We had the fantastic opportunity to chat with Joe about his trilogy Stained Fortune. It’s received rave reviews on Amazon. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Joe! Thank you for speaking with us about Stained Fortune. Tell us what inspired you to write the trilogy.
I was inspired by the many interesting people I’ve known and places lived over my seventy years. It began with a short story and then took on a life of its own. As I continued to develop the characters and plot the finished product was more than one book. My publisher and editor advised that I consider making into three books, which is what I’ve done. Just finishing the second book now, and that title is Money Faucet.
How did you come up with the storyline?
The storyline began in a writing class. The teacher gave us an assignment-The Second Time I…I began to think of the second time I did this or that. Knowing you need to grab the readers interest in the first page I decided to write-The Second Time I Went to Prison. I had never been to prison, but that didn’t matter. I had to disclose eventually to the readers about the first time.
It has international intrigue, money, drugs, and murder. Why did you choose this theme?
I had exposure to all of what I wrote about. I had lived in Mexico for two and one-half years. I had known people that transported drugs and somehow laundered the money. My significant other owned a bank and my curious mind was filled with what goes on inside a bank. I also knew a young man that ran an escort business and was concerned about paying taxes.
How did you develop your characters? Did you have any influences?
The characters came about once I had contemplated how the protagonist, Clint, went to prison a second time. Every character has some bits of people I’ve known over the years or some of my own traits. I’ve known interesting characters during my lifetime. I’ve been an observer and detecting what motivates people. If you know that then you can build from there.
The portrayal of the homosexual world is particularly interesting. Was this important for you to create an accurate insight into the lifestyle?
Yes. I’ve lived a gay life for the last fifty years. I’ve known many gay businessmen and believed this would give my story a different twist. More and more media today have gay characters.
What should readers expect from your book?
They should expect a credible engaging story from the beginning. It tells of someone, maybe not unlike themselves, that is an opportunist and always looking for a way to get ahead, and quickly.
Where can our readers purchase your book?
Amazon is the easiest. It is available in paperback or a Kindle reader. Just go to Amazon and type in Stained Fortune.
What can readers expect from the next installment?
The second book, Money Faucet, will be out in two months. It is actually better than the first book. It gets into more personal relationships of the bank owners, the cartel bosses, and what Clint wants to do with his soaring wealth.
Stained Fortune is available on Amazon today.
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