Q & A with James L. Conway

James Conway was attached to some really cool TV shows and is now writing crime novels. His first novel, Dead And Not So Buried features Gideon Kincaid, PI. Enough reason for me to interview him.

What makes Gideon Kincaid different from other hardboiled characters?
Gideon is damaged.  He drinks too much.  Has anger management issues.  And has emotionally lost his way. 
Gideon has a rigid code of right and wrong, and that moral compass ultimately drove him to make the biggest mistake of his life -- a mistake that got him kicked off the police force.  Gideon loved being a cop,but only tolerates being a PI.
Gideon is aware of his shortcomings, but seems unable to do anything about them.
Gideon also has a cynical and very funny way of looking at the world. 

How did you come up with the character?
I wanted a complicated hero.  A hero, to be sure.  But one with doubts.  Shortcomings.  And failings.  So I started with a PI who is only a PI because he was forced out of the police department.  A PI with a past that complicated every moment of is present.  A past that he finally has to face and deal with in Dead and Not So Buried.

What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution?
I love it.  I was an early adopter of the Kindle and now read almost exclusively on it.  I'm also excited by the prospect of writers being able to self-publish electronically and take total control of the publishing process. 

What's next for you and Gideon? Will he return?
I'm currently writing Gideon's next adventure.  It's called Scream Queen.   A beautiful B-movie star who specializes in horror movies is threatened and hires Gideon to protect her at a Las Vegas Horror Movie Convention

How do you promote your work?
A number of ways.  I've done book store signings in a variety of cities.  I'm not Michael Connelly so I don't draw huge crowds, but I get to meet the booksellers and they in turn help  sell the book.
I've done writing seminars at a few stores and that has been very successful.
I've been on panels at Thrillerfest and Bouchercon.
I've done a few newspaper and blog interviews.
And I've taken ads in a number of Kindle websites such as Kindle Nation Daily and Ebooks Habit. 

What other genres besides crime do you like?
I love thrillers.  Lee Child, Andrew Klavan, Roger Smith and Don Winslow are some of my favorites.  And adventure novels.  I like Clive Cussler, James Rollins and Boyd Morrison a lot. 

What's your idea about the psychotic sidekick in PI novels like Hawk and Joe Pike?
I love those guys.  They are basically psychopaths, but they are good, moral psychopaths.  Efficient and deadly.  They do the dirty work we all wish we could do. 

In the last century we've seen new waves of PI writers, first influenced by Hammett,
 then Chandler, Macdonald, Parker, later Lehane. Who do you think will influence the coming generation?
I think one of the best, freshest voices writing right now is Don WInslow.  Dawn Patrol is friggin brilliant.   And Michael Connelly has raised the procedural to new heights with his Harry Bosch novels.

Why do you write in this genre?
Because I love it.  Simply put, I want to write what I like to read.
By the way, my second novel, Sexy Babe was just published.  It's a stand alone.  A funny, sexy, Hollywood thriller about an actress who has a very bad day and suddenly finds her self running for her life.   You can check it out at Amazon.