Today at the Café we have mystery author Jeffrey Cohen, whose latest book, Some Like It Hot-Buttered: A Double Feature Mystery, was released in October of 2007 by Berkley Prime Crime. Since Jeffrey isn’t much of a coffee or tea drinker, we’re going to have a Caffeine-Free Diet Coke today in his honor. Not sure how I’m going to function without the caffeine, though, so if you need yours as well, feel free to grab a mocha and enjoy the interview.

CAFÉ:
Welcome to the Café Jeffrey. Tell us about your new book.

JEFFREY:
It is a "humorous cozy." Elliot Freed runs Comedy Tonight, an all-comedy movie theatre that specializes in classics. He takes it personally when a patron dies of poisoned popcorn, and decides to investigate.

CAFÉ:
That sounds like fun. How long have you been writing?

JEFFREY:
What's today ... since I was 12.

CAFÉ:
When did your first novel come out? Why don’t you tell us a little about it?

JEFFREY:
In 2002. It was called, FOR WHOM THE MINIVAN ROLLS: AN AARON TUCKER MYSTERY A freelance writer is coerced into investigating the disappearance of a suburban New Jersey woman, which becomes a murder investigation. He also tries to find out who wrote something nasty about his son.

CAFÉ:
Have you always written mysteries?

JEFFREY:
Not in utero, but since I've been a novelist, yeah. Have also written two non-fiction books on raising a child with Asperger Syndrome.

CAFÉ:
Could you take a moment to tell us a little bit about what that is and how it’s affected your life?

JEFFREY:
Asperger's Syndrome is a form of high-functioning autism that manifests itself mostly in social skills difficulties. My son, who is 18 and now applying to college, has Asperger's, and I wrote a couple of non-fiction books on the subject, and might do a third if I can ever get my act together.

CAFÉ:
Thanks for sharing, and good luck to your son with college. What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book?

JEFFREY:
I understand New Jersey, and really enjoy it. And it's always been my dream to open a little movie theatre and show only comedies, so I could impose my taste on other people and get paid for it.

CAFÉ:
How fun — sounds like someplace I’d like to go. Why don’t you tell us a little about the setting and main character.

JEFFREY:
Comedy Tonight is not your state-of-the-art, up-to-date multiplex. It's more in the area of "falling-down-around-your-ears," but it has a bygone charm that Elliot hopes to restore. Elliot, freshly divorced (but still friendly with his ex, who sends him alimony) is wondering what the rest of his life will be like if all he does is hang around an old movie theatre with two teenagers. But he keeps a sense of humor about it. Mostly.

CAFÉ:
What is the main reason that you write?

JEFFREY:
I'd be a really bad mechanic.

CAFÉ:
LOL. Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to take away from your work?

JEFFREY:
Both. Mostly, I think my job is to entertain and give the reader a laugh (or, hopefully, several). But every writer hopes that the reader takes something away, something that they'll remember. I don't have a MESSAGE I'm trying to get across, other than to watch more Marx Brothers movies.

CAFÉ:
Sounds like a worthwhile message ? Do you have a schedule for your writing or just write whenever you can?

JEFFREY:
I write novels when I'm not writing other things that pay the rent (sort of). But now that I'm on a deadline, I make sure they're done when they're supposed to be.

CAFÉ:
Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

JEFFREY:
I never outline; I'm just not organized enough, and besides, it kills the element of surprise for me as a writer. I have a general idea of where I want to go when I start, and I have a few scenes along the way that I know I want to write, but the fun is in connecting the dots.

CAFÉ:
If you had your ideal, what time of day would you prefer to write?

JEFFREY:
I write fiction mostly in the late afternoon. I have no idea why.

CAFÉ:
Do you have a day job?

JEFFREY:
Writing: magazines, newspapers, laundry lists, whatever. Some teaching. Ghostwriting. I haven't written a ghost in a while.

CAFÉ:
Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

JEFFREY:
Amazingly, no. Getting the first book published was easy. It's been an uphill climb since then. My advice to those starting out: learn to write a GREAT cover letter.

CAFÉ:
Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

JEFFREY:
When I used to try to sell screenplays, I once got a rejection postcard from an agent. And a FORM postcard, at that: not with a picture of Aruba on it, or anything!

CAFÉ:
Hadn’t heard of one like that before. What kind of promotion do you find most effective?

JEFFREY:
From my point of view (and remember, I'm not cracking the NYT Bestseller List anytime soon), Internet promotion has been most effective. People really respond to what they see on the web. Of course, if Marilyn Stasio would like to review my next book, I could find out how much that would help. Whether she liked it, or not.

CAFÉ:
Do you have a most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

JEFFREY:
I once signed up to speak at "Literacy Day" at a large retailer whose name I won't mention (Wal-Mart). Was asked on arrival if I'd seen the wonderful poster they'd made to promote my appearance, because it was so wonderful. So I was led to said poster, which was indeed nice, and had large type saying that "New Jersey Author Jeff Cohen" would be appearing on this date, and a photograph. The store representative asked how I liked the poster, and I said it was swell, but for one thing: that photograph was of someone else. Here's the scary part — he looked at the picture, looked back at me, and asked, "Are you sure?"

CAFÉ:
Crazy. What are your future writing goals?

JEFFREY:
To make buckets of money by making people laugh. Or at least being able to pay my bills, and keep my contract. I'm pretty easy to please.

CAFÉ:
Heroes?

JEFFREY:
Writing heroes: too many to list. Wouldn't want to leave one out.

CAFÉ:
Person you would most like to meet dead or alive?

JEFFREY:
Harpo Marx or Mel Brooks.

CAFÉ:
You’re definitely giving us some answers we haven’t had here before ? What do you read?

JEFFREY:
Right now I'm reading these questions. For fun, I read anything that's supposed to be funny and non-fiction.

CAFÉ:
What are your hobbies?

JEFFREY:
I play acoustic guitar as long as nobody's listening, and I love classic comedies. Or haven't I made that clear?

CAFÉ:
Favorite TV or movies?

JEFFREY:
Wow: NORTH BY NORTHWEST, HORSE FEATHERS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, DINER, THE STUNT MAN, MY FAVORITE YEAR, ADAM'S RIB, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT... I could go on...

CAFÉ:
Any pets?

JEFFREY:
We have a dog who is adorable and dumb as a post.

CAFÉ:
What part of the country/world do you live in?

JEFFREY:
I'm a Jersey boy.

CAFÉ:
Any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

JEFFREY:
Do something else. I mean that. Anybody who can be dissuaded shouldn't be doing this. It's too hard.

CAFÉ:
I would have to agree with you on that one. Website?

JEFFREY:
www.jeffcohenbooks.com

CAFÉ:
Where can people purchase your books?

JEFFREY:
All the usual online places, large retailers and my favorites, the independents. If they don't have it, refuse to leave until they get one.

CAFÉ:
I’ll have to try doing that. Thanks so much for being here at the Café with us today.

©2007 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.