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What happens when the deck is stacked against you…
From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted
fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las
Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police,
finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.
…and the cards don't fall your way?
When the brutal slaying of a prominent
casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale
Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the
largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.
What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?
Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To
redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer,
while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a
professional assassin hired to silence them.
Short
Bio:
Luke Murphy lives in Shawville, Quebec with
his wife, three daughters and pug.
He played six years of professional hockey
before retiring in 2006. Since then, he’s held a number of jobs, from sports
columnist to radio journalist, before earning his Bachelor of Education degree
(Magna Cum Laude).
Hi Luke. We'd like to get to know you a little better.
1. Please tell us
a little about your book, Dead Man’s Hand? Where can our viewers find it?
From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted
fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las
Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police,
finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.
When the brutal slaying of a prominent
casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale
Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the
largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.
Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To
redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer,
while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a
professional assassin hired to silence them.
Both Kindle and Paperback are available on Amazon: http://ow.ly/hd4Xv
It’s also available for Nook and Kobo. It’s on Goodreads,
iTunes, Createspace, Barnes & Noble and anywhere else on the internet.
The Paperback is also available at any
local bookstore.
2. How did you
get from being a hockey player to writing Dead Man’s Hand? ** How I went from
Pro. Hockey Player to Published Author. Comparing Hockey and writing.
It can
almost be said with certainty that I didn’t follow the path of the average
writer. As a child, I never dreamed of writing a best-seller, never aspired to
write the next classic novel, I wanted to be an NHL superstar…period.
From a
family of avid readers, even as a child, I always had a passion for books.
Whether it was reading novels on road trips or writing assignments in school,
literature was always part of my life.
In the
winter of 2000, after sustaining a season ending eye injury while playing
hockey in Oklahoma City, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, and a
new hobby emerged.
One
day, with an idea in mind, I sat down in front of a computer and began writing.
I wrote a little every day, around my intense rehabilitation schedule and
before I knew it, I had completed my first manuscript.
I
didn’t write with the intention of being published. I wrote for the love of
writing, as a hobby. Ever the perfectionist, I didn’t see my novel at the level
to compete with best-selling authors across the country. I continued to hobby
write through the years, honing my craft, making time between work and family
obligations.
Then I
made a decision – I enjoyed writing so much, I decided I wanted to take my
interest one step further – write a story with the intention of being
published.
I’ve
never been one to take things lightly or jump in half way. I took a full year
off from writing to study the craft. I constantly read, from novels in my
favorite genres to books written by experts in the writing field. I continually
researched on the internet, reading up on the industry and process. I attended
writing conferences and made friends (published and unpublished authors),
bombarding them with questions and learning what it took to become successful.
Feeling
that I was finally prepared, in the winter of 2007, I started to write DEAD
MAN`S HAND. It took me two years (working around full time jobs) to complete
the first draft of my novel.
I then
worked with editors and joined a critique group, doing anything I could to
learn, to improve my writing and my novel to point where I could create the
best possible novel.
I sent
out hundreds of query letters to agents. After six months of rejections, I
pulled my manuscript back and worked on it again. Then in my next round of
proposals I was offered representation by the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency.
My
dream was finally realized in April, 2012, when I signed a publishing contract
with Imajin Books.
- Being a writer, what steps do you take when you sit down to
write? Do you have any set formulas that work for you?
I started writing when I was young and
playing professional hockey. A couple of hours a day on the ice and in the gym
and then the day was mine. I also suffered a serious eye injury and couldn`t
play, so I had a lot more time on my hands. Now that I`m older, with a family
and full time job, makes it a lot harder to find the time to write.
These
days I don`t have a schedule or routine. Right now, I`m too busy playing
ring-around-the-rosie and duck-duck-goose to write.
But
when I do write, I find that I am most productive in the morning, and I always
have to have a mug of steaming tea in front of me.
Before
I even sit down at a computer, I have hand-written notes of ideas for my book.
This could be anything from plot, scenes, setting, characters, etc.
Once
I sit down, I just write. No editing, no looking back, I just let it flow.
Unless I`m certain, no title until after I`m done. As I write, I keep notes by
hand on the timeline.
When
my first draft is complete, I go through it twice, once for the creative
editing process and the next for flow, repetition, etc. Then I have my former
English professor read it over and she gives me her thoughts. I edit it myself
again. Then I send it to my agent for her thoughts, then I edit it again
myself. Only once my agent and I feel ready do we send it to publishers.
For
me, the most difficult thing about writing has nothing to do with actual
writing (ideas, flow, writer`s block, etc.), but it`s finding the time.
4. How did you develop
your characters? ** Creating an "unlikable" Protagonist and
Character conflict.
Many
people have asked if I can make any real connections to the main character in
my novel. The answer, as for my connection…no, I have never been involved in a
homicide investigation, LOL. The plot is completely fictional. Although I am
not a 6’5”, 220 pound African-American, I’ve used much of my athletic background
when creating my protagonist Calvin Watters. Watters past as an athlete, and
his emotional rollercoaster brought on by injuries were drawn from my
experiences. His mother died of cancer when he was young, as mine was. There
are certainly elements of myself in Calvin, but overall, this is a work of
fiction. I did not base the characters or plot on any real people or events.
Any familiarities are strictly coincidence.
As
far as characterization goes, Dead Man’s Hand’s protagonist Calvin Watters
faces racial prejudice with calmness similar to that of Walter Mosley’s
character Easy Rawlins. But Watters’ past as an athlete and enforcer will
remind other readers of (Jack) Reacher of the Lee Childs series. The Stuart
Woods novel Choke, about a tennis player who, like Watters, suffered greatly
from a dramatic loss that was a failure of his psyche, is also an inspiration
for Dead Man’s Hand.
When
thinking about creating the main character for my story, I wanted someone
“REAL”. Someone readers could relate to. Although it is a work of fiction, my
goal was to create a character who readers could make a real connection with.
Physically,
keeping in mind Watters’ past as an NCAA football standout and his current
occupation as a Vegas debt-collector, I thought “intimidating”, and put
together a mix of characteristics that make Watters appear scary (dreadlocks
and patchy facial hair), but also able to blend in with those of the social
elite. Although he is in astounding physical condition, handsome and
well-toned, he does have a physical disability that limits his capabilities.
He’s
proud, confident bordering on cocky, mean and tough, but I also gave him a
softer side that readers, especially women, will be more comfortable rooting
for. After his humiliating downfall he is stuck at the bottom for a while, but
trying hard to work his way back up.
He
has weaknesses and he has made poor choices. He has regrets, but Watters has
the opportunity to redeem himself. Not everyone gets a second chance in life,
and he realizes how fortunate he is.
Calvin
Watters is definitely worth rooting for.
5. What steps do you
take to market your book?
My marketing started
with the writing of my book. I always had a plan, an idea of the plot, but now
I had to think about the characters and setting, and I had to think about my
target audience in this stage.
I wanted characters
who readers could relate to. Characters that were real, not fictional to the
point of unbelievable. My protagonist, Calvin Watters, is as real as they come,
with faults and weaknesses like us all. Because of my sports background, I
wanted Calvin to also have an athletic background. I was a pro hockey player,
but I decided that hockey would be fine for a Canadian fan base, but I wanted
to cater worldwide, so I chose football. I believe that more people follow
football than hockey.
For the setting, I
needed a major market in the United States that people would want to read
about, so I chose Sin City, Las Vegas. Everyone is interested in this
fast-paced, party-all-night lifestyle and city that is party-central.
In today’s society,
most people don’t realize that writing a book is more than just putting a good
story down on paper. I learned this quickly. Agents and publishers want someone
with a “platform”, someone who already has a fan base and is guaranteed to sell
books. It’s risky for a publisher to take a chance on a new writer, because
there is no telling how many books they will sell, no matter how good that book
may be.
In 1999 I graduated
from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Marketing, so I felt I
had a running start at promoting my work.
Once my publishing
contract was signed, then the real work began, building my “platform”. I knew
that when I signed on with a smaller publisher that the bulk of the promotion
load would fall on my shoulders, and I accepted that.
I did four things
quickly: created my own website, started a blog, and opened a Facebook page and
Twitter account.
Now, I have been
fortunate to have had many jobs in my life, jobs that have created interest in
not only myself, but what I do.
Here are some things I
did next:
-
I scribed
a letter to all of my email contacts (2500) and all of my FB friends (2500).
-
I scribed
a letter for all of the media outlets (radio, TV, print) in the cities where I
played hockey, or have contacts. One of the benefits of playing professional
hockey was that I went through a lot of interviews with personalities in all
forms of media.
-
I picked
out the site for my launch party and spoke with the owner about it.
-
I played
hockey for teams and leagues all over North America, creating a fan base in a
variety of cities, and also worked in hockey camps, so I already had some
followers that I contacted.
-
I was a
reporter on the radio for a couple of years after retiring from hockey, and my
radio reporting was a presence on the web as well as in radio.
-
My sports
column (2006-2009), Overtime, which was a main feature in The Pontiac Equity,
not only had a following but helped in writing concise and exciting prose.
-
I composed
a list of local stores for potential book signings
-
I compiled
a list of local stores to sell my book
Next I picked out my target audience and
searched the web for them:
-
Thriller
readers looking for an atypical thriller hero—an African-American who is no
saint.
-
Sports fans
will be fascinated by Watters’ struggle to recover his decency and win, a kind
of Blind Side story with little sentimentality and few illusions.
-
A Las Vegas
setting—the world of The Hangover movies and many youth films like Bridesmaids—will
appeal to 20s-30s readers.
-
Watters’
romance with a former prostitute will appeal to younger female readers. The marital tension between Detective Dayton
and his wife will interest adults. Both men and women will enjoy the twist on
the femme fatale figure of the murderer’s lover, who has her own schemes.
-
Lovers of
history, as the term, “Dead Man’s Hand”, is a legend dating back to the Wild
West of the 1800’s.
I started creating relationships on the
internet through Facebook and Twitter. I met not only authors, but fans of the
genres I write.
When my book was released in October, 2012,
I felt I had a solid foundation to stand on.
I contacted media for interviews, held book
signings, joined shows and blog toured. I contacted anyone who wrote a blog and
asked about being a guest. I joined Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google +, as well
as sites created to support Indie authors. I did anything I could to get my
name out there, get my book in front of readers.
My publisher set up special promotions
where my book was FREE on Amazon for certain periods of time. All of this was
done to increase my following, and expand the awareness of my book on a
worldwide scale. This will hopefully lead to future sales with not only my
debut novel, but subsequent books if I’ve fortunate enough to write more.
Since my book was released at the end of
October, I didn’t have a full 3 months for my first quarterly royalty
statement. But in just over two months, I sold: 511 kindle copies and 32
paperbacks.
I had no idea what to expect going in
because this was my first book. I’ve been happy with the result thus far, but I
don’t have anything to compare it to. I feel that the more books I write, the
more success I will have. The more I get out there, the more excitement and
interest is garnered.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.J
6. What do you feel is
the most important part of writing?
What
I enjoy most about writing is that it allows me, for a short time, the freedom
to leave my everyday world and explore new avenues, to be in another place and
time. It allows me to get inside the head of characters—to think, do, and say
whatever I want with no rules or restrictions. It means liberty and freedom to
express myself.
7. What goal do you see
yourself striving for in 2014?
I would definitely like
to publish another novel. Even though writing isn’t my full time job, it is
such a pleasure and passion to have the opportunity to do it. Just because I
have one novel published, does not guarantee a second book will happen. So a second
book would be a bonus.
8. What would you like
our readers to know about you on a personal level?
I live in Shawville, Quebec with my wife,
three daughters and pug.
I played six years of professional hockey
before retiring in 2006. Since then, I’ve held a number of jobs, from sports
columnist to radio journalist, before earning my Bachelor of Education degree
(Magna Cum Laude).
My debut novel, Dead Man`s Hand, was
released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012.
I’m
a true hometown boy. I moved back to the town I grew up in and bought my dad’s
house, where I’m now raising my family. I’m teaching in the elementary school I
attended and most of my friends and family are still in town.
My
kids are in the same groups I was in, play the same sports I played, and are
experiencing the same things I did as a kid.
I couldn’t be happier than I am right
now…unless I became a bestselling author of course LOL
9. Do you have any new
projects you’re working on?
I’m currently working on my second novel,
another crime-thriller, following the career of rookie, female LAPD detective
Charlene Taylor.
I would love to write another book. Right
now, I have a full time job (teaching), a part-time tutoring job, and three
small children (all girls, YIKES!!).
I don`t have much time to write, but when I
get a chance, I do all I can. It could take some time, but eventually I would
love to write a series of novels featuring Calvin Watters. But I will not limit
my novels to Calvin Watters, as I would like to write a variety of novels, all
in the crime-thriller genres.
10. Share your website
and links you’d like us to know about. Do you have upcoming events?
For more information on me and my books,
visit: www.authorlukemurphy.com, check
out my blog www.authorlukemurphy.com/blog,
‘like’ my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/AuthorLukeMurphy
and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/AuthorLMurphy
