"Cleansing Eden" is a crime thriller novel about a young man trying to kick a bizarre drug addiction that forces him to kill Hollywood celebrities.
PDB: Which books, films or television shows have floated your boat recently?
I'm a "Justified" junkie. It's one of the few crime dramas that does justice to its source material - and to wearing Stetsons. Can't wait for the new season to start this month.
PDB: Is it possible for a writer to be an objective reader?
Maybe. An author's mind never stops writing, even if he/she isn't at the keyboard. That means every word put in front of those pupils is seen through the lens of the writing process. There's the surface story and the writing story. Reading isn't the same if you also write.
PDB: Do you have any interest in writing for films, theatre or television?
Not really. Authors sometimes view movies and TV as the ultimate expression of their written works. It's like they're saying words aren't good enough to tell a story. I don't see any directors hoping their show is optioned for a book. Why should authors be any different?
PDB: How much research goes into each book?
I'm a journalist by degree and by trade, so I put a lot of value into research. For "Cleansing Eden," I created a drug called Bluegrasse for the protagonist's addiction, since nothing in reality did what I needed it to do. Creating it meant researching how artificial drugs, such as synthetic marijuana, are created. Granted, I didn't do any first-hand research, but I read enough to get a sense of how it all worked. Other chemicals, like atropine, are central to certain events. Those needed research, too.
PDB: How useful or important ARE social media for you as a writer?
Extremely important. My mornings are spent hitting Facebook, Google Plus, Goodreads, Twitter, CrimeSpace and BookTown - at a minimum. That's on top of my website/blog at CrimeFictionBook.com. For as powerful a tool as it is, social media is a blessing and a curse. It can replace writing as the number one priority. Finding a balance is difficult when time is so limited. Outside of writing, I work full-time as an online editor for a media company and help run a working ranch.
PDB: What’s on the cards in 2012?
I'm working on my second crime novel and hope to have it published before the year is up. It's about a phony psychic who is tapped to find a missing college student.
Maynard Soloman, the lead in my crime fiction humor short story series, will have many more installments. This series is a ton of fun to write and is finding a devoted audience. I'll be collaborating with Laura Roberts, editor of Black Heart magazine, on the next one. That's going to be wild.
1 comments:
Another top interview, Paul.
Really interested in your comments there, Ben, about social media, and also the film/tv thing. Never looked at it like that before. Enjoyed the interview, mate.
And good luck with eveything you seek to achieve this year.
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