Visit Richard’s Amazon Page or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.
Thanks for this interview, Richard.Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? Can you tell us about your journey?
All things being equal, one could look at the process for my latest novel, from start to finish, and think of it as a very rocky road. But I look at the constant interruptions—from work or personal obligations, Covid lockdowns, neighbors engaged in noisy home remodeling projects or playing loud music to all hours of the night, and a freak accident that necessitated hospitalization for a fractured arm, wrist, and dislocated shoulder as a series of minor bumps in the road—a series of first world problems as it were. I will say it was extremely hard and somewhat frustrating to find uninterrupted quiet time. The time was found, and novel number five was completed. The publishing process had its challenges as well as rewards, and I look at that experience as one more learning opportunity that I can use to my advantage when my next book has been completed.
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?
I am lucky to live in Hawaii, a multi-cultural paradise which allows me year-round access to the ocean and beautiful mountain vistas. I love to swim, snorkel, kayak, and hike some of the most amazing trails that can be found here on Oahu. When friends and family fly in, I get to play tour guide. Most recently when my daughter visited, we scuba dived off Honolulu, kayaked out to the Mokulua Seabird Sanctuary on Moku Nui island, hiked up to the Makapu’u Point Light House, and gorged ourselves on a variety of Pacific rim foods in places from Honolulu to the famous North Shore. Entertaining is surely fun, relaxing, and never gets old.
What makes your book stand out from the rest?
Since moving to Hawaii six years ago I have had the amazing good fortune to have a myriad of first-hand experiences. I have also been blessed to meet and get to know a wide variety of people from police officers, native Hawaiian community leaders, cultural practitioners, politicians and bureaucrats at every level of state and city government. I’ve come to know Oahu from her beautiful sandy beaches that draws tourists from all over the world, to the economically depressed neighborhoods of Honolulu’s inner city. Working for a short time as a legislative aide, community liaison, and ghost writer for a Honolulu City Councilperson and a Hawaii State Senator, I’ve had an insider’s look at many of the pressing issues that are at the forefront across this state and especially here on the island of Oahu. This knowledge and experience provided the seeds that nourished the creative process that gave birth to To Catch The Setting Sun. It was these relationships and personal experiences that allowed me to supplement an already fertile imagination, yielding a realistic story that will be evident to the reader with each turn of the page. As one reviewer says: “The reader is easily drawn into this riveting dark noir crime story with its richly descriptive plot. It is a story that is a tangled web filled with enough drama, secrets, deceit, corruption, motives, suspects, and intriguing twists and turns that definitely keeps the reader guessing until the surprising conclusion…I found myself so caught up on following Henry's investigative pursuit of putting the pieces of the puzzle together and solving the murders, while also learning about the dark side of Oahu that the tourists don't get to see. To Catch The Setting Sun will definitely take the readers on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.”~ Jersey Girl Book Reviews 9/30/22
Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?
The reflection from scattered tiki torches competed with the moonlight flickering off the rhythmic ripples rolling across the black velvet lagoon. Gentle trade winds, carrying the sweet peach-like scent of plumeria, teased the palm fronds as easily as they tickled the torch lights—clearly a welcomed reprieve from five straight days of stifling temperatures. A catamaran and a couple of small outrigger canoes, their artfully painted fiberglass hulls made to look like the wood of ancient Koa trees, were pulled up along the sandy shoreline. The heavy beat of drums reverberated off the tall palms and set the tempo for a half-dozen pair of grass-skirted hips dancing on the main stage while vacationers laughed, ogled, and stuffed their faces with shredded pork, scoops of lomi salmon, steaming flavored rice wrapped in Ti leaves, thick juicy slices of pineapple, papaya, mango, and freshly roasted macadamia nuts that were all artfully displayed on wide banana-leaf- covered centerpieces. They sat cross-legged in the sand, sipping mai tais from plastic cups made to look like hollowed-out coconut shells, lost in a tropical fantasy that came complete with a souvenir snapshot taken with an authentic hula girl—the perfect paradise as portrayed on the website. The noise from the music, chanting, and laughter drowned out the frantic noise of the nearby kitchen, and it drowned out the desperate pleas and painful cries of Makani Palahia from the far side of the beach at Auntie Lily’s Luau Cove and Hawaiian Barbecue.
If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?
That’s hard to say. It’s definitely not a Christmas or a Valentine Day type of warm fuzzy. Maybe Halloween because it is a suspense thriller that will keep the reader on the edge of their seats or even make the hair on the back of their necks stand up. That’s a question for the readers to answer.
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?
There’s a possibility that my protagonist, Henry Benjamin, could return in a few more adventures. Right now, however, I have several other story lines that I’ve had on the back burner and would like to begin to develop.
When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?
The short answer is no. Now that I am retired from a 25-year career as a Chiropractor, I’ve been able to devote more of my time to writing, which has always been and continues to be my primary form of entertainment. To me, having a career, or having a new career means having obligations such as meeting certain requirements and making deadlines—been there, done that.
Do you have any plans to publish more books in the near future?
Yes, of course. I have a lot more stories swimming around in my mind. And like a child, each one is calling out for my attention. I want to be a good parent, LOL!
There’s a killer loose on the island of Oahu. His targets? Young, native-Hawaiian women. But it also appears that he’s targeting and taunting Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin who knew each victim and whose wife, Maya, had been the first name on that list. In addition to battling his personal demons, this New York transplant’s aggressive style didn’t sit well with his laid-back colleagues who viewed Henry’s uncharacteristic lack of progress in the investigation as evidence that fueled ongoing rumors that he could be the killer. Was he, or could it have been someone within the municipal hierarchy with a vendetta? As it was, after thirteen years on the job Henry had been disillusioned with paradise. His career choice long killed any fantasy of living in a grass hut on a wind-swept beach, being serenaded by the lazy sounds of the ocean and a slack key guitar. Instead, it had opened his eyes to a Hawaii that tourists will never see.
Book Information
Release Date: August 22, 2022
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1509243297; 320 pages; $17.99; eBook $5.99
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Rl42Aw
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3BRB0mv
Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/3dVBaBj
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