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Showing posts with label Robert K Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert K Lewis. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Q&A with Robert K. Lewis
This week we sat down with Robert K. Lewis, author of the Mark Mallen Novels. His latest, Innocent Damage, is out now!
Robert K. Lewis: About
seventeen years, give or take.
MI: What influence have other authors
had on your writing?
RKL: I
love a strong voice, so I’ve spent a lot of time with the noir heavy hitters
such as Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ed McBain. A more contemporary
example of a strong voice that influenced me would be Kem Nunn. However, beyond
the writing, these authors also influenced me by showing me just how hard writing
can be, and how much work it takes to get better with every book.
MI: If you weren’t a writer, what
would you be doing?
RKL: Playing
blues guitar in a power trio or quartet. I love playing the blues, and playing
it very loud is a pre-requisite.
MI: If you have a job outside of
writing, what is it?
RKL: I’m
the office manager of the art department at UC Berkeley. Best possible job and environment for me to
have, given that my other job is writing books.
MI: What is/are your favorite thing/s
to do when you’re not writing or working?
RKL: Playing
blues and hard rock guitar, learning piano, and drinking.
MI: Who is your favorite mystery
sleuth and why?
RKL: Frank
Kane’s Johnny Liddell. He’s tough,
never gives up no matter how much he’s been beaten and battered, and will
always solve the case no matter what the price. He’s the sort of detective that
will come after you again and again, even if it means dragging himself along
the road on his bloodied elbows.
MI: Do you have a favorite murder
case from a book (either yours or another author’s)?
RKL: The Abbey Grange, by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. This is not only my favorite murder mystery, it’s also one
of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. The
Abbey Grange is actually one of the inspirations for Mark Mallen, because this
is where Holmes really becomes judge and jury, and by doing so, gives us a
glance into his great heart. This story is Holmes in one of his finest moments.
MI: What was your inspiration for
this series?
RKL: Ah,
that’s a large question. Mallen is made up of so many things that I’ve watched,
read, and witnessed. There are, of course, the classic detectives: Sam Spade,
Marlowe, Johnny Liddell, and Mike Hammer. Then there are the New York cop films
of the 1970s: The French Connection,
Serpico, The Seven Ups, The Warriors, Taxi Driver, and Death Wish. Also on that list would be other gritty films such as Panic in Needle Park and Midnight Cowboy.
MI: How does this book/series compare
to your past works?
RKL: The
Mark Mallen series bears no resemblance at all to my earlier works. When I
began writing long-form fiction (I’d written screenplays before turning to
fiction), I wanted to be a literary writer. That died on the vine. After that I
wrote an urban fantasy that went nowhere when I queried agents. I would have to
say though that if there were any
comparison to my earlier work, it would be in how I write my protagonists. I want
to write heroes that will not be
stopped. They keep going on, no matter what.
MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about
him/her.
RKL: Not
anymore. However, I’m haunted by the ghosts of three very cranky cats.
MI: If you don’t have a pet, do you
have a favorite animal?
RKL: Cats.
I love cats. They’re possessed of so many personality layers. They can be
fastidious, but have no problem shooting litter all over the floor. They love
you unconditionally, until they don’t. They have a fascination with throwing
things off of counters and tables. Endless amusement. The only thing I have to
complain about is that I wish they travelled better. Can you image a cat loving
a car ride, hanging its head out the window, filled with the joy of being in a
car? Man, that would be greatness.
MI:What food could you live off of
for the rest of your life?
RKL: Is
Scotch a food? If not, then Patty Melts.
MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?
RKL: For
destruction, or success? Oh, you mean food? Then that would be my mother’s
recipe for baked chicken. She was a scratch cook, and her cooking usually
included every spice in the house, using her intuition as her cookbook.
MI: What’s your favorite part about being
an Inker?
RKL: The
level of input I’ve been able to give, and having that input acknowledged.
There are not many publishers out there that would allow the writer to have a large
say regarding covers, but my editor and the artists over at Midnight Ink did. Add
to that the level of communication I received from my editor and copy editor and
I would say unequivocally that this has been a fantastic experience.
MI:Were the Mark Mallen Novels based
off of/inspired by your own life in any way?
RKL: I’ve
lived, from time to time, in some very hard environments. When I was sixteen
years old, I rented a studio apartment located next to a very old and very
large Victorian building, every flat filled with someone eking out a living any
way they could, by any means possible. I also lived in the Tenderloin of San
Francisco for many years, and if anything, Mallen’s books were influenced by
what I witnessed in both of those places, along with the people I saw there and
interacted with.
MI: Why did you create Mark Mallen as
a former junkie?
RKL: Mallen
is a former junkie because I wanted to show that it is possible to overcome our demons. Our world is filled with
addictions. Drugs. Alcohol. The Internet. Porn. Our iPhone. You name it, and we
seem to have an addiction for it. It takes a strong will, focus, and
determination to overcome those addictions, along with the belief that those
addictions can in fact be overcome. I wrote Mallen the way he is because I live
in hope that we can regain the inner strength and moral
compass that I feel our society has lost.
Innocent Damage is available online and in bookstores now!
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
April 2015 Books Available Now!
Don't miss Midnight Ink's latest releases!
"Not for the faint of heart, this chilling tale of sexual depravity is
perfect for conspiracy aficionados."
—Book Verdict (Library Journal) on Critical Damage
"Crackerjack entertainment: taut, gritty and full of devilish twists."
—Kirkus Reviews on Snake Pass
“A fun tale where the reader will love following Cleo on her quest to
find the killer.”
—Suspense Magazine on Saving Cecil
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
APRIL MIDNIGHT INK RELEASES
Wow. Those are some stunning covers...
UNTOLD DAMAGE BY ROBERT K. LEWIS
I would like you all to meet Mark Mallen. He's a junkie, but not just any junkie. See, he's a former undercover cop that started using drugs to help his cover. He thought he could just shoot some drugs and it wouldn't be a big deal. Wrong. Now, four years removed from police duty AND having left his wife and daughter behind, a chance for redemption comes knocking.
Mallen's old police academy buddy Eric seems to have fallen into the same dark hole as Mallen. Eric also became a junkie and landed a stint in jail. When Eric is murdered, the police find Mallen's number in Eric's pocket. As the prime suspect in Eric's murder, Mallen is forced to get clean and find the real killer. (SERIES AND AUTHOR DEBUT)
JAMAICA PLAIN BY COLIN CAMPBELL
English copper Jim Grant is in Boston for a quick and easy assignment - to interview a suspect in some robberies back in the UK. But trouble seems to find Grant when he is almost blown up when he attempts to interview Freddy Sullivan. Never one to walk away from the case, Grant looks up associates of Sullivan. One public stand off and several bruised and beaten bad guys later, Grant is dubbed the Resurrection Man. And it's very clear that the Ressurection Man, an outsider on a mission, is the only one who can clean up the streets and political offices of Boston. (SERIES DEBUT)
MUSIC OF GHOSTS BY SALLIE BISSELL
Check out old Fiddlesticks cabin if you dare... Set deep in the Appalacian Mountains, Fiddlesticks cabin is the site of a decades old double homicide. When a group of college aged students decide to stay at the cabin for a night, one of the girls is violently murdered and the killer carves disturbing symbols into her body.
County sheriff Jerry Cochran is handling the investigation and all the evidence points to Nick Statton, a handsome raptor center specialist and the supervisor of the murdered girl. Nick turns to attorney Mary Crow for help and it's up to Mary to dig out the truth - about Nick, the girl, and Fiddlesticks. Page turning suspense that you won't want to miss. Trust me. (CONTINUATION OF THE MARY CROW SERIES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED)
FINAL SETTLEMENT BY VICKI DOUDERA
The wedding of a friend and fellow real estate agent brings Darby Farr back to her hometown Hurricane Harbor, Maine. Darby has barely stomped the snow off her boots when she learns that the police chief's assistant, Lorraine Delvecchio, slipped on her daily walk and fell into the freezing coastal waters, her body found by a local lobsterman. While everyone assumes it was an accident, the police chief doesn't buy it and asks Darby to do some poking around. Darby discovers Lorraine was far from innocent and the list of suspects is rather long. Between real estate deals and wedding preparations, Darby needs to uncover a killer before she ends up the next victim. (BOOK FOUR IN THE SERIES)
Pretty good stuff, right? Well, go out and get your copy now! Print books are already in stores and ebooks will be available for download on April 8th. And by all means, let me know what you think! Feel free to post comments here or on facebook!
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