Interview with Brian Lawrence

About Nightshade----

Meadowlark: Nightshade has received some great reviews, how do you feel about all of the positive feedback on your first novel?

Brian: I was real nervous about sending out NIGHTSHADE to reviewers. Both because of the subject matter and because of it being an e-book. Then, when I received the first few reviews, I was knocked over. They liked it! I've received one bad review and about 5 good ones, so I'd say I'm doing pretty good in that respect.

M: Are you working on a sequel?

B: No, not yet. I'm shopping around a mystery with the same setting and some of the same minor characters as Nightshade. I'm also shopping around a completely different book, an action / suspense book. What I'm working on is a suspense set in St. Louis and a private eye novel set in a fictional town in the midwest.

M: What drew you write a vigilante thriller?

B: I'd been carrying this story around for years in my head. Not sure why it first settled in my brain. However, it's always been a theme I've been attracted to. It's one of those themes that the writer can really dabble in the gray areas of morals. I wrote this one trying to show all sides of the three main characters hoping each reader would have different reactions to each character.

M: How much of the character Larry Ballard is patterned after yourself?

B: Other than his job, family structure, and city he lives in, not all that much. I don't think I would ever withdraw as Larry has. I really try to separate myself from my characters. There may be little pieces of me in each, but their thoughts, attitudes, and actions are their own. The book is how they would react to these situations not how I would. I honestly can say I have no idea, and never want to know, what kind of reaction I would have in Larry's situation.

M: As a husband and a father, was it emotionally difficult for you write about the tragic loss Larry Ballard suffered when he lost his wife and child?

B: Again, I separate myself from my characters and from the story. Thinking if it could really happen, yes, that is emotionally difficult. Writing it for someone else, not as much. When I write, I view the story like a movie, then get inside the character's heads. I'm detached from what is happening, an observer as the characters play on the page. That's not me down there, so I don't have the emotional involvement, but yet I try to get into their heads and figure out what they would feel. But, I have to make sure the emotions are their emotions and not mine. For example, Larry felt enormous rage, where I might feel deep depression. To give Larry deep depression would be out of character and therefore wrong for the story.

M: Nightshade is what I’d term ‘hardboiled’, but you tempered the hard edge of the novel with humor and emotion. Was it easy for you to blend in the light moments into the overall tone of the novel?

B: Yes, it was fairly easy. I think humor is needed to relieve the tension in something as dark as Nightshade. I do this in my other novels as well. It offers good contrast.

M: What kind of research on drug related crime and police procedure did you do for Nightshade?

B: I met with the Major at the St. Louis County Police to get the procedure for St. Louis County at least marginally accurate. Most of the rest I picked up from reading. For this book, I tried to stay away from heavy police procedural, didn't go into all the forensic details, and what not. A lot of the emotion and character came from my experience and education in psychology.

About getting published----

M: Nightshade is your first published novel, is it the first one you’ve written?

B: Yes, Nightshade was the first novel I wrote.

M: Why don’t you tell us about trying to find a publisher before your acceptance at www.e-pulp.com.

B: I tried to get an agent first. Had a few of the "I really like this but don't think I can market it" responses. With the publishers it was more form letter responses to my queries.

M: How did you feel about electronic publishing before you were published, and how do you feel about it now?

B: I really didn't know much about electronic publishing when I first picked up the brochure on e-pulp. However, I recognized fairly quickly the potential it had, as I'm quite familiar with the Internet. Now, I feel this is the wave of the future, and by getting my foot in the door now, it can only help in the long run. However, I think for e-pubbing to really take off, the e-readers are going to have to drop to sub-$100 or better yet be given away. The money is to be made in the books anyway.

M: You are making a few appearance to sign Nightshade and to talk about electronic publishing. Do you feel like you not only have to promote your novel, but also electronic books as a medium?

B: Absolutely. And actually, that works to my advantage. It's the hook. Come hear about electronic publishing, and oh, by the way, I have this book to sell. I recently heard about a paper published mystery author here who had one person show up for a book signing. I had 6 times that much for a relatively unpublisized talk, and I sold two books as well. The bookstores are becoming aware of this phenomena and want to learn more about it.

M: Now that Nightshade has been published as an e-book, do you think it will be easier or harder to interest print publishers in this novel?

B: The jury is still out on this. And actually, I haven't really tried to go back to paper publishers with this book because I'm moving forward with other paper books. It's made no difference in getting other books published in paper. I'm close to going completely electronic, anyway. If sales continue to improve, that route becomes more attractive.

M: With your next novel, will you immediately go for electronic publication, or will you try for a print publisher first?

B: I've already completed novels 2 and 3. 2 has made the rounds of paper publishers and I'm just starting to send it to electronic publishers. Novel 3 is starting the route of paper publishers. I'm trying to find an agent.

M: Of the three ways people can get a copy of Nightshade, either over the internet, by e-mail or on diskette, which way has been the most popular?

B: I've sold more on diskette, in person, than any other way. However, my book is soon to be released in RocketBook format, so I'm hoping that will give me a boost in sales as the book will be available at BarnesandNoble.com. Also, I've not yet received my 3rd quarter statement, which is the quarter where I did the most promoting.

About writing----

M: Did you worked with a critique group while you were writing Nightshade?

B: Yes, a good portion of Nightshade was worked on with a critique group on Compuserve.

M: How did you learn about the anthology Love Kills, edited by Ed Gorman?

B: Ed is a friend of our family and he invited me to submit a story. He liked it and chose it for publication. He has been a tremendous help to me in my writing.

M: You started out writing science fiction, do you still write in that genre?

B: Yes. My first science fiction publication just came out this month. It's a short story called YOU BET YOUR LIFE and can be read at https://www.angelfire.com/ca2/promart/mwindex.html. I have another SF short story coming out in the February 2000 issue of Futures Magazine.

M: What is it about thrillers and mysteries that draws you to that genre?

B: I've always been fascinated with law enforcement is one thing. Also, I like the grittiness of hardboiled mystery and suspense. Criminals are the fringe element of society. I especially like to explore the gray areas of society and humanity. What pushes someone to become a criminal? What can push them the other way, back from a criminal to a respectable person? Mysteries and suspense thrillers are reflective of society like no other genre is. Finally, I'm better at applying the real to a story than making up other societies and worlds. I have the utmost respect for fantasy and science fiction writers who make up these elaborate worlds.

M: Which authors have influenced you the most?

B: Stephen King, Ed McBain, Elmore Leonard. And maybe in a small way, at least with the dark humor, John Irving.

M: As a writer, what has been your greatest challenges?

B: Getting published! Sticking with creating a novel in the face of rejection after rejection. Balancing the rest of my life with writing, trying to keep the priorities straight, which I don't always do real well.

M: What are you working on now?

B: Like I mentioned above, I have two novels in progress, a suspense thriller which is 2/3 done in the first draft, but needs some major overhauling, and a private eye novel. However, recently, I've been spending more time on short stories. Am finishing up a new SF story for a contest this week.

M: What are your writing goals now?

B: My original goal when I started writing was to be published in paper by 2000. I've made that goal in short stories but don't think I will in novels. I'm going to finish the two novels I'm working on now and see where things go. If e-pubbing really takes off and my sales go with it, then that's where I'll concentrate. Otherwise, short stories may become my mainstay in writing.

Thanks for letting me interview you for my website.