Interview with Doreen Owens Malek, Author of The Seduction of Tallchief

What can you tell us about your new release, The Seduction of Tallchief?

“The Seduction of Tallchief” is a combination of romance and suspense which goes into more detail about the process of the story and the development of the main relationship than is usually possible in a shorter romance. I really enjoyed portraying the main male character because he’s an anti-hero and his attitude toward life is changed by his interaction with the main female character. It has aspects of the narrative which go beyond the usual limits of this type of story and that provided a challenge for me as a writer.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

My father, who was a local Superintendent of Schools, was a big reader and had many books around the house. As a kid I would read them and gradually came to the conclusion that I would like to produce them myself. I always felt an affinity for language and was able to use it to my advantage eventually in my career.

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

“Ordinary People” by Judith Guest
Anything by Evelyn Anthony, especially “The Persian Price”
“Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King
“The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty
“Dancer from the Dance” by Andrew Holleran

This is just a sample, there are many more. These are all popular fiction, and lately I’ve reading non-fiction. Some favorites are:
“Leadership in Troubled Times” by Doris Kearns Goodwin; all of her books are wonderful
John Meacham’s biography of Thomas Jefferson
“Leonardo da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson

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

Shakespeare would be my first guest and I would ask him how he developed his extraordinary talent growing up as the child of a small businessman in Stratford, England.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don’t have a system or pattern that I follow. I might work like a demon through the night for several days running and then just decompress for a day or two. I’ve tried to be more organized about my writing but that just doesn’t work for me. When I’m in the groove, the story I’m thinking about is like a movie running in head and I have to get it down as it comes to me.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is when people read what you have written they know what you think.

What scene in The Seduction of Tallchief was your favorite to write?

My favorite was the reunion scene at the end of the book when the two people in love have been torn apart by dire circumstances. It’s highly emotional and demonstrates the attachment that will keep them together after their difficult separation.

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

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Doreen Owens Malek is the author of the new book The Seduction of Tallchief.

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