I am Central Florida raised, a product of generations of
ethnic blending and Southern hospitality. I live in Saint Cloud, Florida with
my two dogs after several years of living in the Florida Keys on a houseboat in
Big Pine Key. I was a ghostwriter for a while, ghostwriters get paid for their
writing in advance whether it sells or not, and I was fine with that until I
saw two of the hundreds that I wrote had gotten into the top ten of their
genre. I decided to write some with my own name on them and published Fair Play
a little over two years ago.
Can you tell us your latest news?
I have a new ghostwriting assignment, whether it becomes a
best seller or not, I get paid, so I will be working on that for a little
while. When I am done with that, I will start doing research on my third
thriller, The Consortium, the follow up to The Perfect Day.
I have been writing since I was in third grade. I loved to
read! I was reading before I went to kindergarten. I read during PE in Junior
High, wrote poems to cute girls (them promptly threw them away) and always did
it as sort of a hobby. I got a ‘job’ a few years ago when someone paid me to
write something for them, and I fell into ghostwriting.
I suppose it happened in steps. The first time I saw my name
on an online article at AOL Travel. The first time I had an ebook with my name
on it available for purchase on Amazon, that was a different kind of ‘writer’.
And then when I was able to hold a paperback copy of ‘Fair Play’, to open the
pages and read words I had struggled to put together. It is in the words of
Michelangelo, “Totally awesome, dude!”. (The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle that
is, I don’t know any quotes of the artist.)
What inspired you to
write your first book?
Seeing a book I wrote at #3 on a best seller list, but
without my name on it.
This kind of answers this question and the one below as
well. After the attack on 9/11 and the war in Iraq, there was a cache of
weapons and documents found in a small city outside of Baghdad. In that raid
conducted by US Military they confiscated these documents and brought them back
for analysis. They consisted of actual blueprints of schools in the United
States, elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools. In fact, they
found an entire building within a training camp that had been built along the
specifications of those blueprints. It was set up to resemble an American
public school, but it was located in the middle of an Al Qaeda training camp.
The phrase kept appearing on these documents over and over
and referenced a plan in place by Islamic radicals who were already in the
States to rise up on one day and attack, in multiple states, at multiple
targets. None of this was really made public until after the attack on the
school in Beslan in 2004, and then it was only leaked because no one else dared
say anything about it.
I write it the way I would see it happening on a television
show, or movie. There are many points of view, sometimes with the bad guy, at
times with one or more of the good guys. When you see a fast paced movie there
is a lot going on in different places with different characters. I try to ‘see’
it, then ‘write’.
Mostly I write to
entertain. To create a kind of escape for a few hours or a weekend. If there is
one message from this novel I want people to grasp, it is that hate is
irrational. Whether it is hatred of someone because they aren’t the same color
as you are (as with the despicable white supremacist characters) or because
they are not of the particular branch of your particular religious persuasion.
You cannot reason with that level of hatred, but something even more dangerous
than trying to reason with people who hate that much is staying silent about
the atrocities they commit for fear of offending them. The longer the silence
continues, the more pervasive the behavior becomes.
How much of the book is realistic?
The entire book is based on a real, documented attack plan
of Al Qaeda. The attack on Beslan was real and hundreds of children, teachers
and parents were gunned down. The bit about the little girl crossing into the
country of Turkey where the border guard stamped the passport of her stuffed
unicorn, yep that happened. I try to incorporate as much reality as possible
into the storyline.
Well, that’s something I’ve never been asked before. Okay,
Detective Paul Friedman I suppose his theme song would be, “Desperado” by the
Eagles. Monica Quinn is the Certified Fraud Examiner Accountant single mom so
hers would probably be “Miss Independent” by Kelly Clarkson. Jerome Eisman, the
intrepid reporter would probably be “Every Step You Take” by the Police. And
Ali the Sand Viper would have to be a “Cold Hearted Snake” by Paula Abdul.
Are experiences based
on someone you know, or events in your own life?
All the characters are based on people I know, respect and
some people that I don’t like all that much. Events in my life, not so much.
What books have most
influenced your life most?
For humor, probably Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. For
drama/intensity, the Steven James’ Patrick Bowers series.
If you had to choose,
which writer would you consider a mentor?
I like the style of JJ Abrams in writing plot and action,
Jerry Bruckheimer for the quirky twists he puts in the story. For books, Steven
James, author of the Patrick Bowers novels is fantastic.
What book are you
reading now?
The King by Steven James
Easy, Rue Volley for her steamy erotica novels. CJ West for
the realistic thriller novels. Not really new, but new to me.
What are your current
projects?
I will be completing
the ghostwriting project before the end of the year and then will be working on
the third book in the Paul Friedman series entitled ‘The Consortium’.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of
family members.
One? Facebook. Lots of authors going through some of the
same struggles I am facing. We chat, laugh and cry together.
Do you see writing as
a career?
It would be my dream.
If you had to do it
all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Not really, I’ve been working on this one since Fair Play
was done. A LOT changed from first concept to what it is now.
By reading. By imagining myself as one of the Hardy Boys or
Tom Swift. (Yes, I’m old.) So I started re-imagining the stories I was reading
and would write it the way I would want to read it.
Can you share a
little of your current work with us?
The Consortium is going to encompass a lot. The primary
focus is that of a corrupt government official who has her hands in a lot of
wrong doing. It’s going to touch on a subject that is important to get ‘out
there’ and that is the subject of human trafficking. And yes, it is happening
within the United States as well.
Is there anything you
find particularly challenging in your writing?
Empathizing with the scuzzy characters. You kind of have to
do that if you are going to write the part of the villain. You’ve got to understand
why he or she does what he does, even if he or she is absolutely evil.
Who are your three
favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Steven James – His pacing is fantastic. A thrill a minute.
Clive Barker – For supernatural horror, Clive is absolutely
terrifying with his imaginative characters.
Agatha Christie – For her twists, turns and surprises. (Yes,
I’m old.)
Sometimes. Most of the areas that I write about are places
I’ve lived or visited. Orlando is as much a character in these books as Paul or
Jerome. The whole city has a feel to it that you just can’t understand until
you’ve lived here.
Who designed the
covers?
I did. I am poor and can’t afford to pay someone for that.
What was the hardest
part of writing your book?
The scheduling of all the events that occur in the last
section of the book. The methodical planning and timing was important to get
right. A lot is going on and I wanted it all to mesh in a real time type
atmosphere like a 24 episode.
Did you learn
anything from writing your book and what was it?
I did a lot of research into the facts of The Perfect Day
and the massacre at Beslan. I learned a lot about areas of Orlando I never
bothered visiting before when I went on field trips to see those locations.
Do you have any
advice for other writers?
Keep writing. Network with other writers because you aren’t
alone. And do it BEFORE your book is written.
Do you have anything
specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thanks for all the support and the wonderful reviews you
left for Fair Play!
Which comes first? The character's story, or, the idea for
the novel?
The idea comes first, then I throw the character into the
story and see how they react.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Do what you love. If you have a manuscript you think is
fantastic and have sent it around the world and back to no avail, try self-publishing.
Indies are a tight knit and supportive but welcoming community of writers.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
A thanks to all the dedicated bloggers who spend their
precious spare time reading indie work and blogging about it. They help us all
a great deal.
Well there you have it, Gunnar Angle Lawrence I hope you enjoyed reading this and don't forget to stop by every day and enter the contest to win a free copy of The Perfect Day or a signed copy of Fair Play. Also come back tomorrow for more of Gunnar Angle Lawrence. I will be posting the review for The Perfect Day!!!!!
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