BooksChatter: ℚ Diver's Paradise: Roscoe Conklin Mysteries [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Davin Goodwin to talk about Diver's Paradise (7 April 2020, Oceanview Publishing, 305 pages), a Mystery, book one in the Roscoe Conklin Mysteries series.

“Diver's Paradise had me hooked from the first pages, from its opening in snowy Rockford, Illinois to the sunny beaches of an island in the Caribbean. Roscoe Conklin, or R, as he's known, is a totally likable and engaging protagonist whom I can't wait to revisit in the next one. Davin Goodwin is a major new talent.” — Michael A. Black, author of Blood Trailscv

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A very warm welcome to Davin Goodwin; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Diver's Paradise?

"My debut novel, Diver’s Paradise, was inspired by my love for the island of Bonaire. My wife and I have visited the island, nestled in the southern Caribbean, 30 times for scuba trips. When I decided to write a mystery novel, I new it had to take place n Bonaire. The slow, laid-back pace of the island contradicts the time-sensitive pace of a murder investigation."

Bonaire

That looks incredible; I am massively jealous!

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

"The protagonist, Roscoe Conklin, is a combination of traits from my dad and myself. The character plays banjo, scuba dives, flies small airplanes, and drives a Jeep Wrangler like me, but his common sense, no-nonsense style comes from my father.

I have several family related names and circumstances that work nicely in the book, but unless you’re a family member, you wouldn’t be able to pick them out."

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

"My publisher took care of the cover art. They did, however, ask me for ideas or what I had in mind. I sent them several examples and marked up photos, but they ended up not using them. They said that no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t keep my ideas from looking like a vacation brochure. The cover design/art is credited to Christian Fuenfhausen. My wife, Leslie, took the author photo."

Why should we read Diver's Paradise and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I tried to add a lot of Bonaire specific culture to the book—local language, customs, food, etc. Also, there’s some education about scuba diving and the island’s attitude toward conservation. Mostly, Diver’s Paradise is different because of the location.

There’s lots of protagonists who solve crimes in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, you name it. But mine is set on a small tropical island and the “detective” is retired and has limited resources at his disposal for solving the crimes. Plus, he doesn’t really want to even be involved in them. The mysteries pretty much fall in his lap.

I took some of my favorite old TV series’ (Magnum PI, The Rockford Files) and meshed them with my favorite authors: Randy Wayne White, Robert B. Parker, John D. MacDonald) and came up with what I believe is a very unique character in a very unique setting."

Can you tell us something quirky about Diver's Paradise, its story and characters?

"Lots of my characters’ names were derived from family names. My dad’s name was Roscoe C. Goodwin. There’s a lot of family arguments on what the C stood for. His mother’s side for the family was named Conklin. Some say that’s what the C stood for. I combined them and came up with Roscoe Conklin. Also, one of the characters is named Tiffany Wilcox. When my wife was young, single, and hitting the bar scene, she’d use that name when she got hit on by guys she had no interest in (and no, she never used the name on me).

And there’s an off-camera child referred to in the book whose name is Ozzy. My grandad’s name was Ozro.

There are also several characters named after real-life people I know.

I saw an interview years ago with Jerry Seinfeld. He claimed that what made his series great was that his character was the only sane character of the entire cast. All the other characters were getting into weird situations or saying strange things, and he was the only normal one. I tried to think of the characters in my book that way. It’s told in first person from the protagonist’s point of view, and even though he admits to not being the best detective in history, he feels he’s the only normal person on the island. All the other characters have quirks and some weirdness about them. He’s the one that always straightens them out."

Who would you recommend Diver's Paradise to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this novel/series to anyone who reads mysteries, especially if you like a little sand, scuba, sunshine, sunsets, or palm trees in your story. I definitely think anyone who has travelled to Bonaire or who likes the island will enjoy it.

Fans of John D. MacDonald, Randy Wayne White, Robert B. Parker should enjoy Diver’s Paradise."

If you could / wished to turn Diver's Paradise and the Roscoe Conklin Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Funny thing, my wife and I have talked this through several times. I’m sure lots of authors, especially debut authors do the same thing. Leslie and I would love to see Denzel Washington in the lead role. But since we haven’t come to “agreement” on who would play the other roles, I’d best stay quiet.

Parts of the movie would be shot on Bonaire, and Leslie and I have already decided we’d need to have a cameo role. Maybe the tourist couple at the bar drinking a colorful, tropical, foo-foo drink of some kind. Maybe a “these pretzels are making me thirsty” type of line."

LOL - I like that!

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

"My stories fall under two classifications: mysteries and humorous anecdotes revolving around Leslie and my travels to Bonaire scuba diving. I like writing dialogue and setting things up to comeback to the reader later, either in the same story or an a subsequent one."

Draft of Paradise Cove

What is your writing process?

"Not sure I have a process. I just kind of write when it hits me.

For novels, I try to have an outline, or storyboard as I call it, something to help know where the story is going. But mainly, I like to have an opening sentence to a scene or story and work it from there. I make lots of notes as I go, then go back and polish and fill things in."

What is in store next?

"I’m currently working on the next Roscoe Conklin Mystery, Paradise Cove. It takes place on Bonaire and has the same main cast of characters. Not sure about the publication date yet—I still have some editing and polishing to do."

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?

"I’d have to say that the closest thing I have a pet is my banjo. I’ve been playing since the age of 16 and have played in several well-touted bands. One of my bands was invited to Kiev, Ukraine, to play at the 3rd International Kiev Music Festival. We spent a week there playing multiple concerts for the public, political dignitaries, and music student. I’ve also played on multiple radio shows and been on several albums/CDs."