Ask the Author: Rick Blechta
Answered Questions (8)
Rick Blechta
Actually, the basis of the plot of WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER came as the result of a personal experience. I was stopped at a light very late on a very snowy evening when a young woman opened the passenger door and asked if I would help her get somewhere since she had no money. I almost said yes, but I thought it was wiser to give her some money so she could take the subway and a bus to get to her destination. As I drove away, I thought, What if she'd just jumped in my car and asked me to take her someplace? What would I have done? And bingo! There was the first scene of WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
Rick Blechta
Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man movies. I just find their back and forth banter absolutely delightful and their characters interesting -- especially in the way they interact. I also like Lily Rowan and Archie Goodwin, although they appear far too seldom in the Nero Wolfe books for my liking. Again I find them interesting for the same reasons -- as they are somewhat similar, aren't they?
Rick Blechta
Just let me know!
Rick
Rick
Rick Blechta
Find out everything you can about how the publishing industry works. There are sharks in these waters! A good resource is How to Get Happily Published by Judith Appelbaum. She knows the ropes and gives salient advice.
Remember what we do are two very different jobs: writing and authoring. Think of writing as the pleasurable artistic part. Authoring is the business aspect in all it's aspects. Most newcomers never learn this until it's too late. And you have to be willing to do both -- and be good at them if you expect to enjoy any success.
Good luck!
Remember what we do are two very different jobs: writing and authoring. Think of writing as the pleasurable artistic part. Authoring is the business aspect in all it's aspects. Most newcomers never learn this until it's too late. And you have to be willing to do both -- and be good at them if you expect to enjoy any success.
Good luck!
Rick Blechta
I thought I'd already answered this, but it appears that I haven't. Sorry for the delay!
It's up to my publishers what format books are released in. I control the rights for my first three novels (Knock on Wood, The Lark Ascending, and Shooting Straight in the Dark, but that also means it's up to me to knock them into e-book format and then jump through the hoops necessary to get them out to the public. I just don't have time to do that.
I have another novella being released next year, I believe in June. It's part of the Rapid Reads series and is called Rundown. Past that, I'm working on a series set in upstate New York, but that's nowhere near ready to go to a publisher. I'll keep you informed!
In closing, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my novels! Thanks for getting in touch, and yes, it was too bad that Crime in the Vines never managed to happen. It would have been a great event.
Kind regards,
Rick
It's up to my publishers what format books are released in. I control the rights for my first three novels (Knock on Wood, The Lark Ascending, and Shooting Straight in the Dark, but that also means it's up to me to knock them into e-book format and then jump through the hoops necessary to get them out to the public. I just don't have time to do that.
I have another novella being released next year, I believe in June. It's part of the Rapid Reads series and is called Rundown. Past that, I'm working on a series set in upstate New York, but that's nowhere near ready to go to a publisher. I'll keep you informed!
In closing, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my novels! Thanks for getting in touch, and yes, it was too bad that Crime in the Vines never managed to happen. It would have been a great event.
Kind regards,
Rick
Rick Blechta
It's not my publisher, it's me. I own the rights to all three books. The first two were self-published and Shooting Straight, published by M&S went out of print and the rights reverted to me. I tell myself a few times a year that I really should get my act together and put them out as e-books, but I simply can't find the time. One of them would have to be re-keyed in to my computer. But there is a solution. I have copies of Knock on Wood and Shooting Straight, and they can be yours! Knock on Wood you can have for nothing (except shipping) and Shooting Straight for $10 (plus shipping). Let me know if you're interested and I'll find out what mailing them to you will cost. The Lark Ascending, though, is a problem. I only have my two personal copies. Some libraries have copies and used copies pop up now and then for a reasonable cost. But as for e-books for those three, it's one of those projects I hope to get around to someday.
Rick Blechta
I shopped there many times and while a building that size on that particular street corner certainly had its days numbered, I was sorry to see it go -- but more sorry to see the business closed. With what they must have gotten for the lot, why stay in business. I also was quite upset with the way the new owner tore it down. I can see why he did it (to protect his investment from the "building huggers") but it was a very sleazy move. Like when CP "accidentally" tore down the Toronto West train station in The Junction.
Thanks for getting in touch! Sorry it took me so long to get around to answering. And thanks VERY much for reading my novels!! Hope you enjoyed WHFO. I had a great time writing it.
Thanks for getting in touch! Sorry it took me so long to get around to answering. And thanks VERY much for reading my novels!! Hope you enjoyed WHFO. I had a great time writing it.
Rick Blechta
Hi Diane,
I'm so pleased you're enjoying Roses!
There's only one other book with Marta Hendriks and that's The Fallen One. All of my other books are standalones, although I do occasionally use characters from one story in another. Shannon O'Brien is one of those. She appears in two other novels: When Hell Freezes Over and A Case of You.
Thanks for getting in touch. Have a great day!
---Rick
I'm so pleased you're enjoying Roses!
There's only one other book with Marta Hendriks and that's The Fallen One. All of my other books are standalones, although I do occasionally use characters from one story in another. Shannon O'Brien is one of those. She appears in two other novels: When Hell Freezes Over and A Case of You.
Thanks for getting in touch. Have a great day!
---Rick
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