Welcome special guest: author Alan Brenham ~ @alanbrenham @GoddessFish #Thriller #policeprocedurals

Those who know me know I'm an eclectic writer and reader, and along with romance, I love a dark, gritty read whether it comes in the form of horror, mystery, suspense, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only reader/writer like this, and it's one of the reasons I have guests of varying subjects visit my corner of the web.

Today I'm happy to welcome author Alan Brenham. Alan Brenham is the pseudonym of Alan Behr, an American author and attorney. He served as a law enforcement officer before earning a law degree. He worked first as a prosecutor then defense attorney for the next twenty-six years. His travels took him to several European and Middle Eastern countries, Alaska and almost every island in the Caribbean. While contracted to US military forces, he resided in Berlin, Germany for a few years. Alan and his wife, Lillian, currently live in the Austin, Texas area. He has authored two crime fiction books, Price of Justice and Cornered, and is working on a third titled Rampage.

So, Alan, what inspired you to become a writer?
* Inspiration came from a few different sources - the first being my experiences as a police officer and from cases I prosecuted or defended as an attorney. Police report writing about offenses was like drafting a non-fictional account of an event. As an attorney in a jury trial, a story had to be told to the jury using facts gleaned from testimony and exhibits. The next would be from the knowledge that other attorneys, such as David Baldacci and John Grisham, left law careers to write fiction. Reading novels by the former LA Times police beat writer, Michael Connelly, also inspired me.
* But the better question is who inspired me and the answer is my wife. She is my biggest supporter and cheerleader, encouraging me daily to write fiction.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
* My first fiction writing experience happened in 2010. It was a novel-length story that ended up buried deep inside a box stored under a stack of boxes in the garage, never to see the light of day.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* In addition to the above attempt, I made a second effort at a fiction novel that’s sitting on a shelf. I may revise it and offer it for publication sometime in the future.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* The best piece: Write the first draft out to completion. Read it through without doing any revisions. Once done, go back through it and revise until the manuscript is as perfect as you can get it.
* The worst piece: Write your novel without an outline or character profiles. Basically you’re writing by the seat of your pants with no complete idea who your characters really are.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
* Price of Justice is the first book in a series about Detective Jason Scarsdale and attorney Dani Mueller. The second book in the series is titled Rampage and is being written now.

What sparked the idea for the story/series?
* The core idea for Price of Justice arose from three cases I worked as a police officer and as an attorney. When I was a police officer, I caught an adult male in an alley, soliciting a teenager for sex.
* As an attorney, I represented a grandfather accused of child sexual assault. The case ended up being dismissed after the complaintant admitted to state officers that he had lied about the entire matter. The other case involved a pedophile who molested a very young girl.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
* The only exotic pet I ever owned/raised was a baby raccoon. He’d lay on his back, holding the small baby bottle with his paws (like hands) for his three daily feedings of milk.

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
* I actually prefer cold weather at least for the summer months. Texas summers are like living in an over-heated sauna.

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* The best place to live, in my opinion, would be Alaska in the summer and the Garmisch area in Germany in the winter. The scenery in both locations at that time of the year is magnificent. The temperatures are tolerable and the food is great.

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* 1. Solar-powered phone/satellite phone; 2. A hunting rifle with a scope; 3. A solar-powered watch with day/date; 4. A solar-powered desalination unit; 5. A solar-powered lantern

*** About Alan Brenham’s book… ***

~ Blurb ~ * His focus is on solving the murders—until the unthinkable happens…
* Recently widowed, Austin Police Detective Jason Scarsdale works to solve the murders of two pedophiles, while trying to be both mother and father to his five-year-old daughter. During his investigation, Scarsdale is forced to navigate between the crosshairs of two police commanders out to get him. Drawn to Austin Police Crime Analyst, Dani Mueller, who has also suffered tragedy, Scarsdale fights both his attraction and his suspicions that something just isn’t right…
* She is hiding a secret, one that could not only cost her a job—it could end her life…
* Dani hides a deadly past. After her daughter was brutally murdered, Dani exacted her revenge then changed her name and fled to Austin. But if her secret ever gets out, she knows there is no place she can hide from the murderer’s vicious family.
* Pulled into a web of malice and deceit, Scarsdale and Dani discover the value of breaking the rules. Then just when they thought things couldn’t get worse…they do.
~ Excerpt ~ * Scarsdale trudged into the courthouse, flashing his badge so he could bypass security. He stopped at the rear of a throng of people maneuvering to get an elevator. He checked to see where the four elevators were—one was stopped on floor three, another just arrived at the fifth floor and two seemed stuck on Eight. People elbowed their way closer to the doors—even he got jostled. A distinct odor of alcohol, mixed with cheap perfume and a trace of marihuana, made him sneeze a couple of times.
* Looking around, Scarsdale didn’t recognize anyone connected with his dreaded hearing. He leaned against the wall and let his thoughts drift. The events of the past five years flashed through his mind. The wedding Marcy refused to attend. Then Charity’s funeral—the second time Marcy had seen Shannon since she was born—gushing over her granddaughter, telling Shannon how much she missed her. Scarsdale stopped outside the big wooden courtroom doors. He stared at the brass door handles. What will the judge decide?
* His heart hammered against his chest. Taking a couple of deep breaths and swallowing hard, he pulled the courtroom doors open.

***Buy Price of Justice here***
Black Opal Books | Amazon

***Find Alan Brenham here***
Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest

Thank you for joining us here today, Alan Brenham! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

There's a contest where Alan is awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter. (Comments on this blog do not count toward entry.) Visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-tour-price) for directions on how to enter to win.