Sharing secrets???

 I recently had the pleasure of being a featured author in the September issue of a very nice glossy magazine called Ignitiveify, published by my Texas author friend Savannah McCann. Part of the feature was a short interview that posed some probing questions. Since I don't open up very often on here, I thought I'd share it for your amusement. The feature was centered around my latest release, "One Way Out." Happy reading! 

 What was the inspiration behind your book?

 

When I wrote the previous entry in this series (“Out of the Shadows”), I intentionally left a couple of unanswered questions at the end, just to have fun with the readers. I hadn’t planned on writing a sequel until people began asking me for one. I reviewed the last few chapters and decided to see how far I could go with it. The loose threads I’d left hanging were based on real events that are still in the news. After reading the archived stories, I realized there actually was more material to work with.       

 

What themes or messages do you hope readers will take away from your book?

 

I’m not big on messages, but the theme is always the good guys beat the bad guys, then the hero and heroine sail off together into the sunset. I try to write entertaining mystery/thrillers with humor, realistic atmosphere, and a playful romance between the main characters. People read to be entertained, and like I tell aspiring writers, “If you want to send a message, use e-mail.” If you read one of my books, hopefully you’ll come away feeling as though you just watched a good movie.

 

Can you share a moment from your personal life that inspired a scene or character in the book?

 

There are many of those moments in all of my books because the hero, Nick Seven, is my alter ego, the guy who gets to do all the things I wish I could. In this book there was one personal touch I couldn’t resist, when I named a shady character after a Doctor I was acquainted with. He has a very unique name and personality that lent itself to the character I created. I don’t know if he’s read it yet, but I’m prepared if his attorney calls me.  

 

What was the most surprising thing you learned while writing your book?

 

How easy it was to come up with a continuation of the previous story. I thought I had used up all of the good ideas, but once I began writing the characters and the Florida Keys locations, the plot twists and the story seemed to write themselves. It was like slipping back into my comfort zone, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.    

  

How has your writing evolved since you first began publishing?

 

It’s gotten better, thankfully. I’ve published 30 books over the past 23 years and when I re-read my earliest ones, I’m embarrassed. There’s a reason the first 3 are out of print! I wrote those before I connected with a great editor, who worked with me to improve my writing. Not long ago, a friend said she’d bought one of my books online, and asked if I’d sign it for her. Imagine my shock when she presented a copy of my very first novel that I thought I buried 15 years ago!  

 

What challenges or obstacles did you face while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?

 

One of the challenges was keeping the story fast-paced and interesting while maintaining the lighthearted mood and sexy give-and-take between the two leading characters. There’s plenty of action and drama in this one, but it’s always challenging to offset the violence with humor. When I felt I wasn’t achieving that balance, I read a few passages from previous books in the series to get back in the groove.  

 

What research did you conduct for this book, and did you uncover anything surprising or fascinating?

Since this story was inspired by real events, my research took me behind the headlines to get some details that weren’t emphasized by the mainstream media. I found a lot of these lesser-known things interesting and included them, along with other current topics. My research also involved finding an island in the Caribbean where some of the action takes place, and getting the atmosphere right.   

 

Is there anything readers might not know about your book just from reading it?

This is book number nine in the Nick Seven series, but the books don’t need to be read in order. I constructed each story as a stand-alone adventure, with the main characters and a few supporting players being featured in each one. I hope everyone has as much fun reading this book as I had writing it.  

 

Tim Smith is an award-winning bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary hot romance. His author page is Tim Smith--AllAuthor.com. "One Way Out" is available in Kindle and print at Amazon "One Way Out"