I often come up with an idea for a crime novel or thriller that seems so good, I don’t even think about how I should look at it more closely the next morning when I’m sober. Then the morning comes and, after looking at the idea more closely, I realize three things:

1) It’s not a very good idea.

2) Ideas I come up with while drinking rarely are.

3) I must like drinking more than I like good ideas.

There should be a support group that helps authors grieve over book ideas they lose to sobriety. (Actually, such a group sort of already exists—it’s called Alcoholics Anonymous. But I don’t like listening to alcoholics talk about their problems unless the alcoholics are authors and their problems are about books.)

Few things are worse than thinking you have a killer concept for a novel, only to wake up and discover your brilliant idea is DOA and that you’ve slept in your car.

Whenever this happens, there’s no need to despair. I’ve learned one of the best ways to get over dead novel ideas is to share them with others in a blog post on a Wednesday in November. Below are my three most recent ones.

1) title: THE FIXER-UPPER

Premise: Exasperated by the trappings of the modern world, criminal defense attorney Roxy Bower buys an old, rustic, off-the-grid cabin in the woods of Oregon, where she hope to decompress on weekends. After the contractor she hires botches the cabin’s renovation, Roxy kidnaps him and holds him hostage until he repairs everything he screwed up. Trouble is, the contractor—unbeknownst to Roxy—has ties to the Pacific Northwest underworld. Even worse, Roxy succumbs to reverse Stockholm syndrome and falls in love with the contractor, who, as it turns out, is her long-lost first cousin.

Will Roxy get murdered by the mafia before she gets her cabinets hung correctly and her plumbing fixed? Will her love for her hostage be requited and, if so, will they get married and have a child with three arms or some other incest-related birth defect?       

2) title: WRITING WRONGS

Premise: William, a once great but now struggling novelist, is visited and tormented by several of his incomplete characters—all of whom are furious over the fact that he has left them stranded in abandoned manuscripts. Each character demands that William complete the book in which they are currently “stuck.” Several of the characters threaten William with grave physical harm if he even thinks about killing them off before fully developing them and giving their stories a proper conclusion.

Is this the end for William, or the best thing that could ever happen for his writing career? Or BOTH?

3) title: DEAD SET ON DEMOCRACY

Premise: Approaching the 2032 presidential election, the country is divided. Half the people love the rogue, egomaniacal incumbent president, Ronald Rump; the other half would do anything to oust Rump from the Oval Office. One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that Hollywood mega-celebrity Chloe Cavanaugh is a national treasure. So when news breaks that Ms. Cavanaugh has been abducted and murdered by a member of a misogynistic white nationalist organization, the entire country is traumatized and furious—especially since the captured killer has shown no remorse and says he was inspired by the ideology espoused by the president.

Despite Rump denouncing the horrendous crime, his favorability rating plummets just a week before Election Day. All signs point to him not being reelected, but a day before the election, it’s discovered that Chloe Cavanaugh faked her own murder to help “unite the people and save the country.” Will her bold and desperate plan work, or will it backfire and lead to even more political and social upheaval? Who the hell knows—there’s no way I’m ever going to write this novel.    

If you’re thinking of tinkering with some of my dead novel ideas to see if you can make something out of them, please note that there is an advance directive in place for each that clearly states DO NOT RESCUSCITATE. Kindly respect the dying wishes of these dead book ideas—or at least share half the royalties with me if you end up turning one of them into an international bestseller. Thanks!

Fiction writers (me included) often complain to one another about how not enough people are reading their novels or their blog posts or their blog posts about their novels. They whine about how, despite working so hard to create gripping plots filled with compelling characters and twists, the vast majority of people—friends and relatives included—aren’t willing to fork over a few bucks to buy their books.

Well, I’m here today to complain about all the complaining. And not because I’m above it. I’ve certainly done my fair share of complaining about not having enough readers or book sales. But I recently saw the light—well, caught a glimpse of it, anyway—and what I realized is:

Nobody owes me (or any other writer) anything.

No matter how much time or work or creative energy has been put into a book—or even how good a book may be—no writer is entitled to readers.

This is hard for most writers to accept. It was hard for me to accept. And even after accepting it, it’s hard to remember.

I, personally, spend so much time holed up in my writing office, creating and placing so much importance on my fiction, I sometimes forget something much more important: getting REAL.

I don’t mean I need to stop dreaming or that I need to be more realistic (“Hey, writer-boy, get a REAL job.”). What I’m saying is I—and a lot of other writers—need to be more authentic. Specifically, we need to be more authentic in our interactions with other people when we are not writing.

It’s funny (and sad) how so many of us writers find it hard to understand why all the friends and relatives we avoid and ignore for months while working on a novel don’t all rush to buy it when it launches. Also, how upset we get when our writer colleagues don’t all help to promote our latest book even though we didn’t help to promote their latest book when it launched.

Again, it’s not that we’re total a-holes; it’s that most of us have a blind spot when it comes to these sorts of things. Perhaps tunnel vision is a more apt term here. Writing a novel takes a lot of time and requires a ton of focus. Thus it’s easy to become so engrossed in the creative process, you lose sight of the people you’re writing for—as well as the people who’ve helped make it possible for you to write in the first place.

I’m just now starting to “get” all of this, and thus am certainly no expert on the topic. But that’s not going to stop me from pretending to be an expert and listing a few best practices for other writers to embrace.

Following are some effective ways writers—particularly writers of fiction—can “get real” and, in effect, grow their readership organically:

1) Share honest posts about your writing life. Readers tend to be curious about what it’s like to be a writer, and your fellow writers tend to be curious about how sane they are compared to you. Thus, it’s a good idea to occasionally share about your writing process, what you’re working on, what challenges you face, how often you cry over rejections and dismal sales, how often you self-medicate to stop crying over rejections and dismal sales.

As you’ve (hopefully) noticed, I like to infuse my blog posts, Facebook posts, and tweets with humor; however, my most “popular” shares—those that engage the most readers—are the ones in which I’m frank and honest about my shortcomings and fears and failures as an author. Shares where I allow myself to be vulnerable. Those are the types of posts everyone—writers and non-writers alike—can relate to. Because we’re all human, and all humans fall short in some way or another. But especially humans who write.

2) Share honest posts and blogs about your life outside of writing. As interested as readers may be in your writing life, it’s important for them to know you’re not some sociopath who spends all day, every day, holed up in a small room using your own blood to scrawl sentences onto parchment. (Unless you’re a horror writer, in which case it’s not only okay, it’s expected.) To truly connect with readers, you’ll want to show or at least give the impression that you’re a well-balanced individual who has other cool hobbies, like cooking or taxidermy. Readers will also want to know about your family and friends. If you don’t have any friends, share about your pets. If you don’t have any pets, share about your taxidermy.   

3) Interact with readers—and potential readers. Sharing posts about your writing and non-writing life is great and all, but being a writer isn’t all about YOU. Your blog, Facebook page, Twitter profile and Instagram account shouldn’t be one-way streets where only you can drive. If you’re doing things right and posting interesting thoughts, information, and excerpts, folks are going to be inspired to comment on those posts—and you’re going to want to reply to those comments. Mind you, merely replying to every comment with, “Thanks—be sure to buy my books!” is not interacting; it’s shouting. And it’s annoying. By taking the time to openly engage with people who’ve taken the time to look at and comment on your posts, you can cultivate relationships that last a lifetime, or at least until your next book comes out.

The same holds true for in-person events like bookstore readings and book conferences. If readers meet you and think you’re a snob or a jackass, they won’t buy your books—and may tell others not to either. They also might punch you, or break your fingers so you can’t write. And if they meet you (and you’re a jackass to them) after they’ve already bought/read your book(s), they may write a scathing review in which they tell the entire world your writing sucks—and that you have a weak jaw and fingers.     

4) Form alliances and collaborate with other writers. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but writers are a community. And every writer who actively participates in that community not only stands to gain invaluable insights and create lasting Twitter friendships, they stand to expand their potential readership exponentially. Let’s say you’re an author of crime thrillers with a thousand active newsletter subscribers. That’s a thousand people who likely will be interested in your new novel—seventeen of whom will actually buy it. But if you form an alliance with and help support the efforts of fifty similar authors who have a similar number of followers, that gives you fifty thousand more people who likely will be interested in your new novel—forty-one of whom will actually buy it. (I know, novel-math is a little disappointing.)  

Forming an author alliance doesn’t require any blood rituals or selling of souls. (Unless, again, you’re a horror writer.) It merely requires you to do what any decent author person should already want to do—help build buzz about your genre and the writers who help make that genre great. This may include re-tweeting or sharing posts about colleagues’ achievements and book launches, participating in joint-giveaways with fellow authors in your genre, posting interviews with other authors on your blog, and doing newsletter swaps with likeminded authors—or, even better, getting likeminded authors drunk at conferences and stealing their email subscriber list.

BONUS TIP: Another great way to gain access to the vast readership of other writers is to pick a mega-famous author in your genre and marry their son or daughter.

5) Support local libraries and bookstores. The only thing dumber than alienating readers and then getting upset when they don’t buy your books is alienating local libraries and bookstores and then getting upset when they don’t carry your books or allow you to hold an event in their space.

And trust me, you can’t just fake your support of local libraries and bookstores. The people who work in these places are smart; they’ll know if you’re being nice to or helping to spreading the word about them only so they’ll carry your upcoming novel and/or let you do a reading. They’re going to want to see year-round love and support—so visit often, buy/borrow lots of books, bring friends, even go there to write sometimes. At the very least, occasionally bring treats for the resident cat.

6) Realize that doing all of these thing STILL doesn’t entitle you to more readers. Embracing and taking action around all of the “best practices” I’ve listed above certainly enhances the chances of you getting more people to read your work and buy your books, but it in no way guarantees it. If it did, then embracing such tactics wouldn’t actually be authentic—it would simply be a strategic ploy.

Embrace these tactics not because doing so will help you sell more books; embrace them because doing so will make you a better person. A real person. A human being rather than just a human writing.

Long before I became a novelist, I used to imagine being one. I thought about how cool it must be to write all day and roam the night. I thought about the freedom of having no boss, nobody telling you what to do on the page or off it. Just infinite creativity, full expression, pure human experience.

So, yeah, I used to daydream about life—particularly nightlife—as a fiction writer.

And then sh*t got real. 

Here’s how I imagined a typical night in a novelist’s life before I started writing long fiction fifteen years ago:

You sidle up to the bar and nod at Charlie. You needn’t utter a word—Charlie knows your drink. Has known it for years. Knew it before your first novel changed the landscape. Knew it before you declined the National Book Award because you wanted to stay hungry. Knew it before the signed photo of you hanging on the wall behind the bar was hung on the wall behind the bar. 

Bourbon, neat.

The beautiful woman you’ve pretended not to notice sitting on the barstool to your left, babysitting a martini, glances at you, then at the photo, then at you again. “Hey, isn’t that you up there?” she asks, pointing at your framed black-and-white smugness.

You shake your head. “It was.”

The woman knits her brow, then turns her attention back to her martini.     

Charlie hands you a lowball filled too high. You hand him a twenty—you try to, anyway. He shakes his head and says it’s on the house. You shake your head and say he’s an enabler, then drop the twenty into the tip jar.

Charlie tells you he just finished your latest book. Says it’s your best one yet. You tell him you didn’t tip him to lie to you. He laughs, then asks what you’re working on now.

“Just this bourbon,” you say.

The martini woman scoffs. “You know, being so clever all the time actually isn’t.”

You nod and tell her you’re going to borrow that line.

“Be my guest,” she says. “You could use some new lines—I’ve read your last two novels.” She then knocks back her martini, grabs her bag from a hook below the bar, and leaves without another word.

And just like that, you’re smitten. But you’re not going to let falling in love ruin your mood.

The air. It’s thick with booze. Broken hearts. Bad intentions.

It’s going to be a good night.

And here’s how a typical night in a novelist’s life (mine, anyway) ACTUALLY looks:

“What the hell are you doing in there?” your wife shouts from the living room. “You said you were just going to your writing office to grab your phone. Come back here and watch this show with me.”

“Sorry baby, still looking for my phone,” you say as you continue typing ferociously yet as quietly as possible. “Be right there—didn’t realize the commercials were over already.”

Your wife reminds you that Netflix doesn’t show commercials and that you yourself had asked her to pause the show. And that you had promised you wouldn’t sneak off to write tonight.

“I’m not writing,” you say, your fingers tapping as fast as lightning and as light as a feather on the keyboard. You haven’t had a creative spurt like this in weeks. What’s flying onto the screen might be the best thing you’ve written in years.

“Then why do I hear tapping?” your wife shouts from three rooms away.

You stop typing and take a swig from one of the cans of Monster you keep hidden in your writing office and say, “That was just my fingertips drumming on the desk to help me think where I left the darn phone.” You then take a swig from the flask of vodka you keep hidden behind the cans of Monster.

Your wife says don’t worry, she’ll call your phone to help you find it.

“Wait! I think I know where it is now,” you say while an idea for an amazing plot twist for Chapter 16 pops into your head and has you frothing at the mouth, though the frothing may just be from the energy drink. “Yup, here it is—it had slid under the printer.” You take another swig of Monster, and two more swigs of vodka.

“Finally,” your wife says. “Now get back here so we can finish watch—”

“Ohhh nooo,” you call out slowly, stalling to give you time to finish your notes for the killer scene you just thought of. “There are a bunch of text messages from Ted. He says Janet just dumped him and he’s in a really dark place. Says to please call him. Says he needs someone to talk to or he might do something crazy.”

“Oh my god, call him!” your wife cries out. “Poor Ted!”

“Okay, calling him now. Thanks for understanding, baby. So sorry—I promise we’ll finish that episode later tonight.”

You feel awful and you don’t deserve her but more importantly you just bought yourself at least an hour of uninterrupted writing time, fueled by your unstoppable creative spirit and your Monster.

But first you need to tweet something witty about #writerslife and #amwriting. Lucky for you, your wife doesn’t have a Twitter account.

You send out a tweet about how nothing stands between you and your novel, and the tweet already has two likes from hardworking, dedicated writers just like you who are busy browsing Twitter instead of writing. Time to get back to your manuscript. But first, you take another quick peek at your tweet to make sure it doesn’t contain any typos or anything and … SWEET—another like!

Okay, no more screwing around. This novel isn’t going to write itself, and you can’t risk falling out of the zone you’re in right now. You click back to the manuscript and … damn it. You just realized the amazing plot twist you came up with a few minutes ago has a huge hole in it and will never work.

No biggie. You know you’ll come up with an even better twist by the time you get to Chapter 16. In the meantime, you’ll just keep working on Chapter 2, moving the story forward, building tension, increasing the stakes—basically creating a gritty crime thriller that will be impossible for readers to put down. You’ve got this! But first, you check your email.

In your inbox is a message from an agent who a month ago asked to see the manuscript for the novel you finished six months ago but have yet to get published. Before, opening the email, you pray to God this is “the one,” then apologize to God about you being agnostic up until now. You remind God you gave five dollars to a homeless man the other day, then click on the email to open the message. The agent says she’s really glad you gave her a chance to read your manuscript (cool, cool) and says she really enjoyed it (yeah?!) and thinks the book will have no problem finding a publisher (YES!), but that she doesn’t feel she’s the right person to champion it and thus cannot offer you representation at this time.

You shout a string of obscenities, and your wife asks if everything’s okay. “Yes, sorry,” you say. “Just letting Ted know how upset I am about him and Janet splitting up.” Your wife tells you to try to exhibit a more positive vibe for Ted. You say sure thing, then cover your mouth with your mouse pad and scream the rest of the obscenities you know into it.

You take a few deep breaths and start to calm down. You convince yourself there are plenty of agents out there who’d kill to rep you, and that the book in question is your breakout novel. You slap yourself in the face, tell yourself to toughen up, and vow to keep plugging away at the new manuscript no matter what as soon as you check to see how your tweet is doing.

Your tweet has no new likes. Also, you just received another rejection notification via email. And worst of all, your flask is empty. You decide to use all this frustration and dejection as fuel, to have it ignite your soul and elicit from you the most harrowing and gripping set of chapters you’ve ever written. Halfway through the first sentence, you realize you haven’t checked the sales of your existing books since dinner. You check. You haven’t sold any books since last week when your mother bought yet another copy and forced it on a friend.

You start crying a little—partly due to your failures as a writer, and partly due to Ted and Janet breaking up. Then you remember Ted and Janet didn’t actually break up, but this doesn’t cheer you up because you’ve never really liked Janet.

You pop one of the Xanax you keep hidden behind the Monster and the vodka in your office.

Your wife knocks on your office door. “You still talking to Ted?” she asks.

“Hold on a second, Ted,” you say into your pretend phone, which you then pretend to cover even though your office door is closed and your wife can't see you. “Yeah," you say to her. "Poor guy’s a mess.”

Your wife says she thought she heard you crying. You say that was actually Ted— that you accidentally put him on speaker for a moment there. She asks why she hasn’t heard you say anything besides several curse words since you started talking to Ted. You tell her Ted just needs someone to listen to him right now.

Another plot twist idea pops into your head. You tell your wife you feel bad for making Ted hold like this and need to get back to lending him your ear.

“Sorry about that, Ted,” you say into your pretend phone loud enough for your wife to hear. “Please continue. Yeah, you were saying you don’t know how you’re going to get through this, and I was telling you I know you will, and that I’m here for you, and that you have so much to live for.”

Through the door, your wife says you’re a good friend. A good man. A great husband. Says she’s lucky to have you in her life.

You take a break from staring at your manuscript to cover your pretend phone, then tell your wife, “Ditto.”

“Oh, and by the way,” your wife says, a little bite in her voice, “I have your phone.”

She pauses for your heart attack, then says, “You left it on the couch before running to your writing office to find it.”

Says she was just on a real phone call—with Janet. Says Janet’s doing great. Ted too.

Says she’s going to stay with them for the next few days, maybe longer.

Says, “That ought to give you plenty of time to write. Jackass.”

Before any of you unsubscribe, un-follow, un-friend me, and/or urge my wife to divorce me, please note that what you just read is full of hyperbole and over-dramatizations for the sake of entertainment. I assure you I would never cover my mouth with my mouse pad—that thing has mold growing on it from all the vodka and Monster I’ve spilled on it. Also, I don’t have any friends named Ted, or in general.

If you would like to contribute funds to help pay for the therapy Greg needs, you can do so by going to his Amazon author page, clicking on one (or all) of the books featured, then clicking the “Buy Now” icon.

Those of you who’ve been on my mailing list and/or have followed me on social media for a while now (THANK YOU) know I usually come out with a new novel every 12-18 months. You’ve likely heard me express how much joy I get from writing, how much pride I take in it. How much I love creating characters who are decent people deep down but who make questionable decisions and take big risks for what they feel is right or just—characters you would probably never hang out with in real life but whom you can’t resist rooting for in a book.

Many of you have even read my books, and some of you even like them. A few of you have even told me you always look forward to whatever book I happen to be working on. I’m extremely grateful to all of you—especially you folks in that second and third group!

With all that said, I have an announcement that might bum some of you out—initially, at least:  

It may be a while before you see another novel with my name on it. 

No, I’m not giving up writing. Quite the contrary, actually—I’m trying to go bigger with it. That is, I’m aiming for a book deal. It remains to be seen whether this deal will be with a “Big 5” publishing house, a Big 5-adjacent publishing house, or one of several highly respected small presses that specialize in fresh and daring crime fiction/thrillers. But one thing is for sure (I think)—I’m done with putting out books myself as an indie author under my own imprint (White Rock Press).  

Now, before any of my indie/self-published author colleagues un-follow, un-friend, or un-talk to me, let me make something perfectly clear: I still have the utmost respect for—and will continue to support and spread the word about—the many folks who continue to hustle and grind every day to write, publish and peddle good books without the assistance of a literary agent and/or a publishing house. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Many of the best books I’ve read are by authors who fall under the indie or self-published category. Having a literary agent and a traditional book deal doesn’t by definition make an author superior to or more talented than an author who doesn’t. Yes, some of the top writers out there today are “traditionally” published. But being traditionally published isn’t the de facto sign of writing talent—not by any stretch.

So then why, you may ask, have I decided to hand in my indie badge and set my sights on a “traditional” publishing deal?

I’ll tell you why:

I’m tired.

Not the most inspiring reason, but it’s true. Now, to be clear, I’m not tired of writing. I’ll never tire of writing. I currently spend half my waking life working on novels, and will continue to. But I am tired of spending the other half of my waking life doing the following:

• lining up (and paying out of my pocket) editors, proofreaders, cover designers, and formatters for my books;
• constantly shouting into the vast digital void, “Check out my book(s)!”
• deeply discounting those books (and shouting into the vast digital void about said deep discounts) to boost sales and gain new readers;
• doing everything I possibly can to single-handedly grow my mailing list and followers and author platform so that every time I come out with a new book I already have more people who know about it than I did for the previous one.

I’m also tired of NOT doing certain things. Mainly, not being the best father and husband and son and brother and friend I can be because I’m so busy doing all of the above tasks—all the non-writing activities an indie author has to do to have even a remote shot at having their book make a bang and not just a whimper in the world. (NOTE: While I’ll certainly help a lot with the above tasks after I get a publisher, I no longer wish to be a publisher.)

In addition, I’m tired of making traditional publishing wrong—making excuses for why I have yet to land a literary agent or a book deal in the six or so years since I decided to start taking my fiction career seriously. I’m tired of lying to myself—telling myself the only reason I’ve yet to make a bigger splash in the book world is because my novels are “too edgy” or because lit agents and publishing houses are interested only in formulaic, commercial fiction, or because you have to know somebody big in the biz who wants to help you. I’m tired of the fact that I’ve stopped even trying to get a book deal because I've convinced myself it’s too hard these days, or because the traditional publishing process is sooo sloooow (that's true, but not a good reason to stop trying), or because—gag—I’m an artist, not a sell-out.

I want to challenge myself. I want to try to go bigger and wider with my books (while still spending quality time with my family and the few friends I have left). I want to prove to myself I’m tough enough to endure the inevitable rejections and gut-punches and body blows that happen to an author when they try to jump into the traditional publishing ring. And, even more so, I want to see if I’m tough enough to remain grounded in the event that I actually succeed. From what I’ve witnessed, it’s not easy for authors who’ve hit it big to be authentically humble, grateful, compassionate, and generous. And it may very well not be. 

But I'm going to do everything I can to find out for myself. 

What’s that—you want to know what you can do to help? Aw, that’s so kind of you to offer! Hmm, you sort of caught me off guard with that thoughtful question, so it may take me a while to … okay, I’ve got it! The following are some things you can do to help let the publishing world know I’m an author worth taking a chance on:  

• Buy my existing books. Agents and publishers like to see that an author they're considering has a decent sales record. So, if you’ve enjoyed my posts and book excerpts but have yet to buy or read any of my novels, go on and give one a shot. Or give two or three a shot. Okay, fine—buy everything I’ve ever written. I’m not going to sit here and argue with you.

• Tell your people. Those of you who’ve read my novels and enjoyed them, please spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues whose taste in literature may be as awesome as yours is. 

• Tell complete strangers. Why do you insist on living in a bubble when it comes to advancing my writing career? I feel it’s high time you expanded your efforts and began promoting my books to the reading world at large. This can easily be done by posting reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, as well as by quitting your job to form a massive Greg Levin Fan Club that travels the globe and the talk-show circuit singing the praises of my fiction.  
• Tell your agent or publisher. A renowned author of crime thrillers recently reached out to let me know she loved my work. She then offered to refer me to her agent. Which begs the question: Why isn’t EVERY renowned author of crime thrillers reaching out to me and doing the same? I mean, is that so much to ask?

​All kidding aside (okay, most kidding aside), I'm very excited about the new path I've decided to take through the publishing woods. Sure, I may get lost, or torn to shreds by a Grizzly, or trapped under a tree and gnawed to death by a squirrel. But there's also a chance I make if through the forest fully intact—having survived on squirrel stew and bear steaks—and with a book deal in hand. We'll have to wait and see. But one thing's for sure: I will never again use a forest metaphor to end an important announcement about my writing career.

NOTE: My (hopefully) next novel, INTO A CORNER, has been finished since June and has drawn the interest of several literary agents. So now the waiting and wishing and praying begins. My apologies for inadvertatnly teasing you by announcing earlier this year that the book would be available the beginning of this month. I assure you I had every intention of launching it then, but have since banged my head and developed delusions of grandeur. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to run—I'm late for a lunch with Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Margaret Atwood at Cormac McCarthy's house.   

My guest today is Alex Segura, author of the gritty and gripping Pete Fernandez Mystery series (published by Polis Books). The fifth and final book in the acclaimed series—Miami Midnight—just launched last month and has received high praise from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Library Journal, New York Times bestselling author Alafair Burke, and—least importantly—me. 

In addition to writing kick-ass crime novels, Alex writes kick-ass comic books, and is the co-creator and co-writer of the LETHAL LIT podcast, which was named one of the Five Best Podcasts of 2018 by The New York Times despite never having had me on as a guest.

As talented a writer as Alex is, what’s even more impressive is his humility, compassion, and gratitude. One look at his Twitter feed will tell you that. As will an interview with him—so let’s get to it!

Hi Alex! HUGE congrats on Miami Midnight! The book has received a ton of buzz—thus I assume you’re buzzing too. But it being the final installment of the Pete Fernandez Mystery series, has this book launch/tour been bittersweet for you?

Thanks, Greg. Appreciate it. Yes, it has been a little bittersweet—more than I expected, honestly. I thought it’d just be the end, you know? But the reaction has been so positive, and it’s also come with a lot of nice notes about the series as a whole, with fans decrying the end in a really nice way! So while I don’t think I regret ending the series for now—it is time—it has been bittersweet to look back on the entire run as this complete thing. I can’t believe we’ve reached the fifth book.

Every reader loves a highly flawed protagonist they can’t resist rooting for, and Pete Fernandez certainly falls into that category. How did you and Pete first “meet”? Have you always gotten along with him?

I first saw him when I started toying with the idea of writing my own PI novel, before I even considered it becoming a series. I wanted to write about someone sort of like me, Cuban-American, younger, just starting out in the PI game, saddled with real problems. Then the name appeared, and I got this visual of Pete, passed out drunk in his bed, struggling to get his life in order—which is literally the first time we see him in the first novel, Silent City. And then we were off!

What do you like most about writing a series? What do you like the least?

I like the continuity. I like spending time with the same characters. It’s like TV vs. the movies. You get comfortable with these people and start to believe they’re real. And while every series book involves some level of recap for new readers or those coming back, there’s an element of “okay, here’s the next thing,” where you can just dive in and showcase the new adventure. I think, in terms of what I like least, it has to be the barnacles you collect along the way—you just add baggage to the characters and it becomes more challenging to say something new after a while. Which is why I had a finite set of stories I knew I could tell with Pete and his crew. Eventually, it’d start to challenge reality/plausibility. So by book five, it felt like the right time to say goodbye... for now.

Which authors have influenced you and your writing the most? Have you ever met any of them and, if so, how much did you stammer and sweat during the encounter?

I’ve made no secret about my influences. Crime writers like Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Megan Abbott, James Ellroy, and a few from an earlier generation—like Raymond Chandler, Jim Thompson, Ross Macondald, John D. MacDonald, Charles Willeford, Patricia Highsmith, Margaret Millar... those are all off the top of my head. But those are the ones that directly affect my writing, to this day. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting most of the living ones, and even more proud to call a few of them a friend. I was pretty cool and collected with most, but admit to losing my chill the first time I met Dennis Lehane. Thankfully, I got to make up for that the second time I spoke with him, so I think we’re good.

For me, one of the most interesting things about crime fiction is the research the author must conduct before and while writing the novel. What kinds of crazy things might we (or the FBI) find in your browser history? (Assuming you haven’t cleared it.)

All my research is on the page—I spent a lot of time reading about cults and political assassinations for my fourth novel, Blackout, for example. For Miami Midnight, it was more about what I was enjoying as a reader and listener—so, jazz, the Cuban mob, true crime memoirs and stuff like that. I’m pretty transparent. I don’t do much “homework reading” when it comes to my novels. Whatever I’m reading for pleasure becomes what I write about because it feels more natural that way.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a crime novelist? What are some key things you know now that you wish you’d known when you first started?

I always wanted to write, as far back as I can remember. Whether it was comics, sci-fi, literary fiction, or what-have-you, but the crime aspect hit me in my late twenties, when I started reading more modern takes on the PI novel—and that’s when it crystallized for me that I might be able to add my voice to that chorus.

What’s the last book you read? Are you currently reading anything now, and, if so, how the hell do you find the time in the middle of your launch/tour?

I just finished rereading Rob Hart’s fantastic The Warehouse. Everyone is rightfully talking about this novel, which will be sticking with me for a long time. I’m currently finishing up J. Michael Straczynski’s memoir, Becoming Superman, which is heartbreaking, intense and thoughtful. I’m also reading Alison Gaylin’s Never Look Back next, which I’m excited to dive into. In terms of time, well, reading is important! If I’m not reading all the time, I shouldn’t be writing.

Got another book in the works? Or do you, like me, need a couple months of therapy and/or binge drinking before resuming the madness of novel writing?    

Well, I don’t drink, and I’m not sure what a break is! I tend to start the next thing while revising or copyediting the last one, so I’m about a quarter into a new standalone that I’m really excited about.

Ooh, now I’m excited, too… as I’m sure all your readers are. Thanks a ton for taking the time to chat with me, Alex. Here’s to your continued success with Miami Midnight, and beyond!   

Thank you for having me, Greg!

To learn more about Alex Segura and his highly compelling crime fiction—and you totally SHOULD—check out his website, Amazon author page, and Twitter.