Join me today in welcoming writer J. H. Bográn as he tells us about his new thriller Firefall. José has also provider a short teaser at the end of the interview.
1.
You’ve
written for TV and film. What made you decide to write thrillers?
Thrillers
are in fact my first passion. I learned about high-stakes and adrenaline-filled
action from the likes of Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Ken Follett, Frederick
Forsythe, Ian Fleming & Robert Ludlum. Doesn’t the saying go on about how
you are what you read?
Now,
as for the TV and Film, they have been wonderful opportunities that have come
by way of serendipity. It provided me with skills to set up suspense as scripts
could be considered nothing but intrinsically bare-bone stories.
2.
How
did you develop your character, Sebastian Martin, for your latest novel Firefall?
Does he share any of your traits?
The idea of Sebastian Martin came from pairing two
practically unrelated topics: a broken firefighter and insurance fraud. Even
when I begin the tale when his firefighting days are over, I did lots of
research about those brave men.
We don’t have much in common though. As a former firefighter,
Sebastian’s physique is imposing enough to dwarf my 5’8”. I think that the only
trait of mine you’d find in Sebastian is a weird sense of humor.
3. Your thrillers contain an element of
romance. Was it intentional, or did your characters decide this for you?
The romance is very limited. When we meet him at the beginning
of the tale, he had just spent the last six months drowning in alcohol the pain
of losing his family in an airliner accident, and only after an intervention he
reacts into trying to put his life back together.
While still working on coming to terms with his loss,
he discovers himself holding his breath for Jill Simmons; who happens to be the
daughter of his new boss. So, albeit short, the insipient relationship can get
very complicated.
I didn’t originally plan for any of it. The scene was
supposed to be about the boss convincing Sebastian to take the job by inviting
him to a BBQ. Then, when Jill opened the door for him, he held his breath!
4. Tell us about your perfect writing
day.
I’m not going to say the day I hit my word-count goal,
although that is always interesting considering I have to juggle day job, wife
and three kids along with my little writing escapades, but a perfect day for me
is one where I finish something. It can be a tricky chapter, the end of a novel
or project. In short, I rejoice in closures.
5. Tell us about your marketing
strategy.
For Firefall, we will do a lot of on-line marketing
and promotion. Since I live abroad, it’d be very cost-restrictive to make a book
tour. However, if all goes as planned, I will participate in the 2014
ThrillerFest where I hope to mingle with other authors and readers.
6.
How
long have you been writing? What was the motivating factor that got you started?
I
usually claim that my first piece of fiction writing was a written excuse I
made for school and signed my mother’s name, not that I recommend that practice
to anybody.
The
motivation that got me started was—funny enough—an 80’s movie about a writer. I
won’t reveal the title because it was such a chick-flick, and my Latin macho
stance can’t handle it :-). What I can tell you is that the movie provided a
very down-to-earth glimpse into the life of a writer, how he could take any
detail from his life and turn it into a death-threatening scenario. That
inspired me to think the same way.
7. Which actors would you choose to play
your characters in a movie rendition?
When I began this novel I pictured Russell Crowe
during his Gladiator days in the role of Sebastian Martin. I don’t think that
can happen now. Out of current actors, I’d say Gerard Butler. For Jill Simmons
I’d choose Heather Graham. And for the antagonist—Howard Gonzalez, it’d like
somebody to make him really tough dark, like Javier Bardem, or Antonio Banderas.
8.
What
do you want most for you readers to come away with after they read your books?
I want
them to have the same feeling you get after you finish watching an awesome
movie: a sensation that you just came back from a thrilled journey.
9. Can you give us a teaser for Firefall?
Here’s a short excerpt. It is a defining moment for
Sebastian Martin:
A
flight attendant ran the length of the plane from the back. Even in the dim
light, he recognized the fear in her eyes. She made sure everybody was buckled in.
She had to shout above the deafening roar.
The
plane rocked from side to side. A few of the overhead bins opened and luggage
pieces bombarded the cabin. He deflected a duffle bag with his forearm. One of
the bag’s metal buckles nicked him and blood trickled down from the stinging
scratch.
The
noise increased. A massive tremor shook the plane and Sebastian feared the
worst: the fuselage would collapse. The sound of ripping metal filled the
cabin, overwhelming any scream.
He
turned to his wife and saw her moving away. That’s impossible, he thought. A tiny ray of daylight from above
illuminated her. He heard a screeching sound as metal wrenched from metal, as
the light increased and a section beside the wing broke away from the airliner.
With
a sense of surreal lingering, an adagio that defied reality, he watched Kelly
and Joshua as they were sucked out and away into the emptiness. They hung,
suspended, in time, motion and the raw air.
His
gaze locked on Kelly’s face, her eyes wide with fear. All sound faded away. Through
the clear plastic mask, he saw her mouth open. He couldn’t hear her scream, but
her voice was crystal clear in his ear. Clouds took their place as the plane raced
to earth and left them to follow. Through the gap, air rushed in, creating
mayhem and devilry in its onslaught. Luggage, backpacks, shoes, cans, cups, the
sick bags, and safety cards from the seat pockets, newspapers and magazines swirled,
dipped and dived and danced, like a ticker tape parade, leaving Sebastian
gasping from the icy air and smelling the fear all around him.
10. What is next?
My
next novel takes place in New Orleans and deals with a serial killer who uses
poisonous animals as the murder weapon. It should be ready by next year, but
we’ll see.
J. H. Bográn, born and raised in
Honduras, is the son of a journalist. He ironically prefers to write fiction
rather than fact. José’s genre of choice is thrillers, but he likes to throw in
a twist of romance into the mix. His works include novels and short stories in
both English and Spanish. He’s a member of the Short Fiction Writers Guild and the International
Thriller Writers where he also serves as the Thriller Roundtable
Coordinator and contributor editor their official e-zine The Big Thrill.
Website at: www.jhbogran.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jhbogran
Twitter: @JHBogran
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4307673.J_H_Bogran
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jhbogran
To purchase
Firefall, click on any one of the following sites:
Labels: #suspense #marketing strategy #writing motivation #novel, #thriller
Thrillers
are in fact my first passion. I learned about high-stakes and adrenaline-filled
action from the likes of Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Ken Follett, Frederick
Forsythe, Ian Fleming & Robert Ludlum. Doesn’t the saying go on about how
you are what you read? 