MEROW!
Today our guest poster is the author, E. J. Copperman
EJ is
the author of the Haunted Guesthouse series, as well as several other mystery
series! His first in the Mysterious
Detective Series with Crooked Lane Publishing, WRITTEN OFF, debuts today!
And now,
without any further adieu: E.J. Copperman!
Thank
you, ROCCO!
The
first thing you have to understand is that writers are crazy.
Our job,
first and foremost, is to make things up. And the better we can think of stuff
to make up that nobody has made up before (or at least this month), the more
novel (you should pardon the expression) the work will appear to be.
So our
minds never stop looking for new things to make up. That’s the job and we know
it. You might be taking a walk on the beach, watching the ballgame, making
dinner, making love, playing Life, living life, walking the dog, doing the
downward dog or lying in bed before sleep.
When
we’re doing all that, we’re also working. If something happens that might be
interesting (re: useful), we’ll be sure to make note of it. If we remember it
the next morning, you can assume it’ll show up in our work somewhere.
So when
the casual notion of a character I’ve written showing up at my door and
announcing him/herself happened into my fevered brain—and it was just an idle
thought, in the middle of doing something else—I stopped whatever the hell that
was I was involved with and started thinking about it. How would I react if
Alison Kerby or Samuel Hoenig called on the phone asking for help on her/his
current problem?
Since I
write mystery novels, the notion that the character would be asking for
guidance on a murder was not a huge leap. I do, after all, concoct all sorts of
odd problems for them to solve (in Samuel’s case, questions for him to answer;
he’d want me to make that distinction). They’d expect that surely I could
provide direction, if not simply an answer out of thin air.
But it
wasn’t the character’s perspective that I found interesting. Although my spouse
(yet another plug for an upcoming book) and a few others I’ve met would say
that I am indeed a character, I’m also an author. I know how an author thinks
and if one is going to spend a few months writing a book, it might as well be
something the writer understands fairly well.
So what
would I do if Alison or Samuel (or now Duffy Madison and his hapless creator
Rachel Goldman) knocked on the door and asked me to help solve a heinous crime?
In WRITTEN OFF, that’s what happens to Rachel. She writes the Duffy Madison
series in which a consultant for the Morris County (NJ) prosecutor’s office
works on missing person cases. And when her phone rings just after she finishes
the latest Duffy Madison mystery only to be told that her caller is a
consultant for the Bergen County (NJ) prosecutor’s office who works on missing
person cases—and that his name is Duffy Madison—she has a situation to deal
with.
I didn’t
stop to consider what my own reaction would be under such circumstance because
in writing the book it didn’t matter. I’m not Rachel; she reacts to things
differently than I would. It’s only since I finished the book—and if the truth
be told, written the second in the series—that I’ve taken the time to consider.
And I know exactly what I’d do if that ever happened to me.
I’d slam
the door and lock it, then hide under my desk until the phone stopped ringing.
I’m not that crazy.
E.J. Copperman is the author of the Haunted
Guesthouse mystery series and the co-author with Jeff Cohen of the Asperger’s
Mystery series. On June 14 E.J. unveils the Mysterious Detective Mystery series
in which a crime fiction author is confronted by the flesh-and-blood
incarnation of her fictional sleuth.
GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of WRITTEN OFF!
* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/
*
Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)
Winner will be chosen at random using random.org. Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in
your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, June 18.
Great post! I am so glad you are paid to make things up!
ReplyDelete+1 blog follower
Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
Looks like a great books and series for me to read. Thanks for the chance to win.. salvatoresmom71@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about writers being crazy, although my husband is kind enough to say that I am 'complicated'! I wish you all the best; this one seems like a real winner!
ReplyDeleteTonette
tonettemjs@gmail.com
I am a friend on FB;
I shared
I follow on twitter;
I tweeted
I follow the blog
I wish I had your imagination! Your books are always a joy to read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
I am an email subscriber.
I follow on twitter.
I also follow on facebook
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I love E.J. Copperman's books and am sure this will not disappoint. I follow your blog, am a friend on Facebook, and mentioned this on Facebook. robeader53@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful idea!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading it.
Rocco, we are FB friends and I've linked this page to mine
I visit regularly
I don't tweet or have a blog
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Great interview, Rocco. I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this new series.
ReplyDeleteFriends on Facebook and liked Facebook post, following your blog and following on Twitter.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
kat8762@aol.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a unique storyline! Reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode where an author greats real-life people on his dictaphone. Oh, the thoughts I love to create!
* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
This book sounds amazing. Hope to be able to read and review it. Did all the above extra points. Thank you for chance
ReplyDeletePennymarks@frontier.com
This book sounds awesome! Thank you for a chance to win! I follow your blog, we are friends on facebook & I shared with my cozy pals on facebook. sxygrndma48@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI follow on Twitter. Last checked, we were friends on Facebook.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Lady(dot)janel@hotmail(dot)com
A fun read.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog by email and on FB we are friends.
Seascapelife at gmail (dot) com
This sounds really good. Thanks for a fun post, and for the heads up on what looks like a fun book. Friends on FB and Twitter, I follow the blog by email and I shared with my cozy pals on FB! frybbe@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your post & thanks for the chance to win. doward1952@yahoo.com
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