Idle – Book Tour and Giveaway

What inspired you to write this book?

Sadie Hawkins popped into my head one day with her Texas twang and Dan Post tricolored watersnake boots and after a week of rattling around in my brain, I had to get her out on paper. I wanted her to be different than the usual female protagonist with the height, body image, clothes and profession because not all women are like that. So I made her petite, curvy, prefers jeans over dresses, has a passion for baseball and works in the moving industry.  

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

 Sadie was inspired by a good friend who is a petite, feisty redhead. She’s wacky, doesn’t let anyone stand in her way and that’s just what Sadie is like. Because the genre is amateur mystery, I thought it would be fun to have the secondary characters, Sadie’s ‘crew’ have special talents that help her solve the crime – talents that have a toe over the legal line. Think of it like the A-Team but without all the explosions and guns!

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

I used Sadie Hawkins as the main character’s name because of the connotation behind it – Sadie Hawkins dance where the girls take charge and ask the boys to dance. The name serves as a bridge between social norms and I think the character reflects that.

With Will, I did need his name to portray one of money and prestige, hence William Ellington. As for the other characters, they didn’t come from anything specific.  

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

The humor. I have a wicked sense of humor and I loved writing some of the predicaments that Sadie gets into.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

My first novel is Destiny’s Past and trust me, it was a hard one to come up with. But the trilogy is based on destiny, it’s the whole theme and because the trilogy has time-travel, once I came up with Destiny’s Past, it was only natural to have Destiny’s Present and Destiny’s Future as the remainder.

As for the Sadie Hawkins mystery novels, because Sadie is in the moving/trucking industry I wanted to the titles to reflect that – ergo: First Gear and the second novel IDLE. Future works will be titled along the same line.

Who designed your book covers?

My girlfriend and I came up with the concept but the actual design is from the talented Cathy Walker of cathyscovers

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Each and every book I’ve written I’ve always found something I would change but have learned that at some point you have to let it go. So, in answer, there is probably something inconsequential but not worth mentioning.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Patience. Patience. Patience. It took four years to finally get it done.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

That would be Sylvia Brady from IDLE because she’s a super cool senior, drives a Harley Davidson, can handle her alcohol and knows how to coverup things!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Sadie is based on a friend but the rest of the characters in the mystery series are from my imagination.

Tyson, a character from Destiny’s Future is based on another good friend.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

With all that’s going on in the world, books are more important than ever to take us away from that. FIRST GEAR and IDLE have humor and adventure. The characters go through real-life struggles and Sadie’s loyalty to her friends is unstoppable.  

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

Wow, that’s a good one! Never thought of that before. So, after doing some research (because as an author that’s what we do!) I’d say the closest would be leather. The scent symbolizes strength, durability and resilience which are all the characteristics of Sadie.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?

 My favorite author is Sidney Sheldon. He was the one who inspired me to write more than just short stories. His capture of characters and situations were amazing. Loved his Master of the Game.

I’d love to ask him why he didn’t write his books but narrated them and had someone else type them up. How his brain worked that way whereas I NEED to feel the keypad beneath my fingertips and the conversations I have in my head wouldn’t come out the same if I said them, instead of thinking them.

What made you decide to get the book made into an audiobook?

I only have two books in audio at the moment and I decided to try that method when I saw the global rise in usage.

Who did the narration on the audiobook and what made you choose them?

The books were narrated by different people. My decision was based on cadence, diction and tone (I prefer women with a lower voice)

What goes into making an audiobook?

I use a company called FindAway voices because I don’t have the time or knowledge to do it myself.

How many audiobooks do you currently have and are there any more on the horizon?

2 with the hopes of having a 3^rd our in the next year. That would complete my Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy in audio.

What was the first audiobook you ever listened to?

 The first one was years ago and it was a Janet Evanovich novel. Although I enjoyed her writing, the narrator didn’t appeal to me so I stopped listening to audiobooks for a long time. Now, I love them! Listen to them all the time but am picky about the narrator. I do have my favorites and listen to just about everything they narrate no matter the book.

Do you prefer to listen to audiobooks or read a book?

 I still prefer to read. I listen to audiobooks while I do other things, like housework, going for a walk, etc.