Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To date I have written seven books and published four of them. After writing two cozy mysteries, I settled on legal thrillers as my genre.
After a lifetime of writing poetry, books, nonfiction, and legal documents, it was author Ray Bradbury’s friendship and encouragement that finally inspired me to pursue writing as a career. I earned my B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles, and M.A., M.S., Ph.D. and J.D. degrees from the University of Southern California. I am a member of the California Bar, had the privilege of clerking for The Honorable Arthur L. Alarcón at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, was a litigator in two major Los Angeles law firms, and a senior appellate attorney at the California Court of Appeals, as well as an Administrative Law Judge.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest publication is The Gun Trial. It was inspired by a real real California appellate case Jacoves v. United Merchandising Corp. (1992) 9 Cal. App.4th 88, 11 Cal. Rptr.2d 468. It is the second in my Sophia Christopoulos Series. In The Gun Trial, Sophia fights for justice against gun sellers after a Yale student’s tragic death. Through vivid, fully developed characters, it deals at a visceral level with the Second Amendment right to bear arms which is at issue today in America. Media wars, violence, corruption, scandal, demonstrations, murders, and a corrupt media all lead to a legally pivotal trial against gun sellers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Probably not unusual in the sense of exciting or interesting. I simply write every day for hours without fail. Then I do the business of writing every day for hours without fail.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
On a personal level, I had the privilege of knowing Ray Bradbury, a brilliant and disciplined person. He loved the theatre as I do. He was an inspiration. On an academic level, any writer who left me with a character or scene I couldn’t forget. Tennessee Williams has done that, John Steinbeck, and so many other of the greats.
What are you working on now?
The Rogue Entertainment Lawyer is the legal thriller I am drafting now. It is set in the entertainment industry in Hollywood and its central character is a premier entertainment lawyer who controls access to the top talent in the industry—the young, the arrogant, and the emotionally stunted, and the egotistical aging “legends.” He doesn’t touch any subpar talent, but does touch any ingénue any way he wants any time he wants—if charm doesn’t work, drugs do. It is the second in the series that began with The Rogue Divorce Lawyer which is soon to be published. As all my legal thrillers, it is inspired by real incidences that I fictionalize and dramatize. I find life will not stop leading me to the interesting, the unbelievable, and the bazaar.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Awesome Gang, of course. Promoting your own books takes a broad stroke and I use every avenue I can. Lately, I have been very interested in metadata and how it affects your internet and social media presence.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want readers, you must not only master the craft of writing, but also the business of writing. Also, you must get a good editor. It is a requirement and it is hard to find one. Even after they have done their job, there will be typos and errors. It is best to learn formatting to facilitate the process.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are only two kinds of books. One that is finished and one that isn’t.
What are you reading now?
I am reading National Geographic, as well as reading anything I can on the craft of writing and the marketing, branding, and selling of fiction.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to publish two legal thrillers a year. There is so much to say that I wish I could write three. But, an adherence to quality prevents that.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The complete works of Shakespeare, a multi-volume history of western civilization, a multi-volume history of the world, and as many bound copies of National Geographic that would constitute a “book.”
Author Websites and Profiles
Dale E. Manolakas Website
Dale E. Manolakas Amazon Profile
Dale E. Manolakas’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
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