MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JAMES BELTZ

MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JAMES BELTZ

What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

My name is James Beltz. The Genre of my books are thrillers.

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

DJ Slaughter is a man tormented by a tragic and bloody past. He was a Navy Corpsman, but never completed his first term of service before he was medically discharged. He fell down a hill in Iraq and now has a steel plate in head. With a military career now off the table, he returned home to find love. A wife and two beautiful children certainly righted the wrong he felt about losing that career. But then life ambushes him again. This time he is the victim of a home invasion. His wife and children are murdered before his eyes. Years later, suffering from severe depression, he discovers a new hobby that takes his mind off his loss. That hobby is shooting and guns. Specifically, a shooting competition called Three Gun. Fast forward to the here and now. He is living a life as a modern-day hermit out on a remote ranch in Colorado. DJ is jumped while in town. A diner owner intervenes and DJ escapes. His rescuer is killed in the process, and something snaps inside of him. Instead of fleeing for the safety of the Sheriff’s Office, he leads them back to his ranch. His plan is simple. Get to his guns and kill them all. Turns out, the leader of the group that pursues him is more than he seems to be, and this simple robbery turns into more than he bargained for.

This story explains how DJ becomes an unconventional crime fighter. It is the backstory, or as the title suggests, an origin story to the hero he will be in subsequent books. Imagine, if you will, the common man aspect and intelligence of Jack Ryan, mixed with the laser-like focus and willingness to do what it takes to win of a Mitch Rapp. Throw in a touch of rebelliousness found in Jack Reacher, and you will have DJ Slaughter. It is a series of books that that was apparently sorely needed. I can only assume that, because even though this is my first set of books that I have ever written, in fact it is the ONLY think I have ever written, the reviews are quite humbling.

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

I have always been a fan of thrillers, and reading in general. When I decided to take a stab at the whole writing thing, this is simply the first genre I tried. There are other things I would like to attempt, but right now I have a laundry list of things to do for DJ Slaughter. I am a little busy at the moment to entertain any other genre.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

Almost zero. I have a wild imagination. The medical stuff that comes up was only mildly researched out. I have tons of family member in the medical profession, and hearing them talk daily has meant that some of that apparently stuck in my brain. The gun things, well let’s say DJ and I have similar hobbies.

Can you tell me about your Series?

E have two full length novels from the series with a third dropping within 60 days. We also have 2 short stories that are published. My immediate plans for the future involve adding two or three more short stories and compiling them into one novel. I will then start the process of turning the first three novels into Audible books and jump into Book 4.

Do you have a favorite book out of this series?

The one I am working on! Always!

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for your series?

It just sort of happened. I was depressed over the direction of my life and feeling like an absolute failure. I had been a photographer for nearly 14 years, feeding my family through my visual creativity. But the market went through a drastic change. I had to return working for someone else like most everyone else does every day. I had never really understood what it was like to suffer from severe depression, but now I knew.

One day, while walking to the kitchen to make coffee, I prayed out loud. “God, if you’ll give me one more opportunity to make a living with my brain, I promise I will not squander it.” A small voice whispered clearly in the back of my mind. “You should try writing a book.” I never even made it to the kitchen. I just sat down and started typing with no clear direction of where I was going. Even today, I write with no idea how the book will end. I just have a very lose direction to go in. My first book containing over 115,000 words was completed in 7 weeks.

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

The first part of my day is filled with social media stuff and trying to promote myself and my books. The second half is filled with both writing and editing. I don’t work on the weekends.

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

The next book is titled “Slaughter: Skeleton Key” and is just a few weeks away from completion. Holy cow is it good!

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Pretty important. I am fortunate to have two best friends in my life. DJ Kirsch and Brett Foster. DJ Slaughter obviously took the first name from one best friend. But there is a supporting cast to my books. Brett Foster is and FBI Agent and shares the same name as my other best friend. Abbi Jackson, the love interest of DJ and a fiery young woman with skills in computers, hacking, and gadgets, is named after my daughter. Most of my villains are all named after people I know.

Funny story, I had a best friend from one of my sons tell me, “You should name a character after me.” I told him, “Fine. But it will be a bad guy and I will shoot him in the face.” He thought that was awesome. So I did. I have officially killed off my son’s best friend.

Where do your ideas come from?

That little still voice in the back of my head. I have a name for it. It’s called the Holy Spirit. I know some that read this won’t share my beliefs, but it is how I believe it to be.

Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

I have a great idea for both a fantasy novel and a Sci-Fi adventure. Ut who knows if I will ever get to them.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Starting. Once I have a couple of paragraphs in, I am good. But because I usually have no idea what happens next, the beginning can be brutal.

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I like anything that helps draw attention to my books. I have one made for the first book.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Not screwing up my kids!

What’s the best thing about being an author?

Not working for someone else. I suck at working for other people.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Pounding away on the next book, of course.

Have you always liked to write?

Nope. Still don’t like to write. It’s work and I am lazy by nature. Kidding, of course. But only a little bit…

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

You don’t need to a have a map that leads from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. You don’t need character names or plot twists figured out in advance. Just write. One thing will lead to the other organically. Like they should.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

I have always been really good at watching movies and eating popcorn. I hear it doesn’t pay well, though.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

Of course. I take the criticism as a way to improve myself. I take the compliments as conformation of my direction.

What is your least favorite part of the writing / publishing process?

Since I write the way I do with no clear direction of where I am going, sometimes it can be a bit scary not knowing what is going to happen next.

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

His heart picked up the pace in his chest once more. It felt like a trap. But then again, it was supposed to. After all, he knew full well that he was walking into one. Of course, ever since he took possession of the small electronic device in his right front pocket, everything had felt like a trap. But this was different. This really was a trap. And he was the cheese.

He took a deep breath, took one last look around, and began to make his way to the alley entrance. Each step was a labor of determination as he waded through the thick fog of his own fear. Keep focused, he thought to himself. You can do this. Almost over.

One thing was certain, if cheese had feelings, he now knew precisely what it must feel like to have the rat in question bearing down on your location; black, beady eyes twinkling with dark desire and sharp teeth poised to dig in.

Where did your love of books come from?

We will just say that my childhood was not the best. Books were a way of escape for me. Within the pages I could be safe. Within the pages I could be anywhere else other than where I really was. I could be more than I was. I think the same is true for most people. Maybe they did not suffer a poor childhood, but they certainly like the idea of being whisked away from the reality of their normal lives.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both, of course. And often at the same time.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

My own propensity to be the laziest person you have ever been cursed to know. I fight that laziness daily. And sometimes it is a minuet by minute struggle. I have wanted to stop this interview about a dozen times now because I didn’t want to think about the answers. Seriously, I am that lazy.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I just write the story, man. I just write what happens next. I don’t dwell on originality. I don’t dwell on anything, really. I just write what happens next.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Sadly, I tend to be a bit of a recluse when it comes to socializing within my circle of professionals. There have been a few that have reached out and offered advice, but we aren’t really close at all.