Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was raised in the cottonfields of North Louisiana, typical redneck country. In the fifth grade, my family moved to a suburb of Baton Rouge, right in the middle of the Cajun culture. We went from black-eyed peas to boiled crawfish.
I am now retired and writing full time. GumShoe, an imprint of Next Chapter, offered me a contract for sixty novels and short stories. I had written these while in federal prison with pen and paper. In the past year, I have transposed about thirty so far. I hope to finish the rest in the next twelve months.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am in the middle of the Niki Dupre series, which consists of over twenty full-length novels and thirty short stories. Niki is a female private investigator in a male-dominated industry and society in South Louisiana. She is a Weapons Master in Kempo and uses this expertise in most stories. The first novel of the series is “Murder on Spirit Island:,
She is assisted by an hour-glass blonde with a voracious appetite. Donna Cross can hack into any database in the world without leaving a trace.
The pair of ladies face the corrupt political environment embedded in the Louisiana culture as well as traffickers of drugs, sex and counterfeit money.
The novels took me about three weeks each to write and the short stories about four days. I wrote them on yellow paper pads and now am in the process of transposing them to computer text. I have arthritis and use a voice recognition software. With my redneck accents, it’s frustrating and sometimes hilarious how the system interprets my words. Needless to say, much editing is required to fix these errors. It is taking me longer to transpose and edit the works than it did to write them.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write from midnight until three or four in the morning. I don’t know why, but I can focus more when nothing is going on around me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love John Grisham, John Stanford, James Patterson, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Janet Evanovich, Stieg Larsson, Robert Parker, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child and several others. While serving four years in prison, I read over 600 novels. The author who caught my attention was Lee Child & his Jack Reacher character. I thought he brought a new dimension to the mystery genre.
The other author I truly enjoyed was the late Sue Grafton. She made Lindsey Millhone come to life in a down-to-earth reality. I believe Sue was a genius.
What are you working on now?
I’m transposing “Murder by the Lake”, the tenth novel in the Niki Dupre series. I just finished four short stories that were published this week: “Murder Weighs on You”, “Murder Burns”, “Murder in the Hills”, and “Murder by Decapitation”. Two others, “Murder Minus Toes” and “Murder and ‘Yer Out!'” will come out in the next week or so.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Craigslist. I know this is unusual but I’ve found it effective with the number of stories I write.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep your butt in the chair!!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t let circumstances determine the outcome. We are all victors or victims. The choice is ours to make.
What are you reading now?
“The Shadow” by James Patterson
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have to complete the contract for 60 novels and short stories. That will take at least the next 12 months. After that, I want to start another series based in South Louisiana.
What is your favorite book of all time?
“The Lincoln Lawyer” by Michael Connelly
Author Websites and Profiles
Jim Riley Website
Jim Riley Amazon Profile
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