R. Clint Peters Interview Part 1

Welcome everyone to another great week of the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  Our guest this week is R. Clint Peters

Tell me a little about yourself.

I have been a voracious reader of almost anything.  Twenty-something years ago, I had an idea for a book.  However, I didn’t want to write my book in a spiral notebook.  After a two year stint as a consultant using my computer all day, I had some free time to write.

The first novel I penned was The Pendergast Prerogatives, followed quickly by The Pendergast Solution and then The Pendergast Alternatives.  All three were submitted to what I thought was a competent publisher.  I later discovered I had submitted my books to a self-publisher that would only do something if they were paid before they did it.  I have since changed publishers to one that wants me to be successful.

My fourth Pendergast novel, The Pendergast Suppositions, was the result of the idea I had twenty years ago.  It was published through CreateSpace on Amazon.  I also published The Alberta Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel, on CreateSpace, and was approached by my present publisher to switch.

Wow, that’s a lot of books.  I love a good series.  What inspired you to write?  What type of genre do you write?

I just thought I had something that was interesting to say.  And I had the time available to say it.  The genre is action/adventure.

I think a lot of authors feel that way.  Tell me about your book.

My latest book (I have actually recently submitted two novels to my publisher) is The Dakota Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel, the sequel to The Alberta Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel.  The other submittal is Pegasus Rising, a Nixon French novel. 

In the Dakota Connection, the hero, Ryce Dalton, has been requested to assist in solving a series of murders in a small town in North Dakota.   Ryce is the director of the Joint Border Task Force, a group of Canadian and US law enforcement officers formed to prevent US secrets from crossing the northern border, and Canadian secrets coming to the US.  Because the location of the killings was close to the U.S.-Canada border, Ryce was called in because he has assets that are on both sides.  With the help of several characters from previous novels, Ryce is able to determine why the killings took place. 

Except for the initial Pendergast books, most of my characters flow between my books.  The characters from the Pendergast series are also part of the Ryce Dalton and the Nixon French series, and have even become a part of the novel I am focused on at the moment, The Brinkerford Incident.

That’s so cool.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen an author integrate their characters between multiple series.

I think we’re all a little more curious.  Tell us about the main character, what makes them unique and what makes them tick.

Ryce Dalton is a former Army Ranger who was injured in a low-level jump and decided after sixteen years that he was no longer going to be moving up the promotion ladder, and in fact, would likely be relegated to a chair polishing position.  When he mustered out of the Army, he joined the JBTF as a logistics expert and was sent to Billings, Montana.  When we join Ryce in The Dakota Connection, he is living in Minneapolis, has a young daughter, and a pregnant wife named Tanya. 

What inspired you to write this book?

My books are generated by an idea for the first three or four paragraphs, which are the hook for the reader.  I try to establish something that draws the reader into the novel, and compels them to continue reading.  The first few paragraphs, usually the Prologue, are the easy part.  After the prologue, I have to flesh out the plot, color in the characters, and create the rest of the novel. 

At the moment, I have four more Ryce Dalton books started, and have created three new characters (Denton Newton, Klete Wilkins, and Brian Tolleson).   The Klete Wilkins book has exceeded 65,000 words, but needs a great deal more work.  The Denton Newton book has a killer hook, but only ten pages have been written.  The Brian Tolleson novel, The Identity Project, was started as a collaboration project on The Book Reviewers & Authors Club blog, but I didn’t get anyone interested In putting in their two cents worth.  It might be resurrected in the future.

Wow, you’ve been really busy.  What other books or blogs have you written?

I am the blog master of The Book Reviewers & Authors Club (http://thebookreviewersclub.wordpress.com) and the webmaster of the marketing arm of the club (http://thebookreviewersclub.weebly.com)

In the Pendergast series, I have completed and published:
The Pendergast Prerogatives (I bought the rights back from the publishers, and it is presently being re-written)
The Pendergast Solution (self published)
The Pendergast Alternatives (self published)
The Pendergast Suppositions (self published through CreateSpace)

In the Ryce Dalton series, I have one published and one is being edited by my publisher:
The Alberta Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel (Available on Amazon)
The Dakota Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel (On my editor’s desk)

And in the Nixon French series, one novel is on my editor’s desk.
Pegasus Rising, a Nixon French novel

See above for the stuff I am working on.

Were your other books self-published or traditionally published?

The Pendergast series is self-published, which, as I stated, was probably the biggest mistake I have made as an author.  As I am able, I intend to buy the rights back for the remaining Pendergast books, rewrite them, and submit them to my new publisher.  The new novels in the Ryce Dalton and Nixon French series will be published by a publisher who actually cares about my success.

Who is your greatest writing inspiration?

I think my biggest inspiration would be John D. MacDonald, specifically, his Travis McGee series.  I have read every book in the series.