Today, I welcome Brett Wallach, author of the noir detective novellas Jesse Garon: The Search for Elvis Presley’s Twin and And I Love Her.
Marci: What inspires you and your writing?
Brett: I love the cathartic aspect of writing, getting things out of me that are in my heart and on my mind. Better than drugs, alcohol, or other means of self-destruction.
Marci: Is (Phil Allman) based on anyone you know (No names are necessary. Grin)?
Brett: I used to say Phil Allman was pretty autobiographical. But given some of the thoughts and actions in And I Love Her and this new novel that I’m working on, Young Blood, I like to think there’s more distance between us.
Marci: Who are your favorite authors?
Brett: A lot, but John Steinbeck, Graham Greene, Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Alexander Dumas, and this may surprise you, Anne Tyler!
Marci: Can you tell us more about (Phil Allman)?
Brett: He’s a private investigator second and a father first; he’s a guy who tries to do the right thing, but especially in the new stuff, often falls horribly short.
Marci: How did you come up with his/her name?
Brett: Ready? Phil is short for Philadelphia. Allman is well, all man. And his initials are P.A. So literally, he is a part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No one’s ever asked me before, just fun little game that I had with myself.
Marci: If Phil Allman could change anything about his/her life, what would it be?
Brett: He would have either worked harder to salvage his marriage, or hired a better divorce attorney.
Marci: Does Phil Allman have a favorite band?
Brett: As he espouses in the books, Phil loves The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, he’s living in a time warp.
Marci: If your book became a movie, who would be your dream cast?
Brett: Well, given the somewhat autobiographical nature of Phil Allman, I think Leo DiCaprio is the obvious choice.
Marci: Milk or dark chocolate?
Brett: Loads of either.
Marci: Jaguar, Ferrari, Prius, or pick up truck?
Brett: Bad weakness for Italian food, cars and women.
Marci: Coffee, tea, soda, water, or alcohol?
Brett: (grin) My worst vice is coffee, need to cut down.
Marci: What do you do to refresh and relax?
Brett: I try to stay in halfway good physical shape, so I work out pretty regularly.
Marci: What is your favorite movie genre?
Brett: I truly love them all; you’d think noir, but I’m a sucker for a good rom com.
Marci: Who is your favorite actress/actor?
Brett: However much he may have hurt his legacy at the Republican convention, and although I don’t share his political views, Clint Eastwood’s been a great Director and underrated actor for long time now. Can’t leave out Jack Nicholson either, always great for a long time, too.
Marci: If you could live anywhere in the world (pretend there are no diseases, civil wars, hostile governments), where would you live?
Brett: I’m coming to So Cal, Marci, property values be damned. I actually think if I could afford to live luxuriously there, I’d have a pretty good time.
Marci: Tree house, regular house, or cave?
Brett: If you saw my place, you’d assume the latter.
Marci: History show, DYI shows, sitcoms, CSI type shows, or reality shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians?
Brett: I love great sitcoms, but they’re so rare and in our past, unfortunately. Don’t laugh (or do), my favorite show now is South Park.
Marci: If you were to create an animal out of different animals (real or mythical), what would it look like and what would you call it?
Brett: (Inspired by my daughter.) Isn’t that beef stew?
Marci:Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Brett: Very few people ask my opinions lately, so this was fun!
Blurb:
How far can you push a man? Phil Allman, the Philadelphia-based Private Investigator, dedicated father, Beatles devotee, and protagonist of the recently published novel Jesse Garon (Wild Child Publishing), tackles the most agonizing cases of his career in this sequel. And I Love Her is a noir glimpse into a marriage gone bad and a divorce and custody battle gone worse. Someone killed Allman’s ex-wife. And that someone may be Allman himself. As he attempts to wrest himself from suspicion, a young girl he has been hired to find has been slain.
Through twists, turns, and several other murders, the Philadelphia police force comes to believe that Allman is likely a killer. Readers won’t be sure the cops aren’t right. Because you can only push a man so far.
