Minus One Book Tour with Norwood Holland

About the Book

Purchase at Amazon.com

Minus One the Drew Smith Series prequel takes us back when the attorney launches his legal career.  Before the ink is dry on his license to practice law Drew Smith finds himself at the center of a murder mystery.  The recent law school graduate works as a hotel concierge and befriends two bellmen an Arab and a Latino, Medhat and Julio.  Like the three musketeers they bond in a fraternal friendship put to the test when Medhat is kidnapped after running up a drug tab he can't pay.  Rescued by Drew and Julio, Medhat then becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders.  Driven by their romantic entanglements the attorney is captivated with a pretty Latina whose father objects to her dating a Black man. Julio and his Filipina love find themselves expecting, and Medhat’s passion for blondes gets him snared in a femme fatale's net. Minus One captures Drew Smith's evolution from youthful indiscretion to a professional burdened with seriousness of purpose.

About The Author

 

Norwood Holland is a freelance writer, lawyer, and author of the Drew Smith legal thriller series based on the capers of an urban trial attorney.  He is a graduate of Howard University School of Law with a bachelor’s degree in English from Fisk University where he studied under the renowned Harlem Renaissance author Arna Bontemps.  Holland favors D.C.'s local color in his fiction and currently writes the blog editorialindependence.com devoted to promoting independent authors among other things. 

He has served in several government agencies including the National Labor Relations Board and a number of Washington’s top national law firms.  In the mid 90s Holland began freelancing for the local media.  Some of his credits include The Writer Magazine, the Examiner, and Black Literature Magazine.  Minus One follows up on the success of Sleepless Nights, the first in the Drew Smith Series. Author website:  http://www.norwoodholland.com/

Q & A with Norwood Holland

A&RBC: Thank you so much for this interview, Norwood!  Can you tell us where you are from?

I was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the Virginia suburbs of Alexandria.  I consider myself a life-long Washingtonian.

A&RBC: How did you come up with your title?

Minus One the Drew Smith Series prequel takes us back when the attorney launches his legal career.  Before the ink is dry on his license to practice law Drew Smith finds himself at the center of a murder mystery.  The recent law school graduate works as a hotel concierge and befriends two bellmen an Arab and a Latino, Medhat and Julio.  Like the three musketeers they bond in a fraternal friendship put to the test when Medhat is kidnapped after running up a drug tab he can't pay.  Rescued by Drew and Julio, Medhat then becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders.  Driven by their romantic entanglements, the attorney is captivated with a pretty Latina whose father objects to her dating a Black man; Julio and his Filipina love find themselves expecting, while Medhat’s passion for blondes gets him snared in a femme fatale's net. Minus One captures Drew Smith's evolution from youthful indiscretion to a professional burdened with seriousness of purpose.

Minus One is a modern day tale of the three musketeers, Drew, Julio and Medhat.  The title sums up their number in the end.  I can’t tell you any more than that.

A&RBC: They say you can judge a book by its cover.  Can you tell us a little about your cover and who designed it?

Actually, the saying is “You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover.”  The cover for Minus One depicts Drew Smith standing on a dimly lit street over a chalk outline.  The attorney is represented by the model/actor Donnell Turner.  When I conferred with the cover designer for my first book Sleepless Nights, we agreed on a black male image that would capture the personality of Drew Smith.  He had to be smart, charming and attractive.  I saw Donnell in a Kickstarter video while I was promoting Sleepless Nights on Kickstarter.  He was in another filmmaker’s Kickstarter video.  First impression I said he’s the one.  I contacted the filmmaker and got Donnell’s email address. 

It turned out I happened to be planning a trip to Los Angeles so I scheduled the photo shoot while I was there.  I’m using his image on all 4 covers.  Just as I found the graphic designer Eric Thomas, a young man out of Detroit, it was serendipity—or by divine design.  Whichever, he was a great find.   Eric Thomas is a very talented young designer just beginning to develop his craft.  He posted his designs on Facebook.  Impressed I contacted him and we have been working together since.

A&RBC: Can you tell us something about your book that would make me run out and buy it?

It full of sex and suspense

Minus One the Drew Smith Series prequel takes us back when the attorney launches his legal career.  Before the ink is dry on his license to practice law Drew Smith finds himself at the center of a murder mystery.  The recent law school graduate works as a hotel concierge and befriends two bellmen an Arab and a Latino, Medhat and Julio.  Like the three musketeers they bond in a fraternal friendship put to the test when Medhat is kidnapped after running up a drug tab he can't pay.  Rescued by Drew and Julio, Medhat then becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders.  Driven by their romantic entanglements the attorney is captivated with a pretty Latina whose father objects to her dating a Black man. Julio and his Filipina love find themselves expecting, and Medhat’s passion for blondes gets him snared in a femme fatale's net. Minus One captures Drew Smith's evolution from youthful indiscretion to a professional burdened with seriousness of purpose.

Minus One is a modern day tale of three musketeers, Drew, Julio and Medhat, one for all, and all for one.

A&RBC: Are there any messages in this book that you want the reader to know about?

There is a legal term res ispa loquitor.  It means “the thing speaks for itself.”  The message or messages of Minus One are borne out and revealed in the reading.  According to my editors and reviewers the book is well written and a good read.  I want the readers to get lost in the characters and the story.  I want them to be driven to points of laughter and anger.  And some readers so far have had just that reaction.  I don’t write so much for hidden messages to symbolism.  I write to entertain.

A&RBC: What was your most favorite chapter to write and why?

My favorite Chapter is Chapter 2.  Why?  Because at that point (page 8) I know I have captured the reader’s attention and I’m not going to lose it for another 40 pages.  It’s the method by which I choose to tell the story.  I got the idea from watching Mildred Pierce.  The story begins with the ending.  And the reader is constantly being lead step by step in a circle deeper into the story and the resolution of the mystery. 

A&RBC: Why did you feel you had to write this book?

After the first book Sleepless Nights I had to write Minus One because readers were expecting and even demanding more Drew Smith.  He really is a fun character.  And the women love him—the readers and the characters.  I think the cover had a lot do with it.  My image of Drew Smith doesn’t leave much to the imagination.   Not only do they love Drew Smith but his sidekick Julio is a crowd pleaser as well -- not to mention their Egyptian buddy Medhat.  He is a heart breaker in every sense.  Happy go lucky Medhat despite outward appearances is a tragic figure and I wanted to write a tragedy. 

A&RBC:  Now, some fun questions – What deep dark secret would you like to share with us?

None.  You trying to get all up in my bidniss.  It’s deep.  It’s dark.  It’s a secret, and it’s going to stay that way.  Now, you go’n from preaching to meddling. 

A&RBC: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

There are so many exotic places on this planet I couldn’t just select one country or place.  If I had the time and money I would take a six month cruise around the world and step off on each of the seven continents.  I want to experience it all.

A&RBC: Are you a morning person or a night person?

Absolutely, rise and shine.  I wake at five and I’m usually up by six.  I try to take advantage of my every waking hour but unfortunately by 9 p.m. my energy level begins to sink and by 10 p.m. I’m fighting sleep, not long before I’m out for the count.  Usually by 10:30 I’m out for the count. 

A&RBC: Are there any members in your family who also like to write?

My sister—a year older –would write poems when she was in college, but that didn’t last long.  But right now she’s my biggest cheerleader. 

A&RBC: As a child, were you a dreamer?

Nothing but—even as a man.  Funny story:  I remember a kid being at the dinner table and everybody was quietly eating.  Suddenly, I would laugh out to myself.  I would be so lost in my own world I could shut everything and everybody out.  Everyone would look up to me, and my father would say “What’s so funny?  Tell us, we want to laugh too.”  I was a little Walter Witty.

I would shake my head and demure.  Even then I couldn’t reveal my deep dark secrets.

A&RBC: Last but not least, the magic genie has granted you one wish.  What would that be?

I my wish I could sell a million books.   I have always wanted to write a best seller. 

A&RBC: Thank you so much for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Let me say, I think well of my writing community, those who are successful and those seeking success, and as well the readers who support them.  I would like to close with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance:  “Envy is ignorance, Imitation is Suicide.”  Now, just what does mean? I’m not sure, but it’s worth a moment to reflect. 

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