I took John's six-shooter out of its holster and shot the son-of-a-bitch in his right knee,blowing the kneecap all to hell and back. That wiped that snake smile from his face.
He fell out of the chair, shrieking in agony. It was music to my ears. As he lay on the floor holding his bloody knee and making all sorts of noise, I collected the cash from the desk and slowly, very slowly, counted it. Yep, it was $10,000.00 alright. By the time I finished counting, he had quieted down just enough to hear what I had to say.
With the cash in one hand and the six-shooter in the other, I left Larimer with these words: "My name is Molly Lee and I want you to remember it for the rest of your miserable life as you hobble about on your crutches. That's M-O-L-L-Y L-E-E! And Molly Lee can take care of herself!"
Description:
Molly is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.
It's 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family's farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them--a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn--ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.
Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice. She starts off as a naive young girl. Over time, she develops into a strong, independent woman. The change is gradual. Her strengths come from the adversities she encounters along the road that is her life.
We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.
Today I am going to be doing something very exciting, my first ever author interview! I have been wanting to do this for a while now but was looking for just the right person, after Andrew contacted me and I could see his passion for his writing, I knew I wanted to interview him. Andrew has currently published three books and tends to write within the genre of Historical Fiction. This is definitely a genre I would like to delve into, so without further ado, let's get on with the interview.
Thank you for coming onto my blog!
You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Start off by telling us a little bit about your latest book, Molly Lee.
Molly is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.
It’s 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them—a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn—ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.
Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.
We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.
What inspired you to write Molly Lee?
I was not inspired to write MOLLY LEE. I was cajoled into writing it by Molly and my agent.
This is the backstory to Molly:
My first book was a 164,000-word historical novel. And in the publishing world, anything over 80,000 words for a first-time author is heresy. Or so I was told time and time again when I approached an agent for representation. After two years of research and writing, and a year of trying to secure the services of an agent, I got angry. To be told that my efforts were meaningless was somewhat demoralizing to say the least. I mean, those rejections were coming from people who had never even read my book.
“So you want an 80,000-word novel?” I said to no one in particular, unless you count my dog, because he was the only one around at the time. Consequently, I decided to show them City Slickers that I could write an 80,000-word novel.
I had just finished reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for the third time, and I started thinking about what ever happened to those boys, Tom and Huck. They must have grown up, but then what? So I sat down at my computer and banged out REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in two months; then I sent out query letters to agents.
Less than a month later, the chairman of one of the biggest agencies in New York City emailed me that he loved the story. We signed a contract and it was off to the races, or so I thought. But then the real fun began: the serious editing. Seven months later, I gave birth to Huck and Tom as adults. And just for the record, the final word count is 79,914. The book went on to reach #1 status on Amazon twice, and the rest, as they say, is history.
But not quite.
My agent then wanted me to write a sequel, but I had other plans. I was in the middle of editing down my first novel (that had been rejected by 1,876,324 agents . . . or so it seemed) from 164,000 words to the present 142,000. However, he was insistent, so I started to think about it. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I had tied up all the loose ends at the end of REDEMPTION, so there was no way I could write a sequel. And that is when Molly came to me and asked that I tell her story. Molly was a character that we met briefly in the first chapter of REDEMPTION, and then she is not heard from again. At least not until her book came out.
Did you have to do a lot of research to get the history authentic in the story?
Everything in MOLLY LEE is historically correct from the languages of the Indians to the descriptions of the way people dressed, spoke, and lived. I spend as much time on research as I do writing my stories. Sometimes more.
Going back to the beginning, what is it that got you into writing?
One morning, about five years ago, I went crazy. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and threw my TV out the window. Then I sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story. It was soon published in a print magazine (remember them?). I’ve been writing ever since.
Do you always have a full story mapped out from beginning to end before you start writing?
I usually sit down to write a book with no idea where my characters will lead me. I start out with (I hope) a killer first sentence and the last paragraph of the book. Then I set out to fill the in-between space with 100,000 words. I find that the easy part. Sometimes I will bring my characters to a certain place, only to have them rebel when we get there. They tell me they want to go somewhere else and take off on their own. I have no choice but to follow.
Tell us a little bit about your writing process.
I prefer to write in the early morning hours when things are quiet. I usually get up around 2:00 a.m. and go to work. The commute is not long . . . only a few steps to my computer.
Do you ever base your characters in your books off real people? If so, when have you done this?
In some respects all my characters are based on real people. I read a lot non-fiction (history) and biographies and I’ll incorporate aspects of the people I read about into my characters
What type of books do you like to read yourself?
My favorite author is John Steinbeck. I also love to read Lee Child and David Baldacci. Actually, the list is too long for this venue.
If you had to pick three books that were the only ones you could ever read again, what would you pick?
The Grapes of Wrath, The Collected Plays of William Shakespeare, and The Jacket (Star Rover) by Jack London.
Where do you find out about books to read?
Nowadays, mostly by accident.
Do you have any hobbies? Or anything you like to do in your spare time?
I like to emulate Hemingway, London, and Fitzgerald . . . I drink a lot, mostly vodka. I also like watching old movie from the ’30s and ’40s.
Have you got any advice for those budding writers out there?
Read, read . . . and then read some more. Read everything you can get your hands on! Reading to a writer is as medical school is to a doctor, as training is to an athlete, as breathing is to life.
Thank you very much for coming onto my blog! Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for having me. I can only append that I have very much enjoyed your mild inquisition.
What ever happened to those little boys, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer? They grew up that’s what. In the spring of 1860, General Beauregard fired on Fort Sumter and the now twenty-four year old boys can’t wait to sign up to fight the Yankees.
In the first battle of the war Tom is wounded and Huck brings him back to Missouri. But along the way they run into trouble and Huck ends up saving the life of a sixteen-year old Yankee soldier who deserts and travels to Missouri with the boys.
Once in Missouri the Yankee, whose name is Jed, leaves for California. A month later Huck and Tom set out for San Francisco where Tom hopes to catch a ship headed for China. Huck goes along to keep Tom company, but plans on returning to Missouri when Tom sails.
Jed never makes it to California, Tom sets sail but never reaches China and Huck never sees Missouri again. Twelve years later they come together in the town of Redemption Colorado to fight a greedy rancher and his army of hired guns.
They are not boys anymore. They are now men doing what men have to do. Huck is now a famous lawman, Tom a widower and Jed is the infamous Laramie Kid, a notorious gunfighter.
REDEMPTION is an incredible sequel to HUCKLEBERRY FINN, intertwined stories that take place between 1860 and 1873. They are stories of growth and learning, stories of change as told through the reminiscences of a sixty-year old Huck Finn. They are also adventure stories that dovetail together for the climax.
* Check out Redemption (which currently has 50 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars!)
Andrew Joyce lives on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his dog Danny.
Andrew Joyce, Keep Calm & Answer These 25 Questions
1. Do you consider yourself a logophile? If so, have you always been? I love words and knowing where they come from.
2. What is your favorite color? I like all colors. I don’t discriminate.
3. Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Born and reared in Miami, Florida
4. What is your favorite football team? I don’t follow sports.
5. Who is your favorite author? John Steinbeck
6. What is your favorite book? Grapes of Wrath
7. What do you do when you are not writing? Read
8. Do you have a day job as well? No . . . I make my living writing.
9. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? #1 Write and #2 be true to your vision (that is unless all your reviews are one star. Then you might want to rethink your vision).
10. Is being a writer a curse or a gift? Being a writer is the best thing ever … until you get to the editing process.
11. Where do you write? On my boat.
12. Do you prefer silence or some noise while you write? I must have quiet!
13. What do you typically drink while writing? Vodka
14. What challenges have you had in regards to your writing life? Finding an agent – that took two years – and editing. Don’t get me wrong, I think every word I write is pure genius, but after reading them for the fifteenth time … well …
15. When did you first start and when did you finish your book? Depends on what book we’re talking about. My current book REDEMPTION took two months to write, it just flowed. But then, seven months later, I was still trying to perfect it in the editing stage.
16. If your book is made into a movie, which actors/actresses do you envision playing the parts? My agent has placed REDEMPTION with a Hollywood producer and things might work out. To your question: Matthew McConaughey as Huck and Leonardo Decaprio as Tom.
17. What does your protagonist think of you? Would he/she want to hang out with you? He doesn’t think of me at all. And no one wants to hang out with me, not even my dog.
18. How do you market your book? What avenues work best? Contacting book bloggers and begging for reviews. BookBub worked really well for me.
19. What has been the toughest criticism so far? Actually, I don’t mind criticism. One thing that did kind of get to me was when I asked for a review, and the person accused me of sending her spam. She gave me one star without reading my book just to teach me a lesson.
20. What has been the best compliment? These two excerpts from professional reviewers:
“What I loved about this book were the admirable morals and values of the main characters, they each had a real down to earth, genuine, true ‘good’ heroic nature about them. Witnessing their characters mature, grow and develop throughout the story was inspiring.”
AND:
“Through page after page, I read with amazement on how this could not be considered a companion to the Twain’s 1876 and 1884′s respective works. In a nutshell, they work together as a trilogy to complete the saga, from the imagination of two tremendous writers. Well done Mr. Joyce!” (Both full reviews are on Amazon)
21. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination? The subtext is all from my experiences and limited knowledge. The story itself is all imagination.
22. How did you come up with the title? I reckon I have Mark Twain to thank for that.
23. Will there be a sequel? My agent wants one, but I’m working on something else at the moment.
24. What project are you working on now? A historical novel about the true story of the largest mass execution in the history of the United States.
25. What question did I leave out that you’d like to answer? You didn’t ask for my phone number. Whenever I speak with a beautiful woman, I always get a little insulted when she doesn’t ask for my phone number. By the way, it’s; 1-800-555-Huck. (jk)
Andrew Joyce, REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer
If I were to take on a project such as this, I would first want to consult a psychologist to have myself tested for sanity. To think, a renowned and time-tested series such as the "Tom Sawyer" books could be expanded, would lead me to believe I had lost all my marbles. But what I think has happened with 'Redemption', is Andrew Joyce has successfully channeled the spirit of Mark Twain into the twentieth-century. Through page after page, I read with amazement on how this could not be considered a companion to the Twain's 1876 and 1884's respective works. In a nutshell, they work together as a trilogy to complete the saga, from the imagination of two tremendous writers. Well done Mr. Joyce! -- Glen Marcus
From REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer
The next morning we were up, ate a cold breakfast and were on the trail before the sun made its way over the horizon.
Their tracks were easy to follow; there was only one trail up the mountain. About ten o’clock the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and did a little dance. They were bristling something awful. Jed was in the lead and I called for him to hold up. When I got up to him, I slid from my horse and told him to do the same.
We drank from our canteens and filled our hats so that the horses could have a drink. We were getting low on water, but there were many streams in the mountains so we had no fear on that count. But I did have a fear on another count; I felt someone was watching us.
Jed agreed and said that the trail we were on was the perfect place for an ambush. I asked him how they would do it. He said if it was him running things, he’d leave a man behind to get us on the trail and then meet up with the other two later.
“Well Jed, there’s nothing for it but to go on. We’re the law in Redemption. If we let these geezers get away with robbing our bank and killing our citizens, then every no-good saddle tramp in the territory will be comin’ there and tryin’ their hand at bank robbery or anything else they thought they could get away with.”
“Reckon that you’re right,” said Jed, “I’ll take point.”
“Sorry Jed, I’m marshal and that’s my job. But if they get me, you keep going. You don’t have to bring them back if they’re dead, only if they surrender. But either way, bring their guns and horses back, sell ‘em and give the money to Missus Baxter. I reckon she could use it now with her husband gone.”
With nothing else to say, we got back on our horses. Jed tied the mule’s lead-line to the horn of his saddle so as to keep his hands free. With our Winchesters out and lying across the bows of our saddles, we proceeded on.
We hadn’t gone far when a bullet smashed into a boulder I was riding by, splashing up bits of rock. A second later, I heard the sound of the shot. That meant that whoever shot at us was a ways off.
We both hit the ground at the same time and smacked our horse on their rumps to get them going and get them out of the line of fire. Seeing as how the mule was tethered to Jed’s horse, he wisely followed along.
We were lying among some boulders and Jed asked me where I reckoned the shooter was.
“He’s gotta be ‘bout two hundred yards up that slope,” I said pointing off to the left. “It’s a good thing the sun was to our backs. I think it must have got in his eyes, elsewise he’s a lousy shot.”
Jed was smiling as he checked his Colts to make sure they were loaded. They were always loaded. I think it was just a nervous habit with him. I had me a Smith and Wesson Schofield I had picked up a year back. Our guns, including the Winchesters, all took .45 cartridges, which made things a mite easier.
When Jed had his guns back in their holsters he said, “Alright Huck, how we gonna play this? You wanna charge up the hill at the sonavabitches or do it Indian style and come up from behind ‘em?”
“Well Jed, there was only the one shot, so I reckon you called it when you said they’d leave one man behind to finish us off. They must have seen there were only two of us around the fire last night. Probably figured one man in ambush could take care of a couple of jaspers like us. But I don’t like the idea of chargin’ up the hill. One of us is bound to take a bullet or two. No, instead you stay and keep him busy with your Winchester. I’ll circle round and get above him. I’m gonna stand now and draw his fire, you see where the muzzle flash comes from.”
Jed grabbed my arm and said, “That ain’t too smart Huck.”
“Don’t worry. We know he’s not a good shot and I’ll move fast and give him a very little target. You just see where the shot comes from.”
When I was back down among the rocks, Jed pointed out where our friend was. I nodded and told him that he should count to three hundred because that’s when I expected to be behind and above him. “Then hold your fire because it might be me you hit and that would be kinda embarrassin’ for both of us.”
I got up to where I wanted to be just before I hit three hundred, and I saw our man. His horse knew I was there before he did. When his horse whinnied, the man spun around in a panic. He didn’t see me, so I had the chance to take him alive. “Throw down your gun and put your hands up if you wanna see the sun come up tomorrow,” I yelled down to him.
But as Jed said, these weren’t the brightest boys in the choir. He did a half turn and fired where he thought my voice came from. I sighed and shot him just above the heart and a little to the center. I was aiming for his heart, but he moved on me. He was now on his knees and raising his gun for another shot. I knew he was as good as dead and I didn’t want to put another bullet into him if I didn’t have to. I wanted to let him say his last words, and maybe give him a little water.
“You’re shot bad partner and you’re gonna die, but do you wanna die alone? Throw down your gun and I’ll come to you.” He must have been hurting pretty bad because he dropped the gun and fell over backwards. I walked down and kicked his gun a little farther away from his hand. Then I called to Jed and told him to bring up a canteen.
While I waited for Jed, I knelt down on one knee and asked him his name. But he wasn’t talking; he turned his head away. I could tell he was in bad pain and he was breathing rough. It made me wish I had killed him outright to spare him that. He was young, about Jed’s age.
Jed walked up and handed me the canteen without saying anything. Losing blood makes you thirsty and when he saw the canteen, he ran his tongue over his lips. I uncorked it, raised his head a little and put it to his lips. After he drank his fill, I saw a red froth coming from his mouth. That meant he was shot in the lungs or at least one of them.
I eased his head back down and asked him his name.
“It’s Samuel,” he said.
“Well Samuel, you got any kin folk we can contact for you?”
He told me there was no one that cared a hoot if he lived or died. Then he tried to smile, but couldn’t quite make it and said, “Maybe a whore down Sonora way, if she’s still alive.”
I smiled at him and asked, “Who were the men with you, and where are they headed?”
“I cain’t peach on my friends mister.”
So I asked him if he was the one who shot Baxter.
“No, there was to be no shootin’. But that Frank, he’s a crazy one. When he shot that man, Ben and me couldn’t believe it.” Then Samuel asked if he could have some more water. But before I could get the cork out of the canteen, he died.
Three men come together in the town of Redemption Colorado. Each for his own purpose. Huck Finn is a famous lawman not afraid to use his gun to protect the weak. He has come to right a terrible wrong. After his wife’s death, Tom Sawyer does not want to live anymore; he has come to die. The third man, the Laramie Kid, a killer Huck and Tom befriended years earlier has come to kill a man. For these three men Death is a constant companion. For these three men it is their last chance for redemption.
