What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I’m always thinking about stories that show the little guy against the Goliaths—and stories with plenty of gray. I can’t talk too much about that without giving away one of the biggest secrets of the novel, but once you read it, you’ll understand.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
J.D. Blunt (main protagonist) – “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Chuck Jackson – “A Pirate Looks at 40” by Jimmy Buffett
Rebecca Hart – “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love police procedurals with quirky characters (Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin series is one of my faves right now), and woodsy adventures in the West (C. J. Box’s Joe Pickett series and Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter series). And those are all a bit different from what I write now.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
Dracula by Bram Stoker
King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz
Sapphire Island by Creston Mapes
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I always love writing the climactic scene because I think it’s the one I’ve mulled over the most and thought through every single detail. And the climactic scene in Rip Tide was no different.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I like to write in a lot of different places, but one of my quirks might be writing on a stand-up desk with a treadmill, especially in chase scenes. I find that I start walking very quickly.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
My philosophy would be: live a grace-filled life because you never know what someone else is going through.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I don't know if there's one specific thing, but I do hope that readers see the noble virtues I instill in characters and the struggle that they sometimes face in sticking with that. It's not easy to always do the right thing, but it's always worth it in the end.
R.J. Patterson is the author of the new book Rip Tide (A J.D. Blunt Tropical Thriller Book 3)
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