Bee: Hi J. Luke, Welcome to Bookpleasures.com

Bee: How long have you been writing? Almost ten years now, started writing my first novel in 2015. And second when did you realize this was what you wanted to do professionally? 

J.L.B:  Not until recently, after finishing my fifth novel and coming up with the idea for an 8-book series. There’s a certain magic that happens when you’re writing a novel and, without realizing it, the author turns into a conduit from wherever our thoughts come from (heaven/the universe, take your pick) and the words pour out onto the page. Sometimes, I feel like I just can’t type fast enough! ?

Bee: How do you come up with your ideas? Big picture “theme” and overall plot ideas have a way of finding me, not sure how. 

J.L.B.Usually, it’s when I’m relaxed, perhaps on vacation. Sometimes, they come to me in dreams and I write them down the moment I wake up (otherwise I’ll forget!) For smaller ideas, when I’m coming up with sub-plots and scene details, I try to relax, close my eyes, and let the possibilities flow through until I find a particular detail that resonates. 

Bee: And what is your writing schedule like? 

J.L.B.I wake up, guzzle down my first cup of coffee, and read/edit what I wrote the previous day, then I work to write about 1,000 words. Some days, I can only get a few hundred words if my muse is not cooperating, or I’m distracted with something “life-related”, other days I can bang out several thousand words.

Bee: What's the craziest writing idea you've had? 

J.L.B.: Great question! I have a bunch, but the one that comes to mind first is a world where we shrink criminals into 1-inch-tall people and let them live their tiny lives in a miniature “prison”. Think of the money we’d all save! But there are obvious moral/ethical issues running in parallel. Conflict! ? Once they’re rehabbed, we return them to their full size, along with their freedom.

Bee: When did the thought come to you?

J.L.B. The thought came to me one day when I was working in San Luis Obispo on a US-101 interchange construction project. I read an article about the drought that got me thinking. Then I had a nice chat with a fellow civil engineer who used to work at the California Department of Water Resources, and we discussed big picture ways Californians get our drinking water (aqueducts, canals, pumps, storage tanks, etc.). I also went down the rabbit hole of new nuclear power plants (e.g. molten salt reactors, like the one Bill Gates is building), where you get all the positive benefits of nuclear power, without the negatives (waste, potential meltdown, etc.) I wondered why nobody had thought of building a series of power plants along the coast and pairing them with desalination plants. California has 800 miles of coastline, why are we not taking advantage of that to solve our drought? So, I gave myself artistic license to make that happen, which would be great . . . but what if terrorists took advantage of the new system and weaponized it with genetically modified viruses? This was all pre-COVID, mind you. So, at the end, there are some practical ideas contained in the story, coupled with a solid cautionary tale for anyone thinking of actually implementing them.

Bee: If you could jump into a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

J.L.B.: Echo From A Bayou. The character arc in that story is intense. Since there’s a dual timeline and two lives for the protagonist, it was super fun to write and I gave the guy a happy ending, one I wouldn’t mind jumping into!

Bee: If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

J.L.B.: Fortunate

Bee: What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

J.L.B.: I read a book a few years ago where the author made me wait until the very last sentence to reveal what had happened. And that blew me away! Super satisfying! She kept the tension tight until the last word, which is a bit of a challenge. I wanted to do the same with Waterborne, so without giving away the ending, the reader will not know if Tracy Ciacchella lives or dies until the last line. Took me a few times to rewrite that last page, but I love how it came out and I hope your readers do, too!

Bee: What did you want to be when you grew up?

J.L.B.: When I was little, I wanted to be a fireman (favorite TV show: Emergency!) As a teenager, I thought I’d become a doctor, since that was pretty much the only profession I knew of—in my little bubble of a world—where you could “make a lot of money” and get “rich”. Not until my third year of college did I discover civil engineering, where I could use computers, math, science, logic and creativity to solve real-world problems. I’d found part of my purpose in life. Words can’t explain how COOL it is to work on the plans for something (a bridge, house, freeway, water system, retaining wall, grading plan, building, etc.) and literally bring something into physical existence. For example, I worked on part of the I-210 freeway through So Cal for four years and now, every time I drive through it, I think back to the team of engineers who worked with me, all the efforts we put in, and man, what a sweet feeling that is.

Bee: What is next? Are you working on a new book?

J.L.B.: YES! I’ve written the first novel in an 8-book series with a working title Time Goggles. I have a detailed series outline and am super excited every day to have the chance to write the second book. I’m working to take everything I’ve learned in the various classes at writer’s conferences, the seven books I’ve written, all the writing techniques books I’ve read, and all my life’s experiences to create something extraordinary for my readers.

About J. Luke Bennecke

Multi award winning and best-selling author, J. Luke Bennecke is a veteran civil engineer with a well-spent career helping people by improving Southern California roadways. He is the author of three bestselling, award-winning thrillers: Civil Terror: Gridlock, Waterborne, and his 2023 release Echo from a Bayou  To find out more about J. Luke Bennecke and his books, please visit his website at:  https://www.jlukebennecke.com/