Interview With Author Dennis Pierce
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a freelance writer and journalist who’s covered events on Capitol Hill, interviewed former astronauts and cabinet members, and ghostwritten articles for company CEOs. I’ve written two books in a series of detective novels about a former journalist turned private investigator in New Hampshire, called the Parker Hanson Mystery series, and I just started working on the third book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The series was inspired by one line that appears in my first book, Swinging for Power. I love hard-boiled detective fiction, especially books written in the first person with a distinctive voice (like Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series). But so many of these detectives are tough guys who are ex-cops or former military personnel. I imagined a hero who was more of an “everyman” type, an ex-journalist who became a PI when he lost his reporting job as newspapers began to struggle in the Internet era. As he’s facing real danger for the first time, the line that popped into my head was: “What was I gonna do, hit those crooks outside my door with a well-placed metaphor?”
There are some baseball references in that first book, and the title is a baseball phrase that also applies to the situation Parker finds himself in, as he suspects the governor is behind a double murder—and so he’s aiming to take down a powerful political figure.
My latest book, the second in the series, is called Cross Checking, and it continues this idea of using a sports phrase that has a double meaning as the title. It takes place a few months after the first book. It’s now hockey season, so there are some hockey references—and in this book, Parker aims to stop a fanatical church leader’s murderous plot.
Throughout the series, Parker is aided by his ex-Army Ranger neighbor, Amalia Velasquez, who—in an inversion of traditional gender roles—is the badass character who helps the hero escape danger, like the Hawk to Parker’s Spenser.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As someone whose “regular” job involves writing, it can be hard to focus on the writing for my clients—the writing that pays the bills—when all I want to do is write fiction. But I’m lucky in that I get to work for myself, so I have the flexibility to make my own hours. I try to squeeze in the fiction writing around my other deadlines and obligations.
As for unusual habits, I like to change up where I write, as I find this keeps my mind fresh. Sometimes I’ll write at the desk in my office. In the spring or summer, I’ll write outside on my porch. During the winter months, I’ll write in a chair in front of the wood stove. When I need a change of pace, I’ll go write in a coffee shop or some other local business.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influences as a crime fiction writer are Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels. I also love Michael Connelly’s crime fiction and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. And I regularly read the Best American Mystery and Suspense series edited by Steph Cha and the Best Mystery Stories of the Year series edited by Otto Penzler.
What are you working on now?
The third book in the Parker Hanson Mystery series, Full Court Press, will include basketball references—and it features Parker and Amalia taking on a corrupt legal system. While they investigate a possible bribery scheme within the New Hampshire Supreme Court system at the request of Parker’s girlfriend’s father, who’s a lawyer, Parker and Amalia also have to contend with not one but two earlier foes.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that building relationships with readers through my website and newsletter has been the best way to promote my books. At my author website, http://denniswpierce.com, readers can find information about my books, read the first chapter, view trailers, click through to purchase, and sign up for my author newsletter. In return for signing up for my newsletter, readers will also get a free collection of my short stories.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, I have lots!
1. Anyone can be an author—and it’s never too late to start. I self-published my first novel at age 54.
2. This seems obvious, but you have to write to become an author. Make it a priority like any other task, such as exercising or spending time with friends. Find what works for you and stick with it.
3. The real work begins once your book is finished. Whether your goal is to be traditionally or self published, you’ll need to spend a lot of time thinking about how to pitch your book—to agents, publishers, readers. I’ve found that my pitches have evolved over time as I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and what resonates best with readers. Be open to experimenting and constantly tweaking your presentation, especially if it’s not working at first.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had intended to write a novel for years, but I always found the idea so daunting. The catalyst that changed that and set me on a path toward reaching my dream was the book This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley. His advice was spot on: Aim to write at least a page a day if you can. If you can write a little bit every day, not only can you finish a novel in a year, but you’ll stay “in the flow” and the writing will come easier.
What are you reading now?
My “to read” shelf includes The Waiting by Michael Connelly, Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, and Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon.
What’s next for you as a writer?
In my dreams? The Parker Hanson Mystery series takes off and the books become best sellers. But even if that doesn’t happen, I’ll keep writing fiction because it’s fun and rewarding—and because it’s an amazing feeling to know you’ve connected with readers.
When you read a review like “blends heart-pounding suspense, gritty realism, and timely political intrigue into a tightly woven mystery that grips from start to finish,” and you know you’ve brought a little pleasure to an unknown reader’s day, there’s no better feeling.
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?
I’m going to go off-script here are choose some books that aren’t necessarily in the genre I write. These are books that have stayed with me or that I find myself rereading on occasion: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. The Alienist by Caleb Carr.
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