Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is excited to have as our guest R. (Rick) Allen Downey author of Kwatee and Pirate Queen: The Curse.

Good day Rick and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what do you think over the years has driven you as a writer?

Rick:

When I tell people that I come from Indiana, Pennsylvania, many ask “Well, which one? Indiana or Pennsylvania?” Indiana PA really exists and it also happened to be Jimmy Stewart’s hometown as well (Yes, I did know him). I spent three years in the Navy during the Korean War and my ship’s port of calls included Japan, Formosa, Hong Kong, Macao, etc. which provided experiences and background for when I later wrote my novels.

But at the time I wanted to write a humorous book based on life aboard an “auxiliary oiler,” however “Mr. Roberts” and “Caine Mutiny” were published and who could outdo those two? So my Great American Naval Novel was ingloriously sunk.

As for writing, I was an avid reader starting about 5 years old with the “Big Little Books”, comic books, and continuing into my teens with classics including all the Sherlock Holmes collection by my favorite writer, Arthur Conan Doyle. Encouraged by my high school English teacher, I wrote several short stories, one of which won a minor prize in an annual Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Short Story Contest for students.

After the Navy I attended Georgia Tech and to quench the lingering thirst to write, I found an outlet as a staff writer for the college humor magazine, eventually becoming its editor in my senior year. College humor magazines in those days routinely swapped stories, so mine appeared in a number of other school’s issues including the Illinois Shaft with whom we often traded articles, some written by its student editor-in-chief named Hefner. After Tech, I worked 31 years for Square D Company, an electrical equipment manufacturer, as a marketing engineer and later a marketing manager. There I wrote a variety of technical publications, advertising copy and layouts, trade paper magazine articles and co-authored an electrical handbook published by McGraw-Hill. After retiring, the writing bug lingered, and I decided, finally, to write that novel about the navy, except instead of a humorous one, it would be a suspense/thriller about a supernatural ship on an evil mission.

Norm:

I understand that Pirate Queen: The Curse is your second novel. How would you compare your experience with your first novel, Kwatee? 

Rick:

I learned a lot writing Kwatee so writing Pirate Queen: The Curse was easier, and I had a lot of fun writing it. When I started Kwatee, I had decided to write it for my wife, who is an avid reader of horror stories including Stephen King, Dan Simmons, and others. So I set out one July day to write a spooky tale without her knowledge and give it to her as a Christmas present. I underestimated the time required to write the complex plot I dreamed up and it was only half-finished by December 25th. I wrapped it anyway and figured if the first half was crappy, she – the ultimate and vociferous critic – wouldn’t hesitate to let me know, and I would deep-six it. Surprisingly, to me anyway, she thought it was good, and I should continue. She also contributed a lot to correcting, suggesting ideas, and proofing my efforts. She thought the final draft was better than most of the hundreds of horror/suspense/thriller novels sitting on our bookshelves and encouraged me to publish it. So I did. Many readers then commented they were looking forward to a second book and that led to Pirate Queen: The Curse.

Norm:

Where did you get your information and ideas for Pirate Queen: The Curse?

Rick:

The idea for Pirate Queen: The Curse came from one paragraph in Kwatee. One of the characters - Ricki Loo, an MI6 agent and part-time actress – was working undercover for one of the protagonists and was referred to by JD, one of the good guys, as the “Dragon Lady.” It was later explained to her that the Dragon Lady was a character in a radio program and comic strip Terry and the Pirates created by Milton Caniff, and he based her on a real-life lady pirate, Lai Choi San who had mysteriously disappeared in 1939 without a trace.

That germ of information intrigued me so I researched her and I decided bringing back this evil pirate, say a decade later, could make a good story. As for the historical background information, a lot of it came from my being in these locations in that time frame and, being a history buff, my knowledge of history. However, not trusting my memory and the need to fill in a lot of blanks, I did some of the research in my old 1960 set of encyclopedias and old National Geographics where photos of the book’s settings complimented photos I had taken, and the rest on the internet. Now the internet can be a minefield of misinformation so I double and tripled checked where possible every bit of information before I felt comfortable using it. I hope that my description of the settings, such as Hong Kong, Macao, Formosa, and South China plus the language, customs, songs, clothes, cars, etc. transports the reader back to the 1950’s and provides a solid base on which the plot evolves. 

Norm:

Pirate Queen: The Curse has a very unexpected ending. Did you know the end of your book at the beginning? As a follow up, how did you know when your book was finished?

Rick: 

No, I didn’t really know how the book would end when I started. I knew I had to have a curse that was different from the many “curses” already in print or on film, like Curse of Frankenstein, Curse of the Werewolf, Curse of the Fly, The Mummy’s Curse, etc. and one that was relevant to a lady pirate and her ship and crew. The curse I came up with which, incidentally, materialized in my mind about two-thirds of the way into the book, seems unique but being a realist I’m sure that somewhere on a dusty shelf or in cyberspace, a similar one exists. However, I tried to put my own spin on it so that the curse fits the circumstances. As for knowing when the book was finished, I could have ended it when the curse was defeated. But I always liked books or movies that, just when you think it’s over, it isn’t, and the heroes are threatened one more time. So without revealing the ending here, I knew the book was finished when all were safe back in Hong Kong. However, the epilogue does leave a question mark.

Norm: 

In fiction as well as in non-fiction, writers very often take liberties with their material to tell a good story or make a point. But how much is too much? 

Rick:

Using real, historical people or governments or organizations in a fictional story can be tricky. I think you have to be careful not to change factual history although raising questions or scenarios that could have transpired is okay – like the DaVinci Code for example. Now if I had had Chiang Kai-chek assassinated by Mao or if Reilly had had an affair with Madame Chiang, that would be going too far.

Norm:

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? As a follow up, what would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Rick: 

The most challenging thing is what I described previously – getting the historical background correct and then weaving it into the plot such that the reader gets a subtle history lesson without realizing it. My goal is to have the reader, when he/she finishes the book, to think, “Wow…there sure was a lot of research that went into this book,” or “I never heard of so and so or knew such and such before,” or as one Pirate Queen reviewer wrote, “I found myself interested in the real story of Lai Choi San, who is someone that I had never heard of until I read this book.” 

My writing quirk may not be unusual or interesting, but with me I see a movie in my head, then I describe what I see – places and people – and I let my mind wander, positing the options of the plot and then a story line just seems to infiltrate my mind and I write it as I see it as the movie unfolds. Often the story just grows like it has taken on a life of its own. Sometimes I look back and it’s spooky – I wonder where that particular idea or vision came from, seemingly from nowhere. I know that if my computer crashed, I’d never be able to duplicate that particular chapter exactly again.

Norm:

What is your secret in keeping the intensity of the plot throughout the narrative? 

Rick:

I’m not sure I do anything much different from other authors, The intensity comes from my wanting to keep the reader on the edge, wondering what is coming next. Most good suspense stories have a rhythm – an intense part followed by a slower part and just when the reader gets comfortable again, the intensity ratchets up. Suspense/thriller/horror readers are typically looking for a thrill ride – it’s somewhat like a rollercoaster where there are mostly thrills but enough smooth parts that set up the next wild one. I critique what I’ve written from the reader’s point of view and ask myself, is this a page turner? One of my reviewers said it best – “When you think there is nothing more than can happen, it does.”

Norm:

What made you want to insert Jewish ghosts or the Dybbuk as well as reference to the Spanish Inquisition into Pirate Queen: The Curse? 

Rick:

When I researched the old Portuguese fort on the hill in Macao, I discovered that when the Dutch Navy attacked Macao in 1622, there were Jewish sailors among the survivors of a sunken ship. The captives were tortured and executed in the fort. Jewish ghosts popped into my mind and I looked that up and found Dybbuks, so I wove these ghosts into the plot. As to the Spanish Inquisition, I think the idea came from Captain Chen’s torture chamber. Since Macao was a Portuguese colony, I wondered if the Portuguese Inquisition had spread to Macao. Research revealed that it had and the priests mentioned in the book were the actual ones that brought it to Macao. I think that particular chapter, “Dungeons and Centipedes,” is my favorite one in the book.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Rick:

I wrote query letters to all agents listed in AAR that handled the fiction/suspense/thriller genre. With Kwatee, all were rejected. So I decided to self-publish and chose Booksurge which happens to be a subsidiary of Amazon. When Pirate Queen: The Curse was finished, I tried the agent route again, including many in the UK as well – again all rejected. So I went with Booksurge again. Because reliable sources say the success rate of querying publishers is next to zero, I never went that route. 

Norm:

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

Rick:

Probably 90% of my internet usage has been doing research as I mentioned before. Also, I’m always looking for sites that offer writing tips and I scan best selling authors’ websites for information on how he or she became successful, and of course a lot of “how to” sites such as how to write a query letter to agents, where to find a list of  agents (AAR), etc.

Norm: 

How will you be marketing your book and how will you be using the Internet? 

Rick:

First, Booksurge set up detail pages on Amazon.com for both books. Last December, the month Amazon.com sells the most books, I took advantage of a Booksurge BXGY (buy X, get Y) program that coordinates with Amazon.com to pair your book with a best seller – Amazon calls it Best Value and both books are sold for 5% off the total price. I paired mine with Michael Connelly’s The Brass Verdict and it resulted in a lot of sales although I’m sure it would have been better if the economy hadn’t tanked so much.

I also have an author’s website and utilize a search engine keyword program to direct searchers to my website. I also use the internet to find out what book awards are available and have entered about nine so far. The second one resulted in Pirate Queen: The Curse winning an Honorable Mention in the Fiction Genre of the 2008 DIY Book Festival in Hollywood. I just got the results of the third one and learned that Pirate Queen: The Curse was named a winner in Reader Views 2008 Annual Literary Book Awards in the Global/Asia category. So I’m happy that the book is beginning to get some recognition. Winners in the rest of my award entries won’t be announced until April, May, or June. I’m now looking for 2009 book awards to enter. I also look on the internet for possible book reviewers. Guess that’s why I’m now doing this interview.

Norm:

Where can our readers find out more about you and your novels? 

Rick:

My website is piratequeenthecurse.com.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and what is next for R. Allen Downey?

Rick:

You ask very good and probing questions, so I don’t really have anything to add. I am working on a third book, the working title being The Remains and includes some of the main characters from my previous books including Loo and Reilly. I haven’t done a formal synopsis yet, so here’s an impromptu overview - Hu Chang, a multi-millionaire art collector, and his wife suddenly, mysteriously disappear in 1946 from their Hong Kong mansion without a trace. The only object missing from his collection is a single painting stored in a locked vault with no other contents. Hu’s records indicate only that the painting was titled Self Portrait, but no artist is listed. The price paid - $5million to “Unknown.”

By 1955 neither the painting nor the missing owners, dead or alive, have turned up. The mansion, currently unoccupied, is said to be haunted; rumors have it that anyone who tries to stay overnight never lives to see the dawn. Loo and Reilly are on special assignment in Tangiers to assist MI6 in breaking up an elusive major smuggling ring dealing in stolen art objects from all over Europe. An anonymous tip puts them on the trail of the missing Self Portrait that takes them to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Rumania, Transylvania, Germany and France where they find a string of supposedly haunted mansions and one castle left behind by missing or brutally murdered art collectors dating back to the 19th century. And there is only one common thread – a painting – the Self Portrait. Who painted it? Rumor has it the artist committed suicide immediately after completion and then the painting disappeared. Why is the painting so eagerly sought by private collectors and its existence so vigorously denied by the art world? What is it that destroys everyone who secretly owns it?

 So, finding those answers is what’s next for me.

Norm:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Click Here To Read Norm's Review of  Pirate Queen: The Curse

Click Here To Purchase Pirate Queen: The Curse