Robert P. French is the author of Junkie, which is currently available, and Oboe, which is soon to be released. Both books feature former police detective, Cal Rogan, a character with serious flaws and a talent for solving crimes. Robert’s work has been called gritty, realistic, and addictive. After a fun and rewarding career in software development, Robert turned his hand to acting for a while, but when he started writing, he fell in love with it and other pursuits fell by the wayside. He is married and has a whole bunch of kids. When he’s not doing stuff with the family, he’s writing, reading, walking or playing bridge. Robert was gracious enough to take time from his busy schedule and answer some questions for me:
Give a short summary of Junkie and tell what inspired you to write this particular story?
Cal Rogan, fired from the Police Department because of his heroin addiction, wakes up in a squalid alley with blood all over his jacket and no memory of how it got there. It is Saturday, the day on which he has a supervised visit with his seven-year-old daughter Ellie, whom he adores. But then he finds Kevin, his best friend from his old life, dead. His former colleagues tell him it was suicide but Cal knows Kevin would never kill himself and vows to get justice for him.
I was inspired to write Junkie when working in the downtown east side of Vancouver. Every day I walked past a really filthy alley teaming with addicts and I kept thinking how horrendous it would be to wake up in that alley. I got obsessed with the idea and the obsession blossomed into Junkie.
Did you find it difficult to tackle the real-life issues presented in your books? Do you wrestle with how graphic a scene should be written?
Not really. I did a lot of research which included hanging out with some addicts and homeless people and their stories were often harrowing. I try to avoid becoming excessively graphic with violent scenes but instead focus on what is going on in the POV character’s head.
Describe your decision to write from multiple points of view. What made you choose that particular style?
It chose me. From the very beginning, before I had written the first word, I would picture scenes in my mind and would find myself describing them in the first person, present tense. So each character’s point of view is written that way.
Can you identify a moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer? What was that moment like?
I know the very moment. A business I was involved in had to close its doors. One day I was trying to find some contract work. I had made a bunch of discouraging phone calls, so I just stopped phoning, opened a WORD document and started writing a story that had been obsessing my thoughts. I continued until midnight and wrote about 7,000 words. When I read what I had written, I knew I was hooked. It was scary.
Did anyone encourage you in your writing? Did that encouragement make a difference?
Two people. My wonderful wife, Penny, who has been unflagging in her support. She believed in me when I had stopped believing in myself. Also Lisa Rector-Maass who runs Third Draft Editing in NYC. Her fabulous skills and mentorship turned me from writer to author. I can never thank her enough.
Do you have a “day job” in addition to your career as an author?
I still do about ten hours a month consulting work for one client but apart from that my working time is focused on writing Oboe and promoting Junkie.
Describe the self-discipline required to write a book. Do you have any writing rituals?
Self discipline is always a bit of a struggle for me so I do most of my writing at the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. It is a beautiful, peaceful building that provides excellent facilities for writers. When I am there, there is nothing else to do but write.
How would you describe your writing style?
Terse and, I hope, intelligent.
What can we expect from your upcoming release, Oboe?
Cal will be back but in a different environment with different, in some ways more difficult, challenges to face. Oboe also touches on the subject of autism.
Do you have any future plans to try other genres?
Not really. I think over time my writing will move towards more political angles. The backdrop to the third Cal Rogan mystery will be a political movement to legalize drugs.
What considerations went into your decision to become an indie author?
I am not a very patient person when it comes to business. I got fed up with the interminable delays inherent in submitting to agents. As I looked at publishing with my businessperson’s eyes, I realized that the publishing business, as we know it today, is doomed. I wanted to be in the vanguard of the new publishing paradigm: authors selling to readers, without the middle men.
Are there any authors whose work has influenced you or whose style you particularly admire?
Michael Connelly and Simon Kernick for sure, Harlan Coben and Lee Child to some extent but my favorite author of all time is John Steinbeck. Also, Cal gets his love of Shakespeare from me.
Do you have any encouragement or advice for aspiring writers?
If you have it in you, you will know it because you will be obsessed by it, SO GO FOR IT. It’s a great life. Try and find a good mentor and, unless you’re a genius, you will need a great independent editor to help you get your book from three stars to five stars.