Please welcome back International Bestselling Author
Luke Murphy
I’m delighted to welcome back International
Bestselling Author Luke Murphy on my blog for an interesting interview.
Luke’s debut novel is “DEAD MAN’S
HAND”, a crime-thriller set in Las Vegas
— ♦ —
Question No 1:
Luke, please give us in a short paragraph
a summary of your book.
DEAD MAN’S HAND is a crime-thriller set in Las Vegas
Question No 2:
Are any of the characters or
situations used in your book based on real life experiences?
Many people have asked if I can make any real
connections to the main character in my novel. The answer, as for my
connection…no, I have never been involved in a homicide investigation, LOL. The
plot is completely fictional. Although I am not a 6’5”, 220 pound
African-American, I’ve used much of my athletic background when creating my
protagonist Calvin Watters. Watters past as an athlete, and his emotional
rollercoaster brought on by injuries were drawn from my experiences. His mother
died of cancer when he was young, as mine was. There are certainly elements of
myself in Calvin, but overall, this is a work of fiction. I did not base the
characters or plot on any real people or events. Any familiarities are strictly
coincidence.
Calvin Watters faces racial prejudice with
calmness similar to that of Walter Mosley’s character Easy Rawlins. But
Watters’ past as an athlete and enforcer will remind other readers of (Jack)
Reacher of the Lee Childs series. The Stuart Woods novel Choke, about a tennis
player who, like Watters, suffered greatly from a dramatic loss that was a
failure of his psyche, is also an inspiration for Dead Man’s Hand.
When thinking about creating the main character
for my story, I wanted someone “REAL”. Someone readers could relate to.
Although it is a work of fiction, my goal was to create a character who readers
could make a real connection with.
Physically, keeping in mind Watters’ past as an
NCAA football standout and his current occupation as a Vegas debt-collector, I
thought “intimidating”, and put together a mix of characteristics that make
Watters appear scary (dreadlocks and patchy facial hair), but also able to
blend in with those of the social elite. Although he is in astounding physical
condition, handsome and well-toned, he does have a physical disability that
limits his capabilities.
He’s proud, confident bordering on cocky, mean
and tough, but I also gave him a softer side that readers, especially women,
will be more comfortable rooting for. After his humiliating downfall he is
stuck at the bottom for a while, but trying hard to work his way back up.
He has weaknesses and he has made poor choices.
He has regrets, but Watters has the opportunity to redeem himself. Not everyone
gets a second chance in life, and he realizes how fortunate he is.
Calvin Watters is definitely worth rooting for.
Question No 3:
What do you want readers to take away from your book?
(What would you like your readers to grasp)?
I hope they are entertained. I would like them
to walk away thinking, “wow, what a great book!” Entertaining and engaging. I
want to entertain readers and allow them, like when I read, to escape reality
and for a moment be in another place and time. Live with no rules or
repercussions. I want them to become part of the characters, to live through
them.
Question No 4:
Could you share a little about you?
I live in Shawville ,
Quebec
I played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Since
then, I’ve held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist,
before earning my Bachelor of Education degree (Magna Cum Laude).
My debut novel, Dead Man`s Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October
20, 2012.
Question No 5:
Please, describe your writing style.
Do you create an outline first and write the book based on that, or do you
start writing the first sentence that comes to mind and go on from there?
I started writing when I was young and playing
professional hockey. A couple of hours a day on the ice and in the gym and then
the day was mine. I also suffered a serious eye injury and couldn`t play, so I
had a lot more time on my hands. Now that I`m older, with a family and full
time job, makes it a lot harder to find the time to write.
These days I don`t have a schedule or routine.
Right now, I`m too busy playing ring-around-the-rosie and duck-duck-goose to
write.
But when I do write, I find that I am most
productive in the morning, and I always have to have a mug of steaming tea in
front of me.
Before I even sit down at a computer, I have
hand-written notes of ideas for my book. This could be anything from plot,
scenes, setting, characters, etc. I always write in the mornings, this is my
most productive time.
Once I sit down, I just write. No editing, no
looking back, I just let it flow. Unless I`m certain, no title until after I`m
done. As I write, I keep notes by hand on the timeline.
When my first draft is complete, I go through
it twice, once for the creative editing process and the next for flow,
repetition, etc. Then I have my former English professor read it over and she
gives me her thoughts. I edit it myself again. Then I send it to my agent for
her thoughts, then I edit it again myself. Only once my agent and I feel ready
do we send it to publishers.
For me, the most difficult thing about writing
has nothing to do with actual writing (ideas, flow, writer`s block, etc.), but
it`s finding the time.
Question No 6:
Please, describe your writing
environment.
My wife and I created a tiny office in our
house, upstairs at the end of the hallway. I have a desk, chair, computer and
printer. Everything a writer needs to be successful.
Question No 7:
Do you use a pen name and if so,
why?
My real name.
Question No 8:
What kind or books/genres are your
favorites?
I was always an avid reader. My first books
were the Hardy Boys titles, so they are the reason I love mysteries. As an
adult, some of my favorite authors are Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly and Greg
Iles, so naturally I write what I love to read – mystery/suspense/thriller
novels. “Kiss the Girls” by James Patterson was the first adult crime-book I
ever read, and I fell in love with the genres. DEAD MAN`S HAND has been
compared to Patterson books, which to me is an honour. Maybe in style (short
chapters, a quick read), as I have read many of his books.
Question No 9:
When did you start to write?
Writing just kind of happened by accident.
Growing up I never thought much about writing,
but I was an avid reader. The only time I ever wrote was when my teachers at
school made me. I wanted to be an NHL superstar…period.
It was the winter of 2000, my second year of
professional hockey, and I was playing in Oklahoma
City
My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife,
was attending a French college in Montreal
I loved the experience—creating vivid
characters and generating a wire-taut plot. I sat down at my roommate’s
computer and began typing. I wrote a little every day, around my intense
rehabilitation schedule and before I knew it I had completed my first
manuscript.
I didn’t write with the intention of being
published. I wrote for the love of writing.
Thirteen years later, I still write for
pleasure—and I still love it! The fact that I am being published is a bonus.
Question No 10:
What current projects are you working on?
I’m currently working on my second novel,
another crime-thriller, following the career of rookie, female LAPD detective
Charlene Taylor.
I would love to write another book. Right now,
I have a full time job (teaching), a part-time tutoring job, and three small
children (all girls, YIKES!!).
I don`t have much time to write, but when I get
a chance, I do all I can. It could take some time, but eventually I would love
to write a series of novels featuring Calvin Watters. But I will not limit my
novels to Calvin Watters, as I would like to write a variety of novels, all in
the crime-thriller genres.
Question No 11:
Who is your favorite author?
Harlan Coben, Greg Iles, Michael Connelly,
among others.
Question No 12:
How many books have you written?
DEAD MAN’S HAND is my only published work to
date, and I have been getting exceptional reviews. It took me over six years
from writing the first word to seeing it in print, so I spent a lot of time
with it.
But my first manuscript is my baby. It was what
drew me to writing, what ignited the passionate fire in me to write. It also
brought my wife and I closer together (we were just dating at the time and she
helped me a little).
I never intended to publish my first
manuscript, it was part of practicing to hone my craft. But since my first
novel has been getting such good reviews, for book #2, I’ve pulled my first manuscript out of the drawer and am currently revising it
for possible publication.
Do you have a website where we can keep up with your
work?
How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
Facebook page www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorLukeMurphy
and Twitter account www.twitter.com/#!/AuthorLMurphy
— ♦ —
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What happens when the deck is stacked against you…
From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a
sadistic African-American Las Vegas
debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be
the perfect fall-guy.
…and the cards don't fall your way?
When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the
murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle
of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in
Vegas in the last twelve years.
What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?
Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton
Review Blurbs:
"You may want to give it the whole night, just to see
how it turns out."
"Dead
Man's Hand is
a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still
presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry , New
York
"Part police procedural,
part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier , USA
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