Paige Turner interviews author Pat Dale

Paige Turner of Flanders Herald (which you will know all about in Pat Dale's upcoming novel) has sat down to ask the author a couple of questions...

Today, we’re delighted to have Pat Dale as our guest. Instead of the usual question/answer format, I’m going to ask Pat to tell us something about his writing. Welcome, Pat. If you don’t mind, could you begin with something you’re not good at.

Wow. I haven’t been asked that before. Let’s see, I’ve been told that perhaps my biggest failing as an author is my inability to stay within one genre. Granted, had I done that, I would now have more than a dozen books and a cohesive readership out there. Well, I have an acquaintance who’s written over a hundred and almost all of them are in one general category.

I’ve read many of her books and, after the first fifteen or so, they all began to sound pretty much the same. Maybe it’s just me, but I see no reason to keep on buying the same story told numerous ways.

That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it. At least, when you read my books you get different stories and characters. Also, maybe a different slant from the author’s pov as to what makes for interesting reading. That’s not to say that all readers will be interested in everything I write; they won’t. All the more reason in my mind to write different kinds of books.

I’m sorry if that threw you a bit. Why don’t you tell us what you have written?

Let’s see; I’ve written several romantic comedies. I hesitate to use that title for them because not everyone considers what I write to be comedy. On the larger global scale, they are. Not necessarily the classic chick-lit ‘Bridget Jones’ in your face humor, but they are funny and lighthearted romances that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Then there are the romantic suspense novels, and these range from generally pleasant circumstances to a couple with dark, even threatening, consequences. More variety in a category where, again, not all readers agree on what they want.

Of course, there are times when my muse goes amok and I never know for sure what will come of it until I’ve followed my instinct and written something off the wall. I have a few of those books out now and they generally defy classification. As a result, they’ll probably never make a best-seller list. But I did what my inner writer told me to do and there they are, like it or not. Go figure…

In the beginning, I wrote mainstream adventure stuff in omniscient pov, and we all know that is the kiss of death. I toyed with romance to the annoyance of my spouse, but it’s been fun and a real learning experience. I have answered the question, though, that a man can write romance. Now that I’m concentrating on mystery writing, I find that my romance background is invaluable in making my books three dimensional. Let’s face it folks, love makes the world go round.

Do you have anything new on the horizon?

I have a new novel coming out the last week in January that is a real departure. The Evil Within is essentially a family saga that describes an American soldier’s struggle with PTSD after his patrol is killed, leaving him slightly wounded but alive. He comes home on medical leave to his Ozark family, only to learn that the same evil he’d faced on the battlefield is present in his town, his family, and in his own heart.

Written in a style I believe a John Steinbeck or an F. Scott Fitzgerald might have used in this modern world, it is gritty, vulgar in part, and depicts scenes that are violent but realistic, including graphic rape and murder of an innocent woman. But it is more than that in that it brings into focus conflicting attitudes and beliefs we’re faced with these days.

I can’t be more specific than that, other than to say it details a good man who is found wanting, but still has the strength of character to do what has to be done when nobody else comes to his aid. Oh, and it culminates with a modern version of High Noon on the gravel street of a backwoods Ozark village.

That sounds fascinating; gruesome but fascinating. Can you tell us where to find your published books?

The Evil Within mainstream family saga, available January 27, 2012.
Dance with the Devil romantic family saga, available now
Sleeping with her Enemy romantic suspense, available now
Zach’s Amazing Dream Machine middle grade novel, available now
Blue Streaks erotic science fantasy, available now

http://museituppublishing.com/ go to authors, click on Pat Dale

A Girl’s Best Friend international romantic suspense, available now

Crossed Lines psychological suspense, available now

http://whimsicalpublications.com/ go to authors, click on Pat Dale

The Perfect Stranger western romantic suspense, available now

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=The+Perfect+Stranger

For the Love of Hattie sweet romantic comedy, available now

Goldie’s Bear sensuous romantic comedy, available now

Don’t Bet On It spicy romantic comedy, available now

http://www.redrosepublishing.com/ go to authors, click on Pat Dale

Toccata romantic mystery, available in April from Muse It Up Publishing

The first of a new mystery series, the St. Louis Blues Mysteries features crime fighting duo, clinical psychologist Sera Moreland and rogue police detective Daniel Quinn. The debut episode chronicles how they bond as they attempt to apprehend a serial killer whose young victims resemble Sera.

Thanks, Pat, for sharing with us today. One last question for you. Do you have a website where your fans can read more about your writing?

http://www.patdale.net

www.patdalesblog.blogspot.com

patdale@charter.net email