by Lorie Ham

Today here at the Café we have a rare thing - someone who can’t drink caffeine. So in honor of mystery author Alan Cook, let’s grab an herbal tea without caffeine while enjoying the interview. His latest book, Run Into Trouble, was released by AuthorHouse in January of 2009.

Café:
Tell us about your latest book.

Alan:
Run into Trouble – mystery/suspense – a footrace along the California coast in 1969, during the Cold War. But is the Cold War about to heat up?

Café:
How long have you been writing?

Alan:
Since I could hold a pencil. I have been writing novels since the late eighties.

Café:
That seems very common among writers, myself included. When did your first novel come out? Tell us about it.

Alan:
1998 – Walking to Denver – Six people are recruited to walk from Los Angeles to Denver by the Zeus Shoe Company. Fun and games.

Café:
Have you always written mysteries? If not what else have you written?

Alan:
Walking to Denver is more of a comedy. I have also written a nonfiction book about walking adventures (Walking the World: Memories and Adventures), a book of freedom quotations (Freedom’s Light: Quotations from History’s Champions of Freedom) and even a narrative poem (The Saga of Bill the Hermit).

Café:
There seems to be a theme here. What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book? Tell us a little about the setting and main character.

Alan:
I chose the California coast as a setting because I have walked it and have a fondness for it. I wanted an action book, thus the running. My co-leads, Drake and Melody, worked together undercover six years before in the UK. They were teamed for the race without their knowledge, even though their relationship is supposed to be top secret.

Café:
What is the main reason that you write?

Alan:
I write to keep my demons at bay, and because I have a certain amount of talent for it. I like it when people get enjoyment from reading my books.

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

Alan:
Entertainment is job one. I also try to provide education about various topics, and maybe (gasp) even sneak in a viewpoint once in a while.

Café:
Do you have a schedule for your writing or just write whenever you can?

Alan:
I write best in the morning after my walk.

Café:
Another one of those morning people. 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?

Alan:
I don’t outline in advance. After I finish each chapter I outline it. I also create character descriptions as I go along, which are periodically updated. The main purpose of the outline is to help me remember what happened when and who knew what when (very important in mysteries). The character descriptions keep me from giving a person brown eyes in one chapter and blue in another.

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

Alan:
Mornings.

Café:
Day job?

Alan:
No, fortunately.

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

Alan:
Yes. I’ve worked with several small publishing companies.

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

Alan:
My best acceptance was having a short story accepted for an anthology edited by Jeffery Deaver.

Café:
Cool. What kind of promotion do you find most effective?

Alan:
Personal appearances where people know me and/or publicity is good.

Café:
Most interesting book signing story - in a bookstore or other venue?

Alan:
I was one of six authors invited to sign books at an annual women’s club event where several hundred people came for lunch. Wildly successful.

Café:
Future writing goals?

Alan:
Possible follow-on to Run into Trouble.

Café:
Heroes?

Alan:
I like the people who founded our country, such as Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison.

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

Alan:
Ben Franklin.

Café:
What do you read?

Alan:
A mix, including mystery, spy stories, biography, adventure.

Café:
What are your hobbies?

Alan:
Walking, world travel.

Café:
Not surprised by the walking one. Favorite TV or movies?

Alan:
M*A*S*H is my all-time favorite TV show.

Café:
Pets?

Alan:
Not now, but when our son lived at home we had all kinds of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Café:
Family?

Alan:
Wife, one son, daughter-in-law, two grandsons.

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

Alan:
Southern California.

Café:
Any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Alan:
Keep putting words on paper or computer screen, write what you’re passionate about, don’t quit your day job unless you have a rich wife.

Café:
Anything you would like to add?

Alan:
Watch the fun video trailer for Run into Trouble on my website. To paraphrase the sculptor in Can-Can (“Never, never be a sculptor, if you think you can make one cent”), “Never, never be a writer, unless, you want to have a wonderful life.”

Café:
Website?

Alan:
http://alancook.50megs.com.

Café:
Where can people purchase your books?

Alan:
From the usual suspects, bookstores, etc. Links from my website to Amazon and other places. Also available on Amazon Kindle.

Café:
Thanks for joining us at the Café. Happy reading and good coffee.

©2009 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.