Walk like an egyptian…

This morning I’m rather delighted to welcome Louise Beyer to the blog. A fellow sufferer, in that she has to endure the miseries and rigors of accountancy as well as, well the miseries and rigors of being a writer.

Nice to meet you Louise, tell us a little about yourself, please.

I’m a retired accountant living with my husband in Maryland. He’s an accountant, too, and talks about retiring all the time but hasn’t done it yet. My son and daughter are adults and have their own homes to which we are sometimes invited for dinner. I have two granddaughters who visit frequently, four and seven years old.

And as you are here, I presume you have a book out?

Yes, I do. It’s a science fiction adventure titled Call Me Pharaoh.

Pharaoh Farrow is a private investigator born a thousand years after human life has spread to the stars and discovered we aren’t alone in this galaxy. His home is an old scout ship named Hilda, and the work he finds as a private eye earns him just enough to keep food in his belly, beer in the cooler, and the ship’s engines in reasonable repair.
In this adventure Pharaoh is hired by wealthy businessman Mallory Dolon to find his daughter. Pharaoh assumes it’s a case like any other he’s handled a hundred times before. Even better, Dolon can afford to pay well for the job, but only if Pharaoh survives to collect it, because he soon finds himself waylaid by a band of Lethian rebels, arrested by the galaxy’s equally ruthless Delian League of Spacefaring Systems, captured by Mustanen pirates, and caught in the middle of a battle between worlds at war.
The greatest danger he faces, however, is when he finds the woman all of the above are looking for, because Calida Dolon carries a secret that can destroy the entire galaxy, or save it.

Sales link:
http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Pharaoh-L-Beyer-ebook/dp/B0089HFM7C/

Other books in the series?
Pharaoh Farrow has another mystery to solve in The Aldebaran Countdown., http://www.amazon.com/Aldebaran-Countdown-L-M-Beyer-ebook/dp/B00BC6F7ZO/

What made you start writing?

I’ve been doodling with stories since elementary school. At that age I wrote about lost princesses. Later, there were young aliens lost on Earth. Finally, I stopped getting lost and started exploring the galaxy.

What was your inspiration for this book/series?

Although science fiction is my first love, I also enjoy mysteries. Then someone told me about an interesting name that turned up in old court records from the 19th century: Pharaoh Farrow. I put science fiction and mystery together with that very interesting name and came up with a private investigator living on a space ship. By the way, you won’t find Pharaoh talking shop with reincarnations of either Mike Hammer or Nick Charles. Their styles of sleuthing are not his. On the other hand, I’ve no doubt he’d be willing to share a drink or two with Philip Marlowe.

Writing: are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantser, for sure. I have no idea what obstacles my hero will face, until we get there, or how he will deal with them.

Which of your characters would you most like to take to the pub?

Pharaoh, of course. Talking to him would be a hoot.

One of your characters discovers that you plan to kill him/her. Does he/she get in first and kill you – and if so, how would they do the deed?

If Pharaoh thought I was about to kill him off he’d talk me out of it. It wouldn’t take much effort. I like him too much.

What would your characters say about you?

Pharaoh says, “She laughs at all my jokes, even the bad ones.”

How did you decide on the Title?

My daughter suggested it. We were talking about an idea I had for a story where Pharaoh battles a rogue space ship, which got us to talking about Moby Dick. I haven’t written that other book yet, so I used the title for this one.

What is your favourite line in this book?

I have to introduce the line with the paragraph that precedes it…
She stared around at the cockpit and then into my face, shaking her head in amazement. “And here I am. Caught by you. I’ve given a great deal of thought to how you did it. We all rely too much on first impressions, myself included, and the mask you wear when you first meet your prey is one of bumbling, shallow, wisecracking stupidity.”
“No foolin’. I’m tied to my chair, darling.”

What is your favourite line in any book?

First line of the book, Slan, by A.E. van Vogt. “His mother’s hand felt cold, clutching his.”

I love that. What is your favourite book?

I have favourites in every genre. In science fiction my favourite book is Slan, because it is the first science fiction book I ever read. With that little book I discovered the universe.

What are you working on now?

Another Pharaoh Farrow adventure.

Do you have a favourite place to write? If so, where?

Yes, I do. It’s a room with windows facing the woods behind the house. The chair is an overstuffed rocker. My laptop sits nicely on a small table in front of me, and the kitchen is only a few steps away.

If you could go anywhere in the world to write your next book, where would you choose?

I can’t think of any place better than an overstuffed rocker near the kitchen.

When you are not writing, what do you like doing? And with whom?

Reading, and since my husband’s hobby is doing crossword puzzles, the evening is very quiet, which suits us both.

If you had to be lost on a desert island, who would be your dream companion?

My husband. He’s logical and calm when solving problems, and in conversation he’s often funny. He doesn’t like coconut, though.

Louise, thanks for the interview. It’s been an absolute pleasure having you here, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the distraction from those Tax Returns…

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