The Cult of Koo Kway will be available on Sept. 18th.
My Review:
The Cult of Koo Kway by Jay Mims
This is the second book in the series. I was anxious to read more about Dan. He is a very likeable character. Without saying to much as a reading with book
two you will definitely not be disappointed.
The book gives a great mix of past and present so a reading wouldn’t be
completely out of the loop if they missed book one. I would recommend this book and give it 4 out
of 5 stars and look forward to reading more about Dan. (Review for book one below)
Interview:
1. Where do you get your writing inspiration
from?
I think inspiration comes from a lot of
places. The character of Dan Landis was actually from a short film that I wrote
and directed, and for some reason Dan stuck around. I always feel like a major
source of inspiration is from the character. Character or story, I suppose, are
just the fountains from which inspiration flows. For instance, I came up with
the title “Dan Landis and the Cult of Koo Kway” LONG before I wrote the book
that was eventually just “Cult of Koo Kway”. Somehow that translated into
having the femme fatale be an awkward art nerd, escaping handcuffed, and a
unique encounter with the Gullah people. And that kids, was how I met your
Mother. No, wait, inspiration. That was how I met inspiration.
2. Did
you have to do any research for your books? If so what?
I did quite a bit of research into the
Gullah people, art, masonry, car crashes, gun handling, and cricket. I don’t
know if the research shows as often as I would like, because honestly I didn’t
want the characters to just be little spouts of exposition. As a writer, it’s
important to know the things that your characters are supposed to know, but it
bothers me when two people start telling each other stuff they already know. So,
yes I did do a ton of research for “Cult of Koo Kway”, and quite a bit for
“Five Santas” as well. But, “Five Santas” was a feel good Christmas book. The
most important research I did for that was the forensic side.
3. What
are you working on now?
I’m actually working on the next book in
this mystery series “The Gray Ghost Inn”. It’s a twist on the traditional cozy
murder set in a little Inn. There’s a body, obviously, there’s a full house
worth of suspects, and obviously everyone’s favorite detective Dan Landis will
have to solve the crime. But, this book also picks up where “Cult of Koo Kway”
left off, and continues threads in both previous books. Of course, I’m trying
to write in such a way that you don’t have to have read either book prior.
Hopefully, “Cult” is the same way.
4. What
is the hardest part of writing for you?
I have the worst sense of discipline, so
the hardest part of writing is just in the doing it. Every day, day in and out.
I have always admired TV writers, because they have such a hectic schedule and
grind, and must always come up with something fresh and new. But, I try to keep
cranking down on the grindstone, working that writing magic.
5. What
can readers expect next?
There will be four books in the “Oncoming
Storm” quartet: Five Santas, Cult of Koo Kway, Gray Ghost Inn, and the final
book will be “Racing the Storm”. I hope to continue writing Dan Landis
mysteries as long as people read them, and already have the basic plot sketches
for at least a few more books.
6. What
question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you
answer that question?
No one ever asks “What’s the scariest thing
about writing?” And I’ll give you the answer, because it’s something that I lie
awake at night wondering about: Slash fiction. I know it’s coming, I know it’s
going to be epic, and I hope that the fan fiction writers will at least be
kind. And remember that Doc Brown always uses people’s full names.
7. If
you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?
Mimsing It Up
8. Who
is your favorite author?
Terry Pratchett. I absolutely love that dude,
and will unabashedly admit that “Thud”, “Reaper Man”, “Night Watch” and
“Hogfather” are books that made me cry. Manly tears, but tears nonetheless.
Plus, the idea of Death dressing up as Santa is, admittedly, hilarious. Also
“THIS IS NOT MY COW!!!”
My Review of Book 1:
The Five Santas by Jay Mims
The title should definitely have you checking to see
what this book is about. The first few
pages will grab you in. Dan Landis is a hilarious, quirky, rough
private investigator, who has some hilarious one liners. I love a book with a great twist and different
angles that keep you reading. It was hard
to put down and I was certainly glad I had a copy of book 2 waiting. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
To get either book by Jay Mims: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jay+mims
To Win an E-book or Bookmarks:
Simply comment on this post by 1) Answering: What is the best part of a mystery novel? and 2) you must like Jay Mims on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jay-Mims/159855220771076?ref=ts
Good Luck winner will be picked at the end of the tour Sept. 16th. Happy Reading.
