Scott Von Doviak is the author of three books on film and pop culture: Hick Flicks: The Rise and Fall of Redneck Cinema, If You Like The Terminator, and Stephen King Films FAQ.His debut novel is Charlesgate Confidential.
From the author's Q&A with Clea Simon:
How does a book start for you?Visit Scott Von Doviak's website.
I start with the setting. The setting gives me the characters and the characters give me the story. In the case of Charlesgate Confidential, I had long wanted to write about the former Charlesgate Hotel in Boston, in which I had lived during the ‘80s when Emerson College turned the building into a dormitory. I have current works in progress set in Austin, where I live now, and Los Angeles, where I spent five years. I need to feel a connection to the setting in order to be comfortable and inspired enough to write about it. While I was at the crime writers’ convention Bouchercon recently, I met someone who was writing a series set in a place they had never been, which is something I can’t imagine doing.
Who in your latest book has surprised you most – and why?
One of the characters surprised me by getting killed much sooner than I expected—and since...[read on]
The Page 69 Test: Charlesgate Confidential.
--Marshal Zeringue