Wayne Turmel

 Interview with Wayne Turmel

Author of

The Urban Fantasy Series Werewolf PI and more

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

My work in progress is scheduled to be out December 8. It’s the sequel to my Urban Fantasy Detective Thriller, “Johnny Lycan and the Anubis Disk.”  Book 2 is called “Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker.” Johnny has to leave Chicago for Las Vegas. He runs into witches, a psychic pawn broker, and something even bigger and meaner than he is.. and he’s a werewolf!

(I note that Mr. Turmel's 3rd book in the series, Johnny Lycan and the Last Witch Finder, is currently on pre-order at Amazon)

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I’ve always loved detective thrillers, and Lycans (werewolves and shapeshifters) are my favorite Urban Fantasy Trope. I literally had a dream one night I was a werewolf in a fight trying to save someone… and the rest came from there. I think a writer’s greatest gift is to ask “what if…” and keep asking it until he gets to something really unique.

Do you write in more than one genre?  Boy, do I. It’s almost like I have literary ADD. Most of my books have been non-fiction, in the business and communication space through my day job at the Remote Leadership Institute. My first three novels were historical fiction, one (The Count of the Sahara) set in the 1920s, and the other two (Acre’s Bastard and Acre’s Orphans) during the Crusades. Then I switched genres for Johnny Lycan. And my published short fiction is all over the place.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention. Gosh, that’s a tough question to answer without sounding either pretentious as hell or falsely modest (which my mother informed me was a sin as bad as bragging.) Honestly, I believe that since I spent over fifteen years as a standup comedian before joining the adult world, humor is integral to what I do. Even in historical fiction, people find things funny and often laugh in the most horrible situations. Johnny Lycan has elements of fantasy, horror, and violence but it’s also funny. Imagine having claws the size of hams, with seven-inch claws but  being stopped by something as prosaic as a door knob!

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Obviously, the humor is something I couldn’t stop if I wanted to (and I don’t, although it sometimes needs to be wrangled into submission.) More importantly, almost all my protagonists are written in the first person, and it’s clear that they all suffer some degree of imposter syndrome… that they aren’t up to the situation they face and don’t know if they can make it. Wonder where that comes from?

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?  I am a pretty open book. I take both my fiction and nonfiction seriously, and I think they are of equal quality. I know this makes it hard to classify me as a writer, but my ego won’t let me write under a pseudonym. I work really hard on my books and my brain needs the endorphin release when people tell me they like my work. If people check out my Amazon Author page they can judge for themselves, I suppose.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?  There are so many indie authors who do good work but aren’t recognized, and it depends on what genre people enjoy. I think Jeffrey Walker’s “Sweet Wine of Youth,” Trilogy, spanning WW1 and the early 1920s deserves an audience.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?   You do realize that’s a completely unfair question, like asking which of your children you love most. Being the father of an only child, I’ve been spared that misery up until now. I think Acre’s Bastard is a really thrilling adventure story, but because it’s about a ten-year-old, people assume it’s a children’s story or a YA novel. It’s definitely written for adults, and I think if they read it, they’ll be intrigued enough to continue on with Acre’s Orphans.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most? The biggest decision (and I have made it multiple times) was just to say, “the hell with it,” and give it a try. Whether that was my show-business career, leaving Canada for the US, writing books, or deciding to just up and move to Las Vegas a few years ago.  One of the things my wife (the Duchess) and I talk about all the time is that we have very few things we’ve wanted to do in life that we didn’t try. God knows, we didn’t always succeed, but people regret what they don’t do or try more than they do the things they tried and failed at.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?  I wish people would ask, “Can we buy your books in bulk?” but I don’t think that’s what you really want to know. Really, I would love people to understand how to best support indie authors. The biggest way is by leaving reviews and ratings. I know it sounds pathetic, but with the way the book sites operate, the number of reviews is considered a leading indicator of whether people are interested in the book. Leave a review, it’s like applause for the author and actually helps more than you think.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

My personal motto is “Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.” It’s been attributed to everyone from the Buddha to the Dalai Lama to Robin Williams. Whoever said it first, it’s true. Everyone’s life contains good and bad. Denial only works for so long. It’s how you choose to respond to the bad stuff that determines whether you will be miserable or reasonably happy. I choose reasonably happy.

________________________

Thanks to Wayne for participating, and don't forget to check out his books on Amazon.

In my war against the blank page, I recently finished a flash fiction sword and sorcery story that I'll submit tomorrow. I hope to complete the bugmageddon novel next month. Don't forget to pick up your copy of the Wyrd West anthology, featuring my story, "A Matter of Letters." While you're at it, you can get PinUP Noir 2 as well with my story, "Monica on My Mind."