Friday, October 9, 2015

Blog Tour: The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin read a #interview



Mystery / Suspense
Date PublishedAugust 16, 2015


A good vacation delivers you home alive.
This is not a good vacation.
 

When Rayanne commandeers her husband’s weekend fishing trip, she knows it’ll take work to adjust Owen’s attitude. She has no choice. Since the tragedy, they lost so much. They need to reconnect. 

Without her knowledge, Owen texts his best buddy, Daryl, to join the getaway. The three of them aren’t alone in the backwoods of Georgia, though. 

Owen took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that changed their lives. And now the owner wants it back. By any means -- including a posse led by a killer dog. 

At first, Rayanne is clueless about the item and its value. One thing becomes crystal clear: If it’s not returned, they might not make it home alive. 



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Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

The Cypress Trap is really just escapism and entertainment. I didn’t go into with any specific message. However, if there is an underlying theme, it might be that dwelling on sorrow and regret is a trap. All the major characters (including the ultimate big baddie) are kind of stuck in their lives because of something that happened.



Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I think the challenge in the suspense and mystery genre will always be one, creating a story that stays one step ahead of the read, and two, successfully pulling off the suspension of disbelief.



How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

This is my third. The Designated Survivor was published in 2013. Prey of Desire was published in 2014, and now The Cypress Trap was released this August. 


If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

 One of the readers sent me an email saying that she saw Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick as Owen and Rayanne. That works for me, although Ron Livingston is a little older than Owen would be in the book. While I was writing, I saw Norman Reedus as the best friend. I even named the character Darryl.

When did you begin writing?

I wrote this book very quickly. I started it in November 2015 and had it to the editor by that March. There were a few changes and rewrites I had to make per her suggestion, but it went from idea to finished product very quickly. By comparison, I started Prey of Desire when I was in college and spent the next ten years writing it.  

How long did it take to complete your first book?

Easily ten years, if not a little longer. My first book started out as a college project then developed into a novel. It had so many drafts and subplots that came in and out with each draft. I hope all my future projects develop a little smoother than that one. 

Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
 Without a doubt, Stephen King. I read It when I was in my early teens and came away from it saying, I want to write like that.


What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Developing the mystery and the motive. I often start with that idea, then characters and plots develop around it. I have several ideas just waiting to be fleshed out.


Describe your latest book in 4 words.

 Couple’s Getaway Goes Wrong


Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?



My next mystery is titled Hangman. It follows a journalist returning to her hometown to attend a childhood friend’s funeral. People say the friend committed suicide, but when the journalist starts asking questions she suspects murder. It will be released in March.


Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC Gatlin grew up in Grapevine, Texas, a small town outside of Dallas. In 1999 he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he now resides. JC’s fishing trips help him breathe authenticity into his stories, which feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrops.
He has written a monthly column in New Tampa Style magazine and penned several mystery-suspense stories. His first, The Designated Survivor, was published in 2013. JC invites you to visit his mystery writing blog at jcgatlin.com.

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