Peter Colt interview – Mystery novel – Back Bay Blues (Kensington, 2020)

Mystery novel – An interview with Peter Colt about his new book Back Bay Blues published by Kensington. Check out the book here https://amzn.to/3cbmDfs

Of all the creative ideas you have, how did this one idea rise about the rest and get written?

I had this very specific vision of Andy hiding in water near an old ship. I couldn’t get that idea out of my head. Then everything was an outgrowth of one idea in my mind. Why was he hiding? Who was he hiding from?  The answers started to come together when I saw two documentaries on PBS. One was about a group of former South Vietnamese Army officers in America who were still trying to overthrow the current Vietnamese government. The other was about the last days Saigon and the fall of Saigon. Suddenly scenes started popping into my head and the novel took hold and I wanted to write it to see how it ended.

What is the book about – protagonist, setting, and conflict?

Back Bay Blues is about Vietnam Veteran and now Private Investigator Andy Roark. Roark has felt lost since the end of the war because the Army gave him the only sense of family he has really had and the only sense of purpose he has known. It is March of 1985 and he is hired to investigate the murders of two Vietnamese men in and around Boston, Mass.  He has also been quasi adopted by a Vietnamese family and is forced to realize that others lost much more in the war than he did.

His investigation brings him into direct conflict with the sinister Colonel Tran who belongs to a group dedicated to overthrowing the Communist Vietnamese government. Roark feels they are extorting money from the Vietnamese community. The murder investigation and the conflict with Colonel Tran bring to light the events of April 29, 1975 on the eve of the fall of Saigon.

Does Boston have a large Vietnamese community?  I assume many were displaced there by the Vietnam War.  Did the Boston community tend to come from any specific part of Vietnam?

As of 2018, the greater Boston Metro area had 28,000 Vietnamese  people making up about .06% of the population (Migration Police Institute report, September 13, 2018). Yes, most were displaced by the war, but now much of the growth  is due those who were displaced starting families and raising children. I can’t say for certain what regions they were from, but the former South Vietnam would be my guess.

What sort of aesthetic does the book have?

The book falls into the formula of the first-person gumshoe narrative. It takes place in the dying industrial New England, sunny Virginia and the San Francisco bay area. There is a lot of description except that it is in the 1980’s and my protagonist pokes a lot of fun at himself. He isn’t a very good detective and he’s a screw up.

If the book had a soundtrack, what might it be like?

Back Bay Blues actually does have a soundtrack! I make playlists for the books and I listen to them while I write. They are eclectic. My first book, The Off-Islander,  had a lot of Steely Dan. This time there is more Doobie Brothers, Rolling Stones, Spencer Davis Group, a lot of Blues and some Jazz. There is also some electronica and or other things. I listen to put me in the time or the mood. There is a fair amount of classic Willie Nelson and similar Country music.

Did you have to do any research for the book?

Yes,. I do a lot. I was twelve in 1985 and lived on Nantucket Island. Andy Roark’s world is much broader than mine was. I had to research Saigon, the Fall of Saigon and then I spent a lot of time on Google Earth/Maps researching the area around Suisun Bay. I have read a lot about Army Special Forces in Vietnam and especially MACV-SOG. I work really hard to make the books as authentic as I can. I know I won’t get everything right, but I try. One of my recurring nightmares involves getting hate mail from angry Vietnam Veterans for not getting the Army stuff right.

Have you noticed any difference in community attitudes to Vietnam vets and Iraqi war vets in your community and perhaps attitudes the vets hold about their service?

I think that attitudes toward service changed after Vietnam for the better. After 9/11,  attitudes toward veterans in general were definitely more positive. The Vietnam vets I knew when I was a kid didn’t talk much about their experience and I never saw anyone thanking them for their service. Now, there seems to be much more attention paid to Vietnam vets and vets in general.

The town of Bangor, Maine, is awesome! The Airport in Bangor is one of the layovers for troops going to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. The good people of Bangor, no matter the weather, no matter what time, day or night, have people there to meet every planeload of troops. When you walk down the Jetway to the terminal there are people on both sides clapping and cheering, reaching out to shake hands with soldiers. It is a fantastic feeling. They offer cell phones for troops to call loved ones and hand out snacks. That is a very different from how the Vietnam era veterans were treated.

What are some of the genre works that inspire you – books, movies, tv, music, etc.

I am a huge fan of Detective fiction. Raymond Chandler of course is an influence; you can’t write this type of book and not be a fan. I also like Science Fiction both books and film. Blade Runner is the perfect meld of detective fiction and Sci-Fi, and yes I am one of the few Philistines who loves the original release with the voice over narration that everyone else hates. I make a lot of Magnum P.I. references, to poke fun at Andy and me. That is obviously an inspiration. Musically I am all over the road, but I have to have music when I write. In terms of other books and movies I love spy genre and John Le Care is unparalleled. As a kid I loved Comic books and still like a good graphic novel.

What other things inspire your creativity?

I have a lot of diverse friends, cops, veterans, engineers, aging punk rockers and talking to them inspires me. I bounce ideas off them and a lot of them offer up things that get worked into my books. I hope to write a novel that has Andy Roark investigating something in the world of the 1980’s Boston Punk scene.

Do police deal a lot with private investigators? In books and movies it seems like the PI always has a police connection to help with certain problems.  Is that true in real life?

Yes and no. A lot of cops retire and become investigators so they have connections on the job and could use those. The reality of it is that a lot of the information that fictional Private Investigators ask for, like running license plates etc., is usually tightly controlled and officers can get in real trouble for providing it. Much of that information is now available online, either as a public record (such as adult court records) or through a pay service like White pages. But reality doesn’t make for a good plot device.

What would you say are the big tone and style differences about having a PI as a main character versus having a police detective as the main character of a novel?

The PI is a more singular character. They usually don’t have a boss and/or an organization to answer to. As a writer, that can give you a lot more freedom to develop a plot. If the main character is a police detective they are saddled with a boss, rules, etc. there are things that they can’t do practically and still keep their jobs. There are stylistic expectations of the PI; they are loners, they usually are single with no family or divorced, they tend to drink too much. Because they don’t have to worry about getting their kids to the orthodontist ,or going to PTA meetings, or worrying about the mortgage, or taking the cat to the vet, the writer can more freely focus on the case itself. The police detective has a boss and rules. His breaking the rules can be a major plot line, think The Shield. Also he has more resources and can tackle bigger cases, like a serial killer or organized crime.

What is your writing and editing process like?  Anything different from other authors?

I usually know how the story ends and have a couple scenes in my head when I start. It is all about getting to the end. In my mind the story is like a pond with lily pads and my protagonist is a frog jumping from lily pad to lily pad until we reach the end of the story. I write, go back the next day and tweak what I wrote the night before, then the next day write new material. I will write, read, reread and rewrite numerous times before I let someone else look at it.

How has your approach to writing changed over time?

My first book, The Off-Islander took ten years to write, lots of interruptions as life happened. Back Bay Blues took me about nine or ten months to write. I had an idea of what my editor was looking for and the story was much clearer in my mind start to finish. That helped a lot. I have started to approach writing not as a fun hobby that might work out but rather something that I am doing and have to do well. Books aren’t cheap and if someone is spending money on something I wrote, I don’t want them to feel like they wasted their money or time.

Have you done any non-writing work that has influenced how you write or what you write about?

I was in the Army Reserve and deployed to Kosovo and Iraq and those experiences certainly bring a flavor to what I write. I am a police officer in a city of around 175,000 people and that has influenced my writing as well. It helps to describe dead bodies or crime scenes if you have been to a few.  It may also have something to do with why I don’t writer Romance novels..

When you were younger was there a power, technology, or fictional setting you yearned for or to be a part of?

Space. I wanted to be Captain Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard or Han Solo. I grew up on an island, which was great…but it is also like living in a small town that you can’t drive out of easily. A close second were the Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler. Pitt was always in some exciting location, diving on some cool wreck.

Did you have any difficulties finishing this book?

Oddly no, this book went smoothly. It must have been the positive power of having a deadline. The first book though…that took ten years, a lot of fits and starts.

What’s your current or next writing project?

I am working on a third Andy Roark book which will be set a few months after Back Bay Blues.

Where can people find you online?

On Facebook I am Peter Colt Author. I am on Twitter and Instagram but FB is the easiest way to find me. I also have a website www.peter-colt.com. One of the cool things is that I am so new at this that I have the luxury of interacting directly with people who contact me.

Biographical information

Name: Peter Colt, author of The Andy Roark Mystery Series

Book Title: BACK BAY BLUES (Book 2 in The Andy Roark Mysteries – available in hardcover Sept. 29, 2020) and THE OFF-ISLANDER (Book 1 in The Andy Roark Mysteries – now available in paperback)

Bio: Peter Colt is an Iraq War veteran, a New England law enforcement officer and an FBI certified Crisis Negotiator. He spent over twenty years in the Army reserve and was deployed to Kosovo in 2000, where he was attached to the Russian Army. He was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and again in 2008, and has had the fortune of knowing many Vietnam vets and U.S. Army Special forces soldiers. Born in Boston, he grew up on Nantucket and lived there in the 1970s and 80s, when the distinction between off-islanders and on-islanders was very real. Visit Peter Colt online at Peter-Colt.com.

Links of interest

Check out the book here https://amzn.to/3cbmDfs

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496723420/back-bay-blues/

https://www.peter-colt.com/

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Hunter Shea interview – Horror novel – Fearless (Flame Tree Publishing, 2020)

Horror novel – Enjoy this interview with Hunter Shea about his new book Misfits published by Flame Tree Press. A creepy journey into the world of a little known urban legend. Check out the book here   https://amzn.to/2YAdV4Z

Of all the creative ideas you have, how did this one idea rise about the rest and get written?

I had it in my head that I wanted to set a story in the early 90s with a bunch of grunge kids who were looked at as the outcasts. Most of my friends back then (and still today) are those outcasts. It was a chance to show that there is more to everyone than what you see on the surface. I felt it was time to tackle a modern urban legend, and I thought it would be nice to pick one that would give my Monster Men podcast buddy, Jack, a thrill.

Where we grew up, we heard about the crazy Melonheads living in certain areas of the woods or abandoned buildings. We were told if we went anywhere near their special places, the Melonheads would run after us and chase us out…or worse! Doing some research, I realized the Melon Heads haven’t gotten much love in the world of fiction. They were long overdue for a book.

What is the book about – protagonist, setting, and conflict?

It centers around 5 ‘stoner’ friends living in a depressed town in Connecticut in 1993. The members of the group have very different personalities but they are bonded by true friendship. When something happens to one of them at a bar, Mick, their unappointed leader, a teen living in a rotting Air Stream trailer in the woods who has been abandoned by his parents, decides they need to take matters into their own hands. He hatches out a plan that the rest think is crazy and nonsense. Unfortunately for them, he was right. At least until things go south very quickly.

I haven’t heard of the Melonheads before.  In what other parts of the country besides Connecticut was this legend circulating?  And why were they called Melonheads?

Aside from CT, they are also purported to live and hide in Ohio, Michigan and parts of suburban New York. They get the name from their deformities, which either comes from inbreeding or some disease. It all depends on who is spinning the yarn.

What sort of aesthetic does the book have?

I’ve had early readers compare it to Jack Ketchum’s work in that it is gritty and unflinching and deals with real human horror. Anyone who grew up in the 90s and loved Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees will dig the nostalgia. If you ever felt like you didn’t belong while in high school, you might see bits of yourself in this hearty group of teens. As always with me, it’s a love letter to monsters and legends and hopefully made a lot of lefts when you thought I was going right.

If the book had a soundtrack, what might it be like?

Anything by the pioneers of grunge. I’m talking Hole, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains. I think this is the first time I ever wrote a book with a soundtrack directly in mind.

Did you have to do any research for the book?

I lived the 90s grunge aspect. I did some research on the Melon Heads, but there really isn’t much reliable source material out there. Again, a perfect reason to write the book. I remember when I wrote The Montauk Monster, there just wasn’t anything in terms of fiction floating around. I guess I love a murderous underdog.

What are some of the genre works that inspire you – books, movies, tv, music, etc. ?

I’m an absolute horror addict. I draw on decades of movies and books. I love it all, from the original Frankenstein to modern classics like It Follows and Overlord. I watch at least a half dozen or more horror movies a week and I feel at this point I don’t have many gaps in my horror knowledge and experience, but there’s always something out there waiting to be discovered.  I started reading adult horror when I was around ten and haven’t stopped. The 80s was an explosion of horror with King, Barker, Koontz, Saul and movies like The Burning, Motel Hell, Re-Animator, Witchboard, you name it. The genre exploded and people were breaking new ground and pushing boundaries. Thank God I was born when I was!

Do you get to watch much horror from other countries besides say the US and the UK?  What stands out particularly for you about maybe non-English or non-Western horror?

I have to tell you, whenever I see a movie is from Australia or New Zealand, I know I’m in for a great time. There’s something about their dark humor and risk taking that appeals to me. I especially love The Loved Ones, Houseguest, Dead Alive, Bait, Wolf Creek and so many more. I’ve written articles on how I’m not a fan of Italian horror, but I keep trying and have found my view softening. I mean, Phenomena is so bat shit bonkers, how can I not dig it? Same for Demons and Demons 2. I try to watch as much as I can and the proliferation of streaming has helped all horror fans select from a wide and varied buffet.

What is your writing and editing process like?  Anything different from other authors?

I don’t write outlines. I spend some weeks (or months) mulling an idea over, writing down character profiles, doing some research. When it comes to sitting my ass in a chair and writing, I just do it. I enjoy letting the story flow from me, and sometimes dictating to me. I can usually get a first draft of a full novel (minimum 90,000 words) completed in 2-3 months. Then I set it aside, let it cool off. Then I dive back in, do a few rounds of edits, send it to my trusted beta readers, and then incorporate their feedback into the final go-around. Beta readers are so important. That’s something not many people talk about, especially when you’re starting out. I’m not talking some critique group – just a handful of honest readers who know the genre and love books.

How has your approach to writing changed over time?

It started out as fun and it’s still fun. I think more about the marketing side now than I had when I started. Truth is, 99% of authors have to handle the majority of marketing and promotion. A lot see it as a necessary evil or drudgery. I kind of like it. I built my author platform a decade ago and I promised myself if I can’t have fun doing something, I’ll drop it. Between my bog, newsletter, 2 podcasts (Monster Men and Final Guys), Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, I just have a good time reveling in all things horror.
Have you done any non-writing work that has influenced how you write or what you write about? I know Hemingway didn’t say it was non-fiction, but an annual re-read of A Moveable Feast refills my writing tank. Stephen King’s On Writing is simply amazing. For myself, I did write a book with Bob Bly called How to Write and Sell Your Novel to a Traditional Publishing House. It was kind of nice to write something where I didn’t have to kill anyone off. And it was great to share the knowledge I’ve gained over the years with others. Hopefully they don’t make my same mistakes.

When you were younger was there a power, technology, or fictional setting you yearned for or to be a part of?

Crazy to say, I wanted the world to be just like Dawn of the Dead. I had fantasies of my friends and I holed up in a mall, living the good life, killing zombies for fun. Of course, there were no asshole bikers in my fantasy coming around to spoil all the fun. This is what happens when you bring a 10 year old to see a zombie movie, I guess.

Science created zombies versus magic created zombies?  Which is scarier and which do you prefer?

I’ll go with science. I’m not much of a magic guy. But I do appreciate our own ambition and stupidity being responsible for our demise.

For an early morning scare, what are the best types of horror movies for you to start your day with?

Other than the morning news? You want something that is going to get the blood pumping. I suggest 28 Days Later or Evil Dead 2. If you’re going to work in an office, give The Belko Experiment a whirl.

Did you have any difficulties finishing this book?

Not at all. In fact, when we went into lockdown because of the pandemic (I live in the New York county where the first outbreak happened), I said, “Awesome! I have nothing but time to work on my book!” It was nice not having any real distractions and it kept me from going mad.

What’s your current or next writing project?

I’ve just finished up my next book for Flame Tree Press. It’s called Faithless and that’s about all I can say at this point. I have about a dozen ideas for the next. Better break out the dart board and some beer.

Where can people find you online?

I encourage anyone to become a true Hunter’s Hellion and visit me at www.huntershea.com. Join my Dark Hunter Newsletter (there’s a free book waiting for you) Watch and listen to my podcasts and let’s all just have some wicked fun!

Biographical Information

Name – Hunter Shea, author of Misfits, Slash, Creature and Ghost Mine
Bio – Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. You’ll also find him every week on the Final Guys podcast, available everywhere. He’s a bestselling author of over 25 books, all of them written with the express desire to quicken heartbeats and make spines tingle. Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to gobble down Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.

Check out his Video Vision column at Cemetery Dance Online for a sometimes irreverent look at the horror genre and the days of video stores past.Follow him at www.huntershea.com

Project/work being discussed – Misfits

Links of interest

Check out the book here   https://amzn.to/2YAdV4Z

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Misfits/Hunter-Shea/Fiction-Without-Frontiers/9781787584976

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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