Which is your favorite childhood memory?
Spending summers at my Grandparents Cottage in Northern Ontario- A small lake near Peterborough called Round Lake. Its where I learned how to fish.
What are the most effective ways to study history?
I think that you have to have an interest in a particular period or area. If you are lucky enough to do so, visiting the local can give you great insight. I studied Medieval French and English History. I lived in Villefrance on the Cote D’Azur for a year. My latest novel- The Society of Necessities has part of the story take place in this amazing and beautiful area.
At what age did you begin writing your first book?
22 - though I did not finish it. I finished my first book when I was 45
Did you ever consider becoming a teacher after completing your B.A. in History?
Never… I am pretty private and enjoy my own time. I’m better one on one than in a group.
How did you come up with the plot of your book, Devil in the Grass?
I own a place in South Florida. One day I was driving through the Everglades and thought…. If someone wanted to get rid of a body, this would be the place to do it. So - I developed the McFadden Characters - a family of cleaners, before the protagonist - Jackson Walker.
How much time did it take you to finish your novel, The Society of Necessities?
About one year. I took a break in the middle - The Palm Reader took three months, The Body Thieves six months and Devil nearly two years.
How did your friends and family react to your first book?
The reaction was amazing… you really wrote a book? Then some of them read it and loved it. When it made it to number one on Amazon it was pretty cool. It seems old hat to most of my friends and family now with the newer books… not the same enthusiasm.
What is your writing kryptonite? Inversely, what is something that never fails to inspire you?
Watching a great movie - or really good music. Cannabis is legal in Canada and I will admit, a pick me up Sativa is good for a thousand words.
How much time will it take if you have an idea to write a thriller and you know the start and ending?
I just started a new book about a Cop in Buffalo NY - 1970’s he was an orphan and had a calling to the Church - his moral compass is high and has an ability to see the good and bad in people… which can be difficult. Its my first stab at a police procedural - I’m clipping a along pretty good with this and it should take about 4 months before editing.
What is the hardest stage of writing thriller novels?
Knowing when to drop the hook or the ending. No, I’ll change my mind.. The first sentence has to be killer.
What is the strangest thing you have ever caught fishing?
A 14 foot long Sawfish. Crazy animal - beautiful. Catch and release. They are endangered and one needs to report the catch with Mote Marine in Sarasota. I’ve been fishing a lot on Lake Erie lately and some of the big Walleye we have been catching are pretty prehistoric looking.
What is the difference between a real estate brokerage and an investment firm?
Real Estate - You help people buy and sell Real Estate - property - for a fee. Investment Firm - you help people make money with their own money for a fee.
What is the best way to attract hummingbirds in Southwest Florida?
I don’t have an answer. But, there are a lot of older ladies, birds if you will, in my condo complex in Ft Myers who get together and sing in the foyer once a week - I suppose if you plied them with white wine you might get them to hum.
Which is the next book you are working on? Is it a series or a stand-alone book?
As I stated before, I’m working of the Police Procedural. I’m thinking it could be a really good series. My agent is keen to see it and it is what New York is looking for… so she says. I’ve also started book three in the Jackson Walker Series.
What do you like the most about AllAuthor?
I think it is the best site I’ve been associated with for Author support. You really want to help us writers out.
