I’ve never met my next interviewee in person, but we’ve had an acquaintance via writing that’s spanned a few years now. Back when I was editor for the now defunct EWG Presents, he submitted a couple of stories that I published. Unbeknownst to him, I’ve followed his burgeoning career. (Which I always knew was going to take off one day. He’s quite talented!)
But after I interviewed Jeff Cohen, Ed wrote me and informed me we had another love besides writing in common: pets. Thus, an interview was born…
Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.)
Ed Lynskey: My focus nowadays is on long fiction (novels) with a few short stories. Each novel is a learning experience, sort of like writing a Master’s Thesis but maybe one on steroids. In other words, it doesn’t, for me, get any easier. (Who said that anyway?) That’s not a gripe, just how my analog brain works in this digital age. I write a lot of crime fiction, detective books and noirs. I also wrote a science fiction novel under contract at Mundania.
CM: What kind of pets do you have? (Or have you had.)
EL: Right now we have a black-and-white female cat. She’s named Frannie, inspired by the P.I. Frank Johnson character I’ve used in my books. Before that we had two cats for 21 and 16 years each. Losing them was tough. Why do we get so attached to our pets? They’re almost like members of the family. But we’re “pet happy” again.
CM: I sure can sympathize with your loss. And I think we get so attached because in the end they’re more than just “pets” to us. They become family.
With that in mind, do animals appear in your work? Or do you ever use your pets as the basis for any animal characters?
EL: In my current book, Pelham Fell Here, I used a pet ferret named Mr. Bojangles as a comic relief. I talked to our vet about ferrets. They sound like neat pets, but I’m not sure if they’d peacefully co-exist with Frannie, who’s entranced by watching the robins and chipmunks through the glass patio door.
CM: Do your pets contribute to your work methods and help with the process?
EL: Good question. You know, now that you ask it, I have to admit that Frannie does help me find distractions from my writing time. But I mean that in a good way. Playing with her lets me clear my head to come back and get at it again. Aren’t there studies on how having pets around makes you less tense and stressed? A young cat is always getting into stuff. When I hear a crash, it could be anything from a fallen book or the shower curtain rail.
CM: As a matter of fact, you’re very right, Ed. Cats (and dogs) do do a body good.
So besides making sure your cat stays out of mischief, what else are you working on now? Any new releases?
EL: I’m shopping around a literary suspense novel, Lake Charles, and putting the finishing touches on an organized crime novel, Skin In The Game, set in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City. I’ve several ideas for my next project.
My newest release is a collection of short stories on my female private eye Sharon Knowles, A Clear Path To Cross, from Ramble House. It’s available on Barnes & Noble and the Ramble House web site.
CM: Thanks so much for your time, Ed.
EL: Thank you, Courtney, for having me participate on your fun blog. It’s been a gas and left me appreciating my pet a little more. In fact, I think it’s time for a sanity break to go play with Frannie.
Other P.I. Frank Johnson Books By Ed Lynskey
Out Of Town A Few Days (short stories in a Kindle edition)
The newest Frank Johnson book, Pelham Fell Here, is up at the publisher’s bookstore for pre-orders and discounted 10%!
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