Interview with mystery author Leonard H. Orr

Mystery author Leonard H. Orr is chatting with me today about his new family drama mystery, Entitled.

cover for entitled

Bio:
Leonard H. Orr has written for The Village Voice, The New York Times, and other publications. A graduate of Swarthmore College, he has also been an editor and investment manager, where for many years he’s witnessed the greed and entitlement his novel portrays.

He says: “Don’t expect a fish to understand water. It swims its entire life and never learns what it means to be dry. A frog, on the other hand, knows all too well what water is. I’ve seen the entitled life from the outside and from the inside. I’m a frog.”

Welcome, Leonard. Please tell us about your current release.
It’s a novel about a ruthless businessman who almost dies in a car crash and wakes up to the broken dream that has been his life. Fearing that someone tried to smother him in the hospital, he enlists a family friend to investigate—and nearly destroys him.

What inspired you to write this book?
I had witnessed some of the struggles of wealthy families. I’ve understood that the wealth, and the drive to accumulate the wealth, can be destructive for spouses and children. In hindsight, I was asking myself if accumulating the wealth was worth the pain. I don’t know if I found any answers—but at least I told a story.

What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m writing a novel about madness and the greed of Wall Street.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve been writing, off and on, for much of my adult life.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full-time. As often as not, I wake up and find I have nothing to say. When I’m onto something, I write in the mornings. My day job has been to manage what’s called a family office. I set my own hours.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
As a former editor, I really appreciate editing and have been lucky to have worked with a couple of terrific editors.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I never thought about it much.

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