Author Interview: Robert McCaw

Robert McCaw has been a math major, Second Lieutenant in the Army, and a lawyer (for over 40 years). The common thread that motivated him through it all was a love of solving complex puzzles. When he first visited Hawai’i, he fell in love with the place. Repeated visits to Hawai’i allowed him to pursue another interest – astronomy. With a second home in Hawai’i and intrigued by the richness of the land and people, he studied the culture, history, and language of the region.

He was still actively pursuing his legal practice when he first began to write. His first novel was completed only after retirement though, when he was able to dedicate more time to it. And just like that, he found something else he loved to do. His first novel, Death of a Messenger, introduced Hawai’ian Chief Detective Koa Kāne, whose adventures continue in Off the Grid and Fire and Vengeance. The series is one of the most unique and interesting mystery ones out there.

The latest Koa Kāne mystery, Treachery Times Two, releases on 4 January 2022. You can check out the review of the book, which is one of the best in the series, here. Ahead of its release, we interviewed Robert McCaw and got his thoughts on writing, publishing, the home of Koa Kāne, and a preview of what to expect from the upcoming book.

Rishika S.: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Robert McCaw: As an army brat growing up around the world, I had opportunities early in life to experience cultures other than my own. As a young adult, I graduated from Georgetown University as a math major, served in the US Army as an artillery officer, and, upon leaving the military, decided upon a legal career, earning my law degree from the University of Virginia (UVA).  In retrospect, I’ve come to understand that the intensity and professionalism I experienced in the Army and at UVA Law became the foundation upon which I built a formidable legal career.  Coincident with my chosen profession, I had the opportunity to visit Hawai’i, where I became fascinated with the Islands’ geography, history, and culture.  Over the years, I went back time and time again before establishing a second home on the Big Island. For more than twenty years, I made it a point to travel Hawai’i’s back roads and absorb its unique topography ranging from lava moonscapes to snow-covered volcanic summits.  I “talked story” with real Hawaiians and generally fell in love with this complex Pacific “paradise.”  And, now, I pour all that fascinated me into the Koa Kāne series of mystery novels.

Rishika S.: You have written four books in the Koa Kāne series. Tell us a little bit about how this series came to be, especially the inspirations behind the setting and the character of Koa.

Robert McCaw: The more I learned about Hawaiʻi, the more I felt compelled to write about the “real Hawaiʻi,” far from the tourist haunts of West Maui and Waikiki. My law practice involved litigation and criminal law – with lots of factual investigation – and I have always loved mysteries. So, I decided to share my love of Hawaiʻi through detective stories and thus created the character of Koa Kāne, Chief Detective of the Hilo, Hawaiʻi police force. He is a pure native Hawaiian with his own personal criminal backstory. His backstory makes him unique, motivates his compulsion to hunt down killers, and explains his fear that a perp might outsmart him as he had once outwitted the police.

Rishika S.: You’ve got a new Koa Kāne book coming out soon – can you tell us a little bit about that?

Robert McCaw: Treachery Times Two (January 2022) weaves together two stories. In one, Koa Kāne’s criminal past comes back to haunt him. The other involves an effort to sabotage Deimos, an American military superweapon under development at the Pōhakuloa Army Training Area in the saddle lands between the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island. In the first story, events force Koa to revisit the circumstances of his own crime as, step-by-step, his carefully constructed cover-up unravels until another man is falsely accused. Koa must ultimately face the possibility that an innocent will go to prison for a crime that Koa committed. The second story throws Koa into the midst of an FBI espionage investigation. The deeper Koa digs, the more he realizes the possibility that the Feds are not telling all they know.

Rishika S.: What do you love the most about the Hawaiian culture?

Robert McCaw: I have a special affection for the spoken Hawaiian language, which is lyrical and quite beautiful. I think of it as a recovered gem. In 1896, after the US takeover of the Islands, the territorial government banned the use of native Hawaiian in schools and government offices, and many Hawaiian elders recall being punished for speaking their native language in these settings. According to the University of Hawaii Foundation, in 1985 – some 90 years after the government banned Hawaiian in schools – only 32 children in the Islands spoke Hawaiian. Fortunately, there’s been a renaissance in all things Hawaiian in recent years, and the Hawaiian state constitution now protects the study of this musical language. Today, people throughout the Islands speak their native language.

Rishika S.: Let’s talk a little about writing in general. What was the final push that made you decide that it was time to write that first novel? And what was the experience like?

Robert McCaw: The genesis and ultimate publication of Death of a Messenger, the first Koa Kāne novel, is somewhat complicated, beginning some twenty years ago. That’s when I first started writing fiction. Back then, I had an extremely active law practice and wrote only intermittently, grabbing a few hours a week while traveling or on vacation. Only when I hung up my shingle did I get serious about finishing and publishing the first story, which had incubated for more than twenty years. My mother and my wife Calli were instrumental in encouraging me to get over the finish line, and for that, I’m most grateful.

Rishika S.: Has the experience changed over time? In what way – good and bad? And what drives you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) day after day?

Robert McCaw: Lots has changed over time. Foremost among those changes was my transformation from legal writing – where the author has little control over the facts – to novelist where I could make up the facts to fit the story I wanted to tell. Over time, my imaginary characters became ever more real, growing and evolving like real people. With experience, I began to “see” scenes like they were on a movie screen playing in my mind. Lastly, the writer’s tools have gotten better. The Scrivener software I now use allows me to reorder scenes effortlessly, and Grammarly goes far beyond early spell-checking programs. And, the “read aloud” feature of Word is a marvelous proofreading aid.

The book-selling process in today’s world brings both joy and pain. Publishers, large and small, expect authors to play a significant role in promoting their books. As a result, I meet fascinating people and am privileged to engage with readers, something I love to do. On the other hand, while necessary in our virtual age, social media is a royal pain.

Creativity drives me to the keyboard. There is something immensely satisfying about crafting a story that excites readers and hopefully leaves them with a better understanding of the setting’s people, geography, and history.

Rishika S.: Can you tell us a little about the ‘business behind the creativity’ regarding getting published, working with agents and publishers, and your thoughts on the practical stuff involved after the writing?

Robert McCaw: Getting published is easy. Anyone can self-publish an e-book on Amazon with little or no cost. The difficulty is in achieving quality publication and a system of distribution. Quality requires careful editing, formatting, proofreading, and cover and jacket design. Distribution beyond e-books requires a publisher, distributor, provision for shipment and returns, and lots of publicity. One can purchase these services but only at considerable expense.

Finding a publisher who will assume most or all of these costs and pay a royalty is tough. In this endeavor, an agent can be invaluable. But make no mistake, both finding an agent and securing a publisher are daunting, especially for new authors. I got lucky that Mel Parker, an experienced and highly qualified agent, Pat and Bob Gussin at Oceanview Publishing, a terrific specialty publisher, and Fauzia Burke of FSB Associates, one of the best literary social media publicity firms in the country, had faith in my work.

Rishika S.: What is the one thing you love and one thing you hate about being an author?

Robert McCaw: I love plot twists and hate proofreading.

Rishika S.: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Robert McCaw: Be authentic. Write what you know. Find a trusted editor to improve your work. And lastly, don’t give up.

Rishika S.: Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

Robert McCaw: I have long believed that to reach your highest potential, you must do something you love. That may be even more true for writers than in other fields of endeavor.

If you’d like to pre-order Treachery Times Two (and you definitely should if you like mysteries and thrillers), you can do so from many different stores here.

As always, thank you for stopping by The Book Review Station; we hope you enjoyed reading the amazing tips and insights from Robert McCaw.

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Author Interview: Robert J. Harris

Scotland author, Robert J. Harris (born in Dundee, settled in St. Andrews) has been a bartender, a game creator, and an author (among other things). Having co-written novels and short stories with Jane Yolen, including Queen’s Own Fool and the Young Heroes book series, Harris had his first solo novel – Leonardo and the Death Machine – published by Harper Collins in 2005. His latest novel is A Study in Crimson (read its review here), where he reimagines Sherlock Holmes in 1942 London.

So, without further ado, let’s jump into discussing writing, publishing, and everything else with Robert J. Harris.

Rishika S.: Tell us a little about yourself.

Robert J. Harris: I am a Scotsman married to a fabulous American lady. We live in St. Andrews, Scotland, where we met as grad students and have three grown-up sons. My wife Debby became a published author while I was creating my very successful board game Talisman. Later, our friend Jane Yolen took me under her wing and made a writer out of me. I enjoy a good cigar, a fine whisky, and listening to the Blues. My sporting activities consist of highly competitive croquet and petanque (French boules).

Rishika S.: What are the genres you love reading and that you enjoy writing?

Robert J. Harris: As a teenager, I read almost nothing but science fiction. As a student, I branched out into classic Russian and American literature. Later still I finally discovered Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and other great writers. Most recently I have been reading classic Scottish authors Scott, Stevenson, Conan  Doyle, and Buchan. Like any civilized person, I enjoy a good mystery and am absorbed in the novels of Fred Vargas and Christopher Fowler.

I consider myself to be a writer of adventure stories for all ages, now mostly for grown-ups. I feel I am following in the tradition of the four Scottish authors mentioned above, to whom I should add Alistair MacLean.

Rishika S.: Is there one (or two) of your books that you absolutely loved writing (or that’s closest to your heart)?

Robert J. Harris: My second novel, ‘Will Shakespeare and the Pirate’s Fire,’ was a real pleasure, as I immersed myself in Shakespeare’s plays while writing it. That was a very enriching experience and I felt inspired all throughout the writing of the novel. Aside from that, my favorite is always the current one, in this case, my second Sherlock Holmes novel ‘The Devil’s Blaze.’

Rishika S.: Who are your favorite authors, and what have you learned from them that you have tried to imbibe (or successfully imbibed) in your own writing?

Robert J. Harris: My first writing was done in collaboration with my great friend Jane Yolen. From her, amongst other things, I learned the importance of interior landscaping, making the personality and history of the main character part of the texture of the novel. My favorite mystery writer is John Dickson Carr often called the master of the impossible crime. He inspired me to create impossible crimes of my own, such as the activities of an invisible thief in ‘Artie Conan Doyle and the Scarlet Phantom,’ and the two mini locked room mysteries that feature in ‘A Study in Crimson.’

Rishika S.: Who are your favorite literary characters and who are the ones you most dislike, and why?

Robert J. Harris: The best characters are to be found in Dickens. My favorite is Sam Weller in ‘The Pickwick Papers.’ On the other hand, it is very hard not to dislike intensely Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop.

Rishika S.: What do you like the most and hate the most about the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they were originally created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

Robert J. Harris: I like the fact that there is a spark to their relationship and that Watson is occasionally able to score a point off Holmes by puncturing his vanity. Holmes is sometimes rather mean to Watson, but that too is part of the charm of the stories and there is never any doubt of the affection and respect they feel for each other.

Rishika S.: Tell us the one thing you love and one thing you hate about the process of writing.

Robert J. Harris: I love it when I am on a rush of inspiration and the words are flashing through my mind faster than I can type. On the other hand, there is the odd day when I stare at a blank screen and can’t think of what comes next. Best thing then is to go away and do something else for a while.

Rishika S.: You have worked on books individually and also as a co-writer. What is the biggest positive and biggest negative difference between the two?

Robert J. Harris: It’s very stimulating to toss ideas back and forth with another author and to hear them come up with ideas you hadn’t thought of yourself. There’s a lot to be learned that way. Writing by yourself gives you great freedom but doesn’t come with the security of having somebody else to blame.

Rishika S.: Tell us a little about what it’s like being married to another author. How do you help each other out and drive each other up the wall (if at all)?

Robert J. Harris: It’s great to have my own personal editor here in the house to give me advice and encouragement. That said, Debby is my most demanding editor, sometimes to the point of actual cruelty.

Rishika S.: Which of your past books would you say is your best work and why?

Robert J. Harris: A number of people have told me that ‘A Study in Crimson’ is the best novel I have written to date. Who am I to argue?

Rishika S.: What are some upcoming projects you’re working on as an author?

Robert J. Harris: I have just completed a second Sherlock Holmes novel (The Devil’s Blaze: Sherlock Holmes 1943). I am currently working on ‘Redfalcon’, the third of my Richard Hannay Returns trilogy which began with ‘The Thirty-One Kings’. For the future, I have in mind a medieval murder mystery and two cinema-related detective novels set in the 1960s.

Rishika S.: Tell us a little bit about the games you’ve created.

Robert J. Harris: Talisman is based on a game I made at high school in which the players are all teachers out to become head of the school. When I started playing Dungeons & Dragons at university, I had the idea of changing that game into one where the players are warriors, wizards, etc. seeking to become the ruler of a magical land. I later created another fantasy game Mythgardia which has a long and complex history. I self-published a limited edition of this and am still hoping to find a proper publisher.

Rishika S.: Are you working on any new games?

Robert J. Harris: No, I’m too busy writing novels, and I already have some games to offer around.

Rishika S.: Any books that you would recommend emerging writers as a ‘must-read’?

Robert J. Harris: That’s a bit of a tall order. I can recommend a mixed bag of books by authors I am friends with, which are favorite books of mine by favorite people. I know that they have all had their struggles and yet have produced these marvelous stories.

• The Mysteries by Lisa Tuttle (genre-bending detective story)
• Dark Lord: The Teenage Years by Jamie Thompson (hilarious teen fantasy)
• Walking Mountain by Joan Lennon (wonderfully imaginative tale)
• The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill (lunar murder mystery)
• The Unscratchables by Cornelius Kane (a dog and cat detective team investigate brutal murders in Kathattan)

Rishika S.: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone trying to cut it as an author on each topic – the activity of writing and on the publishing industry as a whole?

Robert J. Harris: Don’t be afraid to write badly. Get a flow going so that you write your story through to the end. Then you can go back and polish it. Second, don’t be discouraged by rejection, and don’t get too caught up in the reasons publishers give for rejecting your work. These are sometimes quite random.

Rishika S.: Would you like to share anything else with our readers?

Robert J. Harris: If they go to www.quantumfridge.org.uk they will find a series of comedy podcasts co-written and produced by myself and my friend Alan McFadzean and performed by our marvelous cast The Peak Performance Players. The shows are:

• Watch the Skies! (eccentric scientists protect the Earth from alien invasion)
• The Adventures of Saffron Star (space opera with a glamorous heroine)
• Jack Standish the British Lion (two-fisted spy stories)
• Backlash (the president of a newly created country comes up with various schemes to finance his miniscule nation)

We hope you enjoyed this insight into Robert J. Harris. To know more about him and his other works, you can check out his website at http://www.harris-authors.com. You can also follow him on Goodreads here. As always, thank you for stopping by The Book Review Station and reading this author interview.

Author Interview: Paul Haddad

Today, we have the chance to share the interview that The Book Review Station did with author, documentary producer, and ‘sometimes’ network executive, Paul Haddad. A Hollywood native, Paul has written numerous books in varying genres, including Paradise Palms: Red Menace Mob (check out its review here), Freewaytopia, and Aramid to just name a few.

Paul shared with us his insight into his experiences, passions, and more, including some excellent advice for aspiring script-writers and authors. Read on to know more!

Rishika S.: Tell us a little about yourself.

Paul Haddad: I was born in Hollywood and have lived in Los Angeles my whole life. My “day job” is in television—primarily as a documentary producer and sometimes-network executive—but my passion these days really lies in writing books. I’ve been fortunate enough to have three novels and three nonfiction books published.

Rishika S.: You’ve always maintained that you love LA and Hollywood. What is the one thing you can pinpoint that you would say you love the most?

Paul Haddad: It’s tough to focus on just one thing, but I’d have to say the diversity. Much of the city’s vibrancy and culture can be attributed to its melting-pot population. And the varied landscape, which includes beaches and a mountain range (the Santa Monica Mountains) cutting across the city, makes it ideal for outdoor recreation and keeping fit.  

Rishika S.: And if you absolutely had to pick one thing that you disliked, what would that be?

Paul Haddad: That’s easy—traffic! If there was one upside to the early days of the pandemic, it was that roads and freeways resembled the zombie apocalypse. Driving from Downtown L.A. to the Santa Monica Pier took less than 20 minutes. For a few fleeting months, the freeways revisited their utopian 1950s and ‘60s states, when transportation officials—and Angelenos—boasted that you could get anywhere in L.A. “in 20 minutes!”

Rishika S.: Tell us a little more about what inspired Paradise Palms? And what (and who) inspired its characters, especially David and Rae?

Paul Haddad: Paradise Palms represents the convergence of several ideas. I dedicate the book to my father, Jack, because he was kind of a mysterious guy to me growing up, much like Max Shapiro, the patriarch in my book who also hails from the then-mean streets of Chicago’s South Side. Though my dad didn’t run with mobsters, he had a friend from his childhood who trafficked in the world of loan sharks and illegal gambling. It was also rumored that this man had fathered a child through an extramarital affair with a woman from Alabama, which inspired the character of Rae. What if a real-life Rae, a self-possessed African American girl in the 1950s, were to reach out to her biological Jewish father and half-brothers when she turned 18? What’s more, what if it turned out she was the one who, ironically, helped keep the family together in the midst of their war with the mob?

Coupled with that, I wanted to set the novel in a hotel. This same friend of my father’s managed hotels throughout his life, and I got to see him operate. I also spent much of my childhood kicking around the Beverly Hills Hotel. Every day for two years, I took a city bus after school to the iconic hotel, where I waited for my mom to drive down the hill and pick me up. Those years of exploring its grounds seeped into my imagination (the hotel also hosted several family events over the years). In all three of my novels, I have set them in specific locations, which allows me to create character ensembles like you might find in a play. In my first novel, Skinny White Freak, it was a summer camp; in Aramid, my sci-fi YA book, it was a high school robotics class; and in Paradise Palms, it was the Paradise Palms Hotel.

The character of David—as the eldest son of Max Shapiro, he’s really the protagonist—was the closest character to serve as my surrogate. I understood his motivations and could relate to his active role in trying to guide his family unit, a role I’ve sometimes found myself in. I also related to his realization that the truism “no good deed goes unpunished” often applies to our lives!

Rishika S.: Tell us the best and worst experience you’ve had when filming for TV.

Paul Haddad: I’ve been lucky to have traveled much of the globe for my documentary work, including places like India, China, Bali, and Brazil. Those experiences really opened my eyes to other cultures and fed an insatiable appetite to explore more of the world, something I’m looking forward to resuming as everything opens up again.

My worst experience was in 2008. I was the VP of Programming & Development for an unnamed cable network that was having growing pains. Nonetheless, I felt confident (perhaps overly so) about my prospects of advancing through the company. One day, the heads of the network flew out to Los Angeles to host one of their “state of the union” assemblies with the whole company (about 200 employees), which were usually just cheerleading sessions. On the morning of the meeting, an HR representative told me my presence at the meeting was not required, and that I was to report to my superior’s office. When I did, my boss informed me with much regret that I was being let go due to budget cutbacks. It was one of those “this-isn’t-happening-leaving-my-body” moments. The assembly was essentially a bait-and-switch. While some employees did attend it, others—like myself—were pulled aside and fired. The suits had cleverly scheduled the companywide get-together to ensure that all employees showed up that day.

Rishika S.: Tell us the one thing you love and one thing you hate about writing for TV.

Paul Haddad: Because I am primarily a documentary and docu-series filmmaker, my writing for television is of the nonfiction variety. But the goal is the same whether you’re writing for scripted or unscripted shows: Every segment of every show should entice the viewer to stick around after each commercial break. Over the years, I’ve learned the value of crafting a good tease. Not only that, but writing for TV requires you to not waste time navel-gazing. You need to have an economy of language and be quick to turn around scripts due to deadlines. These two elements—teasing the next segment, and being prolific—have greatly informed my book-writing process. I’m fairly well-practiced in the art of cliffhangers to keep readers moving onto the next chapter, and have learned how to be efficient with my time, typically achieving a 1,000-word quota per day.

The only downside to TV writing—if you could even call it that—is that once you finish a script, it is then subjected to a multitude of voices, usually network executives. Often their input is great and crystallizes your messaging. Other times, they may feel compelled to make changes for the sake of justifying their jobs, or to fulfill an agenda that is not aligned with yours. Usually one can reach a compromise; one must pick one’s battles and know what’s worth fighting for. For this reason, book-writing is a purer process because in the end, my voice is more unadulterated in the final product, and a copy editor often only improves it while keeping the integrity of my vision.

Rishika S.: Tell us the one thing you love and one thing you hate about the process of writing.

Paul Haddad: The one thing I hate is not so much about the process of writing, but the process of getting people interested in my writing. Full confession: I have never been able to land a literary agent. And yet all six of my books were released through legitimate publishers. How did I do it? After getting dozens of rejections from agents—the reasons were varied, though often they just didn’t spark to my ideas—I ultimately decided to directly approach publishers who published books similar to mine (Note: some publishers won’t consider manuscripts from unrepresented writers, but many of them probably would’ve rejected my more niche-genre books anyway). By cutting out the middleman (agents) and strategically going right to the source (publishers), I was able to achieve success far more quickly, and with far fewer rejections and time wasted. Granted, an agent would’ve been nice to negotiate book contracts, but you can simply pay a flat fee to a literary lawyer if you desire, and that way you also save 10% agent commissions on your royalties. Bottom line: If you reach a dead-end with agents, hook a U-Turn and try a different path that leads directly to publishers.

Rishika S.: Which of your past books would you say is your best work and why?

Paul Haddad: Skinny White Freak, which is middle-school YA, is by far my most personal because it’s loosely based on my experiences of being tormented by a camp bully at Malibu Hills sleepaway camp. But I do think that Paradise Palms, as my most recent work, was the first book in which everything came together to tell a compelling, tight narrative of an era (1950s Hollywood) I find endlessly fascinating. I also feel that I’ve made strides as a writer, and that’s probably reflected in the final product.

Rishika S.: What are some upcoming projects you’re working on for TV?

Paul Haddad: I just came off an investigative documentary series for Vice network about the underbelly of the NFL called Dark Side of Football. I helped write a lot of it and was the co-executive producer. I was really proud of that one since it dealt with a lot of hot-button issues. I also just directed a series of short-form documentaries for producer Norman Lear’s nonprofit company. If his name sounds familiar, Lear is the television genius who created All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, and countless hit TV shows in the 1970s that I grew up on. He’s 99 now and remains an inspiration!

Rishika S.: What are some upcoming projects you’re working on as an author?

Paul Haddad: I’m super-excited about my latest book, which released on October 5. It’s called Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles. Like the name implies, it’s a nonfiction book that looks at how freeways gave rise to Los Angeles. I spent a year researching it and interviewing people, and it also includes some rare photographs and maps from transportation archives. Freeways are such a signature of Los Angeles, I was shocked to realize no one had ever really written a book about them in a way that wasn’t overly academic. My book is for the masses; like a lot of my nonfiction, it’s written in a breezy, conversational tone that is hopefully infectious. I also like nonfiction because it often allows for “sneaky learning.” In this case, readers learn about the social, economic, and racial history of L.A. through the stories behind its freeways.

Rishika S.: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone trying to cut it in the world of television?

Paul Haddad: If you’re in college, I highly recommend internships. Internships are a great entry-level way to get your foot in the door and be a fly on the wall on how shows are put together. It also allows you to survey the landscape to see if there’s an area you really like, like editing, writing, story producing, production, etc. I have hired several former interns for low-level paying positions (production assistants and associate producers), and once these people got their foot in the door—and proved their worth by working hard and making meaningful contributions—they were off to the races to have careers in television.

Rishika S.: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone trying to cut it as an author?

Paul Haddad: Don’t try to write for the marketplace or whatever the trend du jour is. Write for yourself. In other words, don’t reverse-engineer a book idea; start with a great idea that is very personal to you and then figure out which genre and voice (first or third person) in which to tell it. Even the most personal stories contain universal truths—themes everyone can relate to. Readers will be able to insert themselves in your characters’ situations if the characters are authentic.

Rishika S.: Would you like to share anything else with our readers?

Paul Haddad: More than ever, promoting your work is as important as writing it. It’s an area, frankly, that I still need to improve, partly because I get more joy out of the act of writing than trying to sell myself or my works. But by the same token, books are meant to be read; no one wants to have dozens of copies of their book—which you’ve invested so much time and energy on—collecting dust on their bookcase. Whether you hire a book publicist or establish a presence on social media platforms, author outreach is essential to generate awareness and interest. Some of my most rewarding moments as an author have come from author events at bookstores, where I get to engage with the reading community, all of which serve to remind me why I write in the first place!

I would definitely recommend reading Paul Haddad’s Paradise Palms if you haven’t already, especially for readers who enjoy a more gritty, noir read. You can follow Paul Haddad on Goodreads here. We hope you enjoyed the amazing insight Paul provided. Thank you for stopping by The Book Review Station and reading this author interview.