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Harkening back to the writing styles of the earlier American authors –
John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, Carson McCullers, and James Cain - Criminal Profiler Pat Brown's Only the Truth is the story of a simple, rather slow, uneducated man, Billy Ray,
who loves a mysterious woman who appears out of nowhere and comes to
live with him. Two years later, she shoots their neighbor and burns down
the neighbor’s home. He stands by helplessly as the woman he loves is
arrested, jailed, and charged with premeditated murder. His happy life
turned upside down, Billy Ray sets out to find the truth about his
Charlene, whether the truth leads to his ability to save her life or it
frees him from her spell. Available at Amazon for only $2.99!
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Q&A with Pat Brown
Q: What made you write a fiction book?
A: I have actually written a few short stories before but, one day, I just got an idea for a mystery novel and I saw the main character, Billy Ray, living in his little house up in the mountains and I started writing. Next thing I knew he had run into Charlene at the train tracks and the story started to develop.
Q: Did you write an outline of the story or did it just unfold?
A: I have to say that, for me, writing fiction is an amazing experience! No, I did not plan out a beginning, middle, and end for this story; it truly did just happen as I wrote it. It is almost a surreal experience in that the characters take on a life of their own as one's fingers hit the keys on the computer, do things one does not expect them to do, and I was just as surprised by the twists in the story as its readers will be! I had to keep writing just to find out what happened!
Q: Are your main characters based on real people in your life?
A: Actually, they are all composites of people. Billy Ray is a combination of two men I know, one being a simple country boy and the other a city man who was a bit of a criminal but had an oddly kind heart. Charlene is a composite of a couple of interesting patients I ran into during my sign language interpreting career, girls who seemed quite sweet but there was definitely something concerning about their behaviors and personalities. The police chief wasn't based on anyone I know but he definitely should be played by The Rock if the book ever becomes a movie ::laughs::.
Q: Does criminal profiling feature heavily in the book?
A: Since I am a criminal profiler, I can't help but present my characters as real people with real psychological issues. There is nothing fabricated about the kind of thinking and behaviors the reader will encounter in the book.
Q: Why did you self publish this book?
A: I have two new books coming out with traditional publishers: How to Save Your Daughter's Life (HCI) in September 2012 and The Murder of Cleopatra (Prometheus) in early 2013. I wanted this book to come out now, while I have six months to concentrate on publicizing it and, besides, one thing great about self-publishing (besides not having to wait one or two years to see your book in print) is that an author can offer the book to readers at such a reduced price because the middle man is effectively eliminated. For only $2.99, readers can enjoy a new mystery novel at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a book published by a regular publisher.
Q: Anything else you would like to say about Only the Truth?
A: Yes. I love Billy Ray. One thing about fiction is that you get very emotional over your characters. You feel like you know them and want other people to know them. I feel sad if Billy Ray and Charlene and Chief Williams and the others in the story remain anonymous. I want people to know them. So, oddly, if people don't read my nonfiction books or if they don't like them, I don't take it nearly as personally than if people don't read or like Only the Truth! Strange, eh? I am so protective of my characters and I want the best for them. I want their story to be heard.
Only the Truth available at Amazon for $2.99 on Kindle OR on your desktop with a free download application. Coming soon to B&N and Smashwords.
1 comment:
I just finished reading your book and it is wonderful. I enjoyed Billy Ray's evolving understanding and I understand you being protective of the characters. Hope you continue to write another story- I want to know what happens next.
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