ROCCO chats with EJ Copperman!

E.J. Copperman is not like other people. Well, some other people. A few other people. Let’s face it: E.J. Copperman is exactly like other people, except for writing mystery novels. A New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It was followed by An Uninvited Ghost, Old Haunts, A Wild Ghost Chase, Chance of a Ghost, An Open Spook, The Thrill of the Haunt, Inspector Specter, Ghost in the Wind and Spouse on Haunted Hill.

E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large does of Jersey attitude.

The fact is, E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a crime fiction writer who likes to specialize in making people laugh while delivering the suspects, clues, red herrings and plot twists that keep the pages turning.

• Welcome, EJ! Tell us a bit about your latest book in your Mysterious Detective series.

Thanks ROCCO!  In EDITED OUT, Rachel Goldman is still trying to reconcile the idea that her fictional sleuth Duffy Madison appears to have come to life, working for a New Jersey county prosecutor near where she lives. So she sets out to prove that “living Duffy” is mistaken by tracking down a man who might have been his previous incarnation—and vanished from Poughkeepsie, New York five years ago. But somebody doesn’t want Duffy and Rachel to find out what happened to Damien Mosely…

• Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

It’s not even close. Character IS plot. If you have a great plot “twist” and it’s not specific to your character, or the reader doesn’t care about your character, you don’t have that great a story. Character is what everything in a story flows from. Character, character, character.

• What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

Um… selling stuff? That’s the challenge. Luckily I have a really good agent who knows how to do that, because I don’t. What inspires me? I get up every morning knowing I’m going to write 1000 words. Then they pay me. That’s motivation. I don’t know how to be a pipe fitter.

• Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

Not really.

• What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

Now writing the third Rachel/Duffy book. It’ll be halfway done tomorrow. Then have another Asperger’s mystery to write and a Haunted Guesthouse after that. Hoping to have more to tell you about later.

• Plotter or Pantser?

I pants. Figuring everything out ahead of time would kill the possibility of discovering story along the way, and what fun would that be? But whatever works for you—do that.

• What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Every three weeks I go to a place where they pump toxic chemicals into me for eight hours. That’s pretty nuts. But it does seem to be working.

• What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

That I’m actually a classically-trained baritone who sings at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Actually, I’d be fairly shocked to find that out too, because it’s a complete lie.

• What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

What’s more important: A surprise ending or being funny in the book? Answer: NOTHING is more important than writing a funny book. Except your health.

•  Where can we learn more about you and your books?

At www.ejcopperman.com as well as jeffcohenbooks.com and at the blog HEY THERE’S A DEAD GUY IN THE LIVING ROOM, where I post every Monday.

• What would you love to have a never ending supply of?

Life.

• Whats the last tv show that made you laugh?

John Oliver and Samantha Bee make me laugh every week, but I still miss Jon Stewart. Other than that, most television comedy is pretty lame. Speechless is pretty good, but I don’t laugh out loud at it.

Thanks for a great interview, EJ!  and say hello to your good friend Jeff Cohen for me!

We'll be giving away a copy of the most recent Haunted Guesthouse mystery, SPOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL,  to one lucky commenter!

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