J. R. Lindermuth Interview

A retired newspaper editor, J. R. Lindermuth lives and writes in central Pennsylvania. He is librarian of his county historical society where he assists patrons with research and genealogy. He is the author of seven other novels and publishes regularly in a variety of magazines, both print and on line. His most recent release is Being Someone Else, a "Sticks Hetrick" novel, Mr. Lindermuth's police series. Visit his website at http://jrlindermuth.com/.
EBD: How long have you written fiction?

JRL: I was making them up before that, but I first started putting them down on paper when I was in high school. My first acceptance was a little magazine called The Answer, which folded before the issue with my story came out. After that, there was a long period of submissions and rejections before I started placing stories and articles in a variety of smaller magazines. Ironically, Schlussel's Woman, my first novel, was also accepted by a publisher, who promptly went bust. This writing can be a discouraging process.

EBD: Do you participate in a critique group? Attend any conferences?

JRL: I've not participated in any critique groups. I did attend Killer Nashville in 2009. I couldn't make it this year, but hope to go again. I'd love to attend Bouchercon, provided it ever gets closer to Pennsylvania again.

EBD: You've written a variety of books, some historical and a police series. Were you always interested in history? What is the subject matter of your historical novels?

JRL: Yes, I've always been interested in history. Historical novels and mysteries have always been my favorite reads, too. So I suppose it was natural for me to focus on those genres. Actually, Schlussel's Woman, Watch The Hour and even The Accidental Spy have elements of the mystery to them. The first two are concerned with history of the anthracite mining region. Spy deals more with the espionage aspect in the Revolutionary War.

EBD: Your latest release, Being Someone Else, is set in a small town to the west of Harrisburg in central Pennsylvania and is one of your "Sticks Hetrick" police series novels. Are political situations described in your novel similar to small town politics in PA?

JRL: Though Swatara Creek is a fictional place, it is similar to many of the older Susquehanna River towns that have become bedroom communities for Harrisburg. Much of my newspaper reporting career dealt with politics in towns like those.

EBD: Would you give us a short synopsis of Being Someone Else?

JRL: An out-of-state reporter has been found murdered at a disreputable bar. Daniel 'Sticks' Hetrick, former police chief of Swatara Creek, has been acting as unofficial consultant to his less experienced successor, Aaron Brubaker. As they investigate the murder, the trail keeps leading them back to the family of a wealthy doctor who has retired to his hometown.

EBD: Being that I too am from central PA, I was amused at the language used by characters in your book. You used "youse" once, which is a familiar localism. I was surprised by the lack of "we'ens" and the use of the term "hain't," which I'd never heard before. What is it a contraction of, "have not?" Is it used often where you live?

JRL: The language of my characters is a mix of the Pennsylvania German common in the Harrisburg vicinity and a few expressions like "haint't" imported from the coal region where I grew up and now live again. Hain't is simply another variation of the more familiar ain't. It's odd, but a lot of expressions used throughout this region would not be unfamiliar further south in the Appalachians. I had an aunt who used to say "aaron" for "iron" and "faer" for fire, yet none of her siblings did.

EBD: Have you always written in third person multiple POV? Have you ever tried first person?

JRL: I haven't tried third person multiple yet. The Accidental Spy is written in first person. And I've signed a contract for a novel called FALLEN FROM GRACE (which is in first person) with Oak Tree Press's new Western line

EBD: How did you decide on Whiskey Creek Press as your publisher?

JRL: I stumbled upon them on line, submitted Something In Common, first of the Hetrick novels, and was offered a contract. They're a small but growing firm and we've forged a good working relationship.

EBD: I noticed that Whiskey Creek Press doesn't take returns. Has that hurt your sales?

JRL: Yes. One of my main local outlets was an independent bookstore, which was forced to close this year by the economy and chain competition. To date I've had no luck convincing the nearest chain to stock my books. I realize no store can carry every published book. But it seems to me good business sense to carry the books of a local writer with an established platform and whose books have had good reviews, a sales record and a retinue of repeat customers.

EBD: What marketing do you do to promote your books?

JRL: Every option I can find. On the local front, I write a weekly column for my hometown daily and have received publicity in it and other area newspapers. I do signings and speak to clubs and organizations. I also have a webpage, a blog and promote on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Goodreads and every other on line venue I can find.

EBD: What question haven't I asked you?

JRL: Maybe what's next for Sticks? I'm currently working on the fifth in the series, tentatively titled PRACTICE TO DECEIVE. In this episode, Sticks and Anita go on a cruise before he's scheduled to take on his new job as county detective. A passenger with ties to home is murdered in Jamaica. Sticks joins forces with the local authorities and calls on the home team for assistance via email. Meanwhile, Flora and the others are dealing with crimes of their own.

Thanks John, for allowing WWK to interview you. Good luck on your newest release Being Someone Else, the fourth “Sticks Hetrick” mystery.