Interview with Lynn Walker, Author of Breaking Midnight

What’s the story behind the story? What impressed you to jot down Breaking Midnight: A True Story?

Long in the past, I gave up hoping my estranged father would ever be a dad to me once more, however I by no means stopped being fascinated with his life. How did a profitable Miami undercover narcotics agent find yourself in jail for smuggling 12,000 kilos of marijuana? When I lastly believed he was not a hazard to me, I requested him to inform me about his life. He agreed, and I started interviewing him. While my quest was to piece collectively who my father was, what I discovered entangled in his story was my very own. What poured onto the pages first was my ebook, Midnight Calling: A Memoir of a Drug Smuggler’s Daughter. Next, I wrote Breaking Midnight: A True Story, an uncensored, up-close-and-personal account of how an excellent cop goes dangerous.

If you needed to decide theme songs for the principle characters of Breaking Midnight: A True Story, what would they be?

“When I’m Gone” by Luisa Gerstein. It captures my father so completely, I quoted the lyrics within the epigraph of Breaking Midnight.

What’s your favourite style to learn? Is it the identical as your favourite style to jot down?

I like to get misplaced in a wealthy historic or literary fiction novel. I do learn memoir, however that’s extra like persevering with schooling (quite than just a little escape), as I write memoir so am at all times studying it with an eye fixed in direction of the construction and craft of the writing.

What books are in your TBR pile proper now?

Solito, The Marriage Portrait, The Girl With the Louding Voice, and Demon Copperhead.

What scene in your ebook was your favourite to jot down?

The scene by which my father was arrested was fascinating. It’s such a pivotal second in his life, from having arrested folks for years, to being arrested himself. In addition to nice particulars from interviews with my dad, I had info from the court docket information. Also, I contacted and interviewed the arresting police officer, who mentioned my dad was a fantastic man (of course!) and that they’d an actual good chat sitting within the police cruiser.

Do you’ve gotten any quirky writing habits? (fortunate mugs, cats on laps, and so forth.)

I actually write one hour at a time. I keep away from distractions (together with web) by doing nothing however writing for the size of time it takes me to drink two cups of espresso. Then, I reward myself (verify emails, play with cats, eat chocolate, and so forth.). Next, I make a pot of tea and put my butt again within the chair for extra writing till the tea is gone. Reward (lunch, did I point out chocolate?), repeat. Acceptable interruptions: my two youngsters, two canines, two cats or my husband (if he’s bringing me chocolate).

Do you’ve gotten a motto, quote, or philosophy you reside by?

There is profound knowledge in Mary Oliver’s poems. From In Blackwater Woods, I really like this: “To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” And from her poem, The Summer Day: “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

If you may select one factor for readers to recollect after studying your ebook, what wouldn’t it be?

We’re all damaged indirectly, however getting okay once more is at all times attainable. And life can activate a dime, so it doesn’t matter what you’re struggling with—by no means quit!