Len Handeland

One of my fondest childhood memories is when my family and I lived in Ithaca, New York, and the state fair came to our area. My parents took me to see the attractions and to ride the amusement rides, of which there were many. I can still recall, to this day, begging and pleading with my parents to ride the roller coaster one last time when they announced it was time to go home.

To be honest with you, I don’t think either former profession (either as a hairstylist or studying fashion illustration) helped with my writing. However, living and working in Manhattan in the early 1980s helped lend authenticity in describing what New York City was like in the 1980s as it relates to my recent novel “Requiem for Miriam” where part of the story takes place.

I wouldn’t describe myself as just a crime fiction writer; that’s only one of my books, and with that, I’ve included some horror, including ghosts of the victims who perished in my novel. I would describe myself as a writer interested in fiction, specifically horror, paranormal, and crime fiction. I’ve written two other books that do not deal in crime fiction. My first book, “The Darkest Gift,” is a vampire, paranormal romance novel set in the 17th and 18th-century Paris, Haiti, and New Orleans in the 1980s. My latest book is my only nonfiction based on my former profession of being a hairstylist and hair salon owner for 27 years. It’s called “Tales from the Chair – Adventures and sordid tales of my life in the hair industry.” The book deals with the many adventures and zany individuals (both former coworkers and hair clients) I encountered in my 27 years in the industry. It offers up tips and advice to those in my former profession (hair) and advice to hair clients as well.

I don’t create my book covers. I hire experts to handle that for me. I consult with them and usually look for an exceptional book cover that captures someone’s interest and attention and reflects some of my book's characters. The first thing a potential reader will see is the book cover, and the second thing they will read is the blurb (description of the book). Both are equally as important as the content that’s written in the book.

I would describe it as both rewarding and challenging. To a certain degree, I tried (and sometimes was unsuccessful at that attempt) to manage people’s expectations. Most people that saw me professionally for their hair had a vision or idea of how they wanted to look once the client finished their hair appointment. Some had realistic expectations, while others had very unrealistic expectations. I jokingly would tell some of my former hair clients, “I’m a hair technician, not a magician,” which usually made them laugh; however, it couldn’t be more accurate. Hair professionals can only work with and help improve upon what they are given. Sometimes that was challenging, and other times it wasn’t. Then there was the physical activity of standing 10-12 hours a day and listening to people’s day-to-day adventures and problems. Often I felt more like a therapist than a hairstylist. But for more insight and secrets, you’ll need to read my book!

Yes and No. I have a little acting background. I was involved with Community Theater when my husband and I lived in Northern California. When an actor is given a script, they need to be able to breathe life into that character to make the role come alive. While some say there need to be certain elements or characteristics of the actor portraying the character that may be true, the actor is frequently very different in real life than the character they portray on television or in a movie. I apply this same approach to creating the characters in my novels. Indeed, there are similar experiences or certain character traits within me that I can use with any character. One of the most important things to me is including diversity in my books. It makes it much more interesting than simply writing about white males (which is what I am).

They say that actual life events influence certain writers even when writing a fiction book. I came up with the idea of “Requiem for Miriam” with the now famous “Claus Von Bulow” murder crime investigation that took place nearly 35 years ago in New York. This man was accused of killing his wife and having a mistress. I took this idea and added some things to make the story my own. It wasn’t just limited to the New York area but also included some other locations, such as New Orleans and Mexico, as the lead character and murderer tries to escape. I was hoping my book would appeal to those readers that are entertained by crime drama as well as those that appreciate horror by including paranormal activity (ghost activity) of the victims of the murders that occurred that came back to haunt the lead character, “Sidney Friedlander.”

I didn’t interview any police officers, detectives, or FBI agents. I did extensive research online and, quite frankly, have also seen enough actual crime shows and cases shown on such shows as 48 hours, 20/20, and others. These reported cases provided insight into what can unfold during a missing person’s claim or murder investigation.

Each location I write about in my novels is a place I have lived in or visited frequently. For me, this lends credibility and authenticity rather than simply writing about a setting or location I’ve never seen, much less experienced.

If I were hosting a dinner party and I could invite two of my favorite characters from my novels, I would choose 1) Stefan, who is a three-hundred-year-old vampire from 17th century Paris, and 2) Raphaella or “Queen Raphaella,” a character that appeared in two books, “The Darkest Gift” and “Requiem for Miriam. Stefan would decline the invitation, as vampires do not require human food. However, he might be tempted to bite me and turn me into one of his vampire fledglings! He’s a very conflicted character. His unending desire for power and dominance is both fascinating and quite intimidating. “Queen Raphaella” is quite loveable. Originally from the island of Haiti, she is a gifted psychic and medium with an uncanny ability to communicate with the dead. She has a warm heart but tends to drink a little too much. If she were invited to my dinner party, I would need to ensure I had enough rum on hand as that is her drink of choice, and she enjoys it quite a lot!

Despite having written all my life, I am new to the profession. My writing goes back to when I was a teenager, by keeping a journal about my day-to-day experiences and thoughts and was assigned book reports in school. Later on, having taken creative writing classes I’ve taken from time to time, I have been writing full-time for nearly two years. So writing to me is still fresh and exciting. For me, it is a creative outlet. Through my writing, I create worlds and characters that readers can escape to and lose themselves in the books I’ve written. Regarding “writer’s block,” it’s a problem that every writer has experienced at one point or another, and I’m certainly not any exception. Whenever that occurs, I don’t torture myself by sitting at the computer. I get up, walk, watch a movie, or read a book. All this can help break the block and perhaps motivate and inspire a return to writing with fresh new ideas and a different perspective.

As I mentioned, I tend to write fiction, which I’m incredibly passionate about. I’ve written two fiction-horror books and only one nonfiction book. The subjects I’ve written about, vampires, paranormal, and murder crime investigations, and my experiences in my former profession of being a hairstylist and hair salon owners are stories that readers can appreciate and are exciting stories. Those are the subjects I’m interested in writing about as well. An author shouldn’t attempt to write about something they are not interested in or knowledgeable about. That would reflect in the book and typically isn’t very interesting and may not be worth reading.

One of the most challenging things about being a fiction writer is coming up with new ideas that have never been written about before.

I started writing my fourth book “Transplant – The evil that lurks deep within” this past June. I am halfway through my book and hope to have it released in either January or February 2023. My story involves a young woman from a very privileged background, with her father being a banker who started his own company and a doting mother overly protective of her daughter. This young woman (named Elizabeth) was born with a defective heart condition. She is bullied in school, attempts suicide, and is placed by her parents in a mental hospital to undergo intensive psychotherapy sessions. Later in life, while at college, she finds the man of her dreams and they decide to have a child despite her cardiologist cautioning against it and nearly dies during childbirth, she undergoes a heart transplant. Unbeknownst to her, it is from a hard-core murderer that seems to overtake and possess her.

I’ve had a wonderful experience with “AllAuthor.” It’s provided a good amount of exposure to my work and meeting and supporting other authors. Thank you for the interview!