Hello everyone, and welcome back to Bandit Creek. I’m on the trail of Bandit Creek’s only male writer, Trip Williams. At first, I thought that Trip was purposefully avoiding me, but soon I realized he is just that busy! Always exploring and looking for new leads in the many mysteries that surround Bandit Creek, I finally caught up with Trip as he was coming back from a dive in Lost Lake. I patiently waited as he dropped his tanks and shed his BC vest and gear on the dock. Walking towards me as he stripped out of his wetsuit to the waist, I was a bit taken aback by his unabashed smile and confidence. Uhmm… and not to mention his healthy – condition.
Carla: You are a hard man to catch up to, Trip – are you avoiding me?
Trip: (Smiling, he sits beside me outside of Charlie’s Dive Shack) I never avoid a pretty girl, Carla. (He gives me a wink). I heard you were looking for me but the water was too perfect for a dive this morning.
Carla: So Trip, what’s it like being then only male writer amongst a bevy of female writers?
Trip: (He laughs) What man wouldn’t want to have his own private harem? Seriously though, these beautiful women are amazing writers and I feel very privileged to be a part of this with them.
Carla: Your main character, Jake McCord, is rumored to actually be you… How do you feel about that?
Trip: Well… in all honesty, I guess he’s my alter-ego. Sure, many of his character traits are the same as mine, but to be that good! It’s a pretty tall order for any man. To always win the day and get the girl is not exactly reality. I can usually win the day but to get the girl (he laughs) is the hard part! You gals can be fickle.
Carla: So where did Jake come from?
Trip: Jake was literally born in the jungles of Tanzania back in ’87. He has been evolving ever since. I was working there doing oil exploration when the whole “Mkeri” project was born.
Carla: Mkeri?
Trip: It’s a book series that I have been working on. Mkeri is a village along the coast north of Dar es Salaam. Bandit Creek Books has offered me a platform to introduce Jake to the world. “Fool’s Gold” was his first intro. It is a light hearted tale that shows his personality. “Silent Waters” shows you what I like to call the man behind the gun. You really get to know his mettle.
Carla: So who is this “Colleen” that keeps appearing in your stories? I hear that she isn’t quite so fictitious.
Trip: (He looks away and smiles in contemplation). Colleen is a very special gal who cuts may hair. She’s beautiful inside and out, so that is why I have her on my cover of “Silent Waters.”
Carla: Oh – a love interest maybe?
Trip: (Laughing and shaking his head) No – just a gal I think highly of and a dear friend.
Carla: Your story takes a different track from the other Bandit Creek books. It has a 5 Bandit rating and you seem to have a fair bit of detail. Both graphic and settings.
Trip: I have always believed that if you are to write a good story, you have to completely draw in your readers. For me, that only comes with details to help with the visualization. Sure, some things may be a bit disturbing for some, but that is why we have the Bandit rating system. Life is not always a romance and even though this story is pure fiction, I have based it upon some real life mysteries and crimes.
Carla: Care to elaborate?
Trip: (Winking, he gives me that all too familiar cocky grin) Best leave that to the readers to piece together. After all, what’s a thriller without a little suspense and mystery?
Carla: (Laughing) Well, it has been great to finally catch up with the elusive Trip Williams. I can now see what all the talk is about. I look forward to seeing the response to your Thriller as it launches on July 1st. Thank you, for joining me today, Trip. Everyone can join Trip for a chat and catch up on his blog at http://tripwilliams-author.blogspot.ca/ or follow him on Twitter @TripWilliams. If you wish to chat with Trip personally, you can reach him at Tripwilliamsauthor@gmail.com.
His new Mkeri Series will be launching in the fall of 2012.
