The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Have you ever wondered where GLBT mystery, suspense/thriller writers get their ideas? Or, where they live? When/where/how they write? Check back here regularly for a series of interviews with today's GLBT Mystery writers.

First up - The ground-breaking Lori L. Lake;

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1328

Coming Saturday, September 14, 2013 - Sitting down with author Ethan Stone

Stay tuned!!

Author Ethan Stone chats about his books, new release and what we can expect from him next:

Read my interview with Ethan here:

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1344

My interview with the incredible Mark Richard Zubro has been posted:

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1364

Two Words Describe Author P.A. Brown Writing; Prolific and Spellbinding! Read my interview with Pat.

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1388

My interview with author, Marshall Thornton, author of the BOYSTOWN mystery series.

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1397

The author of the 1950s-era mystery/thriller novels, It Takes Two and It Takes Two discusses his inspiration and influences in his writing in my interview with Elliott Mackle.

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1407

My interview with the always charming, English author Erastes

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1473

Interviewing non-traditional author,Anel Viz.

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1496

The City of Lovely Brothers

Thrills, Chills, Mystery, Suspense...and M/M Romance - Sitting Down with Rick R. Reed

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1510

My Interview with, James Buchanan, the Author of the Taking The Odds series; Lawyer by day…Write at Night!

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1534

sitting down with the wonderfully gifted “Dick Hardesty” creator – Author Dorien Grey
The Butcher's Son


http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1552

Is He an Outliner/Plotter or Total Panster? Interviewing the “Trouble” series author, Hank Edwards



http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1593

A gay mystery fan? Check out our facebook group dedicated to discussing GLBT Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction; we feature weekly interviews with GLBT gay mystery, thriller/suspense writers and regularly discuss novels within the genre. Become a member of this private facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/51850...

Sitting Down with Multi-Award winning author of Lesbian Mystery/Thrillers; Andi Marquette

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1602

Single Parent Edward Kendrick on Writing, Influences and His Greatest Accomplishment

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1613

An Interview with the Gentle and very Humble Gay Mystery and Thriller Writer, Joseph R.G. DeMarco;

Interviewing the Gregarious and Terminally Sweet Emerging Author; Jacob Z. Flores



Do you fly by the seat of your pants when writing or plot out your storylines in detail?

Oddly enough that has changed for me. I used to be a plotter. When I wrote my first three novels—Moral Authority, 3, and The Gifted One, I plotted the majority of the books out beforehand. However, my latest books have been more off the cuff. I’ve let the characters speak to me and do what they wanted. It’s been interesting for me. For someone who’s as anal retentive as me, letting go of the reigns is difficult but surprisingly enough there’s been a certain about of liberty in abandoning control of my creative side to my muse.

Read more of my interview with Jacob Z. Flores here:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1637

Sitting down with the Murder and the Hurdey Curdy Girl author, Kate McLachlan

Can you share what inspires and challenges you most in your writing?

Oh yeah. Like I said earlier, I like to give myself new challenges with each book I write. I like an intellectual challenge. My next challenge is to write a mystery using the omniscient point of view. My other books have been first person or third person limited, alternating points of view by characters or scenes.

As for what inspires me? It’s romance. All my books are character driven and all have a strong thread of romance in them. Those scenes that I imagine before I even start the book are all romantic scenes. The mystery, the time-travel adventure, the historical event, are all crafted to create the situation I want for the relationship. I love nothing more than reading a book with a romantic scene that makes my insides twist, and I’m inspired when I write to try to create those scenes for others.

Read the rest of my interview with Kate McLachlan

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1645

What is it like growing up in a Religious Commune? Author Lloyd A. Meeker tells us and more.

Let’s start off with where are you from and live now; I recently read a guest blog post where you mentioned you were born in a religious commune; what was it like growing up?

Yes, a farm in Colorado. Communal life is very much like a small village, with most of the familiar boundaries removed – centrally coordinated work, eating together, one theology, very little private space. Organic farming was a big thing for us, and growing as much of our own food as we could. Pretty radical for the late 1940’s. I went through school being “one of those people” from that weird group northwest of town.

That environment shaped me in many ways, pluses and minuses both. Few empathic children can begin training in subtle energy healing at age ten as if it were a perfectly ordinary thing to do, but I was given that incredible opportunity.

Read the rest of my interview with author
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1653

Hi Jon - would it be possible to add a link to the Lloyd Meeker interview - can't find it with a quick look around your website. Thank you

Rachel wrote: "Hi Jon - would it be possible to add a link to the Lloyd Meeker interview - can't find it with a quick look around your website. Thank you"

Sorry about that; I forgot the link. I've added to the original message and here is a direct link:

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1653

Interviewing author Lynn Ames, creator of some tough, kick-ass lesbian protagonists...

Many of your plots include espionage, secret paramilitary organizations, diplomats, political officers, politicians, the U.S. President – among many others spanning the gambit of high-stakes mystery, action and adventure. Where do you get your ideas?

LOL. Well, in some cases, I’ve lived them. Not the espionage part, but I spent many years working in high level politics, so it’s a world that’s familiar to me. So I have some inside knowledge of how these worlds function, which means I also understand all too well how things can go awry. So, where the average person might read something in a newspaper or magazine or see a story on television about a current event and see only what is being presented to him/her, I see the moving parts behind the curtain and fill in the back story. Or, something will lead me to ask the question, “What if…?” Once my curiosity is aroused, I can start to imagine the plot I can create from it.

Read more of the interview with Lynn Ames;

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1661

The Value of Valor

Want Your Lesbian Protagonist Intellectual, Pragmatic & Cerebral? Look no further than Author Ellen Hart;

Can you share what inspires and challenges you most in your writing?

I know this may sound strange, but I’ve always felt that a writer never entirely masters her/his craft–there’s always more to learn. Every book presents you with new problems, and with each book, a writer should be trying to grow, both as a storyteller and as a wordsmith. If I had to say what one quality all writers possess, it’s curiosity. That quality, which presupposes the desire to understand the world, makes writing a fascinating, though often difficult, life’s work. You’re always learning, and there’s always more TO learn. That inspires me. People like Dennis Lehane, Val McDermid, Margaret Atwood, and Tim O’Brien also inspire me because of what they’ve achieved. Their writing feels like verbal alchemy to me. When I read them, it makes me want to try harder, dig deeper, reach higher.

Read the rest of the interview:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1689

Slice and Dice

My interview with Logan Zachary

Haunted Houses, Zombie Proms, a Big Bad Wolf & Erotica; Interviewing Logan Zachary

Where do you live?

I live in a haunted house in Minneapolis, MN. The man that invented Old Dutch potato chips built this English cottage.

Writers rarely like to toot their own horns, but what would you say is your greatest accomplishment?

Last week, I found out that my book, “Calendar Boys” was one of ISO book club’s Top 100 bestseller of the year. I also have four short stories in four of the anthologies in the Top 100. Jerry Wheeler’s Tricks of the Trade, Neil Plakcy’s Sexy Sailor, Shawn Allison’s Nasty Boys and Big Man on Campus.

CalendarBoysWow – that is some accomplishment; Congratulations!

http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1579

Interviewing the Best Selling Lesbian Romance and Mystery author, Gerri Hill;

Gerri, thank you so much for taking time to answer some questions for members of the Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction Facebook group.

Let’s start off with, where do you live?

I live in East Texas in a very conservative part of the state! Some of my books take place in the area, including the very early Behind the Pine Curtain and one of my most recent ones, Keepers of the Cave.

Read the entire interview here:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1708

Looking for a Killer Thriller Series? Come in for a chat with author, Syd Parker;

Without getting too personal, would you share a little about your home life?

Not at all, I tell people all the time, there are very few questions I won’t answer. I live with my partner, Sarah. We love to spend time cycling, hiking and hitting the golf course. We both dabble in cooking which means we have to stay pretty active. We have one son and a ton of nieces and nephews. No pets, but only because we are running all the time and neither one of us wanted to leave them home alone. We enjoy gardening in the spare time we have left. For the most part, we are pretty normal and boring.

Read the entire interview:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1733

Multi-genre Author, Playwright and Publisher, Geoffrey Knight sits down with me

Interviewed by Jon Michaelsen

Geoffrey, thank you so much for taking time to answer some questions for members of the Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction Facebook group. (Full disclosure – Geoffrey Knight is one of the publishers of Wilde City Press, which currently has released two of my novels)

Let’s start off with, where do you live?

I live on an island in Far North Queensland, Australia, right on the Great Barrier Reef. I moved here from Sydney almost two years ago and I have no intention of ever going back. Don’t get me wrong, I love cosmopolitan life and the energy of big cities. But you can’t beat walking the dogs every day on a perfect, deserted beach with a calm tropical sea as blue as the sky.

Read the entire review here:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1755

Award Winning author Josh Lanyon Discusses his Gay Mystery/Thriller Novels

Interviewed by Jon Michaelsen

Josh, thank you so much for taking time to answer some questions for members of the Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction Facebook group.

Let’s start off with, where do you live?

I live in sunny Southern California. So Cal is pretty much its own world. You have the extremes of Beverly Hills, the movie industry, and then very remote, redneck areas — which is where I live now.

Read the entire interview:
http://www.jonmichaelsen.net/?p=1770