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- Author interview - |
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Interview with PJ Grady, author of Maximum Insecurity, nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First Private Eye Novel by the Private Eye Writers of Ame rica. Read our review of Maximum Insecurity.Feature by PJ Nunn. PJ NUNN - Welcome, PJ. Tell us about your latest book DEADLY SIN. PJ GRADY - We have a saying in New Mexico, "When a saint falls over, somebody dies." The theft of a statue of San Miguel (the patron saint of policemen) leads Santa Fe private investigator Matty Madrid deep into DEADLY SIN. In short order, Matty challenges a mob boss, a papal count, an adulterous priest, a wealthy philanthropist, a homeless wino, and somewhere among them, a ruthless killer. What inspired you to write it? New Mexico was in the throes of a sex scandal involving priests and their parishioners. The archbishop himself was forced to resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct. I wondered what causes a man to break his vows and what causes any one of us to betray what we hold sacred. What do you think sets your books apart from everything else out there? None of the Matty Madrid mysteries feature a lone wolf. Like most northern New Mexicans, Matty relies on a network of friends and family for support. An old boyfriend, for example, is doing eight to ten for gunrunning. From his cell in the state penitentiary, Mingo can process more information about crime in the southwest than the NCIC in Washington. What's the first thing you had published? A short story entitled Waiting for the Cart of Death was Matty's debut. It appeared in the premier issue of Murderous Intent. Before that, I wrote a column for a short-lived weekly, the Las Vegas (New Mexico)Times. Has your writing won any awards? Maximum Insecurity, Matty's first book-length adventure, has been nominated for a Shamus for Best First Private Eye Novel by the Private Eye Writers of America. Who are you when you're not writing? What kind of work do you do? What are your hobbies? I'm a paralegal who's worked at the Penitentiary of New Mexico, the Public Defender's, and the state judiciary. I recently returned to my first love, teaching. I teach Latin and World History at a prep school in Santa Fe. DEADLY SIN is dedicated "to my students, who have been my teachers." I'm also an active member of a largely Hispanic parish on the city's South side. Who or what has most influenced your writing? For two years, I worked in the law library at the state pen, including a couple of stints at New Mexico's only maximum security facility. In March 1992, I was taken hostage by a knife-wielding inmate. In less than 10 seconds, my life turned upside-down. I learned that man is inherently evil; I also learned he can have an infinite capacity for love, an unquenchable thirst for justice. Evil, love, and justice are the themes of the Matty Madrid mysteries. What do you enjoy most about writing? I love it when a plan comes together! as George Peppard's character used to say on television's A-Team. When all the bits and pieces begin to gel, that's when the creative juices start to flow uphill. You feel a little like God on the morning of the seventh day. I've just reached that point with the work-in-progress, tentatively titled Killed in Committee. What do you find most difficult? My least favorite thing is first drafts. I find myself rearranging the kitchen cabinets - anything to avoid sitting down at the computer. What’s your best advice for new writers? Believe in yourself. You are the best judge of your own abilities. Listen to others. Then follow your head - and your heart. As we say in New Mexico: Uno es el arquitecto de su propio destino: You are the architect of your own destiny. |
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