Author Talk with Alex Carver

Hello and welcome to Author Talk, where I get the chance to cross examine an amazing Indie Author.  Today we have Alex R Carver, the author of Where There’s A Will.  Thanks for stopping by my humble little blog.  Why don’t you take the stand and raise your right hand.  Now, before we get started with the third degree, how ‘bout you confess some of your deepest, darkest secrets.  Or you could just tell us a little bit about yourself.

 After working in the clerical, warehouse and retail industries over the years, without gaining much satisfaction, I have quit to follow my dream and become a full-time writer. Where There's A Will is the first book in the Inspector Stone Mysteries series; An Eye For An Eye, the second book, will be out in September, and Written In Blood, a thriller about a serial killer, is released on April 1st.
When not writing, I'm either playing a game or being distracted by Molly the Yorkie, who is greedy for both attention and whatever food is to be found.

Now that the jury is seated, let the inquisition begin.

1.       When did you first realize that you could throw random letters together and have people want to read it?  I’m thinking it was the first time you filled out a police report.  Right?  Right?

I was too young to be filling out a police report, the first time I wrote a story I was about 10 and I was asked to come up with something for an English lesson, it was supposed to be a short thing, only a couple of pages, but it ended up filling an exercise book.

2.       What was the first thing you wrote about?  And when did you write it?

It was the story I wrote for English class, I wrote a kids’ adventure story in the vein of The Famous Five about some friends encountering a band of thieves.

3.       In what genres do you prefer to write?  Which ones have you published in?

Generally, I write crime/mystery stories, though I also have a couple of sci-fi novels on paper and a kids adventure novel that I hope will turn into a series.

4.       When you start a project, do you have an outline you go by, or do you prefer to wing and see how it goes?  If you’ve used both methods, which one worked better for you?  Me, I’m a wing man myself!

I’ve used both methods, it all depends on the story, and I couldn’t say one has worked better than the other for me. I think it comes down to my mood and the story, some require more time spent on planning, and others almost insist that I just dive in and see where it’s going.

5.       Do you have a favorite spot where you prefer to write?  I hope it’s not the bathroom, cause that might make the readers uncomfortable.

I tend to write on the armchair in the living room, it’s comfy but not very conducive to writing, I’d like a desk and a proper space but it’s not on the cards at the moment.

Oh, well, that’s a good place to write, too.

6.       When is the best time for you to write?  Probably when you’re all alone and there’s no witnesses, right?  I prefer to do it in secret, too.

I write at all hours of the day. I’ve been known to wake up at 3am and to sit or lie in bed with my laptop and punch out a thousand words or more.

7.       So, where do your marvelous ideas or inspirations come from? Do you mind if I record you here?  I need some fresh evidence.  Haha! Just kidding.

My ideas come from all around me, I don’t always know their exact point of origin, all of a sudden I have a new idea I have to jot down in the hope of finding the time to work on it in the future. Middle of the night seems to be a good time for me to be inspired though.

8.       Who would you say is your favorite character that you’ve created?  Why?

Hmmm, that’s a toughie, I like Melissa Turner from Written In Blood, she’s a young constable who’s determined to do the right thing even in the face of her superior who she thinks is wrong. Then there’s Louisa Orchard from the Inspector Stone Mysteries, she’s a journalist with ethics who is prepared to throw away a job with a paper for the sake of what she considered the right thing - I sense a theme here, lol.

9.       And what about your least favorite character?  Why don’t you like them? You know, you could change how they are, then maybe you’d care a little more about them.

This is a whole lot easier, it’s Sgt Mitchell from Written In Blood: he’s stubborn, prejudiced, unwilling to admit when he might be wrong, not very good at his job, and he lets his emotions get in the way of doing his job.

I know I could have changed him but it’s fairly important to the story that he’s that way so once I set up his character he was kind of stuck that way.

10.   Sorry about that, I get a little carried away sometimes.  I’ll move it along.  How long did it take to finish your latest project?

That’s not all that easy to say. I had a couple of years without either the internet or a computer and I wrote 10 novels in long hand during that period, now I’m working on taking those handwritten drafts and preparing them for publishing. I’m averaging about 4-6 months for getting them typed up and edited.

11.   How about a little insight into your main character?  Is there anything particularly special about them?

My main character is of course Inspector Stone, and I wouldn’t say there’s anything particularly special about him, he’s a detective doing the best he can to do a good job and do a right job. He’s often fighting his superior’s desire for a quick result because he wants to get the right result and ensure justice is served.

12.   What was the hardest thing about writing your latest project?

An Eye For An Eye is more violent than the other books in the Inspector Stone Mysteries, it also has a much darker tone, and when I first wrote it I was concerned that people who like the series wouldn’t like this entry, but the violence and the tone are necessary because it sets up the character of Nathan Stone for the rest of the series.

13.   Where can the readers of my blog, and I use the plural form very optimistically, pick up a copy of your work?  Would you prefer through Amazon, or can they stalk you and pick it up using a little B & E while you’re out?  I’d be happy to give out your address, so long as you have a few signed copies lying around.  It’d be simple for my CI. 

Amazon is obviously the main place, you can get it either for your Kindle or in paperback, but it’s also available on B&N, iTunes and most other ebook retailers (there may be a slight delay on these as I transition from one distributor to another)

No address?  Oh well, I tried guys.  But it ain’t gonna happen.  Mr. Carver wants to keep the scene of the crime a secret; even from you, the loyal fans.

14.   Since you refuse to cough up your personal info, how about sharing some stuff so they can get a good profile going?  Maybe you’d be more at ease telling us about your favorite writer?  And how about your favorite book of all time?

Some really tough questions here, I read lots of authors and books and picking favourites is such a hard thing to do. If I’m pushed, though, I’d have to pick Anne McCaffrey; her books are not 5* material in my opinion, so people may find my decision odd, but her books are wonderfully accessible and a pleasure to read.

15.   Do you have a favorite TV show or movie?

I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones, so many good characters and scenes.

16.   Do you have any book in particular that you would recommend to my readers (more pluralistic optimism on my part)?

I can think of loads that I feel people should read, but I’m always reluctant to recommend a book in case it’s not the kind of thing someone likes to read.

17.   One last question, if you don’t mind.  Or even if you do.  It’s my line of questioning, after all.  If your book were made into a movie, who would you pull out of the line up to be in the cast?

I’m going to have to pass on this question, I’m just not up enough on actors and actresses to know who would be good for the roles, my brain stumbles when it’s confronted by these kind of questions.

Well, OK.  I can always give you a few options later if you like.  Thanks again to Alex R Carver for submitting to my interrogation.  Don’t forget to pick up your copies at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1XGZ6Y And follow them through social media at https://twitter.com/arcarver87
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15944488.Alex_R_Carver https://alexrcarver.wordpress.com/

Join me next time on Author Talk, when I interview another Indie Author.  Or, as they might say, make them extremely uncomfortable with my personal questions and comments.