Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published ten books on Amazon Kindle in the Roger and Suzanne mystery series—six novels, two novellas, an anthology of short stories, and an omnibus volume containing three of the books at a substantially discounted price. There soon will be two additional books in the series, a novel and a novella, scheduled for publication in 2015. In my leisure time I work full-time as a professor at the University of California.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest published book is Unbearably Deadly, a suspenseful mystery novel set in Alaska’s Denali National Park. It was inspired by a vacation, which included a comprehensive tour of Denali National Park, we took in Alaska the year before I wrote the novel.
The soon to be published novel, Hunter Down, is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of Southern California’s circuit of canine hunt tests. It features Roger and Suzanne, as well as their two German shorthaired pointers, Juliet and Romeo. Oddly enough, my wife Elaine breeds German shorthairs and helps train them for conformation shows and hunt tests. Perhaps even more oddly, we have two dogs named Jolie and Ries (Jolie’s grandson) who have had a lot of experience in hunt tests.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Probably not. My biggest problem is finding time to write, edit, and try to sell the books. I’d much rather be writing than editing or selling!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The classic mystery writers—Chandler, Hammett, MacDonald. My third Roger and Suzanne novel, The Matador Murders, has its roots in Hammett’s “Red Harvest”, but starring my series characters, and with the plot updated to the present and set in Montevideo, Uruguay.
What are you working on now?
Final edits and input from Beta readers for the new novel Hunter Down, and final edits for the new novella, The Body in the Alpaca Pasture, set in Salta, Argentina. The Body in the Alpaca Pasture should be available for pre-orders from Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo early in July.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Probably mostly via Facebook and Internet book marketing sites like Awesomegang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be in a hurry to quit your day job!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find a job you enjoy doing and do it as well as you can.
What are you reading now?
I just finished, and very much enjoyed, Jonathan Kellerman’s “Mystery”.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The next tasks are to get the two books I discussed above published and promoted, then start the next Roger and Suzanne novel. I’m not sure where they’ll be visiting when they find the next dead body, but Cuba is a strong possibility.
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 not sure but they’d almost certainly be mystery novels.
Author Websites and Profiles
Jerold Last Website
Jerold Last Amazon Profile
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