Interview with Tim Smith, author of "The revenge factor"

Interview with Tim Smith

author of The Vendetta Factor


Post America (2006)

ISBN 9781424141258

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (5/07)

Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to welcome Tim Smith, author of “The Vendetta Factor.” Tim Smith is an administrator in the human services field who works with adults with disabilities. He resides in Dayton, Ohio, where he also works as a freelance photographer when he’s not busy writing and promoting his books.

Tyler: Welcome, Tim. To begin with, would you describe the basic premise of his novel, “The Vendetta Factor”?

Tim: “The Vendetta Factor” is a throwback to the types of pulp fiction novels written by Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane. It’s about Nick Seven, a former CIA agent living in Key Largo, Florida who gets caught up in a nasty turf war between two mob families. An organization controls the action in Miami, but a rival Don in Saratoga Springs, New York wants to take over. Nick is pressured by both families, as well as a federal prosecutor with a personal agenda, as he discovers that he has been betrayed by someone he thought was a friend.

Tyler: The setting and your reference to Raymond Chandler reminds me of old film noirs, especially the movie “Key Largo,” which is also a crime story. Why did you choose the Miami area for your stage?

Tim: I have been vacationing in the Keys and South Florida for several years. As I sat down to write my first Nick Seven adventure, I asked myself a question: If I were a former CIA spy who wanted to go somewhere to start over, where would it be? The Keys was the obvious choice for me.

In that part of the country you have everything that lends itself to a good adventure story: exotic locations, atmosphere and sunsets to die for, nearly every nationality represented, and tremendous name recognition. When you mention “Key Largo,” most people instantly picture Bogart and Bacall. Thanks to the plethora of movies and TV shows set in Miami and South Beach, many readers are already familiar with the area. Plus, it’s better than setting a crime thriller in Dayton, Ohio, and it gives me a great excuse to go there every year to research and go parasailing.

Tyler: What do you think makes your book different from all the other crime novels and mob stories?

Tim: This isn’t your typical cops and robbers crime thriller, where you have the police or a private detective solving the case. My hero, Nick Seven, is Joe Citizen, just a guy minding his own business with no desire to return to the action or intrigue that was part of his previous life. Once he gets pulled into the mix, he has to rely on his wits and instincts to get out and get his life back. There’s also plenty of humor and satire, including an ongoing argument between two hit men over whether Frank Sinatra or Julius LaRosa had the biggest impact on pop culture.

Tyler: Of course, Frank Sinatra was a great singer and he had an Italian background and I think there were rumors about mob connections, but forgive my ignorance, who was Julius LaRosa?

Tim: To quote one of the characters, “Haven’t you ever heard of Julius LaRosa, one of the greatest singers of all time? That’s amazing! That guy could hit a high C like I hit goals. Ever did you hit a high C?”

Seriously, LaRosa was an up-and-coming young singer on Arthur Godfrey’s daily TV show in the 1950s. (You’ve heard of Arthur Godfrey, right? Good.) One day, Godfrey fired LaRosa on air, live, for an imaginary slight, and her career never fully recovered. Although I’m a big fan of Sinatra, I thought I might add a few laughs by having the plot as a gag throughout the book, without disrespecting either gentleman.

Tyler: Well, my bet is still Frank Sinatra, but thanks for the explanation. Tim, what really makes a good crime novel is often the hero or the detective. Can you tell us a bit about your main character, Nick Seven?

Tim: Nick is a former CIA spy who spent his career tracking down terrorists around the world. While on assignment years before, his wife was killed in a bombing that was meant for him. After getting revenge on the man responsible, he left the service and settled in the Florida Keys, running a club on the Gulf of Mexico with Felicia, a former co-worker from Barbados for whom he always had a thing.

Nick is cynical, cold and tough with a sensitive romantic side that he likes to keep hidden. When he was a spy, he always acted like a maverick and still insists on leading his life his way. He’s the kind of guy your mom wouldn’t let you play with, but you’d want to be on your side.

Tyler: Would you say you’re a lot like Nick Seven, or is he effectively a fantasy character?

Tim: A lot of my own personality traits came into Nick Seven, and I consider him my alter ego. You can do the things I can only dream of: live in The Keys with a beautiful Barbadian woman, get involved in intrigue, beat bad guys and win at Blackjack and Poker.

Tyler: Nick sounds like a character a lot of guys want to be. Richard Blake, who reviewed “The Vendetta Factor” for Reader Views, said the novel has great cinematic potential. How do you envision a movie of the book and who would you like to see play Nick Seven or even some of the other characters?

Tim: I could see this as a cross between “CSI: Miami” and “Peter Gunn”, using the exotic locations I described in the book accompanied by a retro jazz score. I’ve always imagined George Clooney or Pierce Brosnan playing Nick. They both have the “cool factor” and sarcastic wit needed to embody the character I created. As for Felicia, I’d go with Khandi Alexander or Vanessa Williams.

Tyler: I understand that “The Vendetta Factor” is your third novel. What were your previous novels about?

Tim: “Memories Die Last” introduced Nick Seven, bringing him out of his self-imposed exile when the CIA convinces him that the terrorist who killed his wife may still be alive, forcing Nick to relive the events he had banished to the basement long ago. . Investigating him reveals high-level government corruption and cover-ups.

The follow-up, “Never Trust Your Dreams,” has Nick and Felicia reluctantly involved in America’s war on terror as they try to outwit a rogue agent from their past. Part of the conspiracy has Nick as the fall guy for a murder he didn’t commit, one he must solve to get clean.

Tyler: I understand you’ve won a few awards for your novels. I’ve always been curious about prize contests because there are so many out there. Could you tell us what awards his novels have won, how he entered the contests, and how a writer should decide which contests are worth entering?

Tim: “Memories Die Last” won the Allbooks Reviews Editor’s Choice Award for Fiction in 2004 and was named Best Mystery Novel of 2005 by Blackrefer.com. “Never Trust Your Dreams” was named Blackrefer.com’s Best Mystery of 2006, and “The Vendetta Factor” is currently a finalist in a contest on Authorisland.com. The quotes from the first two books came as a complete surprise, as I didn’t know those sites gave out prizes. You’re right that there are a lot of contests out there, and I would advise writers to research sites or organizations before entering. They should also realize that there is often a cost involved, forbidding many hungry authors. Very often, you have to compare that to the potential exposure you may or may not receive and go from there. If you’re a stranger, I wouldn’t suggest sending your book to the people at Pulitzer unless your horoscope was really good that day.

Tyler: Thanks for the info, Tim. What would you say were your main influences, literary or otherwise, that have inspired your writing?

Tim: From a literary standpoint, I’ve always been a fan of Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane, Robert B. Parker, and James W. Hall. I guess his style influenced my way of writing. My biggest inspiration, the one that keeps me writing, is the feedback I get from people who have read my books. The best compliment I can get is when they say “I can’t wait to read the next one.” There is nothing better than that.

Tyler: I agree with you on that, Tim. The appreciation of others for your work outweighs any other benefit. Do you consider yourself only a crime novel writer or do you see yourself dabbling in other genres?

Tim: I’m comfortable writing in this genre, but I recently tried a romantic comedy told from the male’s perspective. Surprisingly, I found that it wasn’t that hard to switch gears, especially since I was able to tap into my own experiences in relationship wars.

Tyler: What are you writing now? Will we see that rom-com in print soon, or is there another chapter to be written on Nick Seven?

Tim: The romantic comedy is currently in the rewrite and polish phase before I review and edit it. I’m also working on another Nick Seven adventure, tentatively titled “Jinx Money.” There will be more Nick stories to come, as a character with as many layers as he is will always find some kind of trouble to get into. All I need to do is look at today’s headlines and imagine what he would do in the situation.

Tyler: Thanks so much for joining me today, Tim. Before we go, will you tell our readers the address of your website so they can find more information about “The Vendetta Factor” and your other award-winning novels?

Tim: You can visit http://www.timsmithauthor.com to read all about my books and see some photos of the places where the stories take place.

Tyler: Thank you, Tim, for being here today. I hope we can look forward to many more Nick Seven stories.

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