Unbearably Deadly - 2014
Mr. Last,
Thank you for taking your time for me ~
Who are your influences?
The classics of my genre: Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross
MacDonald, and contemporary mystery writers like Robert B. Parker and Sue
Grafton. And, I should also note my wife Elaine who initially challenged me to
write mystery fiction, has been a source of insider knowledge about all things
dog and has edited countless versions of more than a dozen books.
When did you begin writing?
I took a short story writing course in
college, but didn’t really start writing books for publication until about five
years ago.
How do you come up with your stories, characters,
character names, POV, etc.?
Stories---They just happen after I start
writing them. Characters—Most of them
are based (very loosely) on real people or combinations of people I’ve met in
my travels. Character names---this is
the one place I do use lists while writing.
Trying to come up with realistic names I haven’t used before and that
aren’t too close (we don’t want two suspects named “Pedro” in the same story,
or suspects named “Pedro” and “Paco” where we have to remember which is which
for 200 more pages) can be a challenge.
POV—I use the first person narrative delivered by Roger in all the
books. It’s one way to point me away
from passive voice in my sentence constructions and try to keep things moving
in the plot.
If you could actually meet one of your characters,
who would it be? Why?
I guess I’ve already met several of my
characters, in a way. Most of the
characters in my books have physical characteristics or backgrounds based on
real people I’ve met in my work or travels.
But if I had to pick one to have dinner with, I think it would be
Suzanne Foster Bowman. We share very
almost identical professional careers and hometowns, so we’d have a lot in
common to talk about. On top of that, she’s a highly intelligent, adult woman
who somehow manages to live life to the fullest while being a mother and a
professional in a highly competitive field.
Do you work from an outline?
If there is an outline, it’s only in my
head. I find it easier to write down
some ideas and start writing directly. I
think a lot of the outlining occurs in my subconscious mind while I think about
the storyline before beginning to write.
Tell me about your favorite scene in your novel(s).
The stories are set in interesting places
I’ve lived in or visited. It’s always
fun to relive visiting places that were special to see in real life. There are two such places I can think of
immediately. One is Iguazu falls, on the
border where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay all come together, which Roger and
Suzanne visit in “The Ambivalent Corpse”.
The other is Macchu Pichu, high in the Peruvian Andes, where our
detective couple visits in “The Surreal Killer”. Honorable mention goes to the Galapagos
Islands, which serve as the setting for “The Origin of Murder”.
Can you tell us a little about your writing
philosophy?
I only write about things
I know about as the background for the books in the Roger and Suzanne mystery
series---places, people, environmental and biomedical sciences. Places like Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, the
rest of South America, Alaska, and Los Angeles can also be “characters” in the
stories. I still find myself doing
research for the books, especially to make sure things are the same now as they
were a few years ago when we lived in South America for almost seven months, or
to update them. Hopefully, this gives
the books some added value for my readers.
Have you ever tried writing in any other genres?
Not yet, unless you want to count non-fiction
(I hope!!!). I’ve published more than
250 scientific papers in my career as a scientist.
Do you have any interesting writing-related
anecdotes to share?
Until recently I
taught a Freshman Seminar at the University of California on mystery novels set
in California. My wife kept challenging
me to try my hand at writing based of the old saying about “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” That started my second career as a mystery
writer, which complements the full-time teaching and research I still do. It has been a good lesson in time management
skills if nothing else!
Do you listen to music as you write?
No, I do better with silence when I’m trying
to concentrate.
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Two
of the more recent novels have featured dogs as major characters. “The Deadly Dog Show” is set in the
ultracompetitive world of beauty contests based on the dog’s conformation. The other book, “Hunter Down”, features the
highly specialized world of canine hunt tests.
My wife Elaine breeds German shorthaired pointers, an all-around breed
that is beautiful, hunts, and is an ideal pet who curls up in your lap watching
TV with you in the evening. Juliet and
Romeo in the novels are very much modeled after our own Jolie and Ries.
On the behalf of my readers, I would like to thank you Jerold for your time with us.
About the author ~
On the behalf of my readers, I would like to thank you Jerold for your time with us.
About the author ~
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| Jerold |
Give Jerold a shout
The
author is a Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the
University of California's Medical School at Davis, near Sacramento in Northern
California. Jerry, a two-time winner of The Indie Book of the Day Award, writes
“tweener” mystery books (tough mystery stories that follow the cozy conventions
of no graphic sex and no cussing) that are fast moving and entertain the
reader.
 |
| Jolie & Jerold |
Several of the books introduce
the readers to South America, a region where he has lived and worked that is a
long way from home for most English speakers.
He and his wife Elaine lived
previously in Salta, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. Jerry selects the most interesting South
American locations he found for Roger and Suzanne to visit while solving
miscellaneous murders. Montevideo,
Salta, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, and Iguazu Falls are also characters
in these books, and the novels portray these places as vivid and real.
 |
| Ries waiting for the turn on the lap |
Jerry and Elaine breed prize-winning German
shorthaired pointer dogs; Elaine also provides technical advice for Jerry’s dog-related
novels like The Deadly Dog Show and Hunter Down, as well as editing for all of
the books.
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