Interview with Devorah Fox and Review.

I am happy to welcome Devorah Fox to my blog today for an interview. Devorah writes thrillers and fantasy books, and I'm pleased to say that I'll be including a review in this post. With any further ado, let's get down to the interview.

What kind of books do you read for pleasure?

These days I don’t choose my pleasure reading. I know so many authors and I try to respond to their need for a beta reader or someone to read their book and review it. I also belong to two book clubs and I try to keep up with the monthly selections.

What kind of writer are you: plan or not?

I do start with something of a plan. I have an idea of who is going to be in the story and where it’s going. However, at some point the characters take over. Like actors in a stage play, they toss the script aside and make up their own lines. It’s all I can do to try to keep up. Some of my favorite characters began as scene-stealers.

What book/character of yours is your favourite?

I like Detour’s Archie Harlanson because he was modeled after my late husband. However, I continue to be intrigued by King Bewilliam, the lead character in my literary fantasy series, The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam, and by Will Mansion, the Zen Detective. Even though their stories are in different genres and set in different times and places, both King Bewilliam and Will Mansion chronicle the struggles of someone driven by circumstances to set out on an entirely new life path.

Do you prefer to type or hand write?

Increasingly, I prefer longhand which is very strange because my penmanship is awful. However I recently read about a study that showed cursive fosters good left and right brain connections better than printing or keyboarding. 

Do you have a writing playlist? Or do you prefer silence?

I listen to music all day long, a Pandora station of jazz fusion instrumentals. However I do make playlists for my novels and share those on social media. I like to think that they help to convey the tone of the books.

Do you have any hobbies?

Sometimes I paint. Our local art center sponsors Whine, Wine, and Design workshops. We socialize, eat snacks, sip BYOBeverages, and get step-by-step instruction from an acrylics artist. I’ve made six paintings. I’m running out of wall space to display my creations.

Would you ever like to branch out to a different genre?

Actually, I did. After finishing “The Redoubt,” Book Four in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam literary fantasy series, I took up writing thrillers and mysteries: “Detour,” “The Zen Detective,” and the Mystery Minis “Murder by the Book” and “One Bad Apple.” They’ve been as well received as the fantasies.

What does your writing space look like?

It’s the messiest spot in the house. Stacks of folders and paper-clipped pages, PostIt notes stuck everywhere, pens of all kinds within easy reach. There’s hardly room for the little dragon figurines and the gargoyle.

It's February, 1993, and trucker Archie “Super Man” Harlanson is traveling to New York's Hudson Valley with misgivings. He's eager to see his girlfriend Debbie, but her elitist parents? Not so much. When he ends up at the family home, he figures the hardest part will be surviving the onslaught of relatives arriving to celebrate the birth of Debbie's nephew. That is until the US President announces his plans to hold a campaign event nearby and the town is caught up in the media frenzy. When Archie stumbles on a deadly plot against the nation's leader he finds himself butting heads with skeptical local law enforcement, the FBI, and the White House security team, and dodging the would-be assassins who now have him in their sights, all while trying to keep his head down in a household crazy with new-baby fever.

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars

I've not read anything from this author before but was happy to pick up a copy and see what she was like, and I was not disappointed! The book starts pretty clearly with Archie reviewing a new truck for a magazine. He sees himself as something of a wannabe journalist and his hope is this review will lead to big things. His motto is: If there's a road to it, I'll find it. A motto that comes in handy throughout the story. It starts a little slow, but soon picks up when Archie spots a few things that strike him as off. Intertwined with the thriller aspect, there's the love story between Archie and Debbie - will he ask? I found the book enthralling and loved it. It was well-written, the scene set beautifully and told in a way that had me turning the pages. Great read and highly recommended!

Check out Devorah Fox on Facebook!

Be sure to check out the blog every Friday for a new interview and review from other authors.