestselling authors Laura Lippman and MJ Rose contribute insightful essays. Inside you'll read about a small time crook in over his head, a story told backwards with a heroine not to be messed with, a tale of boys and the trouble they will get into over a girl, and many more stories of the highest caliber in murder, mayhem, and sheer entertainment. This amazing anthology, edited by the grandmaster Lee Child, is sure to garner lots of attention and keep readers coming back for more.

6.29.15 - On Learning From Your Mistakes

Like all writers, I suspect, I need mental space to be happy. I need time with just my laptop and my own stories. I also need time with my "other" voices, the ones who don't exist in my series novels, who clamour to be heard, to come alive on the page. So I schedule writing retreats. Sometimes I stay home, sometimes I go away. I take a break from all my obligations and I let the other voices come out to play. Sometimes these vignettes become short stories. Sometimes they turn in to novels. Sometimes it's not worth pursuing and it goes into the treatments file. One never knows.

Last Tuesday, I set off for one of these retreats. I have very little time left to myself this summer, between traveling and editing the new standalone and starting a new book with Catherine, and I've had this small pocket of uninterrupted writing time planned for a while. 

So you can imagine my dismay when I arrived at the airport (this was a going away retreat) and realized that I'd left my laptop at home. I'd been working earlier in the day, and I plugged it in so it would get a full charge before I got on the plane (because I wasn't finished with my words for the day and was looking forward to the 90 minute flight to write) and I left it on my chair in the living room. Open. Plugged in. Decidedly NOT with me. 

I won't bore you with the self-flagellation that followed. I was upset and frustrated and embarrassed. I am normally tethered to my laptop. It is an extension of me, and leaving for 5 days planning to write sans my greatest tool wasn't the smartest move I could have made. Though as one of my dear friends reminded me, a dose of humility is always good for the soul.

I don't know that the humility helped, but it was a nice reminder.

When I posted this status update on Facebook (what is it with our need to publicly shame ourselves?) I had glib comments, of course I did, which I deserved. Ha ha, there's this crazy thing called pen and paper, etc., But for what I'd been planning to do, which was blow up a book by moving chapters around, pen and paper wouldn't cut it. I needed Scrivener, I needed Dropbox, I needed a reliable wifi connection, I needed my f-ing schedule that I'd planned out.

Deep breaths.

This is why I have Dropbox. I can access my files anywhere. Assuming I have wifi, that is.

Of course, access to wifi on this little island isn't the easiest thing. Though I had a desktop computer to work on, the wireless was turned off for the summer. Hello, touch and go mobile hotspot. 

The first day was awful. I jury-rigged some wifi, burned 90% of the data downloading my Dropbox (finally got smart and realized they have a selective download) then Scrivener needed an update. Which updated 90% then crashed the computer. Had to start over. Five hours later, I finally had everything I needed and managed to get to work. I moved my chapters around, then started writing new stuff. 

Day two was better. I continued moving things around. Wrote 1000 words, then went for a walk. I was still upset with myself, but I'd at least found a way to do what I needed. 

I did work. I didn't accomplish 1/5 of what I'd intended, because I like nothing less than sitting at a desk to write when there is a perfectly good porch swing and a sea breeze to enjoy, but I worked. And in the empty spaces, the places I couldn't take my laptop with me, I recharged my batteries. Walked 3.5 miles a day. Read 4 of 5 endorsement books due. Used my phone to communicate until it just became too much of a bother and I ditched it for some sangria. Ok, maybe a little too much sangria. 

So all's well that ends well, right? 

Sort of. 

I realized a couple of things while I was gone. 

Planning is my “thing.” I love it. I love knowing what I’m doing, day-by-day. As a tool, my calendar takes a very close second place to my laptop. I am an extensive planner. I have to be; with all the projects I have going on, making schedules and planning my time is the only way I meet my deadlines. The only way. I'm not being precious here. I have organizational OCD. Planning gives me a sense of control I’m otherwise missing. 

Which led me to this:

• I am way too dependent on my tools, but I'm not sure what I do about that. I'm a writer who works best on a laptop and likes to plan months/years in advance.
   
• Dropbox is like manna from heaven, but I can't ever leave the house on a trip without my work on a thumb drive (ironically, I do have one that has everything backed up to it daily...in my laptop.) 
   
• Perhaps I am holding on too tightly. To everything. As a consequence, I am calling bullshit on myself. 

The calendar, the writing for three houses and putting out my own work...I've become rigid and inflexible with my calendar, which is simply an extension of myself. If I'm rigid and inflexible, my work will be as well. We can't have that. Where's the fun in being a writer in this scenario?

Remember my war on the word busy? I think I need to start a war on the word inflexible, too. Rolling with it is just not my forte anymore, and I'm not sure when that happened. 

I can't change my nature, not really. I am who I am. I will always feel in control when I know what I have to do, and by when, and plot out my days accordingly. But I can learn to let go of things that I can't control. Leaving my laptop at home was stupid, yes. But the upshot was, I still had my Kindle, and my phone, and my sneakers, and a beach. After two days of really beating myself up, I let it go and took advantage of the situation. I ended up getting things done, getting ahead on my reading responsibilities, and had a little break, too. 

Granted, it wasn't a sanctioned, scheduled break.... (Let it go, JT. Let it go.)

I'm looking forward to getting home because it's time for me to check my annual review goals for the year. This whole Year of No thing might need a major mid-course correction. I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, I am all ears if you have advice on how to battle this newfound rigidity....