Interview with Lawrence J. Epstein, author of The Hunted Girl

by grant

in Author Interviews, Mystery, News, Thriller

15 Jul 2019

What can you tell us about your new release, The Hunted Girl?

Although The Hunted Girl is in a series, all the books in that series can stand alone. No knowledge of the previous books is needed. This book is about a little girl who sees her parents shot. She also sees the killer. Or does she? Political fixer Danny Ryle is out to help people who need it. He is determined to save this hunted girl. There is also a story about a woman who saw a man once, on a train, thirty years earlier. Now she has won a lottery and wants to find that man. Danny must also cope with a very unwelcome visitor who knows Danny’s wife.

What books are currently on your night stand?

I’m reading a lot of books about writing now and, of course, some mysteries. I’m saddened that it is difficult for me to read contemporary mysteries. I’m worried that I’ll copy their style. But I’m re-reading On Writing Well by William Zinsser and several books about writing mysteries.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

I was a very active reader as a teenager, so I wouldn’t change that. I’d tell my self to have some confidence, not to be afraid to fail, and to write, write, write. I wish my teenage self had volunteered to work on a local paper.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

Re-writing. I never have enough time to rewrite. I’m a believer in the old truth that writers don’t know how to write until they know how to rewrite.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

This is an easy question for me. My family makes my world go around. My wife Sharon and I have been married for 46 years and have four children and five grandchildren.I love telling stories to those grandchildren. Besides them, I think about my writing.

What scene in The Hunted Girl was your favorite to write?

The first scene was my favorite. That’s because I had to introduce the little girl Jennifer, explain her situation and establish an interesting bond between Jennifer and Danny Ryle, the protagonist. I should add that I enjoy almost every scene I write. I figure if I don’t enjoy them, neither will my readers.