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| Interview with Jessica Speart, author of the popular Rachel Porter mystery series, Gator Aide, Tortoise Soup and Bird Brained. Border Prey, the fourth in the series, will be released in June 2000. Read our review of Border Prey Read the author's full biography. Interview by Mystery Editor, Nancy Mehl NANCY MEHL - Welcome, Jessica. BORDER PREY is the fourth in a series of mysteries that revolve around wildlife. As an investigative journalist, you have covered many topics that involve environmental issues and you are well versed on the topic. How do you connect this to the mystery genre? JESSICA SPEART - Connecting wildlife and environmental issues to the mystery genre is a natural. The endangered species trade actually does include the very elements required of any good mystery – intrigue, murder, suspense, backstabbing, and greed. The illegal trade in wildlife is estimated at $5 billion a year, putting it right behind the ranks of drug smuggling and gun running. Whenever that kind of money is involved, something combustible is bound to happen. In addition, U.S. Fish and Wildlife special agents are trained detectives. Only instead of investigating the murder of humans, they unravel crimes perpetrated against wildlife. The strange thing is how often the two are invariably linked. How closely does your protagonist, Rachel Porter, mirror your own life and feelings? Okay. I admit it. Rachel is my alter ego. She does all the things I wish I could do, and we both believe in what she fights for. I also love a sense of danger, and tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of gal. However, our lives are vastly different in other ways. I spend roughly one month per year doing research out in the field. The rest of the time, you can generally find me behind my computer. The important thing which Rachel and I both share is our outlook on life. You need a good sense of humor to get by. Are your novels written purely for entertainment, or is there a message that you want to pass on to the reader? The reason I moved into fiction was in order to combine the two things I love best – humorous storytelling intertwined with an important message. The last thing I want to do is preach. However, what the reader should know is that my work is well researched, and more than a kernel of truth is to be found in every one of Rachel’s adventures. What are your plans for Rachel? Will you continue with this series? I love Rachel, and have a great time with her friends. I also can’t think of anything better than helping Rachel get into more than her fair share of trouble. She’ll keep stirring the pot and end up being transferred from post to post by the brass in Washington D.C. who are exasperated with just how to handle her. As for the series, I certainly hope to continue it for a long time to come. I already have books number six and seven planned out! How do you make effective use of your time to allow for writing? Since writing is how I make my living, the only time constraint I deal with is meeting my deadlines. What advice do you have for other writers who are trying to break into publication? The best advice I can give to writers trying to break into the field is to write what you believe in and follow through with it. The most important thing to remember is that you can’t please everyone, write from your heart, and refuse to let the negativity of others deter you. What has been the most satisfying thing about being published? The most satisfying thing about being published is having the opportunity to create and breathe life into characters that people enjoy. What is the most negative thing about being published? The most negative thing is learning that not everyone out there loves your work. It is so intensely personal, that a writer can easily feel very vulnerable. Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years? Hmm. I see myself with the same enthusiasm for life and all its adventures. The fun part is interpreting it through Rachel’s eyes. She’s the best part of me. In ten years, I’ll still be writing. Author's email: SpeartJ@aol.com |
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