Interview with T.E. Woods, Author of Dead End Fix

What can you tell us about your new release, Dead End Fix?

I don’t want to give away too much. Where’s the fun in that? I can tell you there are two main story lines working. One line starts right where Fixed In Fear left off. Hadley’s been kidnapped by Allie. Mort’s left with no delusions as to what his daughter has become. Allie, now the head of a global crime syndicate, has grown more powerful than even she, in her twisted mind, could have conceived. Lydia is determined to bring Hadley home. Do I need to say bedlam and havoc result when the two women cross paths? Meanwhile, gang warfare erupts in Seattle, and Mort, despite his soul-wrenching issues at home, must work with his team to put an end to the rapidly-growing body count.

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

Are you telling me the sky’s the limit? That any guest I ask would be certain to accept? If so, my mind begs me to invite two illuminati: Stephen King and Toni Morrison. While at first glance the two may seem miles apart, it’s my opinion they share the mantle of greatest living story teller. Each, with very different styles and genres, has a way of grabbing the reader, holding tight, and daring them to remember to breathe as their stories unfold. Each, again, very disparately, gives the reader the exact word, the most perfect sentence, and the fully-fleshed riveting characters which lay bare eternal truths and fears that linger with us for decades. If forced to do something other than sit in their glow and listen to these two giants speak their crafts, I’d ask Stephen King if he ever feels his enormous commercial success has undermined his rightful place in the pantheon of literary genius. I’d ask Toni Morrison how she protects herself from overwhelm each time she dives into the depths and heights of all it means to be human. I’d tell her that I, too, was raised in Lorain, Ohio. Then I’d ask her if she’s yet to find a hamburger as good as Bob’s Big Boy.

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

I work two full-time jobs. I’m a clinical psychologist with an oh-so active practice and I’m a mystery writer trying to make it in a market more competitive than I ever imagined. I don’t do well with mediocrity. I demand the best of myself in both careers. In addition to my jobs I’m in a marriage that, after all these years, is the cornerstone of my life. I am blessed with friends far more wonderful than I deserve. My family is healthy, active, and strong. I hike, I kayak, I bike, and I’m companion to two nutty dogs. If I had an extra hour? I’d sleep. Sleep in, sleep late, take a nap, grab a snooze…in my jammies, in the theater, in a taxi or a plane…I don’t care. Give me an hour with nobody’s name on it and I’m shutting my eyes, tuning out the world, and falling into the arms of Morpheus before anyone comes to steal those sixty minutes away.

If you could invent anything, what would it be?

My invention is a pocket-sized device called the “IKnow” (patent pending). Its sleek design and ease-of use makes it a must-have for any homo sapien over the age of fifteen. Got an issue? Lost something? Confused about the intricacies of twenty-first century life? Just speak your dilemma into the built-in microphone, press the mother-of-pearl entry key, et voila! IKnow immediately gives you your answer in any of nineteen pre-programmed languages. “Where are my car keys?” IKnow knows! “Does a royal blue shirt go in the medium or dark laundry pile?” IKnow will tell you in an instant. “Is my lover cheating on me?” Let IKnow give it to you straight. “How do I represent the struggle for happiness within the context of existential brevity in such a way that my cartoon giraffe character won’t scare away the pre-school crowd?” IKnow will outline your plot in one hundred words or less. For three easy payments of $49.95, your life becomes that bowl of cherries your grandmother used to sing about. Order now. Operators are standing by. Don’t know the number? Betcha wish you had your IKnow right about now!

Have your books taken any inspiration from your career as a clinical psychologist?

I don’t think I’d have any books if it wasn’t for my day job. People come to see me because something in their life isn’t working. Something’s in the way of them living their best life ever. It could be depression, anxiety, psychosis, addiction, grief…you name it. Sometimes it’s simply a lack of knowing a more effective way of attaining their goals. With each patient, I get to play detective. I get to be Mort or Micki or Jimmy. I see the corpse of their unfulfilled expectations lying in front of me. I hear their story. I question and probe. I gather evidence, form hypotheses, and test my theories against their experience. Together, we discover the culprit. We corner it, corral it, and ship it off to a place it where it can’t kill again. People often ask me if the characters in my book are based on patients I’ve worked with over the years. The answer is a very definitive probably. While certainly the cast of characters in my books in no way is a verbatim representation of any one particular patient, how can I erase the memory of any person I’ve had the honor of meeting and working with? My patients have introduced me to depravity that even my own twisted mind would have never dreamed possible. They’ve related tales of unspeakable agonies. They’ve shown me courage and grace far greater than I would have ever imagined if I hadn’t seen it reflected in their ability to overcome and persevere.

What scene in Dead End Fix was your favorite to write?

Is this the part where I’m supposed to be diplomatic (or a good marketer) and say each and every scene was special to me? That I’m eager to hear from the readers which scenes meant the most to them? Okay, then. I’ve said it. And with that, I’ll say Chapter Sixteen was a real favorite of mine. Kashawn, a young kid pulled into the grip of gangster life as a means of survival, is rolling with his leader, D’Loco, looking at an option to launder the gang’s ill-gotten gains. He’s feeling full of himself, living large, rolling with the toughest man on the streets. Folks would surely give him some respect if they saw whose Escalade he had his butt in. His world changes in a heartbeat when their driver spots the colors of a rival gang just a few car lengths ahead. There’s going to be trouble. And from his position, seated directly behind D’Loco’s driver, Kashawn’s the man who’s got to protect the team. A gun gets shoved into his hand. This isn’t about posing anymore. This is real.

T.E. Woods is the author of the new book Dead End Fix.

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