Interview with Dan E. Hendrickson, Author of The Legend of Deputy Jim

What can you tell us about your new release, The Legend of Deputy Jim?

The Legend of Deputy Jim grew out of my first three books “The Last Enemy Series”. Technically it is a prequel to those books but does stand on its own as a unique story in and of itself. Jim Edwards in the Last Enemy series is the father of Commander Jacob Edwards “the Hero of Cozumel”, and the grandfather of Danielle Edwards. He was very involved in fighting against a notoriously evil antagonist named Boris who wanted the Edwards Family killed so that he could take over Jim’s Business and use it in his criminal underground. The Edwards family do eventually come out on top and survive the crime lords attempts. But there is also something about Jim Edwards past that hints this is not the first time Jim has had a tough fight with some vicious criminals. Back in the early 1970’s Jim Edwards was a sheriff’s deputy in Sheridan Wyoming, and back then he had a run in with a notorious outlaw biker gang called ‘The Wild Wolves’. What happened back then was so violent that Sheriff Manning and his top Lieutenant Al Freeburger completely destroyed all records of Jim’s last year in the department. Jim and his wife never talk about what happened back then even to their son Jacob Edwards. The Legend of Deputy Jim is was a lot of the old timer Law enforcement people call what happened back then and the book tells the story.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

That’s easy it was my late father, Carl Edward Hendrickson. He was, among other things an, English professor. He loved writing poetry, plays, and short stories. He was also the most prolific reader I have ever known. I knew him to read three to five books a week. My brother and I used to kid him about having a different book in every room in the house that he would read simultaneously.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter

Midshipmans Hope by David Feintuch

Lord Fouls Bane, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson

The Hornblower Saga by C.S. Forester

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Stephen Hunter. I would ask him how he came up with the character of Bob Lee Swagger.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Writing the first draft of a book. It’s when I get to enjoy my story. It’s all work after that.

What is a typical day like for you?

I get up around 5:30 am, get my dog Lightning up and we go for a walk. I get to work at about 7 am and I open the place up because I own the business. It is a Auto Body and Detail Shop. Once everything is set and my detail shop and body shop managers are there and starting the day I sneak off and start working on my writing. I can usually get a couple hours in in the morning before business starts pulling me away. Then the rest of the work day is pretty much taking care of my customers cars. I get home between 3 and 4 pm, exercise, eat, and maybe work a little more on my writing or do other activities.

What scene in The Legend of Deputy Jim was your favorite to write?

There are three sections in the book where I show the modern day telling of the Story in a famous bar in Sheridan Wyoming. They are pretty short compared to the rest of the book but I enjoyed writing them because they helped me tie the book to my first three books in The Last Enemy Series but still allowed me to make the Legend of Deputy Jim a stand-alone story.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

The fun is in the journey! Writing books is why I write books!

Dan E. Hendrickson is the author of the new book The Legend of Deputy Jim.

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