Sean Patrick Reardon lives in Pepperell, Massachusetts with his wife, two children, and Ragdoll cat. He's usually reading at least one novel on any given day, loves coaching and playing lacrosse, following cricket, and listening to rock 'n' roll music. He's also a cracking writer and has written not only some great short stories, but also a novel, Mindjacker (here's my two penn'orth). I'm a big fan of Sean's writing, so it was a pleasure to catch up over a Q&A.
Tell me about your book.
My novel, Mindjacker, would best fit into the crime thriller genre and the style is one that I really enjoy reading myself. It’s the kind of story where characters are introduced to the reader and expanded upon during the course of the story and they all intersect, until some of them are left standing, maybe, in the end. There are a couple themes running throughout, like rock-n-roll and right to life, as well as many hidden and not so obvious clues and wordplay related to the theme. I love Guy Ritchie’s crime movies and others that have storylines that are similar. You know, ones that focus on the bad guys, and all the trials and tribulations they go through trying to pull off the caper.
How do you feel about interviews?
I love doing them. I’m a pretty outgoing guy and enjoy public speaking. But written interviews are just as enjoyable. I love reading interviews by other authors just as much. In this modern technological world we live in, it is so cool when I get to learn more about an author, the person, and not just their writing. I have never met any of the authors I read, admire, or blog with, but the web provides an excellent way to feel a kinship with them.
How important is a good title?
I think it is very important, and in most cases it is a big reason why I give a book a chance if I’m trolling book sites. A good title, especially if it is relevant to the story, will get me to read the description. Now, who knows if Mindjacker is a good title, but I thought it sounded cool and it is relevant to the story.
What makes you keep reading a book?
Many things keep me interested, but character and dialogue are the big items that will keep me reading. The story has to be fast moving, without long passages of text that don’t have dialogue to break it up. Lots of police procedural and forensic jargon will lose me really fast. Believable bad guys, clever crimes, and corrupt cops or ones who don’t abide by the rules, will pretty much keep me hooked on a story. Drug use, profanity, and violence done right are always welcomed, but nothing slows down the action for me more than needless sex scenes.
My novel, Mindjacker, would best fit into the crime thriller genre and the style is one that I really enjoy reading myself. It’s the kind of story where characters are introduced to the reader and expanded upon during the course of the story and they all intersect, until some of them are left standing, maybe, in the end. There are a couple themes running throughout, like rock-n-roll and right to life, as well as many hidden and not so obvious clues and wordplay related to the theme. I love Guy Ritchie’s crime movies and others that have storylines that are similar. You know, ones that focus on the bad guys, and all the trials and tribulations they go through trying to pull off the caper.
How do you feel about interviews?
I love doing them. I’m a pretty outgoing guy and enjoy public speaking. But written interviews are just as enjoyable. I love reading interviews by other authors just as much. In this modern technological world we live in, it is so cool when I get to learn more about an author, the person, and not just their writing. I have never met any of the authors I read, admire, or blog with, but the web provides an excellent way to feel a kinship with them.
How important is a good title?
I think it is very important, and in most cases it is a big reason why I give a book a chance if I’m trolling book sites. A good title, especially if it is relevant to the story, will get me to read the description. Now, who knows if Mindjacker is a good title, but I thought it sounded cool and it is relevant to the story.
What makes you keep reading a book?
Many things keep me interested, but character and dialogue are the big items that will keep me reading. The story has to be fast moving, without long passages of text that don’t have dialogue to break it up. Lots of police procedural and forensic jargon will lose me really fast. Believable bad guys, clever crimes, and corrupt cops or ones who don’t abide by the rules, will pretty much keep me hooked on a story. Drug use, profanity, and violence done right are always welcomed, but nothing slows down the action for me more than needless sex scenes.
What would your epitaph be?
Here lies Sean Patrick Reardon: Good son, grandson, brother, husband, father, uncle, and friend. The dude tried to live the golden rule, or at least gave it his best shot. He’s off to the eternal lacrosse field, listening to rock-n-roll, and giving all the mortals a hang-loose sign.
Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?
In my younger days, it would be infamous, but let’s not go there. I am the president of a youth lacrosse program, and even at 46 years old, I can still play the game well against whippersnappers half my age. I can also drive a scooter around Bermuda like nobody’s business.
How can we keep up to date with your news?
I try to use my blog as the main home base, and I’m on Facebook as well. I have a Twitter account, but rarely use it. I just read a blog post on an agent site where they mentioned that blogging was ‘so 2008’. I think the person who wrote that has their head up their ass and is the same one saying e-books and e-publishing is a dangerous move. With blogs, you are not limited to a certain amount of characters you can type, and there are still many great blogs out there, so I’ll stick to that.
What are your views on e-books?
I love e-books, and it has got to the point, with me at least, that paper books have become a real pain in the ass, in a lot of ways. I don’t need to have a bookshelf to impress people with all the books I have read, or have a burning desire to feel and smell a book. E-readers, like the Nook I have, let me have all the books I want to read with me at all times. The price saving has been tremendous, and I can get a title in a matter of seconds.
Thanks for having me Julie. You’re a good friend and a terrific writer, who has inspired me!
Here lies Sean Patrick Reardon: Good son, grandson, brother, husband, father, uncle, and friend. The dude tried to live the golden rule, or at least gave it his best shot. He’s off to the eternal lacrosse field, listening to rock-n-roll, and giving all the mortals a hang-loose sign.
Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?
In my younger days, it would be infamous, but let’s not go there. I am the president of a youth lacrosse program, and even at 46 years old, I can still play the game well against whippersnappers half my age. I can also drive a scooter around Bermuda like nobody’s business.
How can we keep up to date with your news?
I try to use my blog as the main home base, and I’m on Facebook as well. I have a Twitter account, but rarely use it. I just read a blog post on an agent site where they mentioned that blogging was ‘so 2008’. I think the person who wrote that has their head up their ass and is the same one saying e-books and e-publishing is a dangerous move. With blogs, you are not limited to a certain amount of characters you can type, and there are still many great blogs out there, so I’ll stick to that.
What are your views on e-books?
I love e-books, and it has got to the point, with me at least, that paper books have become a real pain in the ass, in a lot of ways. I don’t need to have a bookshelf to impress people with all the books I have read, or have a burning desire to feel and smell a book. E-readers, like the Nook I have, let me have all the books I want to read with me at all times. The price saving has been tremendous, and I can get a title in a matter of seconds.
Thanks for having me Julie. You’re a good friend and a terrific writer, who has inspired me!
Thank you, Sean, and thanks for a great Q&A!
Sean's books are available from Amazon in the UK and the US, and from Smashwords.
Sean's books are available from Amazon in the UK and the US, and from Smashwords.
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