Author: Ned Lord

ISBN: 0977476707

The following interview was contributed by:  NORM GOLDMAN:  Editor of Bookpleasures. CLICK TO VIEW  Norm Goldman's Reviews       

To read Norm's Review of  All the Guys are Bad Guys CLICK HERE

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Ned Lord, author of All the Guys are Bad Guys.

Good day, Ned, and thank you for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Ned, please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.

Ned:

Sure, thanks for having me Norm. My education includes a BSBA from Thomas Edison College, a NJ state college. I have a technical degree as a result of the US Navy service schools and a 2-year school in upstate New York. I've been either a writer or a marketing guy all of my career. My writing background includes technical writing for aerospace companies, ghost writing for hi-tech companies who wanted their engineers published, and for commercial publications such as Par Golf, Radio Electronics, and a myriad of electronic engineering and computer magazines.

Norm:

How did you get the inspiration for All the Guys are Bad Guys?

Ned:

I heard from a shipmate that the ship I served on, the USS Strong, was sold to a scrap operation in Europe, and while it was being towed to the scrap yard it sunk off the coast of Africa. I thought that going down at sea was a more fitting end for a ship that fought in several wars, at least better than ending up as razor blades. I decided to do a short story on that ship and the story grew, the ship changed names and locations, and became this novel.

Norm:

How did you decide on the title?

Ned:

I'm not sure, Norm. I must have had fifty working titles for the book. Maybe I made a mistake. Amazon grouped the book in their gay category, so the title may be misleading, but I liked the part of the book where Sig tells Andy that "All the guys are bad guys, Andy, especially the women.".

Norm:

Why did you become a writer and what is the biggest reward as a mystery writer?

Ned:

An officer on the USS Strong, Lt. Tom LeBeau, during a late night quarterdeck watch, suggested that I might consider a career in technical writing. I loved writing and also loved telling stories. So that's it. Through a surprising coincidence, I recently met Tom LeBeau in Tucson. We had lunch and I had the satisfying experience of thanking him for his advice. He, of course, didn't remember the discussion, which I think shows how we can impact others lives without realizing it. Lt. LeBeau went on to skipper his own destroyer. See, Im telling stories again.

Norm:

Did you have a hard time fleshing out characters initially?

Ned:

I think the nice part of writing in mid-life is that there is a lot of history to draw on. I have known some rotten people, some shysters, and plenty of beautiful, giving people. When I want a character, I think of someone I've met and add dimension to his or her character as I believe it to be. I try and imagine what he or she would do in a given situation. Whether I'm right or not about what the real character would do doesn't matter because I'm creating a fictional person. Sometimes I replay a simple scene in my head many times, testing how a character would act given his assigned personality. For example, a character is at a bank ATM depositing money and the machine jams with the bill stuck in the slot. What would the character do? I try rage, then mild anger, then amusement, and then perhaps guarding the machine until someone finally calls the bank to come and fix it.

Norm:

What obstacles did you have in trying to tell your story?

Ned:

Mostly logistics. We were sailing in the Sea of Cortez and I had no Internet or library access until we went into a port. So I would have post-it notes hanging all over my little writing station waiting for a day ashore.

Norm:

What advice would you give to someone who is considering going into mystery writing?

Ned:

Don't take yourself too seriously.

Norm:

Who are your favorite authors, and why do they inspire you?

Ned:

Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny" was the first book I really loved. I have carried a copy with me for most of my life. Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" is my next favorite. James Lee Burke is, I believe is the best fiction writer today. His descriptions are beautiful. I love these writers because they have the ability to fold you into the story. You're on the deck of the "Caine" the wind's screaming at 100+ miles per hour and a lunatic is in command. Or your crossing a river with the rest of the cowboys when the one next to you falls off his horse into a ball of snakes. And if you aren't standing in New Iberia Parish while reading James Lee Burke's prose, you shouldn't be reading books. They inspire me to write and write.

Norm:

How have you used the Internet to boost your writing career?

Ned:

Amazon is a big help. Also my marketing background helps me think of different ideas, like using eBay to sell proof copies. I use Amazons promotional events, and I constantly search for new ideas and schemes to let people know about my work.

Norm:

What do you hope readers will take away after reading your books? What do you hope to achieve with your books?

Ned:

I want the reader to finish my book and be sorry he read it so fast. If he enjoyed reading my story, that's all I want.

Norm:

What is next for Ned Lord and is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

Ned:

Andy is in deep trouble in his next adventure because someone is trying to kill him and he doesn't know why. I hope he can work it out so the series doesn't end too quickly. Also I am researching an historical novel that will begin in the southwest around the Mexican American War, and will conclude in Santa Rosalia on the Baja peninsula.

There is probably a lot we haven't covered but if people want to talk to me they can email me at ned@nedlord.com. I am good responder. And thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Norm.