Author Interview!
What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve met a lot of fascinating people on Facebook. One of them, a bounty hunter (for real!), shared some spectacular stories about his experiences. Although he never had an escaped convict try to get even with him for the capture and testimony that put them behind bars, but my writer’s mind could imagine it!
What can we expect from you in the future?
There are a few more “Shadows” books, simmering in the back of my mind. And book #1 in my new “Sundown Diner” series is working its way to completion.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Every book features characters—good and bad—based on people I know, personally. In one, my mother-in-law ‘stars’ as the feisty secretary to the novel’s hero. In another, my grandson ‘plays’ the lead. My youngest daughter’s pal runs the show in two stories. Several reader and Facebook friends became an actual friends, and played integral secondary characters. Here’s the thing: If I know you and we interact on a regular basis, chances are pretty good you’ll end up in a book … if you haven’t already!
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Shadows of His Mind?
Jase Brooks, bounty hunter, had intended to dedicate himself to the U.S. Marine Corps. When his parents were killed in a head-on collision, he learned they’d named him guardian of his much-younger brother, Jesse. Though he did his best, straddling the line between best buddy and disciplinarian, Jesse had some rough years, and during those years, fathered a baby boy named Luke. Fortunately for all
three, best friend Samantha was always available to help. Life gets complicated when Joe Michaels, one of the fugitives Jase had captured, escapes prison. He’s hellbent on making Jase pay for the misery he’d experienced behind bars. The best way to do that? Kidnap Sam and 10 month old Luke …
Who designed your book covers?
With rare exceptions, I’ve been blessed with covers, designed by my publishers’ talented art departments. That was my experience with PRPP, not only for Beyond the Shadows, book #1 in the “Shadows” series, but for Shadows of His Mind, and the upcoming Shadows of His Past (coming soon).
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I’d make it longer by adding more detail about how the friendship between Sam and Jase deepened. I’d also spend more time talking about Alzheimer’s Disease, which is slowly taking her grandfather from her.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I found out a lot more about Alzheimer’s. Enough to inspire me to add anyone who suffers from the dreaded disease to my prayer list. And their caretakers, too.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
I can see Chris Hemsworth in the role of Jase. Billy Magnussen as his younger brother, Jesse. Amber Tamlyn would make a terrific Sam. And Joe Michaels? Well, Clive Owen can ‘do’ terrific dirty looks!
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Mostly, I’d say, just pick up a book, any book, and let the story transport you away from the world and all its problems. Picture yourself in the time period and setting. Allow yourself to compare the characters to people in your real life. If you learn a thing or two while reading, great. If not, just enjoy the hours of escape it delivered!
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
If I told you that, I’d spoil the ending!
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Right this minute, I’m wearing one of my favorite t-shirts. It features the picture of an old-time typewriter and says “I Make Stuff Up.” So … they’re straight outta my fiction-addicted brain!
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
Nope. Never. I’m a die-hard Plotter. They do what they’re told. (Told ya I’d be a tyrant!)
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Not many people know much about the personal lives of bounty hunters. My hope is that, after reading Shadows of His Mind, readers will have a better understanding about how the work impacts the rest of their world.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No, but I’ve made quite a few ‘false starts’ that’ll continue gathering dust on the closet shelf!
Jase Brooks had been a 26-year-old Marine, stationed in Afghanistan when his parents were killed in a head-on collision. His anguish was compounded when, at the reading of the will, he learned they'd made him sole guardian of his 11-year-old brother. Jase gladly walked away from a promising military career to step into their shoes, a tough job made tougher by the boy's risky behavior: Petty theft to fund the addictions that led to the birth of his son, Luke... who also became Jase's responsibility.
Through it all, best friend Samantha (Sam) Finnigan set aside her own heartaches to stand beside him--even when he made the dangerous decision to become a professional recovery agent. It isn't until one of the criminals he'd rounded-up escapes prison--and kidnaps Sam and Luke as part of a twisted scheme to even the score--that Jase realizes Sam is more, so much more than a friend.
Now, he faces the greatest challenge of his life: Staying alive long enough to save them, so that he can finally admit just how much she has always meant to him...
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Author bio:
With more than 14M copies of her books in circulation, USA Today bestselling/award-winning author Loree Lough has 125 books in print (contracts for 6 more), 7 book-to-movie options, 68 short stories and 2,500+ published articles. She and her real-life hero split their time between a home in Baltimore's suburbs and a cabin in the Alleghenies. She loves interacting with readers and answers every letter personally.
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