ℚ♫ Westobou Gold: Moccasin Hollow Mysteries [2] - Hawk MacKinney

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Hawk MacKinney to talk about Westobou Gold (9 October 2016, Sage Words Publishing, 234 pages), a Mystery Suspense, book two of Moccasin Hollow Mysteries series.

Praise for book one, Hidden Chamber of Death:

"An ordinary plot executed in an extraordinary way, a good start to a series." ~ Dhivya Balaji / Readers Muse

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

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A very warm welcome to Hawk MacKinney; Merry Christmas and thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Westobou Gold, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"BooksChatter’s offer of a playlist is much appreciated. My writing/editing is usually done in a study with a single window…behind me. Sometimes while researching/making notes from library references or Internet on setting/character/plot twist, a CD of the well-known romantic-era composers will be playing…sonatas, etudes, symphonies…other times it’s silent."

Below is a selection of pieces from the romantic-era — enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Westobou Gold?

"The inspiration for Westobou Gold, so beautifully reflected in the cover, came from a combination of local myths and legends that have survived from the colonial and antebellum period. With this as my backdrop, I created the plot twists around the serial protagonist Craige Ingram.

Also, memories of my stays in the UK—Cambridge and the Loch Gerry in the Highlands and Dunvegan area of the Isle of Skye—stitched the fantasy plots and counterplots of hungry ‘gators, book-wormed private libraries and soggy tunnels for Book 2 in the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series...Westobou Gold."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Unlike non-fiction that deals in true facts and requires detailed research, in all fiction, writers reveal their own experiences and what they know in their tales of what we’ve lived/know. The characters in The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series, such as supporting SEAL members and protagonist Craige Ingram, are glimpses of my navy involvements and medical training."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Westobou Gold - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover for Westobou Gold is the result of a team effort based on creative suggestions and experiences from my literary agent, my publisher, and graphic illustrators/designers. The final cover concept was approved because of its colorful symbolism that reflects the high points of the tale being spun. Like the covers for my Sci-Fi series, I love this cover, and have passed kudos on to the designers."

Why should we read Westobou Gold and the Moccasin Hollow Mysteries; what sets it apart from the rest?

"This question is reader-specific. To begin with, it is a mystery thriller which will appeal to readers who enjoy that genre. But it also delves into areas the reader might find interesting as well as entertaining; such as, Indian archeology dig sites, antebellum homes, and well-researched forensics."

Can you tell us something quirky about Westobou Gold, its story and characters?

"Writing is an obsession for me. And even though I write mystery/thrillers and science fiction, my personal preference for reading is non-fiction history; such as, English-Scottish-Norman-Scandinavian-Welsh-Russian, geology, archeology and beyond the stars.

Unique? One must ask my readers, but many of my characters reflect characteristics from the age of romance that is sometimes quite out of place BUT sometimes right on the money.

The characters in Westobou Gold are all quirky whether they are dead or alive, as are the scenes and situations in which they find themselves."

Who would you recommend Westobou Gold to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I don’t believe in throwing gratuitous sex or violence into the books I write. However, Westobou Gold does have graphic scenes that were necessary to move the story forward."

If you could / wished to turn Westobou Gold and the Moccasin Hollow Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"A few names…the list is endless; Welsh, Canadian, Australian actors/actresses; serial protagonist: Taron Egerton/Kit Harington/Luke MacFarlane. Supporting serial characters: Judi Dench/Essie Davis [Tasmanian]/Maggie Smith/Rosalyn Landor…along with any number of UK/Australian/NZ/Canadian artists of the stage & screen."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"Genres are created to help determine which shelf what book goes where in a bookstore or library. Readers identify with characters and their emotions, however, and those emotions diffuse through all genres. Without this connection, one ends up with boring behavior objectives akin to single-spaced programming directions."

What is your writing process?

"Anytime…anywhere…when or where the fantasies knit together. Pen and pad hardly ever beyond an arm’s reach excepting when chopping/sawing/pruning. Editing? Secluded in my study where it’s quiet…well…quiet most of the time."

What is in store next?

"Two manuscripts are in edit: Book 3 in The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series and another in The Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series. Both series have serial characters, spanning generations of families, and are allowed some free reign. But I always sketch and write the last chapter first…no runaway characters. Of course, at this stage, I always look forward to the cover design."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"With no camera in the house our family takes few photos of anything…even our pets. There’s a cell phone somewhere…in the truck maybe. The truck is in Mississippi, long ago discharged. My German shepherd is very special; with a calm wolf-connect only to the nearby aunt and uncle. The only picture of him is enormous. It hangs on the den’s wide wall along with the blockade photo of Robert E. Lee, and faces the fireplace wall with a gift from a great aunt in Aberdeen, Scotland…her watercolors of the bloodline families’ Coats of Arms from Wales & Scotland."

Sounds like a great den :-)
In that case I shall share some pics of your iconic hat ;-)

Hawk, it was a pleasure! Wishing you a fantastically healthy, successful and prosperous 2017!

Westobou Gold
Available NOW!

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