Jean Henry Mead Interview
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jean Henry Mead.
Marilyn: Tell us about your new novel.
Jean Henry Mead: No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy is a Wyoming
historical mystery/suspense novel based on actual history. While researchng
another book, I came across the 1889 murders of a young couple who operated a
road ranch on their homestead land,.I was mystified when I learned that six
wealthy cattlemen, who hanged James and Ellen Averell, got away with it
because they spread lies that the Averells were operating a bawdy house and
rustling cattle. I researched the event on and off over the years while writing
other books.
Then George Hufsmith's non-fictoin book was published and I
was able to fill in the missing details. Hufsmith was commissioned to write an
opera about the hangings and wound up spending 20 years interviewing residents
in the area who knew the truth about the murders. Because I didn't want to end
the book sadly with their deaths, I also wrote about a single woman homesteader
who lives nearby. I was surprised to learn that some 200,000 single women filed
on homestead land of their own.
Marilyn: When did you first get published? And what was the book?
Jean: My first book, published in 1981,consisted
of interviews with Wyoming VIPs including the governor, U.S,
senators, sportscaster Curt Gowdy and Dick Cheney. I had previously worked
as a news reporter in California and Wyoming, so interviewing had
been part of my job.
Marilyn: Did you market it differently than you do today?
Jean: Yes, in those days the publisher did most of the marketing
and promotions, and I drove around the state conducting autograph
parties,when gasoline was cheap. I also sent notices to newspapers in
the towns where I would be appearing.
Marilyn: What is your favorite means of promotion?
Jean: The Internet is a great way to reach readers around the
world, so tweeting, Facebook, Goodreads, blog posts and guest
blogging have been good sources to promote my books. But I've received my
best results by placing my out of print books in the Kindle Select Program and
offering them free for a few days. The drawback is that some
people who download free books delight in giving authors
one star reviews, no matter how well written they happen to be. So a
writer has to decide whether sales or book rankings are more important.
Marilyn: What is your writing schedule?
Jean: I'm at the computer by 8 a.m. and first check book
sales and answer email. I then read the previous day's chapter and begin
writing. Because I worked eight years as a newspaper staff writer, there's no
such thing as writer's block. Journalists simply sit down and write.
Rewritng and editing come later.
Marilyn: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Jean: Read, travel, play tennis, take photographs, bowl, visit
with friends and family, and I'm learning to play golf,
Marilyn: Where is your favorite place to be?
Jean. An RV resort in southern California. A golf
course meanders through the middle of the complex and there are tennis
courts, swimming pools, a restaurant, store, chapel,, and club houses where all
sorts of activities take place, as well as friendly fellow RVers.
Marilyn: Who are your favorite authors?
Jean: The books of Sue Grafton, Agatha Christie and Dean Koontz taught
me to write fiction and I now read a variety of authors, so I don't really have
a favorite.
Jean: I prefer silence but after working in a noisy press room, I
could probably write in the midst of a traffic jam. I usually start the day
with a cup of chai tea topped with whipped cream.
Marilyn: If a movie were to be made of you latest book, who would
you like to see star in it?
Jean: Probably Gwyneth Paltro as Susan, the single woman
homesteader, and Gina Davis as Ellen Averell, the woman called "Cattle
Kate." As for the men, Robert Downey, Jr. as Jimmy Averell and George
Clooney as Michael O'Brien, the veterinarian (love interest). I would
like to sit in on that set. :)
Marilyn: What’s next for you?
Jean: The fifth novel in my Logan & Cafferty series is titled
A Murder in Paradise, which takes place in a California RV
resort. I've already done the research. :)
Thank you for hosting me here today, Marilyn. If anyone is
interested in learning more about No Escape, the Sweetwater Tragedy, they can
clink on the following link: http://www.amazon.com/No-Escape-Sweetwater-Tragedy-ebook/dp/B00BSG9F1U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363061784&sr=8-1&keywords=No+Escape%2C+the+sweetwater
Bio: Jean Henry Mead is a national award-winning photojournalist
as well as the author of the Logan & Caffetty mystery/suspense series
featuring two 60-year-old feisty women amateur sleuths who drive around the
West in a motor home solving murders. She also writes the Hamilton Kid's mystery
series and a variety of nonfiction books.
Marilyn: Thank you for coming to visit today and answering all my questions.
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