Where do you live? Sun City Anthem in Henderson, NV. It offered a wide variety of interest clubs, including Anthem Authors — seasoned writers and novices. Largely because of their critiques, I’ve had four best selling novels on Amazon.
How long have you lived there? Since 2011.
Are you married? Yes … to Philadelphian, John Unger. We met in a carpool.
Kids? No. Just a parakeet who thinks he’s human.
Full time job? Retired but writing every day.
Education? M.A. in English (U of Miami); grad studies in British Drama, Wroxton College, UK; Statistics/economics, Rider University; Computer Programming, Rutgers/Princeton; Cross-Cultural Studies, U of CA at Berkeley.
Who is your favorite author and book? Toni Morrison….SULA. She can make characters emerge from their environment with astonishing and disturbing clarity.
What is your preferred genre? Mystery/thrillers
How did you start this journey to become a writer? I’ve always written. Guess I learned grammar too well in 7th and 8th grade. In 9th grade I was “appointed” editor of the HS newspaper and had a paid teen column in a leading NJ newspaper. In college, I reported on fashion trends for Mademoiselle Magazine. For 15 years at the NJ Dept. of Labor, I wrote and edited economic analysis articles and publications—if that can’t be considered fiction, nothing can.
What have you written so far? Aside from historical articles for a German publication and genealogy studies that have become part of state and city library collections, I’ve focused on mysteries and thrillers. There are six novels my best-selling Matti James Mystery Series: BITS AND PIECES, THE KIEV CONNECTION, PAST IMPERFECTIONS, EXPENDABLE, CATHY’S WORLD, and FINALITES. My latest release is a stand-alone thriller: RELENTLESS.
Tell us about your latest book. RELENTLESS follows Las Vegas detective Jenna Simms on a case from her jurisdiction to Miami and Key West. After a fellow officer is killed on stakeout and a snitch winds up dead in her apartment, Jenna’s on the trail of killers with a connection to a $400-million diamond heist. Since law enforcement is convinced the diamonds will be used to fund an illegal drug deal, the stakes are high and definitely for keeps.
What is the inspiration for this book? I’ve lived in Miami, spent time on a yacht in the area, and have been visiting friends in Key West for over four decades. I wanted glamorous settings set against the dark underbelly of international crime.
Who was your favorite character to write and why? Three: First: Abby Rhode (an Inbetweeer in the Matti James Series. She’s a paranormal being caught between life and death). Abby’s clueless about her situation, adds humor, can be counted on to disappear in danger, and yet is loyal to Matti James. Second: Matti James. She has to learn to play nice with police. She needs to figure out who to trust professionally as well as personally. Best (worst) of all, she is too curious for her own good. Third. Jenna Simms. She has everything stacked against her: failed personal relationships, Departmental prejudice, and blackmail. Despite this, Jenna never forgets she’s a cop and that lives depend on her.
Is there anything of you in Matti, your best-known character? Matti’s a forensic expert….I’ve studied and trained, but am hardly expert. We’re both tall (whoopee!). She can’t land a guy. I’ve been happily married 38 years.
What sets your book(s) apart? In the Matti James Series: a paranormal element contrasts with forensic science (which is always on target as opposed to what passes for forensics in novels/TV). It allows humor to be injected into dark subject matter.
What’s your favorite part in one of your books?A fan-cited memorable image in THE KIEV CONNECTION: “When the storm abated, rain slowed to a drizzle. The howling wind calmed to an intermittent breeze. Her {the victim’s} remains lay wedged against a chain link fence bordering Volunteer Boulevard. Strands of her hair snagged on the wires and waved in the breeze like shreds of a tattered, ancient prayer cloth.” I like the image and how the last four words slow the reader to a chilling, full stop.
What was the most difficult part to write? Any scene that involved making forensics accessible to the average reader without sacrificing the story.
What was your favorite book to write? EXPENDABLE. I learned so much along the way about the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters and their ongoing effects. While these events might seem like “ancient history,” they continue to affect the lives of millions of people.
How do you write? Do you have a set time or place? How many hours a day? I write every day. Depending on my schedule, I may start after breakfast, or in the afternoon. I do not write after dinner. Why? I need a life.
Why did you want to be a writer? I didn’t. Writing economic analyses for fifteen years was definitely not fun. Then, I entered the international Bulwer-Lytton contest whose aim is to write a bad, yet grammatically correct, first sentence for a fictitious novel. I won! That showed me writing could be FUN and also how NOT to begin a novel. After I moved to Henderson, I had the opportunity to delve into the mystery/thriller genre.
How do you get your ideas? My first book was inspired by a local radio broadcast about the discovery of human remains at a construction site. They were discarded with the trash Bones in the desert? Yes! Who was the victim? Forensic facial reconstruction and DNA might be able to solve the mystery. I started to study forensic facial reconstruction, had hand-on training, and learned the newest forensic tests as I went along.
What do you have planned next? A thriller set in the desert south of Las Vegas…with a male protagonist.
What advice would you give new writers? Read, read, read. Write what you know….or what interests you. This may entail a bit of research. Listen to conversations. Dialogue is important. People do not give speeches to one another, and they have their own way of talking. REWRITE….don’t think everything you put to paper is golden. Join local writers’ groups and take their advice. Most of all…..have fun.
How can readers get in touch with you? www.marunger.com. or 925maru14k@earthlink.net.
