Interview with debut political thriller author Marc McGuire

Debut mystery author Marc McGuire is here today chatting with me about his political thriller, Missions.                     

Bio:

Marc McGuire is an American-born international business lawyer who has lived much of his career in Europe, first in Zurich, Switzerland, and later in Paris, France. He received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and he currently resides in California. Missions is his authorial debut.

Welcome, Marc. Please tell us about your current release.

Missions is a fast-paced, thought-provoking political thriller with an offbeat plot and unexpected outcomes. The resurgence of Islamic jihad has inspired several best-selling novels, but Missions delves more deeply into the dark recesses of the human spirit that permit a select few to murder in the name of God or politics. These new enemies emerge from the story not as cardboard background villains but rather as complex personalities fighting for causes they believe justify their crimes.

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted my first novel to arise from historical events that transformed my generation in some powerful way. One of my top candidates was the attack on Sept. 11 and its aftermath. Nothing else during my lifetime has stirred such a variety of strong emotions among so many people: feelings of loss, anger, fear, patriotism, suspicion, disillusionment and many other emotions. Missions takes place during the first year following the 9/11 attacks, when those feelings are still raw and the transformations of our society are still underway.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have several ideas but no decision, yet.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As a lawyer, I have written daily throughout my career, but I soon discovered that writing a novel is entirely different. It took me several years and countless drafts working on the Missions project before I began to consider myself a writer of fiction.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Initially I worked on the book sporadically, making halting progress on research, brainstorming, outlines and rough drafts; once the full story was outlined and the main characters were sketched out, I began to work more regularly, reviewing and writing every morning for several hours. With each draft, the project seemed to gain momentum (the most exhilarating phase) until my agent Linda Langton finally decided the book was ready for submission. Now that Missions is in publication, I am taking a break, mostly playing tennis, performing magic for friends, skiing, traveling and other fun stuff. My wife and I are headed to France and Italy this month, so I plan to give the next project some more thought and get started with the writing when we return.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I love to learn from the masters. In preparing for Missions, I read (or re-read) a lot of novels by great authors, such as Hemingway and LeCarré, trying to understand the secrets of their writing. I never tried to copy them, but whatever I grasped of their marvelous techniques inspired me to try similar things with my story and my characters.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

At various times, I actually imagined becoming a writer or a lawyer; I guess that’s why I studied English literature at UCLA and went on to UCLA School of Law. I’m not sure if that is a case of “living the childhood dream” or lacking imagination to try something different.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I am also an amateur magician; even performed a few times at the Magic Castle in Hollywood while I was at UCLA.

Links:

Amazon print | Amazon e-book | Barnes and Noble

Thanks for joining me today, Marc.

Interview with mystery novelist Kate Flora

Today's interviewee is multi-genre (but mostly mystery) writer Kate Flora. She's mostly talking about the Redemption: A Joe Burgess mystery the 3rd novel in her Portland, Maine-based police procedural series which is releasing in March.

Kate is the guest of honor this Sunday night (March 4) at Writer's Chatroom from 7-9PM EST. Feel free to stop on in and join the conversation. No password or registration needed. Writer's Chatroom is a 5-time winner of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers.

Bio:
Attorney Kate Flora’s twelve books include seven Thea Kozak mysteries, three gritty police procedurals including The Angel of Knowlton Park, a suspense thriller, Steal Away, written as Katharine Clark, and a true crime, Finding Amy, which was a 2007 Edgar nominee and has been optioned for a movie.

Her current projects include Death Dealer, a true crime involving a Canadian serial killer, co-writing two memoirs, a screenplay, and a novel in linked stories. Flora’s short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including the Sara Paretsky edited collection, Sisters on the Case. She is a former editor and publisher at Level Best Books, former international president of Sisters in Crime, and a founding member of the New England Crime Bake Mystery Conference. Her story, “All that Glitters” appears in Dead Calm, and her story, “Bone China” in the crime story anthology Dead of Winter.

Welcome, Kate. Please tell us about your current release.
Here’s the review from Booklist, which does a pretty good job:

When Detective Sergeant Joe Burgess of the Portland (Maine) Police Department finds his friend Reggie Libby drowned in the harbor, he is determined to bring the killer to justice. Reggie, a Vietnam vet who was mentally ill and had fallen on hard times, had apparently started a new job recently. Joe and his colleagues work to determine his place of employment and his movements before his death by interviewing Reggie’s fellow streetpeople and his relatives, including his vindictive former wife and indifferent son. On the home front, Joe’s live-in girlfriend wants to adopt two foster children, and Joe doesn’t feel ready to be a parent. As always, Joe immerses himself in his case, causing problems in his personal life. Framed by the challenges streetpeople face in large cities, this compelling, fast-paced police procedural offers a complex plot, rich with details of conducting a murder investigation and insight into the rigors of the cop’s life. — Sue O'Brien

What inspired you to write this book?
The first Joe Burgess was inspired by all the time I ended up spending with police officers, doing research for my Thea Kozak mysteries. I wanted to explore the police officers’ reality in more detail. I also wanted to set my new series in Portland, which is a city I’m fond of, as a proud 'Maine-iac'. For this third mystery, I wanted to explore the tension between Burgess’s dedication to detective work and his desire to live a more normal life with his girlfriend, Chris. Ratcheting up that tension was getting Burgess involved in investigating the death of a Vet, and friend, who never recovered from his experiences in Vietnam. The inspiration for the plot came, in part, from wondering what the effect of our poorly planned, unwinnable conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq was on those who had seen, and suffered from, another such war. That led me to the character of Reggie the Can Man. And the title, Redemption, a double play on the ultimate effect of the investigation for Burgess and others, and the fact that the place where cans and bottles are turned in for money is called a redemption center. At the heart of all my books are issues of greed, and lies, and what it is that allows some people to deviate from the social contract we’ve all committed to.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Actually, Lisa, I’m going in about three different directions right now. I’ve just done the final tweaks on a second true crime that I’ve been working on for about five years. Now I will have to sell it—NOT an exciting story. Then, back in the fall, I started working with some incredible people on their memoirs--one individual, and one family—and the stories are so powerful and compelling. One is an international child abduction, the other a 25-year memoir of a retired Maine Game Warden. And as though that weren’t complicated enough…I’m trying to carve out time for a final edit on a suspense novel that needs work. And I just decided to write the eighth Thea Kozak mystery, Death Warmed Over, which I’ve been carrying in the back of my head for about four years.

Overwhelming. Exciting. Wow!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Some time after I finished my third or fourth mystery (I have three still stuck in the drawer) I began to admit that I was hooked. I don’t think I ever put “writer” instead of “lawyer” on a form asking for employment, until I’d published my third book. I always figured that it would suddenly go away. It’s a hard thing to trust. However, in my heart, I knew I was a writer, which is what sustained me through my ten years in the unpublished writer’s corner.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write full time, sorta. That is, I don’t have a day job. But, like many writers who don’t have a lot of income, I also teach, and do manuscript consults.

Since “discipline” is among my favorite words, coming, somewhat ironically, right after “imagination,” I try to be in my chair with the time-wasters: e-mail, facebook, blog checking, ebay, and Scrabble all done, by 7:30 or 8:00. Then I write until my back starts to hurt, and go do stretches, take a walk, do laundry, run to the P.O. and grocery store, and then back in the chair for another few hours. Another one of my favorite words is “obsession.”

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Golly…what an interesting question, Lisa. I’m not sure that I have one. Perhaps, recently, that I’ve figured out that when I’m stuck in a chapter or a scene, I can grab the sticky bit out of it, start a new file, and just play around, giving my characters their heads to see what they will do. It’s great for getting unstuck, making new discoveries, finding interesting dialogue etc.

Or maybe my quirk involves shoes. When I’m stuck and frustrated, sometimes I go buy shoes. The upside of this is that I only buy second hand, so I can indulge on a writer’s income. The downside is that I own too many shoes. Anyone who wears a size 7 and feels in need of a box of shoes might want to get in touch with me.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer. Of course.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Always a great, and difficult question. Recently, in the writing world, the question of “branding” floats around a lot. Building a publishing platform, and identifying and protecting and promoting a writer’s particular brand. So recently, I blogged about this, and I’ve been giving it some thought…and I still come down to this: It’s awfully hard to identify a particular brand when I write strong women amateur PI mysteries, police procedurals with male protagonists, short stories, and true crime. And now, it seems, memoir. But what I think I’ve figured out is that all my work, what draws me to the stories that I write, whether fiction, nonfiction, or a collaboration, is the ripple effect. What are the stories of those left behind—the family members, the public safety professionals, etc.

But I don’t really know if that’s a brand. I just know it’s where my interest lies.


Thank you so much for being here Kate. And I look forward to hosting you as a guest this Sunday at Writer's Chatroom where we can expand on this interview and take questions from the audience.

Interview with M.D. Cliatt

Today we welcome novelist M.D. Cliatt as she tours her novel The Public Pretenter with VBT Cafe.

M.D. has donated an e-copy of her book to a lucky commentor on this blog, so make sure to leave your email address if you'd like a chance to win!

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, M.D. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Georgia. When I was seventeen, I ran away from home, moved in with my high school bus driver and then married my boyfriend a few months later when I turned eighteen. I finished high school, attended college, had two sons and then moved my family to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania so I could attend law school. Today, I’m still married to my high school sweetheart, have two teenagers and I’m a lawyer and adjunct law professor.

Please tell us about your current release, The Public Pretender.
The story is about a fiery criminal defense attorney, Maeven Dayne, who specializes in representing juvenile defendants. When it comes to her job, she’s driven and passionate. When it comes to her family, she’s devoted, but her job is demanding and distracting. She pleases her husband when she decides to quit her job to spend more time with the family. But, on Maeven’s last day at work in the courtroom, a juvenile probation officer she despises drags a weeping young girl before an irritated judge for an unscheduled hearing while Maeven is packing up her things to leave. She is walking out of the courtroom, fighting her urge to turn around when she hears the probation officer had the girl incarcerated for weeks without notifying her parents or arranging for representation. Maeven can’t resist the girl’s pitiful pleas for help and intervenes.

She discovers people are profiting from imprisoning innocent kids. A whistleblower ends up dead, but he’s left clues. When her oldest son is beaten, arrested and detained on false charges, her husband receives a message proposing an offer: Maeven must quit the girl’s case, or they lose their son. She has to choose who to sacrifice.

What inspired you to write this book?
Because I was mad about the way the juvenile justice system works and how little families knew about it, I started writing a guide. A creative spring erupted in my mind while I was writing, and I couldn’t force myself to stay within the rigid lines of legal exposition. It seemed fitting because I spent more time using stories and analogies to explain to kids and their families what was happening to them in court. And, admittedly, I enjoyed the fictional narrative more.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I have three projects swirling around in my brain right now. I’m working with my sons on a fantasy novel about a pregnant queen, I’m flirting with an idea for a romance novel, and I plan to write a sequel to The Public Pretender. I already have a plot worked out for Maeven, and I can’t wait to get back to her.

What is your writing life like?
I wake up around four in the morning when I’m the only one, besides the dog, stirring around my house. I turn on some instrumental music so lyrics don’t distract me, get a cup of tea or hot water with lemon, a pillow, a blanket and park myself on the couch in front of my bow window. Hopefully, I find my writing vibe and voice and get lost in my imagination with a particularly intriguing character and/or plot. I write for a couple of hours and then head off to work.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’m still not sure, but as a kid, I would write stories in journals in an attempt to capture the magic authors seemed to possess, but I never finished--barely started really. When I finished The Public Pretender, and a couple of people told me they liked it, I thought--Maybe, just maybe. So, I’m trying my dream out for size to see if it fits.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
No, I write part-time for now. If I could afford to write full-time, I would do it in a heartbeat. In my imagination, I have a very romantic idea about what is would be like for me to write full-time--you know, hidden in the corner of a quaint little coffee shop with my laptop cranking out plot after plot with vibrant characters or down by the river sitting on a bench. For now, I wake up early and write, and I work full-time instructing law students.

What's something fun you like to do?
I enjoy sneaking off with my husband in the middle of the day to do something unplanned--like watching a movie.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
When I get stuck, I like to write while bathing by candlelight.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Honestly, as a child, I had a list. I wanted to be an actress, fashion designer, novelist and a lawyer.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you for hosting me and I look forward to your comments.

Thanks for being here, M.D.

Readers, remember to comment if you'd like a chance to win an e-copy of her book. I'll draw a winner on Friday, the 13th.

You can check out M.D.'s other tour dates and stops.

Interview with Rick Banks, divorce attorney

Hi Rick, welcome to Reviews and Interviews.

I'd like to introduce you to my readers, so I have a few questions for you.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A few years ago I began shifting my focus from primarily being a divorce attorney, to doing more and more mediations, where I help people work through their divorces with as little trauma as possible, rather than going through the typical court-fought divorce. I realized that having a "Friendly Divorce" can save people thousands, and often tens of thousands of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere (e.g., like their children's college funds, or vacations, or purchasing a home, etc.). So, that's when I knew I needed to get the word out to as many people as possible that there is an easier way to divorce, and that I needed to write a book teaching people how to do that.

What inspired you to write Friendly Divorce: The Definitive Guide to A Stress Free Divorce?
I decided to become an attorney to help people get through what is probably the hardest thing they'll experience in their lives - a divorce! However, after 10 years I've come to learn that the legal system often makes divorces harder than they have to be - both financially and emotionally. And, although there are some good, ethical attorneys, there seem to be equally as many that don't put ethics, or what's best for their clients, in the forefront of the case.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
You mean besides the fact that it's a heck of a lot harder than one might imagine? Yes; I learned that for a non-fiction book, tons of research is a must. In my situation, I had to sift through the laws of 50 states and then write in a way that, no matter where you live, you can benefit from my book.

How long did it take you to write the book? Are you writing another?
Well, when I made the decision to finally write my book, I set a goal to have it completed in 6 months. However, reality set in after a few months and I realized that, for me, that wasn't enough time. As it ended up, I finished right at the two year mark. And no, I'm not writing another one just yet, but I'm getting pretty jazzed about some other ideas I have.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing? Was it a challenge to balance it with your day job?
My work schedule while I was writing was what caused me to take two years to complete my book. My typical work day is spending 10 - 12 hours at my office taking care of my day job (being a solo practitioner attorney does not lend itself to lots of free time). I would then spend a few hours with my family before going off to my quiet room to write. I usually get up between 3 - 4 a.m. and start writing again. As twisted as this may sound to many who don't consider themselves "morning" people, these are the best times for me - no phones, no televisions, no interruptions.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I guess I would have to go back to the time of day I spend writing so early in the morning. Once I get up, get a little bit of coffee running through my system, I can go for hours without stopping because it's go quiet and peaceful at that time of the day.

Besides writing, what do you do for fun? What are you hobbies?
I like scuba diving, camping, spending time with family, and traveling to different places with my wife to listen to Blues Music.

Do you have a website where writers can learn more about you and your writing?
It's www.HowToDivorceAsFriends.com

Thank you for your time today, Rick. I wish you all the best with your book!