ON THE BUBBLE with STEPHEN BOOTH

STEPHEN BOOTH needs little introduction, but because I adore
this man, I’d like to take a moment and laud (I love that word) him. A master
storyteller of six absolutely riveting books whose setting in the Peak District
of England rivals that of Poe and any ‘dark and stormy night’ you can imagine!
From BLACK DOG-#1 to his current THE DEAD PLACE-#6 (in pbo in the U.K.-which we
won’t get here in the colonies until next year), this is a series with few
peers. And with much deftness, he has created a duo –Ben Cooper and Diane Fry –
that you will loathe to leave the moment you reach the last page. By the way –
ONE LAST BREATH-#5 will be out in the U.S. on July 26^{th. Don’t miss it!}

I could go on and on, but I know you’re anxious to meet this
amazing man and put some serious questions to rest. So, on to a few rumors
being bandied around about Stephen Booth-

EE: Any truth to the buzz that the inventor of the Dyson
vacuum cleaner is pressuring you to replace the British term ‘hoovering’ used
to describe vacuuming-for ‘dysoning’ in your next book?

^{SB: Strangely, vacuuming hasn’t featured much in my

books up to now. Or in my life generally, come to think of it. So I checked

with my wife, who did see a vacuum cleaner once, and she insists that people

will always use ‘hoovering’, not some fancy, new-fangled word. But then, she’s

the sort of person who won’t use a phone unless it’s safely fixed to the wall

with a bit of wire.

Your wife is a wise woman. I don’t trust portable phones either. I still think

electricity is black magic too.}

^{EE: I have it on good authority, Stephen, that Dame

Judi Dench is dying to get to know you better, yet you’ve not returned her many

emails. What does your wife think of this?}

^{SB: I’ve gone off Judi ever since she played a Klingon

brothel keeper in Star Trek: The Next Degeneration. Besides, my wife has never

heard of email.}

^{Well, I can’t blame you there. Judi was a bit tarty.

Best your wife doesn’t know.}

^{EE: By the way, Stephen, is it true that Mad Max is

your all time favorite movie?}

^{SB: No, it’s Bladerunner. More replicants, less Mel

Gibson.}

^{Ah, yes! Bladerunner! A classic. So noir-ish. But

then, so is L.A.}

^{EE: As a discerning author, please tell us which

writer you’d recommend to Oprah.}

^{SB: Elaine Flinn – for her moving, sensitive story of a

young African-American girl growing up in 1940s Ohio. Or was that Toni

Morrison?}

^{Uh, yes, Stephen-that was Toni Morrison. But I’ll

snip the first part and keep it for a blurb, okay?}

^{EE: We all have Walter Mitty dreams, and your legion

of readers are dying to know yours. Just keep it clean, okay?}

^{SB: All my life, I’ve dreamed of being an author, and

giving up the day job to write novels full-time. Wait a minute, though…}

^{Huh? Uh, yes, dear – you’ve made it. Hasn’t anyone

told you yet?}

^{EE: Get serious now, would you please? Who would you

love to do a book tour with? Why?}

^{SB: Someone who might actually attract an audience. In

the UK, that would mean anyone who’s been on the telly – even if it’s only the

stupid bald bloke from Celebrity Love Island.}

^{Listen to this man! Crowds follow him where ever he

goes! Why, you should have seen what I saw at Bcon in Toronto! The women just

wouldn’t leave him alone!}

^{EE: I’ve been told that your descriptions of the

physical dangers of walking your beloved Peak District in your books are

calculated fabrications intended to keep Starbucks and tourists away. This is a

serious charge, Stephen and needs to be addressed.}

^{SB: No, it’s all true. Those sheep are lethal.}

^{Finally! The truth! But…do you think you can keep

the sheep under control? Starbucks might consider offering you the franchise. I

mean, you could whip up lattes between books.}

^{EE: We’re dying to know, Stephen, which writers

would be on your ideal convention panel?}

^{SB: I think I did that panel at Bouchercon once. Val

McDermid, Laurie King, Dana Stabenow. In fact, without me, it would have been

brilliant.}

^{Ah, such humility! You know you were the main

attraction! And I have it on good authority you gave a stellar performance!}

^{EE: What is the best selling book you wish you’d

written?}

^{SB: Can I say The Da Vinci Code without becoming the

victim of a literary fatwa (‘Death to the infidel!’)? It seems to me that Dan

Brown has persuaded people to buy his books who’d never thought of buying a

book in their lives before. Also, I’ve noticed that my novels are right next to

his on that shelf in the bookstore. My new sales pitch is: "You liked Dan

Brown? Well, here’s another author whose name begins with a ‘B’ and is five

letters long, with an ‘o’ in the middle. Is that spooky, or what?"}

^{Yes, you can say that with no fear of reprisal! But

not to worry about Dan. I always move your books in front of his at every

bookstore I visit.}

^{EE: I know you to be the consummate gentleman, but

what’s this I hear about you dancing on the table at a private party at Left

Coast Crime in Bristol?}

^{SB: Was that before, or after, the strip tease? It’s

all such a blur… Actually, since I’m teetotal, I never make a fool of myself at

conventions, I just egg other people on to do it. And some of those authors

don’t need much egging, I can tell you (photographs available for a small fee).}

^{It was after the strip tease. So-you’ve got photo’s,

huh? Do you accept Pay Pal?}

^{EE: Which writer would you love to have all to

yourself in a cozy corner of the bar at the next Bouchercon?}

^{SB: J. A. Konrath, perhaps? Everyone knows he’s such a

shy, retiring young man.}

^Him?

^{EE: Talk on the street, Stephen, is that Posh is

writing her memoirs and has asked you to ghost for her and that Beckham is

frothing at the mouth and flexing his to-die-for abs.}

^{SB: Okay, this is the woman who admits to never having

read a single book – not even the one she wrote herself? Well, she obviously

has good taste. As long as she agrees to tour with me, I’ll do it (well, she’s

been on the telly, you know).}

^{You may need a few bodyguards. Maybe Lee and Barry

might volunteer?}

^{EE: Rumor has it that Ben Cooper and Diane Fry ran

off and got married last fall but are afraid to let you know. How will you

manage to handle this? I mean, one of them will have to leave the department.

Might this be Ben’s chance for promotion?}

^{SB: You know, this might just tie in with the plot of

the next book, in which Ben turns out to be Diane’s illegitimate love child,

and they both run away to live in a straw hut on the Moon with some talking

animals, until they meet a Klingon brothel keeper (played by Judi Dench), and

after that everything starts to go a bit weird…}

^{Oh, hot stuff! This has legs! This has Best Seller

written all over it! Dan Brown will be placing his book over yours!}

^{EE: This is a hot topic around the U.K., Stephen –

Any truth to the rumors that Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are besieging you to

pen a new and darker series using them as the main characters, but you’d rather

spend your free time working on the musical about the Kray brothers?}

^{SB: Musicals are definitely my thing. Anyone who’s

heard me sing will know that I am to music exactly what the Kray brothers were

to rival gangsters. I can murder any song you name.}

^{Then that haunting baritone voice I heard singing

‘Blues In The Night’ beneath my window at Left Coast in Monterey wasn’t you?}

^{EE: And finally, the most asked about question in

Mysteryville! Just what do you plan to do with all those goats?}

^{SB: Well, the boys have gone off to do their thing in

other parts of the country, so the goat population has stopped increasing,

thank God. We just have three ladies growing old gracefully in a corner of the

property, occasionally being fed strawberries and grapes, like ageing dowager

duchesses. They have to stay here now – if only because I get asked about them

wherever I go in the world!}

^{Now, Stephen! We know how much you love those girls

– and how kind you are to them! Only a prince would treat them so royally. And

a prince you are!}

^{Oh. Well, I was kinda hoping…well, never mind.}

^{And not only is Stephen Booth a prince of a man, he is

one of the finest gentlemen in this wacky world of mystery. I had the very

great privilege to sit next to Stephen at my very first panel. I was nervous as

hell to be seated next to this incredible writer – and you know what? His

innate kindness made the ordeal feel like a picnic. I think I only stuttered

once. Thank you again, dear heart.}

12 thoughts on “ON THE BUBBLE with STEPHEN BOOTH”

Lorraine T. April 22, 2006 at 8:41 am

Regrettably, I confess I’d never heard of Stephen Booth, but am always interested in learning about new (to me) writers, however the tiny print of this posting is hard to read. I’d like to respectfully request that you bloggers make it easier on the aging eyes of your readers. Thanks.

Reply ↓
JT Ellison April 22, 2006 at 10:32 am

Lorraine,May I suggest that you press the control button, and while holding it press the plus sign on your numeric keypad.This will increase the font size on any webpage.You can do it as many times as necessary, and it will enlarge for you. The Control minus will take it back to normal size.

Reply ↓
JT Ellison April 22, 2006 at 10:33 am

Elaine,Another great job. I look forward to Saturdays to get to know more about my favorite writers.

Reply ↓
J.B. Thompson April 22, 2006 at 11:11 am

On some computers the Ctrl+ doesn’t work to enlarge the font. Lorraine, you could also try selecting “View” from your Internet browser menu, then under “Text size”, choose the next level larger than the one it’s set to until the font is a readable size.

Excellent interview, Elaine! Our Sisters in Crime chapter read BLACK DOG as part of our summer reading program a couple years ago and I really enjoyed it. I’ll be adding the rest of the Cooper/Fry series to my TBR pile.

=) JB

Reply ↓
Louise Ure April 22, 2006 at 12:14 pm

Well done, Elaine! I’ve never met Stephen, but I love his work. And now I feel like I know him!

Louise

Reply ↓
Cornelia Read April 22, 2006 at 12:22 pm

Great interview, Elaine and Stephen– a pleasure to read, all around!!

Reply ↓
Lorraine T. April 22, 2006 at 12:40 pm

Wow! Thanks, J.B. Thompson. The control + tip didn’t work on my PC, but your solution works wonderfully and I’m glad to know it, not only for blog postings but for all the tiny type I come upon.Lorraine

Reply ↓
Elaine April 22, 2006 at 1:26 pm

Alas, and alack! My apologies for the font size goof! I don’t know how the hell that happened, but I’ll check it out.

And to those of you who haven’t read Stephen-please do. He is (seriously) one of the best writers around and you’ll fall in love with Ben Cooper!

Reply ↓
Elaine April 22, 2006 at 6:40 pm

And thanks to J.B.! I’m so glad the Sisters chose Stephen and that you all enjoyed Black Dog. I get antsy waiting for his new books to come out here – so I always end up ordering them on Amazon UK. And then if the US publisher changes the title, I really get confused and wonder if I’d missed one!

Reply ↓
TesImmask July 25, 2007 at 11:58 pm

What is [url=http://digg.com/health/BUY_PROPECIA_ONLINE_BEST_PRICE_0_67]Propecia[/url]?[url=http://digg.com/health/BUY_PROPECIA_ONLINE_BEST_PRICE_0_67]Propecia[/url] prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. DHT is involved in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and hair loss.[url=http://digg.com/health/BUY_PROPECIA_ONLINE_BEST_PRICE_0_67]Propecia[/url] is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate). Finasteride is also used to reduce hair loss due to male pattern baldness.[url=http://digg.com/health/BUY_PROPECIA_ONLINE_BEST_PRICE_0_67]Propecia[/url] may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.[url=http://digg.com/health/BUY_PROPECIA_ONLINE_BEST_PRICE_0_67]Buy Propecia[/url]

Reply ↓
Visitor127 August 7, 2007 at 10:57 pm

I have visited your site 054-times

Reply ↓
ronelos August 31, 2007 at 4:47 am

Only click if you are 18 years or older!

http://newspage20.supper2007.comhttp://newspage38.supper2007.comhttp://newspage6.supper2007.comhttp://newspage34.supper2007.comhttp://newspage19.supper2007.comhttp://newspage35.supper2007.comhttp://newspage55.supper2007.comhttp://newspage209.supper2007.comhttp://newspage112.supper2007.comhttp://newspage9.supper2007.comhttp://newspage179.supper2007.comhttp://newspage87.supper2007.comhttp://newspage89.supper2007.comhttp://newspage92.supper2007.comhttp://newspage220.supper2007.comhttp://newspage77.supper2007.comhttp://newspage161.supper2007.comhttp://newspage13.supper2007.comhttp://newspage129.supper2007.comhttp://newspage144.supper2007.comhttp://newspage2.supper2007.comhttp://newspage88.supper2007.comhttp://newspage43.supper2007.comhttp://newspage90.supper2007.comhttp://newspage93.supper2007.comhttp://newspage305.supper2007.comhttp://newspage37.supper2007.comhttp://newspage16.supper2007.comhttp://newspage167.supper2007.comhttp://newspage165.supper2007.comhttp://newspage199.supper2007.comhttp://newspage201.supper2007.comhttp://newspage164.supper2007.comhttp://newspage202.supper2007.comhttp://newspage73.supper2007.comhttp://newspage211.supper2007.comhttp://newspage44.supper2007.comhttp://newspage115.supper2007.comhttp://newspage110.supper2007.comhttp://newspage113.supper2007.comhttp://newspage27.supper2007.comhttp://newspage82.supper2007.comhttp://newspage198.supper2007.comhttp://newspage207.supper2007.comhttp://newspage200.supper2007.comhttp://newspage240.supper2007.comhttp://newspage49.supper2007.comhttp://newspage226.supper2007.comhttp://newspage168.supper2007.comhttp://newspage116.supper2007.comhttp://newspage111.supper2007.comhttp://newspage114.supper2007.comhttp://newspage62.supper2007.comhttp://newspage99.supper2007.comhttp://newspage14.supper2007.comhttp://newspage76.supper2007.comhttp://newspage97.supper2007.comhttp://newspage119.supper2007.comhttp://newspage7.supper2007.comhttp://newspage150.supper2007.comhttp://newspage152.supper2007.comhttp://newspage154.supper2007.comhttp://newspage156.supper2007.comhttp://newspage10.supper2007.comhttp://newspage126.supper2007.comhttp://newspage224.supper2007.comhttp://newspage72.supper2007.comhttp://newspage925.sterobok.infohttp://newspage757.sterobok.infohttp://newspage770.sterobok.infohttp://newspage666.sterobok.infohttp://newspage669.sterobok.infohttp://newspage672.sterobok.infohttp://newspage662.sterobok.infohttp://newspage663.sterobok.infohttp://newspage664.sterobok.infohttp://newspage665.sterobok.infohttp://newspage891.sterobok.infohttp://newspage755.sterobok.infohttp://newspage667.sterobok.infohttp://newspage670.sterobok.infohttp://newspage673.sterobok.infohttp://newspage714.sterobok.infohttp://newspage934.sterobok.infohttp://newspage777.sterobok.infohttp://newspage885.sterobok.infohttp://newspage853.sterobok.infohttp://newspage889.sterobok.infohttp://newspage884.sterobok.infohttp://newspage883.sterobok.infohttp://newspage774.sterobok.infohttp://newspage772.sterobok.infohttp://newspage691.sterobok.infohttp://newspage769.sterobok.infohttp://newspage692.sterobok.infohttp://newspage771.sterobok.infohttp://newspage679.sterobok.infohttp://newspage720.sterobok.infohttp://newspage863.sterobok.infohttp://newspage864.sterobok.infohttp://newspage636.sterobok.infohttp://newspage878.sterobok.infohttp://newspage613.sterobok.infohttp://newspage850.sterobok.infohttp://newspage881.sterobok.infohttp://newspage668.sterobok.infohttp://newspage671.sterobok.infohttp://newspage867.sterobok.infohttp://newspage871.sterobok.infohttp://newspage921.sterobok.infohttp://newspage716.sterobok.infohttp://newspage879.sterobok.infohttp://newspage753.sterobok.infohttp://newspage869.sterobok.infohttp://newspage873.sterobok.infohttp://newspage685.sterobok.infohttp://newspage618.sterobok.infohttp://newspage611.sterobok.infohttp://newspage868.sterobok.infohttp://newspage872.sterobok.infohttp://newspage682.sterobok.infohttp://newspage639.sterobok.infohttp://newspage927.sterobok.infohttp://newspage763.sterobok.infohttp://newspage847.sterobok.infohttp://newspage637.sterobok.infohttp://newspage845.sterobok.infohttp://newspage754.sterobok.infohttp://newspage930.sterobok.infohttp://newspage690.sterobok.infohttp://newspage767.sterobok.infohttp://newspage768.sterobok.infohttp://newspage766.sterobok.infohttp://newspage660.sterobok.infohttp://newspage651.sterobok.infohttp://newspage658.sterobok.infohttp://newspage922.sterobok.infohttp://newspage855.sterobok.infohttp://newspage857.sterobok.infohttp://newspage858.sterobok.infohttp://newspage859.sterobok.infohttp://newspage861.sterobok.infohttp://newspage849.sterobok.infohttp://newspage776.sterobok.infohttp://newspage656.sterobok.infohttp://newspage865.sterobok.infohttp://newspage856.sterobok.infohttp://newspage860.sterobok.infohttp://newspage862.sterobok.infohttp://newspage619.sterobok.infohttp://newspage621.sterobok.infohttp://newspage625.sterobok.infohttp://newspage700.sterobok.infohttp://newspage939.sterobok.infohttp://newspage617.sterobok.infohttp://newspage650.sterobok.infohttp://newspage693.sterobok.info

Reply ↓