Ask the Author: Jake Needham

“My newest Samuel Tay novel is called AND BROTHER IT'S STARTING TO RAIN, the fifth book in the series. If you have any questions about the new book, Sam and I would be delighted to answer them...” Jake Needham

Answered Questions (10)

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Now this sounds intriguing?

Jake Needham I hope so, Bill...

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When will you have a new Mean Streets coming out? I enjoy both heroes, especially Samuel Tay - your insight to his inner thoughts is especially interesting. Thank you for sharing these characters with us.

Jake Needham Hello, Marcella.

The 12th book in the series is MONGKOK STATION and it will be out sometime this year. Since you said you like both Sam Tay and Jack Shepherd, you'll probably be interested to know that in MONGKOK STATION the two of them work together to try to find the daughter of the American Vice-President who is missing in Hong Kong. The fear is that she's been kidnapped, but it turns out that the truth is much worse than that. Much, much worse.

If you want me to notify you when the book will be out, you can add your email address to my readers list. I don't write very often, never more than once a month, but I do let my readers know when something important is going on.

You can do that here: https://www.jakeneedhamnovels.com/let...

Thanks for asking.

Best,
Jake

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What inspires you to write?

Jake Needham Karen, quite honestly 'inspiration' is one of those words that (as my grandmother used to say) sets my teeth on edge. Writing is a craft. It's 99% perspiration and, maybe, 1% inspiration. At most. Maybe I'm just not an inspirational type of guy. Maybe it's different for other writers. But I don't think so. At least not the good ones, the ones who put out book after book and do it competently and capably...

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Thanks for your answer, Jake. I understand what you mean, entirely. I believe all authors must write what they know, and a great deal of what we write probably comes from our subconscious, the other from a conscious knowledge of our life experiences. What will your next book be about? Pat

Jake Needham Pat, I recently sent out one of my 'Letters from Asia' that had quite a lot in it about the new book that's coming out September 26. It's online now right here: http://jakeneedham.com/2017/08/public...

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Your list of published books is quite impressive. How long does it take you to research and write a novel?

Jake Needham Pat, I've always found that a tough question to answer accurately. The quick answer is that I generally take a little less than a year to get from writing the first sentence of a new book to the day of publication. The more complete answer is that, since I draw all my books from my own experience, most of them have been kicking around inside me somewhere for a lot longer than that. I was on a panel with an author I admire once and somebody asked him that question. He said this: "Ma'am, it took me all my life." A little glib, maybe, but it's truer than you might imagine.

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Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

Jake Needham I've haven't a clue how to answer this. To be perfect honest, I can't think of even a single fictional couple right at the moment. That seems pretty lame, I know, but there you are...

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Are you available to turn a book into a screenplay?

Jake Needham Shelby, I used to do things like that for a living, but I've pretty much put screenwriting aside now. The last thing I worked on was adapting my own novel, THE BIG MANGO, in collaboration with Jim Gandolpini back when he was finishing up on 'The Sopranos.' We worked on that sucker forever, but then Jim died, and so did the project, and I pretty much swore off screenwriting forever.

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How many hours and/or time do you put into outlining or do you just work the re-writes?

Jake Needham Bruce, I've been trying to teach myself to work from an outline for fifteen years now and I've finally admitted to myself that I just can't do it. My ideas develop from writing them and trying to develop them in outline form first has always been a bust for me.

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jake Needham If you're a professional, you show up every damn day, you put your butt in a chair, and you do your work. If you whine about not being able to write instead of working, you're not a professional. Simple as that.

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Bob4you Spoken like a true professional.
Dec 31, 2014 12:17AM · flag

Ben Arnold I'm so happy you said that. I've been researching the life of authors for many decades now and I've never come across anything but discussion after di I'm so happy you said that. I've been researching the life of authors for many decades now and I've never come across anything but discussion after discussion concerning the dreaded disease of writer's block. And one day it hit me, I've never met anyone, or read about anyone whose career ended in writer's block. It was a total scam! Imagine how many authors have banked on books about overcoming writer's block, instead of actually writing books that matter. It's a total sham. After feeding off their teets, one day I grew up, and just moving on, I came across your quote, and thought to myself, what a life wasted, for so many people, who live in something you and I don't know about, it's called the opposite of reality, something we're trying to understand, and are certain can be helped if they take certain psychotherapy drugs. Wow. Thank you for speaking truth, rather than following the line of the mainstream. Kudos for your decisions in Singapore too, wish more people had an American spirit in them, the American people sure could use one, and wish more who had one didn't end up in prison or dead for example the authors and journalists in China who dare speak their mind. People always ask me why I don't live in China, when most of my business is in China. I'm always startled by their question, don't they read the news? China has all the money, but that doesn't mean I'd live there, and thanks to modern tools we don't need to. And can still rake in all that money that they got from America, the trillions upon trillions, and all the gold, etc. Some times I have a dream that money still exists in America, and I wake up so happy, smiling, and then I realize it was just a dream, and I scream in horror as the past decades of Facebook/Twitter timeline news feeds re-stream through my mind snapping me back to the present day and I sob like a baby in the fetal position. So you can't print in Singapore. I'm happy that your work is still accepted in all other 240 countries. It's funny how these seemingly huge problems are actually just a creepy crawly tick you picked up on your wee wee while canoeing down the Mississippi river and I've had dozens and to this day still don't even care, just plucked them out, probably broke off the head like they tell ya you're not supposed to do, and I'm still as healthy as a horse. But I have a raging migraine at the moment. Had McDs yesterday. Heaven help us! ...more
May 04, 2016 03:26AM · flag

Malcolm Roscow From now published author to another, well said.
Aug 16, 2017 01:39AM · flag

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Jake Needham The commute to work is really short...

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