Writing “City of the Dead”
“View Finder” Excerpt
You can start your journey alongside BB Danser by following this link to an excerpt of “View Finder” by Greg Jolley
Enjoy!
Greg
“Where’s Kazu?” Three Interviews
March 3, 2022 – A Life Through Books – Interview
March 10, 2022 – The Avid Reader – Interview
March 18, 2022 – My Reading Addiction – Interview
A LIFE THROUGH BOOKS INTERVIEW
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
First of all, thank you for the interview. Recently, it has been the second draft before the books go to my editor and then on to the publisher. While I am confident I have discovered and told the story well in the first draft, there’s always a bit of over writing that needs to be trimmed, as well as adding additional color. The second draft also focuses on adjusting rhythm and pace by revising each chapter and paragraph as a stand-alone.
What songs are most played on your Ipod?
For the “Where’s Kazu?” write, it was all Steely Dan, in particular their live recordings. They always got my blood running, even at 5AM, when I start. I enjoyed the spark of their complex melodies. As always, I don’t have a clue what their songs are about or listen to the lyrics. Also, The Hellecasters, of course!
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
As close as I come to that is working closely with my hired editor before the book goes to my publisher. We typically go through the manuscript three times, passing it back and forth. This is vital for two reasons. First off, I write by using punctuation as a drum kit which often needs a clean-up. Secondly, there are always a few continuity issues that get pointed out and fixed. I can’t say enough about the importance of working with an editor who is professional and who you can trust.
What book are you reading now?
All non-fiction. I’m finishing up the research of the Bath Michigan School Massacre 0f 1926 which will play a key role in the fourth Chas Danser novel. With rare exception, I don’t read fiction, unless it is Elmore Leonard or Stephen King and a few others, which I do with a pen in hand. I’m not focused on their stories, but love studying their creative formatting and structures.
How did you start your writing career?
On a typewriter on a deck in the sun. I also had a cigar box of large index cards at my side, filled with what I still call Ingredients. These included character notes, motivation sketches, bits and pieces of dialogue and details on locations, as well as ideas about theme and structure.
Tell us about your next release.
I’d love to. The next title is “Molly’s Run: Book Two of the Maison de Danse Quartet.”
It is being released April 1st of this year. This was a really fun Danser novel to write, like building a fast paced roller coaster ride through a haunted house. Here’s is its description (blurb):
Nothing’s slowing this girl down. Not the law, not her crimes, not her ugly and checkered past.
Molly Danser is a master thief, sharp as a razor and with no boundaries, racking in riches with her brilliant, high-tech bank hits.
Fighting her private demons, she and her partner, Alison, depart the Isle of Mann for Florida in search of new targets. Little do they know that they’ve pinged the radar of the one person who can bring them down.
Known only as Hillary, their pursuer has a twisted and deadly ending planned for them. Her black heart is set on revenge and nothing short of their horrific deaths will satisfy her.
When Molly learns of the pursuit, she and Alison go on the run.
From the St. Augustine to North Captiva Island, they do their devil best to escape. When finally cornered, Molly see’s that there’s only one way out.
No more running.
It time to turn the table.
Time for the hunted to be the hunter.
Can she take down the monster?
Can she survive?
Name: Nancy Allen
Blog: The Avid Reader
URL: http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com/
Fiction Author Interview Questions
Interview with Greg Jolley
- How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Hello Nancy and thank you for asking. I appreciate your time and the interview. For “Where’s Kazu?” I was delighted to be working with Pierce and Kazu Danser again as well as explore the lives of pre-teen street kids. Sometimes, I want a break from adult concerns and, while Pierce is a grown man, he’s most often a kid at heart.
The theme of risking all to survive was a natural choice. It allowed me to explore the choices my characters made and the effects that they would have to somehow live with.
- What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to describe the lives of street kids, who have a healthy disdain for the adult world. I also wanted to show the power of love, as Pierce Danser goes through hell and back to rescue Kazu. As always, I’m curious if readers and reviewers believe I achieved the goals. Their feedback and insights are very important to me.
- What was the hardest part of writing this book?
For “Where’s Kazu?” it was the first round of edits with my private editor. There are always a number of punctuation issues that she corrects because of the way I often break the rules in favor of pace and energy. I love working with a professional editor before the book goes to my publisher, as it’s a chance to improve the reader’s experience of the story.
- What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
When I stopped plotting and scheming and turned the reins of the story over to Pierce and Kazu Danser. After months of research and sketching, it’s a great experience to look at the first blank page and dive in without hesitation.
- Where there alternate endings you considered?
Always. With “Where’s Kazu?” I was fairly certain I knew where it was headed, but just like the prior Danser novels, the cast took control and told the story their way, including the final ending.
- Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I had worked with Pierce and Kazu on a few books, so this was a chance to further explore their minds and hearts.
A lot of the kids that I cast for “Where’s Kazu?” were Ponce Inlet and Flagler Beach surfers, some of the finest small lunatics in North Florida. Being around them every day, in and out of the water, I watched and listened and learned so much about the magical and strange pre-teen world.
- What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
Almost a hundred percent non-fiction, for research, most dealing with current and historical true crimes. These days, I only read select fiction, primarily Elmore Leonard and Stephen King, and I do so with a fine tipped pen. I love the ways these two writers experiment with structure and that’s where I learn so much. I often have no clue what their stories are about: it’s the ways they build them that I’m inspired by.
MY READING ADDICTION INTERVIEW
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Stay young, no matter your age. And avoid adults and their antics like the plague (laughter).
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Seeing the first set of red-marked revisions from my private editor. This is always a good and humbling experience. During the write of “Where’s Kazu?” and the other Danser novels, I play fast and loose with punctuation, treating it like a drum kit. By working with my editor before my publisher gets the book, together we enhance the story and the reader’s experience.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
If my math is right, and it’s usually suspect, thirty-one Danser novels have been finished. “Where’s Kazu?” is the fourteenth title published, with the others in queue. The main reason my publisher is launching four titles this year and another four in 2023 is to get more of the collection in reader’s hands. Each book is very much like a daughter to me and I wouldn’t dare name a favorite without risking death at the hands of the others.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
I have a love and appreciation of film, but am dreadful with actor’s names. From my time on movie sets, I’ve developed a deep respect for the hard work and artistry and craft of the acting profession. Given a chance to have a say on casting, I would focus more on an actor’s creativity and skills than their name, looking for those rare and fine creators who delight in surprises and twists as well as their ability to full immerse themselves in their role.
When did you begin writing?
Not long after I bought a stack of index cards and a stash of number two pencils. I spent months writing details and sketches without concern for the book’s theme, genre or structure. I pretty much work the same way today. Back then, I didn’t go and buy a pawnshop typewriter until the Ingredients, as I still call them, were screaming at me to get off my ass.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
I want to say I probably did ten or eleven drafts, so it would have been two years or more. Thankfully, I’m now writing with more confidence and don’t have to struggle with the kinds of issues I had way back then. Writing seven days a week, it seems I average about seven hundred words each morning. I’ve also learned how to write more direct and concise so fewer revisions are needed.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Yes, quite a few (and they are the same inspirations today). Here they are:
John Cheever
J.D. Salinger
Peter S. Beagle
Truman Capote
Somerset Maugham
Elmore Leonard
Neil Young song lyrics
Elmore Leonard
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
After the first half hour or so of each morning, spent reviewing and revising the past day’s write, the immersion begins and the real world around me takes flight. I love entering the story and the lives of my cast and the challenges they face. I always stay among them for four to six hours, by which time the sun is up and the surf is calling to me. I believe in spending some time in the real world (laughter) so I’ll head to Ponce Inlet for a few waves. Throughout the day, I weave in and out of the book, scribbling notes no matter where I am or what I’m doing.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
The hunt is on
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
I’m halfway through the write of “Audience of the Dead” (w.t.), which is the fourth
Chas Danser novel. All of the Chas Danser books have the filming of a movie as their centerpiece, which lets me tell a second story for the reader, often in different voice, structure and color. These “films” are also a great opportunity to tell a secondary story in a cinematic style, meaning brevity of pace and voice. It is a hell of a challenge and also a lot of fun.
“True eccentrics are never acting.”
“True eccentrics are never acting.”
~ Dr. David Weeks and Jamie James
Reading that was like a fun stick in the spokes. I immediately thought of the Dansers. One of the facets that I admire most about them is their natural certainty and disregard for norms. No matter if they are bent and twisted or good and merry, there’s no hesitation on their chosen path.
Put another way, I love their pursuit of passions, no matter what anyone else thinks. It’s not in their nature to doubt themselves.
Regretfully unlike them, the only thing I do naturally is sleep like a dead kid on a morgue slab.
The quote is from: Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness by Dr. David Weeks and Jamie James.
Try the book, you might find yourself, if you’re not looking.
All the best,
Greg
Blue
By Greg Jolley
Two Novellas
With “Cream of the Wheat” being published in 2023, I was inspired to work within a like change of style, voice and format. Below is the opening to “Blue” that I plan to start writing later this year.
Blue
Two Novellas
By Greg Jolley
She stepped out of the tunnel of trees with her eyes to the sky.
Up ahead was a group of teens, gathered on the bridge.
The scenic view behind them included the rock filled gorge below.
Summer had stolen the river and the day smelled like heat and pine.
The five stood in a row, laughing and talking loud.
One of the boy’s had taken a dare and was sitting on the rail.
As she approached, one of them let out a laugh.
She fired her arm fast, hand out flat.
As the boy fell, the air filled with his scream.
Other voices joined him, long after he hit the rocks.
Looking up at the clouds, there were several happy, bounding white dogs across the blue.
Smiling and watching them play, she let out a laugh of delight.
***
She bought just the right car in Kalispell, heavy, low and fast.
Out on the freeway at sunset, she got it up to speed.
Following the clouds, she drove for hours into the night.
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a car showed in the distance.
Edging up the throttle, she eyed the side of the road.
There was no guardrail before the drop into the canyon.
Changing lanes, she aimed for its left fender.
On impact, the other car slurred before leaving the pavement.
Following its headlights, it took flight into the night.
She tried out a new laugh, light and chipper.
Pleased by the sound, she aimed for another pair of taillights up ahead.
***
© 2021, Greg Jolley, All Rights Reserved.
The Danser Newsletter: August, 2021
“The Disposables”
Book Two: The Obscurité de Floride Trilogy
Three Interviews:
I loved discussing Kazu Danser’s latest novel, “The Disposables.” I hope you’re enjoying his story as well. Please consider letting me know what you think?
A LIFE THROUGH BOOKS INTERVIEW
July 10th Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
The transition from art to craft that begins when I start working with a professional editor. This shift in focus is vital, even when it means seeing many of my darlings end up on the cutting room floor. I love the writer / editor partnership and the powerful impact it has on improving a novel.
What songs are most played on your Ipod?
Almost exclusively David Gilmour’s solo work. I have no idea what his songs are about and delight in his acoustic and electric guitar mastery and passion.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Not anymore. I already have enough voices and critics in my head (laughter). I look to my editor to point out grammar and continuity concerns once the manuscript is completed.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading four nonfiction titles about the 1935 Florida hurricane and the history of the Flagler railroad, which was destroyed that year. This is research for the “Chas & Gomez” novel which is the third book in the Vivre au Cinémaseries.
How did you start your writing career?
On a portable typewriter and lots of index cards and number two pencils. Midway through that first novel, “Distractions,” I realized that the fictional Danser family had endless stories to tell and I’ve been their partner in crime ever since.
Tell us about your next release.
“City of the Dead” is scheduled for release on October 1st of this year. This is the third book in the Obscurité de Floride trilogy. I always wanted to write a story taking place entirely in a cemetery. Here’s the brief synopsis:
Jayden has just seven nights to rescue her ownership of the Cimetière du Dernier Vol. cemetery in the backwaters of Northern Florida, by any means necessary, including murder.
Welcome to her world, where life among the dead goes on forever
Jayden has the means, and certainly knows the ways. But the clock is ticking. On the seventh night, the annual Grand Soirée is to be held. If she can pull it off, her future is secure. The problem is the four chairs that she must fill as her part of the event, a planned money-making scheme involving a grim act of necromancy. Four messengers will be put to death and sent over to acquire lucrative market knowledge for the attending gullible investors.
Can anyone stop her?
Two escaped victims are trying. April Danser and her twelve-year-old criminal partner Kazu, both mangled and frightened, have only a few nights to derail Jayden’s deadly train of murder and madness. At times teaming up with other residents of the cemetery – a ghastly cast of recluses – April and Kazu are in the fight of their lives, not only to end Jayden’s deadly plans, but also to survive her repeated attacks.
Taking place during seven nights in the once famous cemetery, City of the Dead is a dance between good and evil with everything at risk, including life and sanity.
MY READING ADDICTION INTERVIEW
July 20th, 2021 interview
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Never trust anyone over twelve years old. Ever. Once a person has rounded that corner they lose their mind to pursuits that add no spark or value to a good life. Once the wonder and magic are gone, anyone thirteen or older becomes a predator.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Honestly, it’s all a lot of fun and very satisfying. While often challenging and not exactly filled with merriment, the entire process is a delight and I feel blessed when I enter my office each morning. For five or six hours each day, the real world is millions of miles away and I’m consumed by the story and my cast and their rare and strange and beautiful lives.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve completed twenty-nine novels and there are thirteen in print, which is why my publisher is working so hard to release three or four a year. Our goal is to get my back catalog in reader’s hands and eventually be releasing titles closer to their actual completion.
Each of the Danser novels is a daughter to me and while I don’t know a whole lot about parenting, I am just smart enough not to pick favorites. That said, I really look forward to the 2023 release of “Cream of the Wheat” because that work reveals so many of the original family members and their challenges and passions, most of which are criminal.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
I’m not up to speed with current film actors and actresses, having spent most of my time on film sets learning all that goes on behind the cameras, but I would hope the cast would come from the finer acting schools, where they would be well grounded in both the art and craft. I have a huge respect for the acting profession, having witnessed the preparation and study and experimenting the very best do in a tireless effort to bring a fictional character to life.
When did you begin writing?
In 1984, when I dove into the write of the first Danser novel, “Distractions.” Soon as I got to know some of the fictional family members, they pretty much pointed me to the typewriter and said, “We’ve got this. Just tap the keys.”
How long did it take to complete your first book?
You mean in the days of uncertainly and an insane number of drafts (Laughter)? About a year and a half. The story and the cast were solid, it was the monkey at the keyboard that needed to find his narrative voice. Once found, it was then simply a matter of trusting it, and letting it speak for itself.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Not one, but so many of the rule breakers. Somerset Maugham, Richard Brautigan, John Cheever, Truman Capote. J.D. Salinger and Peter S. Beagle were and are all inspiring. Each showed me the beauty and wonder of taking literary chances in an effort to share the rare beauty that their characters lived and breathed.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
I do about three months of sketches before I start a book. These will often be about twenty thousand words of what I call Ingredients and The Skeleton. This is when I get to know my cast as well as develop the steely edges that are going to change and shape their lives. This writing is a blast because it’s a cyclone of imagination and research, when I never say no to anything, as long as it sets their world on fire.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Stay Away From Adults.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
I’m one-third of the way into the first draft of “Chas & Gomez.” This is Chas Danser’s third novel and he is a delight to work with. He’s seventeen and living a life of crime while also struggling to live with fugues brought about by his mom having cracked his skull with a baseball bat when he was seven. Ever wise and resourceful, he’s taking advantage of his spells of disassociation by becoming, what else, a successful actor when not running from the law.
The Avid Reader Interview
July 30th, 2021
“The Disposables”
By Greg Jolley
- For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
Everyone should start with J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Charles Forsman’s “The End of the F***ing World” graphic novel. There are many other fine and scary and brave books of youth taking on the frightening and sordid world of adults.
- How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Watching the young surfers at Ponce Inlet blow away and ignore the older surfers and all their “bro” and “dude” nonsense. Up to the age of twelve, kids really are in another world that shuns the normalcy of their elders, finding joy and laughter and meaning in each other.
- What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
Anytime I have Kazu Danser in the cast, I know things are going to get both lively and terribly out of hand. For “The Disposables” all I really had to do was turn him loose on the world and go along for the ride. The only goal I had was hoping that he would still be alive at the end of the novel so I might get a chance to work with him again.
- Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
As always, I love the questions and comments and always learn from them. Please continue sharing your ideas and reactions to “The Disposables” and all of the Danser novels. I’m always open to concerns and criticisms as they only make my writing more effective.
- What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I find most all of the processes enjoyable and entertaining. While working with my editor before the book went to my publisher was a humbling experience, (as it should be), even the revisions were fun inasmuch as they added even more life and clarity to the story.
- Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I’m in the middle of the first draft of “Chas & Gomez.” As with the prior Chas Danser novels, there’s a story within the story. Because Chas is a successful actor when not in up to his neck in crime, the middle part of all his novels feature him in dangerous and twisted roles in films. This approach is both challenging and satisfying as each part of his books demand that I work in much different narrative voices and styles. At the same time, I love the cinematic world with its time restraints and massive choices of music, lighting, palette and, quite simply, magic.
- How long have you been writing?
Six hours a day, seven days a week for a whole lot of years. It’s a wonderful part of daily life that sparks the imagination and the dance with language. I love having a half day of the art and the craft of story telling before going out to play in the real world (mostly surfing Ponce Inlet).
- Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in “The Disposables”?
Kazu and Sippi are both wild child’s of the most dangerous kind. They are brave, a bit twisted, certainly daring and not at all in favor of adults and their deadly games. Together, the sparks are always flying and their caustic language reveals a distain for pretention and grown-ups in general.
Carson Staines is the ugliest shadow over their young lives. The journalist is rife with evil and hatred and determined to snare them or kill them, if need be. Each time his attempts fail, his frustration only further unhinges his already sick mind.
- If you could spend the day with one of the characters from “The Disposables” who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
It would have to be Kazu Danser, who I would surf Ponce Inlet with. While sharing waves, I would try to get him to open up a little more than he usually does, as he loves to keep his emotions and cards close to his chest. I would also try to get him to laugh – likely by falling badly from my board – as it’s something I wish he did more of.
All the Danser novels are available at select bookstores, Kobo, Barnes and Nobel and:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2o4tIob
Here’s wishing you good and interesting days and continued enjoyment of the Danser novels,
All the best,
Greg
A LIFE THROUGH BOOKS INTERVIEW
Greg Jolley, author of
Thieves
Book One: The Obscurité de Floride Trilogy
For the full interview and other news, please visit http://authoreverleigh.blogspot.com
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Most every part is enjoyable, but selecting the theme or themes is where I’m slowed up the most and for good reason. While “Thieves” and all the Danser novels are a twisted blend of roller coasters and haunted house rides, I try to give each of these stories a thematic undercurrent, such as the price of a life of crime. I typically spend a month or more researching such questions, which is always interesting and often frightening.
What songs are most played on your Ipod?
During the “Thieves” write, it was Neil Young’s “Arc” and “Weld” albums, which are rich in wild distortion and melody, his guitar tipping at times into madness and close to chaos. Working with Molly and April Danser and their own slippery grasp on reality and purpose, it was a perfect and disturbing soundtrack.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
The closest I come is my work with my privately hired editor prior to sending the books to my publisher. We’ve done several novels together and it’s always a dance, a back and forth, concerning grammar, punctuation and continuity. She is brilliant at what she does and it’s always a humbling learning experience, one I welcome with open arms because we are both driven to the same goal: making the story the best it can be for the reader.
What book are you reading now?
Except for book club selections, I’m reading and studying every non-fiction book I can find on 1959, focusing on the history of hotels and motels with a notoriety for crime and homicides. This is research for Chas Danser’s second novel, where he’s staring in the movie “Snow Blind” set in that strange era.
How did you start your writing career?
With a dare to myself. I was always an obsessed reader, plowing through everything I could get my hands on, preferring the written world to real life experiences. As a young songwriter, I loved the magic of the brevity of lyrics, the challenge to say so much with so little. One day I asked myself, “Why don’t you move over to prose and stretch your legs by wadding into a novel?” The decision was as simple as that. Without genre in mind, there were characters and locations I knew I wanted to work with so I began with sketches and research, filling a hundred or more index cards with penciled notes. After months of this, the story spoke up for itself, saying, “Now write me.”
Tell us about your next release.
Following “Thieves” the second book of the Obscurité de Floride Trilogy is “The Disposables,” scheduled for publication on June 1st of this year. The third book of the trilogy is “City of the Dead” coming out on October 1st of this year. It’s an aggressive publishing schedule and will continue through 2022, with four works coming out during that year. I’m jazzed by this, loving how my catalogue is getting into the hands of readers so quickly.
Your copy of “Thieves” can be purchased at all fine bookstores and on Amazon at:
All the best,
Greg Jolley
The Danser Novels
MY READING ADDICTION INTERVIEW
March 16th, 2021
Greg Jolley, author of “Thieves: Book One of the Obscurité de Floride Trilogy”
(The interview can also be read at: https://bit.ly/3vC4rVV )
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Crime pay and pays well, if you can avoid the deadly risks. For Molly and April Danser, this means not only outwitting the law but also somehow trying to escape the deadly claws of the US Marshal who wants then dead, not captured.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
To best honest, it’s mostly enjoyable, from the original story sketches straight through to the final proofreading with my publisher’s editors. During the writing of “Thieves” I was challenged to keep up with the dangerous twists and turns of minds of all three main characters. Every time I thought I knew what they were going to do next, they surprised me by taking ahold of the steering wheel and turning the story sharply.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
“Thieves” is my twenty-eighth novel. We have twelve in print, with the others in queue for publication over the next four years. I really don’t have a favorite as each is like a daughter to me, cherished and loved.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Eva Green for Molly Danser, in a manic, hard eyed way.
Nicole Kidman for April Danser, at her most flighty and dangerous.
Steve Buscemi for the US Marshall, wild eyed, hearing voices and deadly.
When did you begin writing?
In 1982, with my first novel “Distractions,” which was published in 1984. Yes, a good long time (laughter). That book was also when I joined the Danser family, so to speak, delighting in discovering a generation of wild eccentrics I could cast and enjoy, even at their most frightening.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
That was back in the days of many many drafts, so the write itself took more than year. In those days, research was much slower and either from books or hunting down real experiences to learn from, like visiting gun ranges, climbing into crop dusters and haunting the parts of city’s I would never brave in real life.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
The list was and still is short. While I’m still an avid reader, the voices that inspired me were Richard Brautigan, Peter S. Beagle, Truman Capote, John Cheever and Somerset Maugham. Each one brave and taking literary risks and challenges.
,
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
The daily writes. I’m at it seven days a week, loving the immersion, challenges and frustrations. Most days, I don’t notice that the sun has risen or know or care what day it is, lost in the story. Writing “Thieves” was no exception. The four months of writing after endless research moved at a quick and exciting pace, sweeping me away from the real world out there somewhere.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Suspenseful, sexy, frightening, redeeming.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Gladly. I’m a quarter way through Chas Danser’s second novel, “Chas & Izzy.” This is book two of the “Vivre au Cinéma” series. Chas is seventeen years old and suffering from a neuroglial problem while knee deep in crime. As a budding actor, he has discovered a strange way to fully enter the roles he’s cast in. Outside the camera lights, he’s joined forces with his mother, Izzy, to rid the worst parts of Florida of its snake pits of criminals. Together, they are taking the law in their own hands, doing the dirty work that the legal system fails at time and again.
Your copy of “Thieves” can be purchased at all fine bookstores and on Amazon at:
All the best,
Greg Jolley
The Danser Novels
Interview with Greg Jolley: March 9, 2021
Many thanks to “The Avid Reader” for this chance to discuss “Thieves.”
Interview with Greg Jolley: March 9, 2021
Thieves
Book One: The Obscurité de Floride Trilogy
- For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start? The first stop might be non-fiction books about famous thieves and thankfully, there are many. For “Thieves” I focused my research on the clever and creative styles of the best. Knowing Molly and April Danser well, I had a clear understanding of their different motivations, but had no idea of the complexity to many of the finest schemes ever pulled off.
- How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book? I love working with those Dansers living on the dark side of the law and their guilt-free embrace of crime and greed. In real life, similar minds have always been a part of society, the brave and determined few who think laws and rules are for the foolish and cowardly. What I wanted “Thieves” to celebrate was their courage and single-minded dance outside the lines of accepted behavior.
- What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them? My goal was show readers how cool it is to live beyond the boundaries most of live within. As with other Danser novels, “Thieves” is a fast-paced romp with the kind of people we rarely meet — and that’s a good thing (laughter). As always, I leave it to readers and reviewers to decide for themselves how effectively I pulled this off.
- Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans? Absolutely. Write to me and let me know what you think. What you liked or hated? What worked for you and what didn’t? Hearing from you means the world to me. I always learn something new and I’m grateful for the time taken to question or comment.
- What did you enjoy most about writing this book? The daily writes. I work seven days a week and once the months of research are completed, I get to enter and stay immersed in the story straight through to typing, “The End.” It’s always an adventure, no matter what I’ve planned. With “Thieves” it wasn’t long before Molly and April and the other characters took over the story and it was all I could do to be their lowly typing pool.
- Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future? “Thieves” is Book One of the Obscurité de Floride Trilogy, the other two coming out later this year. We are nearly finished with the final proofing, which allows me to focus on writing “Chas & Izzy,” which is the second title in a new series.
- How long have you been writing? A ridiculously long time (laughter). “Distractions” was published in 1984, which says it all. I consider being a novelist as a blessing, a gift, allowing me a delightful second life with constantly new worlds and lives to explore.
- Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in (Please insert name of book here)? “Thieves” is Molly and April’s story of crime and the dangers their lifestyles bring on. The sisters are unique to themselves in what motivates them. Their passions often bring them into conflict with one another and are part of their downfall, as they’ve inspired a US Marshal from first desiring their capture to wanting them dead or alive. Preferably dead and in the worst of ways.
- If you could spend the day with one of the characters from “Thieves” who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do. While I adore Molly, I would spend the day with April. Being a surfer like she is, I’d like to paddle out with her and chat in between waves. There’s this great big hole in her past, a large number years where she disappeared alone. My first question would be, “Hey, April, I know you pretty well after you returned, but what the hell caused you to start acting so bat guano nuts?”
“Thieves” is now available!
I’m pleased to share the publication of Thieves: Book One of the Obscurité de Floride Trilogy.
From Tropea, Italy to Michigan and Florida, the thieves Molly and April Danser are on the run, trying to escape from an enraged ex-US Marshal. He is hell bent on stopping them once and for all, his twisted black heart fired up for revenge and their total destruction. Will the sisters elude his blood-soaked hunt? They have their smarts and resource but have never faced a pursuit like this.
Can they somehow put an end to his blood lust?
What will they have to do to save themselves from his powerful and deadly claws?
The hunt is on…
All the Danser novels are available at fine bookstores and Amazon: http://amzn.to/2o4tIob
All the best,
Greg Jolley
The Danser Novels
gfjolle@sbcglobal.net
“Thieves” Cover Reveal
Thieves
Book One of the Obscurité de Floride Trilogy
From Tropea, Italy to Michigan and Florida, the thieves Molly and April Danser are on the run, trying to escape from an enraged ex-US Marshal. He is hell bent on stopping them once and for all, his twisted black heart fired up for revenge and their total destruction. Will the sisters elude his blood-soaked hunt? They have their smarts and resource but have never faced a pursuit like this.
Can they somehow put an end to his blood lust?
What will they have to do to save themselves from his powerful and deadly claws?
The hunt is on…
gregjolley 