Tell us about your latest book. What inspired it? Is this a series and if so, how many books are you planning? If not, do you plan to have any spin-off’s from secondary characters in the future?
Actually, I submitted another novel to Desert Breeze Publishing when they put out a submission call. Gail Delaney, the Executive Editor, passed on that book, but had an idea for a sci-fi series and asked me to give her a first chapter. Crucifying Angel, the first book of the Future Imperfect series, is the result of that.
What element of writing in your genre is hardest for you? Easiest?
The most difficult part of writing near-future science fiction, for me anyway, is taking current technology and progressing it logically. I don’t write hard scifi where you have to be scientifically and technically correct but I do try to achieve a semblance of realistic possibilities. I think, the easiest part is creating characters who still have relatable problems in that future setting. They still have insecurities, flaws, traumas that have happened in their lives that, hopefully, readers can relate to them in some way.
Do you have any pet peeves as a writer? As a reader?
I find that I have a tendency to put in flippant remarks and I have to really try to guard against that especially in stories that are a little more serious, so that I don’t end up having characters act too far out of personality and become inconsistent. As a reader, I’m beginning to really dislike when authors stick in too many one liners, trying too hard to be funny. When every eighth line is a snappy comeback that really doesn’t fit in or is just too forced, I get frustrated as a reader. I’d rather read something serious and well written than just a “smart answer to stupid questions” to quote Mad Magazine. Authors shouldn’t try so hard, me included. If it’s really funny and meant to be, it will come naturally.
If you could ask readers in your genre one question, what would it be and why?
Is my technology believable? I worry about that a lot. I try to at least think about what might be available in the next ten to twenty years yet not too fantastic. I work to have it ring with verisimilitude—the appearance of realism, believability.
What do you think is most important in the relationship between the main characters?
That they can count on each other. Real relationships work not only on sexual fidelity but relationship fidelity. Knowing that whatever you seriously need, the other person will come through for you without fail. You know you can count on them. I think that is the basis of real trust in a relationship, fiction or reality. And it’s true for non-romantic relationships too.
How long does it take for you to create, write and submit to your editor a finished book?
Ideally? A year. I started this book in February I think, though for this one the plot ideas just fell into place. I like to have enough time to go back and have enough time to really think through places that need to be fixed or explained or described.
If one of your books was made into a movie, who do you think would capture your characters perfectly?
For Crucifying Angel, Jared Leto as Gavin McAllister, age progressed about 15 years. (I think he’d look even better older, lol!) But for the female MC, Payce Halligan, and this is true, I had downloaded a free avatar headshot of a blonde woman shooting target practice. She wore the earphones and was just in this professional stance. I don’t know why but I just fell in love with it. When Gail and I talked about the story, I just knew that avatar was Payce. I have two other semi-main characters, one I have just a vague picture of her, the other is based on the kid in that FedEx “If Delivery Drivers Ruled the World” commercial. He’s the kid who is let out of the locker in the hallway. A super geeky but loveable good kid. As other characters develop, I’ll zero in on what they look like. I usually always have some type of image of the character, with or without an actor as inspiration.
Anything in the pipeline for 2009? Can we get a sneak look into upcoming projects?
Well, there are the two upcoming books in Future Imperfect. They’re still in development but I can tell you they continue the storyline with the MCs and situations. I do have other WIPs, two scifi, one crime thriller, paranormal romance/crime, and even a regular romance, kind of a May/December relationship from a reluctant “cougar’s” point of view. At this time however, they’re all simmering on the back burner while I concentrate on the Future Imperfect series.
For fun: If you could meet any character you want, who would it be & what would you do?
Oh! There are so many that I’ve loved over the years. I think Julius Caesar from Colleen McCullough’s historical Rome series. He’s just so driven and genius, and able to make people love him even while he pursues his political ambitions. I was very driven in my younger days, so in some tiny way I can relate to him. Also, Merlin Emrys (wow, I even remembered the spelling of his last name!) from Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave fantasy series. From the opening lines of The Crystal Cave, I was in love with him.
Sneak Peek into Crucifying Angel; Book 1 in Future Imperfect Series
Buy at: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-44/%3Ci%3EFuture-Imperfect-Book-One-cln-%3C-fdsh-i%3E/Detail.bok
A serial killer with an unholy mission is unleashed on deteriorating sin city Las Vegas and LVPD Homicide Detectives Payce Halligan and her new partner, British ex-Deputy Chief Inspector begin a deadly cat and mouse game as each must deal with their own traumatic past and their evolving attraction.
Excerpt:
The next tableau of death also sat eight stories up in another iron skeleton that was once a casino in utero. Again, the body of the victim hung upside down, crucified from two iron girders crossed into an X, the victim’s ankles pierced and wired to the two top opposing ends of beams and body slashed in the identical locations. White linen cloths draped the body, reminiscent of Roman togas, did nothing to hide the degrading posture or the disrespect of the murderer, nor the fact that the desecrated body could be seen from the Strip below by pedestrians and passengers alike. Their curiosity peaked by the obvious attempt at hiding the crime scene with yellow police tarps that only made the scene more visible.
Gavin walked to the edge of the scaffold, gazing at the vistas of Las Vegas, trying to take in the wide, unending expanse of desert and make sense of the bizarre methods of death. Was there some message in the patterns known only to the killer and mattering only to him? Was there something he wanted to authorities to take notice of, something he was telling them? Or was it just the death-addicted actions of a homicide junkie?
This was the place for it. Las Vegas, sin city from its inception, was hot as hell literally and figuratively, was as barren and painfully garish and distorted as any lower floor of Hades. Even the populace on the streets below looked and lived like lost denizens of the Underworld.
The Underworld! Gavin, like any other citizen of Earth, knew about the Mafia underworld and its underpinning of Las Vegas. It was the mob, specifically in the form of Bugsy Siegel, who conceived and gave birth to the free sin capitol of the United States, who nurtured it and encouraged its licentiousness, its slavering over the outrageous amounts of money that was the lifeblood of this uniquely evil city.
He shook his head slightly, folding his arms over his chest. Was the city really evil or was it just an enabler of devilry? Did it matter? Murder was murder whether it occurred in the suburbs of cold rainy London or here in the desert hell of Nevada, USA.
The soapy sweet scent of Payce’s hair as she moved past him jerked him back from the philosophical to the real world.
“Hey, wake up, McAllister,” she said, glancing over the scene one last time. “Anything else?”
“Um… no. I think we’re done here.” He moved to stand beside her as the working elevator lift creaked upwards toward them.
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6 Responses to “Guest Author Day with P. I. Barrington”
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Hi PI,
Thanks for coming by. Your first book sounds incredible. CONGRATS!!! What inspired this series?
Raine D.
Hi P.I., I enjoyed your interview. Your book sounds exciting and I’m definitely going to check into it. I love reading the sci-fi, paranormal, and fantasy so this should be quite up my alley – so to speak.
Good luck with you books.
Missy Martine
missymartine@comcast.net
Hi, Pa..PI
The book sounds great! Love the creepy, compelling cover as well.
I so hear ya on taming the flippant remarks. Had a great review not long ago on a romantic suspense novella that commended me on “touches of humor”…Um, I never intended for anything to be humorous.
I love series! Will have to check yours out.
Sounds good!!! I LOVE the cover. I love mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, and some humor thrown in so this sounds like a good one! Can’t wait to read it!
Hi, thanks everyone! I really appreciate that other people take the time out to read my stuff. It makes me feel like it’s all worthwhile.
As for not intending anything to be funny…I’m at that spot in nearly everything I write…Oh, and don’t worry about the Pa–On my Facebook my user name is P.i. and I can’t figure out how to change it to both letters in caps!
Hopefully, the next book will be better than the first…I like to think so…
Patti
Fantastic! Great to learn more about a fellow author. Best of luck.