Five Secrets Shared By Author Kate McKeever

From Kate McKeever

Thanks, L.A, for hosting me today. 

One of the options for L.A. Sartor’s blog is to let readers into five secrets of your book. Here are mine for my books in the Elle James’ Brotherhood Protectors’ World.

Secret One- I LOVE military heroes, but not the typical kind. The military heroes for me are the guys that walk down the street and get a turn around from me and my friends, but not from his physique, though, in my books they are always buff, but his assurance. He walks with confidence, not bravado. He doesn’t need to be a tough guy all the time to show he’s strong, but can cry too. My hero in Sinner’s Redemption, Cole, is that kind of man. Oh, and my heroes typically are men that joined the military to get away from something.

Secret Two- My heroes all are wounded warriors. All right, it’s not necessarily a secret in my upcoming book, Saint’s Fall. Saint has an amputation from an injury on a mission. But my heroes in Sinner’s Redemption and Saving Sidewinder are also wounded. For every man who has to take a life, there is a wound inside that he has to deal with. And my heroes never take their histories as warriors as something easy.

Secret Three- My heroines are also strong. While the heroines may be wounded or scared, they are also willing to take risks for the ones they love, whether it’s a child, a wounded man or the man she loves.

Secret Four- All of my books have secondary characters who will have stories of their own. For instance, Cole was a secondary character in my first book, Saving Sidewinder. He was the hero for my second Brotherhood book, Sinner’s Redemption. And Saint, the hero of my upcoming book, was introduced in Sinner’s book. So, look for more stories to come!

Secret Five- I have a young man, Kid, whose story is going to be threaded throughout all of my books. While I don’t write young adult, Kid is a young man on the rehab ranch that is just hitting twenty years of age. While he may not have a book, he’ll still have a happily ever after!

I hope you’ve been entertained by and maybe even intrigued by my Five Secrets. I’ve totally loved writing the books in the Brotherhood Protectors Series and look forward to writing more. Look for Saint’s Fall in June. Here are links to my other Brotherhood Protector Books:

Saving Sidewinder:

Amazon

Sinner’s Redemption: 

Amazon

Bio:

Kate McKeever was born and raised in the south and spent her childhood rambling in the woods and reading, often at the same time. She spent a lot of time in libraries as a volunteer and reader, then as a perennial student, so her mother thought. She tried several careers before settling down on her current one. Writing is a passion and joy. Kate loves to write small town and paranormal romances.

Find Kate: 

Website | Facebook | Amazon

Take Five With Author Pamela Turner

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Pamela Turner.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book  WATCHERS CHRONICLES BOOK 1: ROGUE ANGEL?

Thanks for hosting me, L.A.

I’ve been fascinated by angels for years, including the Grigori (or Watcher Angels), who were said to come to Earth to teach mankind. Only the subjects they taught, including weapons making, cosmetics, even writing, were considered “evil,” and they were punished. I decided to update the Grigori’s roles, putting them in modern settings, such as teaching in a university or owning a gun shop.

Tell us something about yourself we might not expect!

Back in the late 90s, I took a few flying lessons in a Cessna 152. Executed several go-arounds, but never got to solo. My depth perception was too bad. But I still have my books on general aviation. One of these days, I’ll have to create a character who’s a pilot.

Have you been a lifelong reader of mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and horror?  What are some of the first books you remember reading?

Even in elementary school, I loved reading mysteries and horror. I read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, but my favorite series was The Three Investigators. I also read Phyllis A. Whitney’s young adult mysteries. My elementary school library had anthologies such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Supernatural Tales, and one of my favorite stories was by Robert Arthur, although it’s not in the aforementioned book. Anyway, the line (and I’m probably paraphrasing) “She had been beautiful. She was no longer beautiful” is one that has stayed with me all these years.

If you were not a writer, what vocation would you pursue?

Since investigative work fascinates me, I would probably work as a homicide detective, an NTSB investigator, or a postal inspector. Another possibility would be working in cybersecurity. 

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

Emotion. I’ve been told I don’t have enough emotion in my stories. I’m a pretty pragmatic person, so I have to make a conscious effort to layer in emotion. Now, if I’m writing a situation that is emotionally charged – such as a main character being shot at – I will, of course, have that character react. The Emotion Thesaurus has been quite helpful in that regard.

  

What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?

It’s a multi-step process, and probably overkill, but the first thing I do is input information about my story and characters into a program called Dramatica Pro. It’s a story engineer software that asks questions about your story, then gets it down to one story-form. You identify your main character and impact character and how the story is seen from their eyes, and the inevitable conflict that will occur based on their decisions. Dramatica Pro also helps me tighten my story so I’m not dealing with the dreaded sagging middle that can plague writers.

Next, I go into Scrivener and set up my outline and the major plot points: inciting incident, plot point 1, black moment, etc. I create brief character dossiers and write GMC (goals, motivation, and conflict) sheets for my main characters. Then I start writing the story.

Give us a brief summary of Watchers Chronicles Book 1: Rogue Angel:

Archangel Raguel investigates crimes involving angels. When he inadvertently kills a young woman and her son while trying to apprehend a malevolent angel, he quits his job, unable to justify his actions. But his self-imposed retirement is interrupted when Semyaza, leader of the Watcher Angels, also known as the Grigori, asks him to find Penemuel, the Watcher who taught humans to write, and who has disappeared. Meanwhile, fellow Watchers Azazel and Gadreel, who taught mankind how to make weapons, learn someone is interfering with their gun-running operation on the Dark Net.

As Raguel investigates first Penemuel’s disappearance, then his murder, he finds himself drawn into the world of the Grigori. Semyaza seems to have an agenda, but is it related to Azazel’s and Gadreel’s operation? And what about the mysterious and reclusive Sariel who’s come out of exile for one reason: vengeance. But will his desire for revenge destroy humanity?

Buy:

Kindle | Kobo  |  Nook

Bio:

Pamela Turner drinks too much coffee and wishes she could write perfect first drafts. Publications include Death Sword (a Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Paranormal Awards 2013 Finalist), Exterminating Angel, and The Ripper’s Daughter. 

Her short dark suspense story “Family Tradition” was a finalist in the EPIC 2014 EBook Awards. She’s also an award-winning screenplay writer. A member of the national chapter of Sisters in Crime, she’s currently vice-president of the Louisville Chapter. Besides coffee, she likes cats, cemeteries, and old abandoned buildings.

Find Pamela:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Five Secrets Shared By Author Linda O'Connor

Please welcome back Linda O'Connor. 

Take it away, Linda.

Thanks for having me as a return guest, L.A. 

I used to fuel my creativity by heading over to Homesense (a lot) and wander around the store soaking up all the colour and pattern. When I caught myself subtly rearranging the displays, I thought, okay, I need a change. It was time to find another creative outlet. I’m a family physician, and after years of working in an Urgent Care Clinic, it became obvious that patients are like sponges when it comes to health information – the more they learn, understand, and absorb, the happier they are and the better the outcome. 

Surely medical education could be more interesting than the boring posters in the waiting room! I started writing fast-paced, sexy romantic comedies, weaving the best parts of medicine into the story. I decided to target a female audience because women are more likely to have regular visits and most often, are the driving force behind men and children visiting a doctor, too. 

Turns out, writing romance novels is really fun (and even though I’m sure the display designers at Homesense miss my input, just think of all the money I’ve saved!)

Hi, Linda, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about the In the Game Hockey Romance series or you, but will after today!

1) Sarah Jain, the heroine from Between the Pipes prefers knowing the ending of a movie before it starts. I have to admit I’m the same, and I peek at the ending of really suspenseful novels, too. Bring on those spoiler alerts.

2) Sarah’s best friend, Danni Angelo, is the heroine in Behind the Bench. She’s fanatic about the hockey players not sharing their water bottles. I’m with her on that and it’s not just drinks I won’t share. In our household, we each have our own toothbrush holder and tube of toothpaste. If a guest uses our toothpaste, I’ll send it home with them or throw it out and start a fresh one. Wasteful maybe, but staying healthy is the name of the game.

3) The stars of Beyond the Face-Off, Kelly Danali and Jake Ross, wanted to move into together after only three chapters. Kelly was offering Jake a safe haven from all the media attention he was garnering. It gave new meaning to a fast-paced story! I had to rein them in and re-write a few chapters.

4) Jordyn Kendra, of Before the Whistle fame, has a “spirited” aunt. She’s a guardian angel who gives Kelly a gentle nudge with her love life. I believe that our loved ones are always watching and guiding us – and I’ll always accept a helping hand.  

5) Behind the Bench is my favourite book of the series. But shhhh…don’t tell the other books. I don’t want to hurt their feelings. :D

Blurb for Behind the Bench:

Dr. Danni Angelo is the team physician for the Clarington Quakes hockey team. She’s worked hard to earn the players’ respect, but the new coach, Trey Mason, is stirring things up, and Danni’s worried her job may be in jeopardy.

Trey finds Danni…distracting. Beauty, brains, and sexy moves on the ice have him uncomfortably attracted. He’s the new guy on the block. He has a reputation to build and a standard to set. The last thing he needs is a complication.

When the team spirals out of control and Danni and Trey get caught up in a drug scandal, things heat up on and off the ice. It’s a whole new game plan…Behind the Bench.

Buy:

Amazon

  

Find Linda: 

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon Author Page |  Newsletter

Take Five With Author A. R. Kennedy

Welcome to An Indie Adventure,  A. R. Kennedy.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book Saving Ferris?

Thank, L.A. for hosting me on your blog. In answer to your question...The Writers’ Police Academy!

If you’re a crime fiction writer, this is an excellent hands-on weekend of courses. I’ve attended for years. If you’re a reader, check out the website. It’s interesting to see what writers will do to ‘write it right’. (Lee Child, Marcia Clark, Alafair Burke and others have been special guests or keynote speakers and have attended classes during their visit.)

Saving Ferris was inspired when I attended two classes. In one, I learned about self-defense laws. In the next class, led by a K-9 handler, I learned that their K-9s are considered the property of the police department.

Property, I thought. Sure, maybe a police dog is considered the property of their department. But my little pups….no way! They are my family. The question nagged at me and, after researching it, I confirmed legally my pets are considered property of mine.

So there it was— the “What if?”

What would happen if someone killed an intruder who was threatening their dog?

How do you use setting to further your story?

Folley is a small town. It’s one of those towns where everyone knows everyone (and will gossip about them). It’s also one of those towns where outsiders are held at arm's length, sometimes forever. This is key to Cecilia’s isolation upon moving to the town with her husband, Joey, and after his death.

How is your main character completely different than you?

Her fashion sense! Cecilia loves fashion. She likes to wear bold patterns and colors and high heels. None of which I would ever be so bold to try.

Have you been a lifelong reader of romantic suspense/legal thriller?  What are some of the first books you remember reading?

One of my first memories is walking with my mother to the library in Queens Village, NY. My mother instilled in me a love of reading as a child. One of my first school memories is marking off all the books I’ve read. Even as a child, I was Type A and loved adding books to the lengthy list.

I don’t remember what the first books I ever read were but probably the same as now — everything!

You’re having a dinner party.  What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up?     Why?

Jeremiah. Due to spoilers, I can’t go into why.

From my Nathan Miccoli Mystery series, it’s definitely Steve!

He lacks a filter and says whatever comes into his head. He often says things that are cruel. As the series progresses, we may see a little heart, but we really have to look.

His St. Patrick’s Day toast says it all - ‘Póg mo thóin.'

When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?

The plot. My story ideas always starts with “What if?” What if this happened, what would a person do? And then, who is that person and why did they react the way they did.

 Give us a brief summary of Saving Ferris:

Is your pet family or property?

When Cecilia’s husband dies, she’s forced to become his dog's caregiver, something she does not immediately warm to. But when Ferris’s life is threatened by an intruder, she shoots the intruder to save the golden retriever.

Police Chief Holden Owens thinks Cecilia acted lawfully, in self-defense, but few agree. In the eyes of the law, one can use lethal force to protect themselves and others, but not property. Pets are considered property.

Holden loses his fight with the prosecutor, and is now in a new fight—his undeniable attraction to Cecilia. Prosecutor Daniel Briscoe is seeking justice for the intruder, who is also the mayor’s nephew, while seeing a case to further his career. Celebrity defense attorney Wyatt Sewell identifies a sympathetic defendant, a case he can win, and a way to garner more acclaim. When he learns of Cecilia’s motive, to save Ferris, he sees a blockbuster case that can set legal precedent.

Cecilia endures a murder trial where her defense attorney forces everyone to ask themselves, Is your pet property or family?

Will saving Ferris's life cost Cecilia her freedom? And a second chance at love?

Buy: 

Amazon

Bio:
A R Kennedy was born and raised on Long Island, NY. She currently lives in Long Beach, NY. 

The Nathan Miccoli Mystery series is her debut series. Saving Ferris released in September of 2018

Find A R:

Facebook | Twitter

Take Five With Author J.A. Kazimer

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, J.A. Kazimer. Tell us, what inspired you to write your book CUFFED: A Detective Goldie Locks Mystery?

I adore the Goldilocks and the Three Bears tale for so many reasons. Mainly it’s so true to my own experiences.

Think of it, a girl breaks into your house, takes mouthfuls of your porridge (spitting it out), sits in your chair, and then falls asleep in your bed, all the while whining about it.

Does that sound like an in-law to you? It surely does to me.

Which made me wonder what would happen if Goldie Locks (though a less annoying version) rather than running off when the Bears came home, was actually adopted by them, and in turn grows up to be a cop in a fairytale version of New York City. 

How do you construct your characters?

Since I’m working with fairytale and/or nursery rhyme characters, constructing them is both easier and more difficult. It’s easier since I don’t have to worry overmuch about setting up the ‘who’ or ‘how they look’. People know Goldie Locks has blond hair (at least under all her mousey-brown #42 hair dye). That she’s inquisitive (perfect for a detective). And also a bit of a troublemaker (which makes any character much more fun).

As for those things making constructing my characters more difficult comes in the fact I have to keep true(ish) to the fairytale. Everything my characters say or do, a reader might have a conflicting expectation because of what they ‘know’ of the fairytale.

How is your main character completely different than you?

Not completely, in that, I have a forensic background and spent time working as an investigator, albeit a private one. As for her personality, we both share a by-the-book façade when in truth we’d rather be breaking all the rules. There is also our shared love of bad boys. Okay, fine. We are too much alike for my comfort. Good thing I’m not looking to trespass anytime soon.

Tell us something about yourself we might not expect!

I mentioned it above, but I worked as a private investigator for about 4 years. In that time, I tracked down deadbeats, cheaters, gamblers, and a celebrity or two. Fun times.

You’re having a dinner party.  What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up?     Why?

This one’s pretty easy to answer. Goldie Locks should avoid any dinner party I’m hosting. Mostly because I’m a terrible cook, and she’d complain about my spice level, food temperature, and how I only have two chairs, both fairly uncomfortable, at my counter rather than a table.

That and the dog hair everywhere. How can my dogs shed so much? Two of them weigh less than 20 pounds. 

When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?

Characters always come first. I am a true pantser. Meaning I start a story at sentence one, and start writing with no outline or really, any idea where the book or my life are going. I don’t advise this method. Oddly enough, which honestly I’m shocked about, the plot always works out. Red herrings in place. Bad guys caught. Heroine and hero living happily ever after.

Give us a brief summary of CUFFED: A Detective Goldie Locks Mystery:

Detective Goldie Locks isn’t looking for just the right bed. Or any bed for that matter. 

She’s on the hunt for a killer. 

When she discovers the fingerprints of a once-upon-a-time lover, a man who jumped over a candlestick and out a window to leave her facing some serious trespassing trouble alone, at a crime scene, she vows to see him in handcuffs. 

Jack B. Nimble has other ideas. 

He threatens her adoptive family if Goldie doesn’t help him clear his villainous name, much to the chagrin of her current boyfriend and quite possibly the next mayor, Beau White, the fairest man in all the land. 

Trying to prove his innocence turns out to be harder than she expected, especially when Jack refuses to aid in his defense, and instead, starts a campaign to ‘win’ her back. Goldie might be a blond, but she’s far from dumb enough to fall for his charms a second time. 

Or so she tells herself every time his lips meet hers.

The deeper she plows into the rabbit hole and Jack’s soul, the more she learns about his motives for returning to the city—Destroying her perfectly crafted life.

Buy:

Amazon

Bio:

J.A. Kazimer lives in Denver, CO. When she isn't looking for a place to hide the bodies, she devotes her time to playing with her pups. Other hobbies include murdering houseplants. 

She spent a few years stalking people while working as a private investigator before transitioning to the moniker of Writer and penning over 15 titles. 

Visit her website at jakazimer.com and sign up for her THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER Newsletter.

Social Media Links: 

Facebook Fan Page | Facebook  | Twitter   Goodreads | Bookbub | Pinterest

Take Five And Meet Author Viviana MacKade

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Viviana MacKade.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your Crescent Creek Collection.

I didn’t really plan to have a Series, to be honest. It started as Scott’s and DJ’s story; through him, I met Rhett, fell for him a little bit. And he introduced me to Aidan, who started nagging in a very annoying Aidan’s way. So, I had to write his story too (for which he gave me endless grief…). And I ended up with a series.

Nothing inspired the series, but the characters pushed me to stay with them a little longer and tell their stories.

 How do you construct your characters?

I don’t. When they come to me, they are who they are. I get to know them, deeply, as I go on writing their stories. I don’t construct as much as I stay with them a lot before starting the actual writing (I do silly on-line personality tests with them, interview them, and so on). And even after all this, when I get at the end of the book I have to start from chapter one and make sure I got them right, because at the beginning I didn’t know them so well.

Tell us something about yourself we might not expect!

How many pet peeves I have.

Some examples,

•           I dislike phone calls because they always barge into whatever I’m doing and I can’t ignore them. I just can’t.
•           Unmade beds–what are we, animals that sleep in a dog basket? The bed needs to be redone daily, and very well. In fact, I’m the only one who can make an acceptable bed for me to sleep in.
•           AC set any lower than 75. It makes my nose drip and my eyes water. If I wanted to be cold, I’d go and live in the artic.
•           Crowds.
•           Salads. I hate when all those different vegetables, all so tasty that deserve their own space, mix together.

I really could go on and on, but I think I’ll stop here because I already come off as grumpy. Which I totally am.

Have you been a lifelong reader of romance? What are some the first books you remember reading?

I started reading romance in high school. It wasn’t my first love, as far as reading is concerned. I loved historical thrillers, or epic adventures a la Bernard Cornwell, Griff Hosker, James L. Nelson, or Edward Rutherfurd. Then I met Nora Roberts, and that was it.

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

Emotions, because they are not mine. They are the Character’s. I have to understand how he/she feels, and then borrow from some of my memory to understand him/her better, they write it. It’s twice as painful because I empathize with him/her, and then there’s the pain from my experience, a pain I have to resurrect to use it.

If you were a TV, film or book character, apart from one you've created, who would you be?  And why?

Answer: I’d be Meg Galloway, from Nora Roberts’ Northern Lights. Seriously, she could have been based on me. Her need for freedom and open space, her independence, her (not so great) manners, her bluntness that edges in rudeness. It was so uncanny it made it for a uncomfortable reading at times, because I was forced to see myself through another person’s eye.

Give us a brief summary of Crescent Creek Collection:

From the cold Canadian border, the US1 runs along the east coast with patience. Southbound, always south, until it reaches the Sunshine State.
Not the fastest way, sure, but if you have time to drive it all the way down, you might find yourself lost in one of the coastal towns that dot the US1 like little jewels.
Maybe that town’s name is Crescent Creek.
These are the stories of its people.

PRESALE DEAL – 3 stories, 0.99 cents until release day February 14^th.

All Those Miles I Walked ~ Crescent Creek 1

At eighteen, DJ made a choice–her heart or her dreams. Neither was wrong, yet either would break her heart. She chose the world. Over a decade later, she returns to Crescent Creek and to the one regret she's ever had–Scott.

Scott’s always been steady as a rocky reef. He’d loved once and when she’d left, his strong heart had crumbled like a sandcastle. Now DJ is back, and Scott wants nothing to do with her. If only Eva, his and DJ’s old friend, didn’t need their help. Because of her, he’s stuck with DJ and he’d be damned, she still gets under his skin.

DJ is a free spirit who needs the road under her feet. Scott is a family man who wants to groom his roots. With danger on their doorstep and a baby to keep safe, how much are they willing to compromise for love?

Painted Love ~ Crescent Creek 2

Thou shalt not steal.

Oh, but Florence had, and would do so one last time. Ten pieces her grandfather painted for her because he loved her. Ten pieces her mother lost, along with anything else, for loving the wrong man. She couldn’t get back everything he’d wasted away, but she’d be damned if she’d give up those paintings.

Easy and genuine, Rhett loves his life–his family, his market, his town. Until he meets a British woman with grey eyes and a cute little smile. The woman he’s been waiting for. The thing is, to love her is easy, but can he trust her?
When Rhett pushes to uncover her agenda, Flo knows she will lose something–the man she loves or what she’d been fighting for years. Which road will she choose?

His Midnight Sun ~ Crescent Creek 3

Tormented, fierce, and broken, sculptor Aidan Murphy has judged himself guilty. He yearns for love but pushes everyone away. He longs for acceptance but has lost the key to open his heart. 

Until he meets Summer Williams. 

Beautiful and smart, Dr. Williams promises haven for a man who believes he deserves none. All he has to do is let her in and risk his heart and soul.
Summer’s managed to keep her inner light alive, even through tragedy. She’s created a new life for herself and her daughter in Crescent Creek with loving, caring and fun friends–well, except brooding, breathtaking Aidan. She’s used to keeping away from his type, though. All she has to do is ignore the pull of a man who’s turning up to be much more than snarls and storms. Will her compassion and medical instincts let her?

Love can heal a broken soul and shake up a timid heart. Or it can unleash devastation and revenge.

Will Aidan and Summer survive the hurricane?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Bio:

Beach bum and country music addicted, Viviana lives in a small Floridian town with her husband and her son, her die-hard fans and personal cheer squad. She spends her days between typing on her beloved keyboard, playing in the pool with her boy, and eating whatever her husband puts on her plate (the guy is that good, and she really loves eating). Besides beaching, she enjoys long walks, horse-riding, hiking, and pretty much whatever she can do outside with her family.

Find Viviana:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author page

Take Five And Meet Author J.J. DiBenedetto

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, J.J.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book Mr. Smith and the Roach?

The book actually started out as a joke. A friend had a TV/pop culture podcast, and they were throwing out ridiculous titles for TV shows that would never be made, and one of them was “Mr. Smith and the Roach.” Being the oddball that I am, I came up with characters and a setting and a plot for what that might be. It became a “buddy cop” story between a retired New York detective and his new roommate, a six-foot-tall talking cockroach named Sam.

Then it sat for several years until I finally decided earlier this year to turn it into a novel, and now it’s published!

How do you use setting to further your story?

The setting goes hand-in-hand with the story.  It contributes to the mood and the feel of the book.  Mr. Smith and the Roach is totally a New York City tale – it really couldn’t take place anywhere else.  And the specific setting of the Westview Apartments (the building Mr. Smith lives in) also contributes.  It’s a rent-controlled apartment building with a very eclectic mix of residents, some of whom have a big part in the story, and some of whom provide a little extra flavor to things.

How is your main character completely different than you?

Mr. Smith is different from me in just about every way.  He’s a somewhat hard-boiled retired cop, and he’s seen a lot of very nasty things in his career, which I obviously haven’t at all.  At the same time, he’s a lot more open-minded than I am in some ways – I’m not sure I’d be welcoming of a six-foot-tall cockroach in my spare bedroom, but Mr. Smith just takes that in stride.

You’re having a dinner party.  What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up? Why?

There are a couple of people in the book that I’d really rather not have show up at my door.  One of them is only mentioned (but he’ll have a much larger role in book 2), so I’ll skip him and say Peter Franks.  Would YOU want a con artist who stole money from retired police officers and then faked his own death at your dinner party?  I didn’t think so!

How do you create internal and external conflict in your characters?  I find conflict often the hardest to create when I start planning a book.

One thing I do is to try and work out the backstory and history of my characters so that they’ve already got conflicts built in before we even meet them.  We learn right away that Mr. Smith, for example, has some very complicated relationships with his old police colleagues, and also with a close friend who was on the other side of the law and has a very dark past.  So that sets up lots of possible conflicts before I even get into the main plot of the book. 

When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?

It’s always the characters.  With several of my books, I didn’t really figure out what the main plot actually was until fifty pages in.

With this book, the characters and the plot came at the same time, though.  The idea of Mr. Smith sharing his apartment with a giant cockroach obviously implied that he had some need for a roommate, and I knew right away that his money troubles and the Roach’s story would be connected.  I didn’t know all the details, but the general idea was there.

Give us a brief summary of Mr. Smith and the Roach:

John Smith is a retired New York City homicide detective.  When he discovers that his pension has been wiped out, he’s forced to take on a roommate to help make ends meet.

Sam is a six-foot-tall talking cockroach who rents out John’s spare room while trying to discover his own past.

Working together, they discover that John’s pension, Sam’s origin, and the death of John’s old partner at the NYPD are all connected, and they’re drawn into an unbelievable mystery.

Buy: 

Amazon | Books2Read

Bio:

J.J. DiBenedetto is the author of the Dream Doctor Mysteries, the Jane Barnaby Adventures, two Welcome to Romance novellas, and other works. 

 He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his lovely wife and Danny, a white cat who’s trained them both.  He’s originally from Yonkers, New York.  He loves the New York Giants, fondue, photography, travel, the opera and he’s a huge science-fiction and fantasy geek.

Find J.J.:

My website | Amazon Author Page | Facebook (author page) | Facebook (fan group) | Twitter | 

Soundcloud (audiobook samples) | Video book  trailers | Goodreads