New interview with thriller author Austin S. Camacho

Welcome back to thriller author Austin S. Camacho. Today we’re chatting about his newest book, True Target.

During his virtual book tour, Austin will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Austin and I chatted about Subtle Felonies here.

Bio:
Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, the detective novel Beyond Blue, and the action thriller True Target. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies and he is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the creators of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference.

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Austin. Please tell us about your newest release.
Skye Maddox is a professional assassin with one rule—her targets have to deserve it. Hired to avenge a murdered child, she uncovers a chain of corruption linking street killers to powerful elites. Now she’s in the crosshairs of both the law and the underworld. Detective Orson Rissik wants to stop her, but their fates are tied to the same deadly secret. In a city built on lies, Skye’s justice comes at a price.

What inspired you to write this book?
I’m fascinated by what goes on in the mind of a person who is willing to take extreme action against others. I grew up loving the stories of professional killers from James Bond to Matt Helm. Those characters were sanctioned by their governments. My character, being Black, and female and part of the underworld gave me a whole new mental and emotional environment to examine, even while I was building an exciting, high-action story.

Excerpt from True Target:
When Jayla stood, Skye raised a palm to stop her. “Yes. Yes, all right. I just finished an assignment, but it was part of a larger contract so I’m feeling like both the situations you mentioned. I’m on the job, and I just took a player off the board.”

Jayla jotted in her notebook. She always collected the euphemisms Skye used for her profession. “So, tell me about this latest assignment. How do you feel about this player you’ve taken off the board? Was it, in your mind, a just action?”

“You always want to go there,” Skye said, shaking her head. “What did I tell you? The first rule of the assassin’s doctrine. The target has got to deserve it.”

“Oh, yes,” Jayla said with a half-smile. “Your job, while criminal, does have rules.”

“I misspoke earlier,” Skye said, sliding a slim dagger out of her boot. “It’s not a job. It’s a profession. All professions have their rules. For doctors, rule number one is ‘do no harm’, right? For an assassin, it’s that the target has got to deserve it.” Skye began to absently flip the dagger in the air, catching it by its tip each time. “In this case, this bastard kidnapped my client’s son. I don’t know how they got him. My client kept his family totally under the radar. But once he got the ransom demand, the client agreed to pay, and the ransom money was in transit but not fast enough to suit the kidnappers. They killed the boy, I think just to make a point. Just to be snotty. The action took place overseas and no way the police would ever have gotten close to the killer.”

Jayla nodded. “I think I understand. So, you were hired to…”

“Correct the balance,” Skye said, standing.

What’s the next writing project?
The next challenge is to write a sequel worthy of my new protagonist. I’d like to build a story in which Skye comes up against another pro assassin, maybe one who’s known to be the best. That would give her some serious competition. More importantly, I need to continue Skye’s development – she is not a static character – in a way the books are about the rising and advancing of her spirit. I want the reader to be rooting for her to arrive at new and deeper knowledge of herself.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
After 15 novels my greatest challenge is having characters do things that they haven’t already done. In the case of this particular character, the challenge is to find new and ever more interesting ways for her to end some bad guy’s life. Anybody can walk up and shoot someone. Skye has to execute her jobs, and her targets, with flair and originality. It’s also always challenging to write a book in such a way that the reader is sympathetic to a character like Skye.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
I definitely do all the research I need to do while I’m writing. I outline my novels first, but the action is pretty general and vague in the outlines. Usually I write right up to a point where details are needed before I seek them out. Someone pulls a gun and I dig into what kind of gun they’d be carrying. The outline might call for someone to be poisoned. When I get to that point I need to figure out what kind of poison is used, how long it takes to kill, whether it can be found in the blood afterward and so forth. This plan might slow me down when writing, but it makes sure I never research things I won’t use, and I am unlikely to include details that don’t advance the story.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
I do most of my writing in my small office at a big, antique desk which was a gift. The desk is special because it has a number of hidden, locked compartments. On the walls are a number of awards from my military and federal service (Good to see when I start to doubt myself) a painting of a beach I once vacationed on (very calming) and a painting from a special friend of the home of my fictional detective Hannibal Jones.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
My favorite authors are those I want to emulate. I love Raymond Chandler for his beautiful prose, Elmore Leonard for his great characters and Ross MacDonald for his intricate plots. Writers I read just for fun are at the top of my genres today: Tana French, Michael Connelly, Lee Child and Jeffrey Deaver. These are the people who inspire me to keep reaching, trying to improve my craft.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
Of course all my books are available on Amazon or any bookstore, but if anyone want’s a book signed by me they can order through my web site – https://ascamacho.com/

Links:
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