A: It did at first until I began meeting readers at booksignings and other events across the country and overseas, where I learned that many issues I had thought local and parochial turned out to be universal. The tension between development and conservation, traditional versus new, ethics concerning the land and the philosophy of environment – those things apply everywhere, not just the mountain west. In Wyoming, the conflicts sometimes have a harder edge, but the issues seem to resonate. Also, I’ve found many readers are truly interested in the issues in the west because the west is sort of our collective land of myth and legend.

Q: Each novel deals with an issue or issues facing those in the West. Is there a particular issue you feel passionate about? Is there an issue you haven’t written about but hope to?

A: In a general way, almost all of the themes of the books explore the extremes of the issues and let the reader decide which way he/she comes down on them. Since most novels I read about these kinds of issues fall into the black-and-white viewpoint of “all environmentalists are good, all developers are bad” viewpoints, my goal is to show a more balanced approach. I don’t want to preach, but to let “representatives” of each side have their say, which is one side more than usually portrayed. I guess the issue I’m most passionate about is my disgust with absolute extremism on either side. And yup, there are still plenty of issues to explore. My newest book, Free Fire, concerns the ethics of bio-mining in Yellowstone Park, as well as a true legal loophole that could allow a murderer to walk away free.

Q: It seems that I heard that you have a stand-alone novel, one not part of the Joe Pickett series coming soon. Can you tell us a bit about that? I do hope this doesn’t mean you’re finished with Joe!

A: Blue Heaven is a stand-alone thriller due out in January, 2008 from St. Martin’s Press. I’m really excited about it. The name of the novel comes from the fact that hundreds of ex-LAPD have moved to the panhandle of Idaho and call it “blue heaven.” The story starts when two young children witness an execution-style murder in a campground and are pursued by the killers – who turn out to be retired cops who “volunteer” to lead the search for the two missing kids. The novel is told in real time for 60 hours via multiple points of view with a clock ticking in the background. It was really fun—and really hard – to write. It will come out in Japan, Germany, and France this fall. It does not mean the end of Joe. I’m not THAT stupid. In fact, I just finished the eighth Joe Pickett novel this week and plan to do many, many more.

Q: So many of the main characters in mystery series are flawed humans in one way or another – alcoholics, tortured war veterans, etc. Joe doesn’t fit into this mold; he’s just a good guy trying to do his best. Was this done on purpose or is that just how the character developed?

A: I didn’t sit down to write a mystery or crime series originally, but I’m glad now I created Joe Pickett for Open Season in the way I did. I wanted a man who was normal and flawed and empathetic. I thought it would add to the tension and realism to feature a protagonist who could be more like us – who could and did screw up. Over the years and novels, he’s developed a harder edge but he’s still the same Joe, for better and worse.

Q: How does it feel to have received the high praise and awards you have gotten relatively early in your writing career?

A: Everything that’s not supposed to happen to a first-time novelist happened to me – awards, movie options, multiple printings, etc. Luckily, I was too dumb to know how unusual it was at the time. Good things continue to happen – good reviews, better sales with each book – and I can honestly say it’s the best gig in the world. I’m looking forward now to the next level of challenges with the stand-alones.

Q: Are there any authors that you especially enjoy reading, or maybe some you think have had a strong influence on you?

A: There are so many I made a list recently. Here it is:

• Thomas McGuane
• Ken Bruen
• Cormac McCarthy
• Elmore Leonard
• Joseph Heller
• Steven Ambrose
• Raymond Chandler
• Dennis Lehane
• Annie Proulx
• Tom Wolfe
• James Lee Burke
• Richard Russo
• Harper Lee
• Ivan Doig
• John Houston (White Dawn)
• Thomas Berger
• Farley Mowat
• Herman Melville
• Wallace Stegner
• Edmund Morris
• Michael Kelly
• John Sandford
• George Pellecanos

Interview Date: May 2007
Profile and questions compiled by Mark B., Main Library