Recently, I interviewed author Jim Callan.
Bio: After a successful career in mathematics and computer
science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and
being listed in Who’s Who in Computer
Science and Two Thousand Notable
Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national
magazine for two years, and published several non-fiction books. He now concentrates on his favorite genre,
mysteries, with his fourth book released in February, 2013.
WHAT
MADE YOU DECIDE TO START WRITING?
Jim: I had intended to write books when I
graduated from college, but soon found I could not support a family doing
that. So, I returned to graduate school
in mathematics. After a long career in
math and computer science, one day I realized I didn’t have to support a family
anymore – they were all out of college and self-supporting. So, I went back to my first love – writing.
WHAT
AUTHORS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
Jim: I like the twists and turns of David
Baldacci, the neat stories of Tony Hillerman, and the smooth flowing paragraphs
of Dick Francis.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Jim: Write. Write.
Read, then write some more. Do not edit
yourself as you write. When you finish
the book, then go back and edit.
WHAT DOES YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE?
Jim: Haphazard. I like to write six days a week, even if only
for a short time. Unfortunately, I
seldom make that.
TELL
ME ABOUT YOUR LATEST RELEASE.
Jim: My latest suspense book is A Ton
of Gold. I asked myself if an
old Texas folktale could affect people’s lives today. My heroine, Crystal
Moore, would say definitely yes. Because of an old folktale, she faces murder,
firebombing, and kidnapping. And even as
she tries to sort out the who and the why of those problems, the man who almost
destroyed her emotionally comes back. This time, he can ruin her career. So, she’s attacked on two sides. She will need all the help she can get from a
former bull rider, her street-wise house mate, and her feisty, 76 year-old no
nonsense grandmother.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND IN RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WRITE A
STORY?
Jim: Not much before I begin writing. But I try to identify what I will need to
do. I might note that I need some expert
legal advice or medical advice. Quite often
I recognize that I will need to study the locations carefully. In A Ton of Gold, for instance, I
actually drove all the streets that were driven in the book so I would know how
long it took to get from point A to point B.
For Murder a Cappella, I video-taped the Arboretum in San Antonio
because an important chase occurred there.
That way, my descriptions and actions were accurate. But most of this will come after I start the
story, sometimes after I have finished the first draft.
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM
YOUR RESEARCH?
Jim: Most
interesting? Hmmm. Perhaps the details of flying a powered
parachute. That came about for a book
not yet published, the sequel to A Ton of Gold.
HOW
MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
Jim: I have written eight books. Three of those were non-fiction. But fiction, specifically mysteries and
suspense, is my favorite area.
HOW
DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING?
Jim: I live in the middle of a forest in east
Texas. And I find it fulfilling to work on the property there. Then, we spend a
lot of time at our home in Mexico. And my wife and I both love to travel.
HOW CAN READERS CONTACT YOU AND/OR LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND
YOUR WRITING?
Jim: I have a website
and a blog. The website (www.jamesrcallan.com) provides a lot of
information on me and my books, plus I have included a lot of reviews on
various books. The blog (www.jamesrcallan.com/blog) has weekly posts. Many of these are interviews with other
writers I know, so readers can get to know a little about the authors. Of course, the website has a “Contact Callan”
button to facilitate sending me an e-mail.
Thanks for inviting me to visit your website, Heidi. It has been a pleasure.
A
Ton of Gold
A contemporary mystery / suspense novel
Can long forgotten, old folk
tales affect the lives of people today? In A Ton of Gold, one certainly
affected young, brilliant Crystal Moore.
Two people are killed, others threatened, a house burned and an office
fire-bombed – all because of an old folk tale, greed and ignorance.
On top of that, the man who
nearly destroyed Crystal emotionally is coming back. This time he can destroy her career. She’ll need all the help she can get from a
former bull rider, her streetwise housemate and her feisty 76 year-old
grandmother.
A Ton of Gold
By James R. Callan
From Oak Tree Press, Feb.
2013
On Amazon, in paperback, at: http://amzn.to/UQrqsZ
Or the Kindle edition at: http://amzn.to/12PeHJb
Or from Oak Tree Press
at: http://bit.ly/WJXcWl
Website: www.jamesrcallan.com
Blog site: www.jamesrcallan.com/blog
Book website: www.atonofgold.com
Interesting interview. I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Malone
Thanks, Debbie.
DeleteVery good interview, Heidi. I'd like to know about his non-fiction books as well as his fiction. And while the latest sounds good, a title like Murder A Capella sounds just the thing for someone like me who loves both music and mysteries. (Now if he added a zoo to it, he'd be completely up my alley!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Murder a Cappella is a murder mystery set during the international finals of the Sweet Adelines, women who sing barbershop harmony. So, you have a lot about the singing competition. But when two chorus members are killed (opening scene), another member of their chorus is compelled to find out why and by whom when the police think it was a random shooting.
DeleteMy youngest daughter sang in the international finals one year. She's also a writer. So, naturally we got to talking about a book to capture some of the glitz and glamor of the competition. But I write mysteries. So we decided to combine the two.
Murder a Cappella has received excellent reviews from Sweet Adelines members. I think you would enjoy it.
A great interview! And very inspiring to never give up on your true dream.
ReplyDeletePostpone, maybe, but never give up.
DeleteI enjoyed learning more about you, James, and I'm looking forward to your "Mystery of the Month" post on my blog next month.
ReplyDeleteGood interview! I can't believe going from mathematics to writing,
ReplyDeletebut in this case he Jim made it work. And probably didn't have my
math grades! Loved Cleansed by Fire.
posted on behalf of DianeDeanWhite
Great interview you two. I had the wonderful fortune of reading a Ton of Gold. It was awesome. Highly recommend it to everyone! Keep up the writing!
ReplyDeleteTerrific interview, and I enjoyed learning more about you. I have one of your books on my TBR stack and I can't wait to get to it. I have a feeling I'll want to read all of them.
ReplyDeleteMarja McGraw
Going back in history to find the premise for a comtemporary msytery is a great idea. Yours sounds exciting.
ReplyDeleteI love that you wrote the book with your daughter's help. I find the idea of collaborating on a book with another writer intriguing, but so far, no opportunity had cropped up. Good interview. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work callan method london
ReplyDelete