Did the inspiration for this book have anything to do with jigsaw puzzles? How important to the success of a book is it to have a good editor? What advice does he have for authors that aren’t yet published?
Was there a specific inspiration for this book?
Years ago I lived in Ft. Lauderdale and worked at Empire studios, an independent film company. I started writing movie scripts; Puzzle of Death was one of them.
By any chance, do you love to work jigsaw puzzles? If so, when did this love for working jigsaw puzzles begin?
No, I don’t have an interest in any puzzles. Since I wrote the movie script years ago, I don’t remember why I chose a puzzle. It could have been anything that triggered it. Maybe it was Yul Brynner in The King and I saying “it’s a puzzlement.”
Which character was your favorite? Was there a character you just didn’t like?
Tiny is my favorite. He was a charter fishing captain I knew.
I don’t have a dislike for any of the characters.
How did you choose the names for your characters?
Some names are a mixture of people I knew. Many times I use family members. For the foreign characters, I researched their countries and selected names I liked at random. Jake Wayde was a name I made up. He sounded like an ex-military, independent guy.
Which scene was your favorite? Which scene was the most difficult for you to write?
I like the ending with Tannaz, Elizabeth, and Wayde.
Chapter seven, when Wayde goes to Nassau and meets Matey, was the most difficult.
How long did it take you to decide on a title for your book? Were there any other possible titles you had picked out?
It took a long time to settle on the title. The book materialized from the movie script Rhineman’s Seven. Then the first title of the book was Rhineman’s Puzzle.
How much research, if any, did you have to do for this book?
Yes, I did research for Tannez. I tried to give her a background. Also, I researched for the other foreign agents.
Do you have a set time to write each day? Or do you wait to be inspired?
No. I don’t have a set time. However, once I start writing it can be late into the night.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I do not like it. I am an older gentleman, and I’m not up to date on social media, blogging, and the present ways of paying to expose your books. I have tried to secure an agent, but that is more difficult than when I was becoming an actor in Hollywood.
How important do you believe having a good editor is for the success of your book?
100%. It is a must. I’ve paid people who professed to be professional editors; they weren’t. I need editing, I run all my work through Grammarly which does help, but it isn’t perfect.
When did you first have a desire to write? How did you satisfy this desire?
I began to write while in Hollywood. Then I quit writing but started again while in Ft. Lauderdale. Then I went into business. One day ten years ago I opened a cardboard box and began reading my old scripts. Voila, I became a writer and happy with the stories and characters I’ve developed.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I like a variety of action, mystery, and detective novels.
How do you manage to balance your time between family, friends, and writing?
That is not a problem. I don’t let my writing interfere with the rest of my life.
If you could spend one hour with just one person, dead or alive, whom would you choose? Why?
Will Rogers. Why not!
Do you have any advice for writers who are aren’t yet published?
This is probably the most challenging question.
They must understand that as a writer, they’ll find that the writing is the easier part of the road to being published. Understand the journey you are embarking upon.
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Thanks for hosting Donahue!