A Conversation with Ann Parker

Ann Parker's fast-paced yet lyrical Silver Rush series has placed her work on the must-read list for historical mystery lovers. Ann is giving away copies of her award-winning Silver Lies novels to two lucky blog visitors who comment on her interview here.

Ann, have you always been interested in Colorado history and why did you chose the 1870s as the decade to set your mystery series?

Colorado has always been a special place to me. As a child, our family made many treks to visit relatives in the Denver area, where both my mother and father were raised. I even attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs back in 1970 for one glorious year. However, I came to appreciate its history much much later. At a family reunion in the 1990s, I learned from an uncle that my paternal grandmother had been raised in Leadville. This was a surprise to me: she’d never spoke of the place nor what her life had been like as a child. My uncle told me a bit about the big silver rush in Leadville, and urged me to research and write a book set there! Intrigued, I started to read about the time and place and, basically, was seduced by the history. The silver rush (late 1870s, early 1880s) was a time of social upheaval and extremes—overnight millionaires, wildly fluctuating real estate prices, crimes of passion, greed, and poverty—all up at 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. It just seemed the perfect time and venue for setting a mystery series.

How did your saloon owner Inez Stannert come into being and how many character traits do you share with your protagonist?

Once I had my time and setting, I turned my attention to crafting a protagonist. I gave her my grandmother’s maiden name—Inez Stannert—then considered what she would be doing in Leadville. I wanted to give her license to snoop in both the good and bad parts of town. I originally thought of making her a newspaperwoman, but decided it would be fun to have her running a saloon (more research!). I also wanted to paint her with shades of gray: not all “good,” not all “bad,” but somewhere in between, with faults and a fallible nature. I’m not sure I share many character traits with Inez … She’s braver than I am (I’m a real wimp!), faster on her feet and with her wits, quick to make decisions and to act, and a marvelous pianist. Perhaps the one thing we share is the experience of being “a woman in a man’s world.” According to the 1880 census in Leadville, three of the nearly three hundred saloons were run by women…Thus, Inez is unusual in her profession, and people sometimes look askance at her as a result. As someone who has worked several decades as a science/tech writer in the realms of high tech and science R&D, I could empathize with Inez in that respect!

How does it feel to have your first novel, Silver Lies, win the coveted Willa Literary Award as well as the Colorado Gold Award and become a finalist for both the Bruce Alexander and Spur awards?

It’s a wonderful feeling, of course! At the time, though, I was mostly stunned. You see, I’d sort of noodled the story out over several years, having a lot of fun, but knowing that, as mystery set in the Old West, it was rather quirky and unusual. Not at all like what was out and around at the time. Finding a publisher had been a long hard slog, and I’d had some of the stuffing knocked out of me along the way. I was (and still am!) so grateful to Poisoned Pen Press for taking on Silver Lies and for being such a great, supportive publisher. I was just happy that the book was being published; the awards and attention really took me by surprise…. a wonderful surprise, of course. Looking back, it all makes me smile. I’d never expected anything like this to happen to me in my life, so this “first literary child” is a very special one.

How much research goes into your novels? Do you read for months before starting a book or do you research as you write? Do you strive for historical accuracy or do you tweak history to fit your plot?

The first round of research happens before the writing, to garner the central idea for the story. I build my plots around real events—the coming of the railroad to Leadville, for instance, in Iron Ties, Ulysses S. Grant’s five-day visit to Leadville in Leaden Skies—and place my characters and fictional events in the shadow of history. It’s hard to say “how much” research I do … I read in fits and starts, carrying around reference books in my car to sneak a paragraph or two at red lights or while waiting in lines in grocery stores. I love reading on planes where there are no other distractions. Once I know the historical pivot for my story (in other words, when I have that a-ha! moment), I start writing and research other things as I go. I do strive for historical accuracy, but tweak if I must. I always include an Author’s Note at the end that tells what’s real, what isn’t, and provides some suggestions for further reading.

How long has each manuscript taken from start to finish?

Since I write in fits and starts, that’s very difficult for me to gauge. Compared to other mystery authors who spin out one, two, sometimes three books a year, I’m a s-l-o-w writer (the literary equivalent of “slow food,” I guess). It has taken me around two years (again, in fits and starts) to write each book. I’m ever optimistic, though, that the next one will be faster.

Tell us about your background.

Born and raised in San Francisco Bay Area, I loved to read from the time I was very young. I can still remember how it felt as I parsed out the word “morning” in an Early Reader book and some internal “reading comprehension synapse” switched on. What a rush! Fast forward 20 years: I received my bachelor degrees in English Literature and Physics (double major) at University of California, Berkeley… no idea what to do with it all, until a physics professor (thank you, Prof. Amer!) suggested I look into scientific editing as a career. My plan at the time was to get some experience, somehow, somewhere, and eventually move to Colorado. In my fantasies, I pictured myself working for NCAR in Boulder. Fast forward another 20 years: I’ve managed to move exactly one set of hills east from where I started. Married, two kids, two decades into my career, it was clear I was not going to settle in Colorado any time soon. Maybe that’s what gave me the impetus to write fiction set in the area I love: At least I now have an excuse to go there and do research every once in a while!

What’s your writing schedule like and do you aim for a certain amount of words at each session?

How embarrassing… This is the point where I have to admit that I don’t have a “writing schedule” per se. I’m now working as a freelance technical writer/editor; that takes a lot of my day-to-day energy and focus. So, basically, my fiction writing is propelled by panic and deadlines. The process goes like this: After I do my preliminary research, I plug along through the first third (or half) of the book, get stuck somewhere towards the middle, and thrash around for a while. I am then jolted back into motion by an approaching deadline. So, I guess that shows that there are all kinds of ways to write. After all, someone has to be at the other end of the spectrum from those who get up at sunrise and write XXX words before going to work…

Who most influenced your own work and why? Have you had a mentor?

I’ve read so much over the years that it’s hard to pick any one writer as an influence. Maybe it’s all those “Lit” classes from way back when, but I have a great fondness for Shakespeare and Milton. I love how they use language and the multilayered nature of their work. As for mentors, I’ve been graced with two, who are dear friends in addition to being mystery authors: Camille Minichino (who was also my “officemate” way back in the Dark Ages of typewriters and of computers the size of entire rooms) and Penny Warner (who taught me “how to write a mystery” back when I first decided to give this a try).

Which novelist, past or present, would you enjoy being trapped with in an elevator and what you ask him or her?

Well, if not Shakespeare or Milton (see above), I’d pick Martin Cruz Smith! I’m a big fan of his novels. No matter what venue he chooses to set his story in—England’s coal mines in 1872, Japan in 1941, Moscow in the present—I start reading, fall right into the worlds he creates, and can’t stop (a new MCS book always bodes badly for my work projects). I don’t know what I’d ask him … I’d be too much in awe. Maybe I’d just ask him for his autograph!

Advice to fledgling writers?

Be sure that you’re in it for the love of writing and telling stories…If you’re hoping to make a fortune by being an author, believe me, there are easier ways to make a living. And, if writing fiction is what you really really want to do, then don’t give up. Take classes. Learn the craft. Practice. And, if you decide you want to be published: Persist! You may have to hear a lot of “no, not for us” before you finally hear a “yes.” If you give up too soon, you’ll never get to that “yes.”

Thanks, Ann, for taking part in the series.

Ann's website: http://www.annparker.net
She blogs Mondays on The Lady Killers http://theladykillers.typepad.com
and at random on The Silver Rush Mysteries http://silverrushmysteries.blogspot.com

Read Ann's great article on historical research at: Searching in the Shadows of the Past

A Conversation with Rosemary Harris

Gardening enthusiast and former Disney employee, Rosemary Harris writes a mystery series featuring master gardener Paula Holliday.

Rosemary, how did the Dirty Business mystery series originate?

I really had no intention of writing a book, much less a series. A two line item in the New York Times is responsible. The headline read Mummified Baby Identified and thereby hangs the tale. I did some research and wound up having a telephone interview with a doctor from the Henry Lee Institute of Forensic Sciences who told me that, in fact, the body had not been 100% identified because there was no DNA reference sample. He also told me about something that had been found with the body, and I thought - what a great clue that would be in a mystery. So I wrote one. After I found an agent, she said “It’s a series, right?” To which I answered “Absolutely!” My mother raised no fool.

Carolyn Hart called your first novel, Pushing up Daisies, "Quirky, original, and captivating.” How and when did you come up with the plot and characters?

I already had my first body and then I thought about the things that drove people to commit crimes – greed, lust and revenge probably account for the lion’s share. And they exist in small towns and suburbia just as much as they do in big cities. Some of my characters are composites of people I’ve known and people I’ve encountered. They might also be the irritating guy on a cell phone or the harried woman trying to control her three kids in the supermarket or airport. Observing real people is more fun than watching television.

What, as a gardener, do you specialize in besides quirky novels?

My garden has a lot of shade and the soil is acidic so I gravitate toward flowering shrubs – azalea, rhodys, mountain laurels, leucothoe, pieris. I also have a lot of dogwoods, bamboo and Japanese maples. My current project is the elimination of my lawn. I’m growing a moss lawn which looks lovely until the dog starts tearing it up! Luckily, moss is very forgiving.

Tell us about your master gardener/sleuth Paula Holliday.

Not surprisingly, she started out being a bit like me; we do share the same work history. Paula is a little cynical, something of a wiseass, very loyal, non-judgmental and is known to disappear from people’s radar for a while. She’s also pretty courageous moving to the ‘burbs by herself and starting a small business. And she’s loosening up a bit the longer she lives in Springfield.

Did your interest in gardening develop while growing up in Brooklyn? Were you a child bookworm?

My Italian grandmother had a lovely garden and I can remember masses of fresh basil and figs. Needless to say I couldn’t have a fig tree when I got my first apartment but I had tons of houseplants. When I moved to Manhattan I took a fifth floor walkup so that I could have a private roof garden. I grew morning glories, coreopsis and tomatoes on West 69th – it worked really well until the ceiling fell down from the extra weight.

What kind of jobs did you hold while working for Disney, ABC Video and New York television stations?

I had a variety of jobs that no one had before and probably no one has had since! I was very lucky and seemed to be able to invent the jobs I wanted. Basically I was in the video business. I acquired, produced and sold non-theatrical programs on home video. So my luncheon companions included wrestlers, fitness divas, soap stars, comedians and the occasional porn star. It was a lot of fun. I also got to meet a number of great old movie stars from the 40’s and 50’s like Gene Kelly and Ann Miller. That was a blast.

Where in your travels have you found the best places to kayak and hike? And will you use your outdoor adventures as backdrops for future novels?

I loved kayaking in Alaska and in the Sea of Cortez where it’s not unusual to see incredible wildlife while you’re paddling, but I think my heart belongs to the Virgin Islands. I’ve paddled from one island to another, camping on the beaches. It’s gorgeous. I’m doing it again next February. I’m a big fan of all the National Parks, it would be hard to name just one favorite hiking spot so I’ll name three, Glacier, Yosemite and Canyonlands. They’re all so different – and even more beautiful than they look in the Ken Burns series! Omigosh, I think Nevada Barr has that covered pretty well.

To what do you attribute your success as a writer?

Success? I guess I’ve gotten off to pretty good start. I agree with something CJ Box said – publishing is still a relatively low-tech business. It’s still a handselling, word of mouth business and I try to meet lots of people. It got to the point that I joked that I would go wherever “two or more were gathered.”

Advice to fledgling mystery novelists?

Someone stop me before I write “write the best book you possibly can.” Cheesh! Of course. That’s a given. After that, I’d say when you’re looking for a agent, keep looking. Just because an agent doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life with you – on spec - doesn’t mean your book is no good. Find another agent. On the promotion…go where the people are. And not just mystery events..book festivals, women’s groups, senior centers…anything related to your book. I’m having an event at a local diner next week. A librarian suggested it because the diner was the inspiration for Babe’s Paradise Diner in my book, Pushing Up Daisies.

What’s the best and worst aspects of writing?

Best - getting the idea, seeing it come to life. Having the time to get a sentence or paragraph just the way I want it. Worst - having to hand it in! It’s inevitable that at the eleventh hour I think of something I should have done differently.

Thanks for taking part in the series, Rosemary.

Rosemary's website: www.rosemaryharris.com
Her blog sites: www.jungleredwriters.com
and http://rosemaryharrismysteries.blogspot.com/

A Conversation with Jason Pinter

Thriller novelist Jason Pinter received a three-book publishing contract at the age of 26, has been nominated for a number of awards, and claimed the number one spot on the Kindle bestseller list.

Jason, how did it feel to be ahead of Dan Brown on the Kindle bestseller list? And to what do you attribute The Mark’s success?

It was pretty shocking, considering the new Dan Brown was one of the biggest publishing stories in recent memory. Now, I will couch that by admitting that my book was available for free for a week whereas Brown's was not, but the outpouring of support from readers to help propel the book up the charts was nothing short of amazing. They're the ones who made it happen. I think that book resonates because the character is relatable, and the troubles he gets into are things that could happen to any of us. Henry Parker is not a spy, ninja, cop or soldier. He relies only on his wits and intellect. He does things to get out of jams that are available only to normal people like you and me.

Which five words inspired your novel, The Fury, and what do they represent?

It was inspired by five words from James Ellroy's brilliant novel L.A Confidential. Those five words were Bud White refused to die. I wrote a post all about this which can be found at http://www.jasonpinter.com/blog/2009/09/james-ellroy-and-5-words-that-inspired.asp.

Tell us about your latest book.

The Fury is the fourth novel in the Henry Parker series. In the first three books, we've learned bits and pieces about Henry's past, about his strained relationship with his family and how he hasn't been home in nearly a decade. Well, in The Fury Henry learns that there is a massive, thirty year-old skeleton in his closet that will force him to question everything he's ever know. And when he goes to learn more about his past, he realizes that something very dark and very sinister is bubbling under the surface of New York City, and his past just might have something to do with it.

You’ve been nominated for a number of awards: The Thriller, Strand Critics, Shamus, Barry, CrimeSpree and the RT Booklovers Reviewers Choice award. Which means the most to you and why?

All the nominations mean a great deal to me, especially because they've all come from different spectrums of the industry, and have been voted on by both readers and critics. I'm thrilled and humbled that people who read so much have liked my books enough to nominate them for so many awards.

How were you able to negotiate a three-book contract with MIRA at the age of 26? Were you agented by then or was it due to your contacts as an editor?

I was an editorial assistant, so my contacts helped as much as a mailroom guy at a movie studio getting the lead in a movie. I'd barely been working in the industry, and when you're that young agents don't know who you are. I sent the book out to a few agents who I heard were both young and hungry but also had already established good reputations. A few responded positively, and I was fortunate to land an agent who helped a tremendous amount. In the end, readers don't care if you work in book publishing and they certainly won't pay money because of it, they only care if the book is any good.

Which publishing houses did you work for as an editor and how young were you when you began your first editing job?

I worked for Warner Books (now Grand Central Publishing), Crown and St. Martin's Press. I was 23 when I got my first job at Warner as an editorial assistant and was a full editor by 26.

Tell us about your weblog, “The Man in Black.”

It's gone through a lot of changes in the three and a half years I've had it. I've written about everything from publishing to marketing and publicity to sports and pop culture. I try to make it something of an extension of my personality, as way to keep in touch with readers. Nowadays I have so many ways to do that, whether through Twitter or Facebook, or at the Huffington Post where I've recently started as a columnist.

What’s the difference between mystery, suspense and thriller novels? And why do you write thrillers?

Ask ten different authors and you're likely to get ten different answers on this. The standard answers tend to be that mysteries are about solving a crime, whereas thrillers are about preventing one. I think of my books as thrillers with elements of mystery, and of course with suspense in them. Occasionally that does change - I consider The Stolen more of a mystery with thriller elements.

Advice to fledgling thriller writers.

Read everything you can get your hands on in any genre. You're likely to face some rejection in your life, the most important thing you can do is take that rejection and use it as fuel to hone your craft and become a better writer. Too many writers focus that anger and frustration outward at others. Turn it inward, use it as fuel. Prove everybody wrong.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?

Probably still working as an editor, or in publishing in some capacity.

Thanks, Jason, for taking part in the series.

Jason's your website: http://www.jasonpinter.com.
He's also on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jasonpinter where he says he tries to be funny and occasionally informative. And he leaves it to readers to agree or disagree with that, but they should know that everything he writes, funny or unfunny, informative or irreverent, is who he is.

A Conversation with S. J. Bolton

British thriller novelist S. J. Bolton writes about idyllic settings with dark secrets. Her novels are set in Scotland and her native England.

Sharon, your novels are medical thrillers. Do you have a medical background?

I don’t have any sort of medical background (other than a crash course in practical obstetrics courtesy of my son) but fortunately I love research. My protagonists’ occupations are driven by the demands of the plots. In Sacrifice, the villainy revolves around pregnant women, fertility and childbirth so by making Tora Hamilton an obstetrician I gave her an access to events that was denied even to the police. Likewise in Awakening, when the village is invaded by venomous reptiles, the villagers turn to the local wildlife vet for answers. I’ve stayed with the medical theme in my third book and made the main character a children’s psychiatrist whose work brings her into contact with some disturbed and frightened youngsters.

Why did you chose Scotland as the setting for your novel, Sacrifice? Tell us briefly about the book.

Sacrifice was inspired by my discovery of an old Shetland legend: that of the Kunal Trows, semi-supernatural inhabitants of the most northerly islands in Britain who prey upon their human neighbours. It simply never occurred to me to set the story anywhere other than Shetland. When I started writing, I knew next to nothing about the islands, but I soon learned I’d picked the most fantastic setting for a thriller. Shetland is heartbreakingly beautiful, full of atmosphere and totally remote. When the sun goes down, it’s easy to imagine having no where to run and no one to trust.

The story opens when a young doctor finds the corpse of a woman buried on her land. Strange runic symbols have been carved into her flesh and her heart has been ripped out. Frustrated by a lack of interest from the local police, Tora starts her own investigations and discovers a disturbing pattern of missing women of childbearing age.

Awakening is set on the Dorset Devon border of England. What about that area intrigued you enough to set your novel there?

The snakes came first with Awakening. I loved the idea of a picture-postcard village with something sinister lurking in the undergrowth and needed to set the book somewhere that snakes could thrive. Also, because I wanted to set a lot of the action underground, geology became important. I was looking for an area of chalk downland in the south of England where the land could be riddled with old forgotten chalk mines. The Dorset Devon border, just inland from Lyme Regis was perfect. Beautiful, sparsely populated and mysterious.

In Awakening, a fifty year old secret has reared its head once more, with devastating consequences for those old enough to remember the events first time around.

Tell us about your next novel, which takes place in a graveyard with "a girl with voices?" Is it also set in the UK?

The Blood Harvest is set on the Pennine moors in the north of England, on the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire. There’s something about borders I find quite intriguing. Stephen King talks about border lands having “slippage”, i.e., being places where normal rules of existence don’t always apply. I was born and brought up in the Pennines and it’s a part of the country I know really well. I’ve been described in the British press as the high priestess of English rural gothic, which is flattering, but not really a title I want to be stuck with. My fourth book, for this reason, will be set in London.

What’s the best part of writing and the worst?

Hearing from readers who’ve enjoyed the books: and hearing from readers who haven’t.

What’s your writing schedule like and do you aim for a certain amount of words at each writing session?

Every morning I send my son off to school, walk Lupe the lurcher and then sit down at my desk. I aim to write between 2000 and 3000 words a day, which usually takes about four hours. At 3000 I make myself stop because at that stage the quality plummets at the speed of a downhill ski race. In the afternoons and evenings I do publicity work and editing.

How, in your opinion, do mystery novels differ in the UK and US?

I’d honestly struggle to answer this one, because the genre is so wide and varied in both countries. I love the US forensic thrillers, by the likes of Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell, but we have our own homegrown versions coming from writers like Simon Beckett. The US has a strong tradition of noir, but we have authors like Mo Hayder and Val McDermid who don’t pull any punches. I think the two markets learn from each other and reflect back the best of each. Consequently, English language mystery novels are the best in the world.

Has the economic downturn affected book sales in the UK? Are independent bookstores closing their doors?

Some are struggling, without doubt, but a good independent bookstore will always have a very loyal clientele. My local store report a downturn in hardback fiction but have diversifed into good quality DVDs and book-related childrens’ toys. They’re doing fine.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?

Driving everyone around me crazy.

Advice to fledgling novelists?

Don’t give up. But never underestimate the work involved. If you’re not prepared to discard an entire year’s work and start from scratch, the job probably isn’t for you. And be the very best that you can. The market is so competitive you can’t afford to give it less than 100%. Aim for the New York Times bestseller list and you’ll probably find yourself a publisher.

Thank you, Sharon, for taking part in the series.

Sharon's website URL: www.sjbolton.com

A Conversation with C.J. Box

Blue Heaven, C.J. Box's first stand-alone novel, won an Edgar Award for Best Novel of 2008 and has been optioned for film. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye was published in January 2009 and debuted on the NY Times extended bestseller list. His ninth Joe Pickett novel, Below Zero, released in June of this year, has become his biggest bestseller to date.

Chuck, how do you manage to write two novels a year? What’s your writing schedule like?

Two books a year is kind of a temporary predicament that came about because I've got two publishers: Putnam for the Joe Pickett series and St. Martins Press for the stand-alone novels. Each wants a book a year. It's worked out because the first stand-alone (Blue Heaven) was already written so for me, it's been more like nine months between writing the books which is just about right for me.

I work every day with my best work in the mornings. I edit and do other things in the afternoons. When I'm at my cabin or an isolated place, I work in one or two more writing sessions and sometimes go deep into the night. My goal is always 1,000 good words a day, but sometimes I exceed that. And sometimes I fall short.

I know that you’re an avid hunter-fisherman. Were you in the Wyoming outback when you conceived your series characters, game warden Joe Pickett?

I was working as a newspaper reporter in Saratoga, Wyoming, when I first started working on the novel which would later become Open Season, the first Joe Pickett novel. I spent (and spend) a lot of time outdoors and while I was coming up with the premise I was doing ride-alongs with the local game warden for newspaper stories. As I learned more about the duties and responsibilities (and home life) of a game warden, I thought a game warden would be a great protagonist. I'm glad I chose correctly.

Would you rather be hunting or fishing than writing?

I'd rather be combining the three, to be honest. Do a productive session at the computer, grab my flyrod, and come back later to write a little more. That, for me, is the perfect day.

How does it feel to not only win an Edgar Award but to make the New York bestseller list?

It feels fantastic, because the Edgar is an honor bestowed on my fellow novelists for quality and being on the NYT list means readers are buying the books. I think all Edgar winners want to be best-selling authors, and all best-selling crime novelists want to win an Edgar. So I'm a lucky guy.

How did your latest novel, Below Zero, come about? Tell us a little about the plot.

I'd heard about carbon offset companies over the years and was both fascinated and repulsed by the concept of, in effect, buying out ones guilt for producing a carbon footprint by paying money to one of the organizations. I researched the concept and built it into one of the primary storylines of the novel. In it, a dying mobster finds out the only way he can reconcile with his extreme environmentalist son is to try and bring his massive carbon footprint to "below zero" by the time he passes. Because he only has a few weeks to live, he has to commit large-scale crimes to make his balance drop.

At the same time, Joe Pickett's daughters start receiving text messages from a foster sister who they thought had died six years before. Investigation reveals the texts have originated from locations where major crimes have occurred. As Joe pursues this, the two storylines merge.

Which of your novels was the most difficult to write and do you have a favorite among them?

Blue Heaven was the most difficult because of the structure. The novel is told from six points of view within 60 hours in real time. Only the reader knows completely what's going on. Multiple points-of-view can get really, really tricky. If the reader doesn't think of the structure or difficulty, that means it worked. But getting there is tough.

I like all my novels for different reasons the way a parent likes his or her children. But if someone held a gun to my head and made me choose, I'd say Blue Heaven, Free Fire, Winterkill, and Open Season are my favorites.

What’s the best way to promote your books? Personal appearances or the Internet?

Books are still sold one at a time by people to other people. It's a very basic, low-tech business and it's driven by word-of-mouth. Getting out and meeting readers and potential readers is the best way to build a career, I think. Of course, if the books aren't good it doesn't matter either way.

Advice to budding western mystery novelists?

Read! It always amazes me when fledgling novelists don't read widely or often. More can be learned from reading than classes or courses. And if you choose to use the west as your location, please be authentic and stay away from western "characters" and hokum.

What makes a novel successful?

The reader must empathize with a character or several characters. And the novel should be structured so the reader wants to keep turning pages. There are so many entertainment options out there an author must realize the reader has choices, and one of the easiest choices of all is to put the book down if it isn't compelling.

What are you working on now?

I've finished the next Joe Pickett novel, called Nowhere to Run. It will appear next May or June of 2010. I'm currently working on another stand-alone, called Back of Beyond. It's going well.

Thanks, Chuck, for taking part in the series.

Visit his website at: http://www.cjbox.net/