Time to talk with Paul McNabb...

The next Agency author to be subjected to my questions is Paul McNabb. I must just say before we get to Paul's interview how jealous I am looking at the background in his picture when I am sitting in dreary, rainy England. It looks fabulous! Rachel Okay, over to you... 1) Did you set any goals for 2011? I am definitely a goal setter. I was a high school wrestling coach for 8 years after I graduated from Oklahoma State University. I learned early to set goals and most importantly, to map out a plan to achieve those goals. My goal for 2011 was the same as it had been for several years: Get my book, The Jaguar Conspiracy, published. The difference was early in the year Dawn called to say we had an offer from kNight Romance Publishing. It turned out to be a three book deal. 2) What is the best part of the writing process for you? My favorite writers, Ian Fleming and Michael Connelly, wrote a series of stories about a main character. Of course Michael Connelly’s stories continue and he actually has four main characters. The stories were in real time, ie, as the stories progressed, the character got older. I am in the process of actually fulfilling my dream to create the same kind of character. The reader will travel through time with him and enjoy the adventures as they occur. I know the story line of the first three books although I haven’t done much on the third book yet. I just had a fantastic idea for the fourth book. I really enjoy the whole experience of creating a character who travels to specific places and events. 3) The worst part? Sometimes I spend days thinking about a difficult part of a story. The challenge for me is making the discoveries of the solution to a case realistic. I also think one of the most difficult parts of writing mysteries is giving readers misinformation, steering them in the wrong direction with facts that have multiple meanings. 4) What’s next for you? In 2012 my first two mysteries will be published, The Jaguar Conspiracy in May and Hope Against Hope in July. I will start the editing process with the publisher soon so I anticipate I will be busy. I must deliver the manuscript for Hope Against Hope at year end so I have a few more rewrites to go. As my books are published I will be spending a lot of time marketing them. I must execute the third book, Deadly Contract, during the course of 2012 and produce a finished manuscript by the end of the year. I know the story of the third book already but I haven’t even blocked it out yet so I have a long way to go on that project. I plan to write a screen play for The Jaguar Conspiracy during 2012 because I think it would be an excellent movie. I also write three monthly columns in classic car magazines so that keeps me busy attending events, doing interviews and meeting deadlines. 5) Tell us where you write? My wife and I own a townhouse on the central coast of California. I have a small loft office upstairs by a balcony. I have a comfortable chair and my laptop. I’ve surrounded myself with die cast model cars, a Maltese Falcon replica, automobile posters and some music pictures. It’s a comfortable place. 6) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years? I want to write a book a year and build a following for my main character and the series. I want to write a screenplay a year, too. I want to be economically successful as a writer, ie, earning a good living from my books.