Q&A with Wendy Gee

  

 

 

Wendy Gee is the author of the new novel Side Hustle, the second in her Carolina Crossfire series. She served for 21 years in the U.S. Navy and later volunteered with the Charleston, South Carolina, fire department. She lives in Lewes, Delaware.

 

Q: Side Hustle is the second in your Carolina Crossfire series--what inspired the plot of this new novel?

 

A: The initial nugget came to me way back during the turn of the millennium—during the second Gulf War, long before ever I aspired to write a novel. I had many Navy nursing friends who regaled me with tales of battlefield success stories based upon seismic advances in military medicine.

 

Good news under any conditions; however, since these were young adult men and women who’d encountered life-altering injuries that would’ve killed soldiers and sailors in prior wars, they would now be living with these wounds (traumatic brain injuries, amputations, burns, and the like) for the next 60-70 years. I wondered aloud how the US was going to pay for those “survival” expenses.

 

Once I started my writing career, I wanted to expand on that early story idea but I just couldn’t make it work. I set it aside and wrote Fleet Landing, honing my craft and developing a cast of protagonists that I wanted to share in a series.

 

When I came back to the draft I’d shoved in my proverbial bottom drawer, it knew right away the story would need a revised tack: Sydney would accept the challenge of raising funds for injured first responders, who are central to my work.

 

Q: Do you think your character Sydney has changed at all from one novel to the next?

 

A: Grudgingly, yes (her words, not mine). She is not big on introspection or melodrama but recognizes her need to address the issues that are eating at her and interfering with her work. She takes a pretty big step forward in Side Hustle, and there will be more dramatic changes for her in future stories.

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and if so, did you learn anything especially surprising?

 

A: I absolutely love to do research about the crimes (tangential to murder) I’m writing about, and I savor talking with people who do the work I hope to convey on paper.

 

I have always found those who are willing to share their occupations and challenges with me add more than I could ever uncover by just reading or chasing rabbits (down their hidey holes).

 

In Side Hustle, Sydney has to interview cyberhackers, who enjoy a language and skills beyond my measure. I spoke with many coders and gamers to try and capture the truth of the story, as well as their unique flavor.

 

What they told me and showed me about the easy with which someone can steal your identity online left an indelible impression. I am now a rigorous elite password creator, and I advise all your followers to do the same. No joke.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope my readers enjoy the ride and I’m grateful they chose to spend time with the characters I developed. I vow to never take that for granted.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Book 3 in the series, Bent, is what I refer to as Dino’s (Lieutenant Draymond “Dino” Bernadino, CPD) origin story. He is called out to investigate a murder at the iconic pineapple fountain in Charleston’s (SC) Waterfront Park. That event reminds him of his first felony arrest from back in the day.

 

The story is crafted as a dual timeline for the first half, while the second half of the book will be in the present. Sydney is there to assist Dino in her effervescent and aggravating style (his words, not mine).

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I am working hard honing my craft, and I love meeting readers and prospective readers along the way. I’m also honored to present my work in forums such as this terrific blog for your wonderful followers. Thank you for the invitation to contribute.

 

I hope followers will take the time to grab a copy of my book(s), ask your local library and bookstore to shelve my books, and continue to support writers and artists who are real people.

 

Looking ahead, Book 4 (untitled, as yet) is an art heist story—and you know they’ll be fire, literal and figurative. More to follow.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Wendy Gee. 

Q&A with Wendy Gee

 

 

 

 

Wendy Gee is the author of the new novel Fleet Landing. She spent 21 years in the U.S. Navy and later volunteered with the Charleston, S.C., fire department. She lives in Lewes, Delaware. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Fleet Landing, and how did you create your characters Coop and Sydney?

 

A: I have always been drawn to underdogs who face impossible odds, yet manage to persevere. My principal antagonist, Lamar, is one such character, and I wanted to play a part in telling his story. I understand writing is not “magical,” but his muse definitely guided me in unexpected directions.

 

Coop and Sydney are an amalgam of the professionals I met while doing research for this story. I wanted them to be supremely talented professionals, yet humble and imperfect human beings.

 

They are career-oriented, each climbing the ladder in their chosen fields. Both find their work-life balance nearly impossible—a relatable trope. Even so, neither one wants to let anyone in their orbit (including/especially crime victims) down.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them?

 

A: Personally, unrequited steaminess.

 

Professionally, Sydney bulldozes her way into the initial fire scene and Coop finds that characteristic amusing. However, he is a stickler for rules and tries to hold her at bay (with only limited success). When external influences force them to work together, their differences in mechanics and skill sets form a nearly perfect investigative team.

 

Q: The novel is set in Charleston, South Carolina--how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: I view setting as a major character in the story. Creating a sense of place, with its unique sensory details, takes the reader on a trip to that locale.

 

The city of Charleston serves as a perfect backdrop because its people, architecture, history, cuisine, and so forth are so dynamic and provide an endless source of story-launching points. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also give a nod to the surrounding communities.

 

I hope to highlight Charleston’s inherent goodness in my work. I use real places/locations when the opportunity permits. But I create an unreal place if something bad happens there, so as not to disparage any person, address, or event.

 

Q: How much did your own experiences as a volunteer with the Charleston Fire Department affect the writing of the novel?

 

A: I am naturally curious about things. When I discovered I had administrative skills that could assist the Charleston Fire Department’s Fire Marshal Division in a volunteer capacity, I jumped at the chance to be a part of their world.

 

I never thought of myself as a writer back then, but firefighters are immensely colorful and their stories fed my creativity. From that firsthand and unique exposure, I learned I had to truly fictionalize their accounts due to legal and privacy concerns.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My current work, Smell Test, is about two people from opposite ends of the galaxy who hatch a plan to steal priceless art from several Charleston locations. They’d describe it as a crime of passion motivated by their love for old masters.

 

The thefts are nearly perfect, until a talented TV reporter (Sydney) and the police department’s Public Information Officer unravel the twisted plot.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The second story in the Carolina Crossfire Mystery series, Side Hustle, is currently being edited for publication. Sydney takes the lead role is chasing a prolific cybercriminal.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb