How do you get inspired to write?
I don’t have to much trouble coming up with story lines. I have dozens of memories from my years in nuclear engineering and research. I can morph most of them into a book with a little effort (lot of effort.) Working with my favorite collaborator (my wife), we do good work. We once brainstormed a full-length novel outline from two words I scribbled on the back of a phone book, Chinese Tiles. I scribbled those words after waking up from a dream, a dream that I can remember nothing about, not a scene, image, feeling, nothing. So far, I’m restricting my Sing Family thrillers to twelve books.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
Writer’s block is not something that I have a problem with. I keep three or four projects going at the same time and write in whichever one strikes my fancy at any given time. If I hit a block on a book, I may switch and work on a screenplay and let the book percolate for a while.
What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?
My whole life is a series of incidents that could be the plot of a book. Most of them are pretty benign. But if I add a bad guy or two. I can make them into something. As far as mysteries, I would love to solve the mystery of how to effectively market my books without spending a fortune.
As I said earlier, I’m working several things at once. I don’t do deadlines. I’m marketing The Chilcoat Project, over half done with Wine Country (novel) and the screenplay based on the novel, and eighty percent done on New Orleans based adventure novel The American Pirate. In m spare time I produce and post a book related video and try to keep up with my Southern California book signing tour. And I’m retired.
Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Not On My Watch is the story of the theft of two nuclear weapons from an Army base in Oklahoma and the bad ass female Marine Corp firefighter that gets involved. Most of the story comes from my tour of duty in the Army as a Nuclear Weapons Electrons Specialist based at a Army Nuclear Facility in Oklahoma, of course. The main Character is based on my oldest granddaughter who was a Marine Corp. Aviation rescue firefighter based in Japan at the time I was writing the book. It came together quickly.
What kind of research did you do for this novel?
Like most authors, I write what I know and what I’ve lived. It worked for Dr. Robin Cook and John Grisham.
In general, what emotions do you usually wish to elicit with your writing?
Pure entertainment. If someone wants pure emotion, I would recommend Oprah or Dr. Phil.
Best advice on writing you've ever received?
Of course, I recommend the old cliché’s, ‘write every day and ‘don’t quit.’ But my favorite bit of advice is to learn to write the screenplay version of your book as you (or soon after you) write your book. Whole different mindset. A reader can only see the written word, not a sound, not a picture. A movie goer can only absorb the sights and sounds. They have no written reference as to what to feel. I learned more about writing a novel from learning to write my first screenplay that I ever learned from writing my first novel. My advice: write the screenplay version of your novel.
My research for Voodoo for The American Pirate was fun.
Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?
I tried to come up with a two-sentence horror story. AHHHH, I suceended.
What else would you want readers to know about you? Where can readers find you online?
I’m easy to find by name on Amazon, B&N, GoodReads. Here are some other references:
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/jeffbaileyauthor/home
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeffbailey4007
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-bailey-18601513b/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.bailey4007
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