Interview with Gordon Chaplin, Author of Paraiso

Paraiso is a noir rescue thriller about a gringo brother and sister lost in Mexico, a kind of Coen brothers south of the border. It’s got a sense of humor, but it’s dark.

What impact has your love of the land had on your writing?

I believe setting is the most important part of a book…it’s what you remember years later, not the plot, not the characters, but the place and the influence of the place. I happen to love the land and nature and my favorite authors, Jim Harrison and Peter Mathiessen among others, are those who weave this kind of setting into their novels.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

My father used to read me classic British adventure stories, like H. Ryder Haggard’s, (She) and H.G. Wells’ (War of the Worlds) when I was a kid.

What fictional literary world would you most like to visit?

John Steinbeck’s, in East of Eden or Cannery Row.

Where did you write Paraiso?

Mostly in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

What is a typical day like for you?

If I’m writing, I get up at about 6:30, get to my desk at about 9, write or try to write for about 6 hours, or until I finish 4 pages. I have to get at least 2 hours of exercise in in the afternoons.

What’s your favorite quote or scene from Paraiso?

I like the surfing murder scene in the chapter “Big Day.”

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Full speed ahead, and damn the torpedos.

Photo Credit: George Billard

Gordon Chaplin is the author of the new book Paraiso.

Connect with Gordon
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