Q: How has being a Texan influenced your writing?

 

A: Growing up in Texas has allowed me to be fluent in two languages, and I integrate Spanish and English dialogue into my book IBERIAN TIES. Importantly, Texas has offered me the advantage of being exposed to a confluence of unique ethnic cultures. For instance, my Spanish, Mexican, and mestizo heritage has made me deeply aware of the impact of indigenous populations of the Southwest. Additionally, I learned of a forgotten Jewish segment of society that has virtually disappeared; one of my book’s main characters is of Hispanic descent from South Texas, and she also has Sephardic Jewish roots, which is truly very unfamiliar to many readers. 

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Q: Why did you choose to write in the thriller genre?

 

A: I had dedicated more than thirty years to scholarly writings, and I was ready to try something else. Since I enjoyed reading crime fiction, I thought it might be fun to attempt writing it.

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Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

 

A: I had the fundamentals of writing before starting to write fiction, having come from an academic and teaching background, but learning the craft of writing commercial fiction was an eye-opener. In many ways, I had to undo much of my inclinations when I wrote for an academic audience. And although creating fictional characters and plots was hard work, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Q: What research did you conduct for writing IBERIAN TIES?

 

A: I did significant research on the Canary Islands, although I knew the archipelago from my own travels and visits there. I also researched police practices and the Spanish legal system.  In addition, I examined the inner workings of cartels, with attention paid to international crime. 

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Q: Whose work do you most enjoy reading?

 

A: I’ve learned a lot from John Irving, Harlan Coben, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Daniel Silva. It won’t surprise you to learn that both my wife and I enjoy reading crime and international thrillers. I also await every Joel C. Rosenberg novel that he publishes. I’m beginning to read Lee Child, and I wish I’d picked him up earlier. I started with Killing Floor and enjoyed it greatly.

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Q: Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

 

A: My wife will tell you that I’ve become a full-time writer. My characters are constantly in my head. Often I find myself thinking—and saying-- “such and such a character would’ve said that…” or “this character would never do such a thing”. I will wake up thinking, I’ll put Nate (my main character) in this situation in order to force him to…”

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Q: How does your book relate to your faith?

 

A: The spiritual component is very critical to me. Although I’m writing fiction, I need at least some of my characters to address their spiritual and religious beliefs. For example, my main character is a stable, competent, psychiatrist who is spiritually ambivalent. He is not an atheist; however, he’s not a committed believer either. And, it bothers him, because he wishes he were one or the other. He detests the quasi-intellectual drivel of agnostics in his social circle. One curious thing about Nate—the main character—is that he often finds himself praying, when he is worried or threatened. Yet, he cannot come to a firm belief in God. The arc of his spiritual development will become more prominent in books #2 and #3 as I write the trilogy.

 

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Q: Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie version of your book?

 

A: Not a serious dramatic actor. If he were alive, Cary Grant would have made an excellent Nate Shelley. I’d need to select a person that can be self-deprecating without falling into annoying levity. Maybe Owen Wilson or even Luke Wilson could pull it off.