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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Character Interview with Patrick Bowers | Plus a giveaway of Checkmate!


 Happy Book Release Day to Checkmate! Today is the final day of the Patrick Bowers' Week and what better way to end the week than with an interview with Patrick! There's also a giveaway of the just-released book, so be sure to enter. ;)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJXHKP2?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00JJXHKP2&linkCode=shr&tag=chrisbooksrev-20&linkId=MSIFFIUJVYEOSZFE&refRID=11RTD08CX7EWDX2V5H7S

Now on to the character interview with Patrick Bowers!



Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Patrick Bowers! What's an average day in your life like?  
My work at the Bureau doesn’t tend to be nine to five, so I’m not sure I have a good sense of what an average day is. Early mornings. Late nights. I enjoy my teaching at the Academy, but, honestly, I prefer being out in the field. I’d rather be tracking killers than grading exams any day. I like it when the game is afoot.

What's your biggest pet peeve? 
Profilers—which doesn’t work out that great, necessarily, since I’m married to one. But it always leads to interesting dinner conversation. People looking for motives is a close second: way overrated. Law enforcement should be about facts, logic, reason and not guessing games about what someone might or might not have been thinking. 

What are three non-essential things you wouldn't want to be without?  
My lock pick set, my Mini Maglite and apple cinnamon oatmeal. Actually, now that I think about it, those are all pretty essential. Maybe spatulas, cup holders in my Jeep, and yellow legal-sized notepads.

What's your favorite comfort food? 
Mac and cheese with the melty, gooey cheese. My teenage daughter, Tessa, got me hooked on it. We throw a little salsa on it. Stellar.

Do you have a favorite season? If so, which one and why is it your favorite?  
That would have to be autumn. It’s the best time to get out rock climbing here in the east where I live. When I was in Denver my favorite season was spring, just after the snow was melting and the peaks were calling to me.

Some this or that questions:

Call or Text? Call. You can catch the inflection, read the pauses, understand more of the subtext in a conversation. Tessa is all about texting, hardly even answers the phone anymore. Drives me crazy.

Coffee or Tea? Coffee all the way. Ideally, Sumatra: full-bodied and smooth. Low-toned with expansive acidity. Complex flavor. Slightly earthy, a hint of dried figs and a deep, velvety complexion. Not that I’m particular, but I prefer shade-grown in the Jagong region along the northern tip of the island.

Sunrise or Sunset? For workouts, sunrise. For romance, sunsets. 

Jeans or Shorts? The Bureau’s not excited about us wearing either of them while we’re on duty, but I usually do get away with jeans and running shoes. I’m not really the shorts and flip flops kind of guy.

Books or Movies? Nonfiction books—environmental criminology, geospatial investigation, work related texts, things like that. But when I want to relax I go for a movie. I’m really into stories with a good twist—endings that no one would ever guess. The bigger the twist the better.

Early bird or Night owl? As I mentioned earlier, I tend to work late and get up early, which doesn’t do much for my sleep cycles. Given the choice, I’d get up early and go for a run or a swim before work. 

Cats or Dogs? I can deal with cats. I’d have to say I don’t hate dogs as much as Tessa does, but pets in general aren’t my thing. Just more work, more expense, more distraction. Anything with fur just makes a mess. Maybe some fish would be alright. Or a turtle. I could deal with owning a reptile.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Both. Sort of. When you’re talking ice cream, go with vanilla bean and then add some Nutella to it and you’ve got a dessert worth writing about. 


Thanks so much for being here, Patrick! Is there anything else you'd like to share, maybe a life lesson you've learned?
Life is short, death is certain, and hope is a gift. Open it whenever you get the chance.

 ~

Author Bio:


http://www.stevenjames.net/

Steven James is the bestselling author of nine novels that have received wide critical acclaim from Publishers Weekly, New York Journal of Books, RT Book Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal and many others. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award for best original paperback. His psychological thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine’s book of the year. Publishers Weekly calls him "[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game."

Steven is an active member of International Thriller Writers, the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and International Association of Crime Writers. He is also a contributing editor for Writer's Digest. He has a master's degree in storytelling and has taught writing and creative communication around the world. When he's not writing or speaking, you'll find him trail running, rock climbing, or drinking a dark roast coffee near his home in eastern Tennessee.




Enter for a chance to win a copy of Checkmate by Steven James! Giveaway is open to the US and Canada. Ends 12/16

How to enter: Sign into the Giveaway Tools form below (it might take a moment to load) and submit each entry you complete. Commenting alone will not get you entered – you must click enter on the form. Happy entering!



Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Giveaway Tools and announced here as well as emailed and will have up to one week to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Giveaway Tools or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. I am not responsible for any packages lost or damaged in the mail. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

27 comments:

  1. I also love coffee, the fall season and gooey, cheesy mac and cheese. Thanks for sharing this quite; 'Life is short, death is certain, and hope is a gift. Open it whenever you get the chance' and thanks for this Giveaway!
    Connie
    cps1950 at gmail dot com

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  2. Melanie, thank you for the interview with Patrick. I enjoyed reading his perspective on his work and life in general. I look forward to reading Checkmate.

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  3. Always interesting to read about authors and get an idea about their writing styles, likes and interests. I haven't had a chance to see any of Steven's books, and would love to do so! sonja dot nishimoto at gmail dot com

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  4. Patrick sounds like a guy I would like to know. Knows what he likes and dislikes. Good at his job, but some methods irk him. Relaxes with a movie with twists in it. Haven't read any of the Patrick Bowers books yet. Have a few of them I will be getting into in the new year. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  5. I'm glad you like cats.) I like men who love cats. I like coffee too. In the evenings, I like hot tea during the winter.

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  6. Thanks for entering me in the giveaway.

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  7. I'm on The Rook and I'm addicted. Loved the interview. It sounds just like Patrick!

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  8. Enjoyed the interview. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  9. Hi, Melanie. I love the use of the phrase "when the game is afoot." So Holmesian. LOL! I have to admit that I haven't read any of the books in the series yet either though I've probably downloaded every one to my Kindle with the intent of reading them. (Smile.) I'd love to make it a complete set so that I can jump in during the holidays and enjoy. I actually read Arthur Conan Doyle's entire Sherlock Holmes series in pretty quick succession a few years back and, based upon what I read in your interview with Patrick, would probably do the same in this instance. Enjoyed this immensely. Blessings!

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  10. Great interview, Melanie! I love the Patrick Bowers novels and I enjoyed hearing Bowers' perspective in this interview. I've read all of Steven James' novels and can't wait to read Checkmate. Unfortunately, I'll be fighting my husband and son for our copy.

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  11. My favorite series ever is the Patrick Bowers' series. I am sad it is over but so excited to read the last one!

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  12. Great interview, lots of information. Sorry that you do not like pets but what can you do

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  13. I've had a lot of fun reading your reviews of this series. I purchased the entire series (except for this one of course!) but haven't read them yet. This series is high on my list for the first of the year. :)

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  14. Fun interview. :-) Looking forward to the book.

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  15. I thought this character interview was extremely entertaining and enlightening. I love this series and look forward to reading Checkmate, since it is one of the few I don't own. Keep writing entertaining books!

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  16. Good interview. Your questions really gives the readers a chance to get to know the author.

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  17. Yum. Vanilla ice cream with Nutella on it. Or anything with Nutella.

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  18. mac and cheese with salsa is stellar

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  19. I have never tried nutella on my vanilla ice cream. Maybe that will be my snack tonight.
    Great interview. I'm with Tessa on the phone thing though.

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  20. hehe his coffee "thing" always brings a smile to my face. I've fallen behind on this series...still have queen and king to read. So many books, so little time...*sigh* Loved the interview! :)

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  21. I do like my cappuccino & this month add the peppermint mocha creamer :) .. & I am not a pet lover either unless a horse is termed a pet, love them...

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  22. fun reason to like Autumn

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  23. Thank you for the interview Melanie. I enjoy reading the author bio and finding out more.
    I would really love to read the book.

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  24. Life is short, death is certain, and hope is a gift. Open it whenever you get the chance.
    That is inspiring . I need to keep that on the fridge...
    dkstevensne AT outlook DoT COm

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  25. Interviewing the main character rather than the author makes for an unique interview. I haven't read any books yet by Steven James, but Checkmate sounds like a suspense book I'd like.

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  26. It was really great getting to know the author of a book that you might be interested in reading! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win! I would be so blessed to win! God Bless You and Your Family! Have a wonderful, blessed day!

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  27. I am looking to grow my Christian Bookshelves as I grow in Christ!

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