Frankie Jones is searching for something—something elusive.
Abandoned as an infant by his father, orphaned after his mother died when he was a child, Frankie grows up tough, edgy, and street smart. The quintessential self-made man, he lives life to the fullest.
Frankie becomes a journalist, hoping to be the next great American writer. While in Boston, he meets Mercedes Brewster. Refined, sophisticated, and from a prominent New England family, she is the complete opposite of Frankie. He can’t help falling for her, but can he keep his wanderlust in check?
Yet, it is the American Dream that Frankie seeks more than anything. Get the career. Get the success. And most importantly, get the girl. In California, Frankie becomes friends with Owen Brookes. Gutsy, brazen, and at times reckless, Owen is Frankie’s alter ego. It is Owen who challenges Frankie’s belief in the American Dream. Will either of them achieve what they want? What must they give up in pursuit? Some lessons you learn the hard way, but it is how you react in the face of adversity that ultimately matters. Frankie Jones is a rich tapestry of hope, love, friendship, and betrayal—a story of life itself.
I almost always write in the morning. A cup of fresh strong coffee and a clear head gets me going.
I write for enjoyment, but also for the challenge.
I recently completed a psychological thriller that is set in a small rural town in central Texas. I am in the process of smoothing out a few of the rough edges on that book. I also finished a novel in the rather uncommon genre of erotic horror. This one takes place in the sleepy college town of Covington, Vermont. Finally, I am part way into a novel - a thriller with some horror. This one is tucked away in the backwaters of rural Minnesota. I don't think of myself as a writer of horror, but that's what seems to have come out lately.
In many ways, Frankie Jones is a memoir, but I was also driven to make it as literary as possible.
I write in several genres. Frankie Jones is literary fiction that is intended to delve into the human condition. I also like thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, and horror - if done right - interests me.
Very little for the types of books I write, with the exception of making sure setting and locales are correct for the time.
Mostly in terms of genre. My first book - Frankie Jones - was strictly literary fiction with some adventure and romance. That book was written in the first person. More often than not I write in the third person now.
In a crazy sort of way, this book came together less effortlessly than others than I am working on now.
The feeling that the character development for Frankie is deep.
Always, but only in the sense that different books rely on different writing formats.
Plan very little, prefer to dive in.
It is a good thing if you have the time.
Occasionally. Mostly copy editors and then line editors when the book is closer to publication. The line editors can be very helpful.
Only the books I read and the authors of those books.
Not specifically. It is a major challenge these days.
Frankie Jones was self published, but I am hoping for traditional publishers for the others.
I never gave it much thought. Most of what I have written could be handled as a series. Personally, I am not a huge fan of reading these.
No preference. A great novel could be very short, like The Alchemist, or a tome.
Still working on it. It is a challenge.
Be persistent and don't get discouraged.
Lots of them. A Confederacy of Dunces, Barbary Shore, most of Stephen King, too many to name.
Haven't yet given it a huge amount of thought or planning.
A psychological thriller that is finished but for smoothing out a few rough edges.
Try to work through it. Occasionally put the writing aside and come back when I'm feeling better.
Stick with it and most of all aim high - try not to let your writing become second rate or overly conventional.
J.R. Klein
J. R. Klein holds a doctoral degree in Immunology from Johns Hopkins University. He has published over a hundred and fifty articles in scholarly journals and mainstream magazines. His travels have taken him through four continents and into more than two-dozen countries. He lives and works in Houston, Texas, with his wife.