Interview with Russ Heitz, author of the suspense novel, CROSSHAIRS.

Ed:  Hello Russ—welcome to The Infinite Writer

RH: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.

RH: I was born in the Pennsylvania Dutch country of Lancaster County in a small town called Denver. At that time much of the surrounding farmland was owned the Amish. My parents moved frequently, but within the state of Pennsylvania for the most part.

Ed:  You’ve mentioned that you were an avid reader. When did you first experience the creative urge to write?

RH:  When I was in the service, I wrote many letters home. I realized at that point that I could more easily express myself on paper than with conversation. When I was discharged, I enrolled in a night course on short story writing at Temple University. I began to write short stories and submit them to men’s magazines. Not one was accepted. I then began to write romance stories and submitted to women’s magazine where I found acceptance and publication.

Ed:  When did you switch to or add novel writing?

RH:  I did attempt a few novels during that period; one a suspense set in Tennessee, the second and third were romance novels. A literary agent signed me on, but five years later she still hadn’t sold anything. I sort of gave up on novel writing.

Ed:  What turned you around? Obviously, you have an amazing literary talent. Crosshairs has every ingredient a good suspense novel should have.

RH:  Well, my romance stories were also suspense stories because the genre is interesting to me. I researched two of my favorite suspense novelists, Bill Pronzini and Ed McBain (Evan Hunter). I proceeded to plot out the story that became CROSSHAIRS.

Ed:  It seems you’ve found your field and your muse. You’ve said that you’d originally planned to write a trilogy, but had no success with publishers.

RH  That’s right. I went back to writing short stories aimed at the literary magazines and university quarterlies. CROSSHAIRS was laid to rest in a file drawer.

Ed:  Obviously something resurrected it.

RH:  Yes. About a year and a half later I received a phone call from James A. Rock & Company, Publishers in Rockville, MD. They wanted to publish the book. About nine months later, I realized my dream of being a novelist when CROSSHAIRS was released.

Ed:  Do you do much reading now?

RH:  I'm usually reading for a purpose.  It may be that I simply want to learn about a non-fiction subject of one sort or another. When I read a novel I'm usually studying and taking detailed notes as I'm reading. I do that to learn how that particular writer did whatever he/she did, and to see if I can adapt any of his/her techniques to my own writing.  Writing is a never-ending process of learning.

Ed:  Do you target a particular audience with your stories?

RH: CROSSHAIRS was aimed mostly at a male audience but I know some women (my wife, Lee, for instance) loves suspense stories, whether the protagonist is a man or a woman.  Doesn't matter.  A novel I started a couple months ago is aimed more at a female audience, since they are the ones who buy most of the books.  It, too, is a suspense story, although with a female protagonist.  But I'll probably return to Jesse Eichenlaub for awhile and see what develops next.  As I probably told you, I already have the first half of the second Jesse story outlined although I haven't looked at it for a year or more.  Like my wife, I, too, am wondering what's going to happen next to Jesse, Franky and Clay, and all the other Glen Haven characters.  To tell you the truth, I miss them, so I've got to see how they are faring, now that deer hunting season is definitely underway.  Who knows what will happen next!?

Ed:  Are you a disciplined writer or do you sit down and write when the muse strikes?

RH:  I'd call myself a disciplined person whether I'm writing or not.  If you wait for "the muse" you waste an awful lot of time.  And as I indicated before, I've always tried to approach writing as I would any other profession or craft.  You have to work at it regularly if you want to maintain your skill level and the flow of ideas that are so essential.  I write nearly every day, in one form or another, although not at or for a specific amount of time.  But when I'm working on a large project like a novel, it is absolutely essential to work at it consistently, again, to keep the flow going, the rhythm, and the interconnection of ideas that is so necessary for a long story that involves literally hundreds of details that have to all work together.  Writing a novel is kind of like creating and then assembling a jigsaw puzzle.  First you have to create all the pieces, and then you have to fit them all together.  And, in a way, you are actually doing both at the same time.  At least that's the way it works with me and my writing.

Ed:  Do you plan to write in any other genres?

RH:  I look at writing as a craft, similar to carpentry. A good, professional carpenter can build anything from a napkin holder to a two-story house. Similarly, I believe a good writer should be able tow rite in just about any genre. The tools are the same:  words, sentences, paragraphs and punctuation. And Ideas, of course.  I continue to explore whatever other genre appeals to me. In addition to children’s books, for instance, I’m also doing book reviews.

Ed  What are you working on now?

RH:  Since CROSSHAIRS was released I've been spending a lot of time promoting the book via various Internet outlets and by contacting bookstores and periodicals all over the country.  But I expect to get back to work on another novel very soon, probably the second installment of the Jesse Eichenlaub series.  I think I'll hold off on the Picture Book texts for awhile since I haven't found a buyer yet for any of them.  And I may slow down on the book reviews.  I enjoy doing them but I'm not a particularly rapid reader so it takes a fair amount of my time just to read a book, take notes, and then do the review.  I seldom read just for the joy of it (although it usually is a joy.) 

Ed:  Is your family supportive of your writing?

RH:  My wife, Lee, has always been very supportive of my writing. She has always believed in my abilities, even when my own confidence sometimes wavered. Since the book has been released she has also been my most avid publicist and salesperson.  She’s always buttonholing someone with a cheery, “Say, have you heard about my husband’s new book? It’s really very good.”

Ed:  What is your own feeling about the success of your novel?

RH:   It’s always a good feeling to accomplish a goal you’ve set for yourself. It’s gratifying to know that the endless hours of solitary work required of a writer have found an audience that appreciates and enjoys it. I believe I have a natural ability to write. I’ve worked hard to develop that ability. My writing brings me a great deal of joy and satisfaction. That alone makes the effort worth it.

Ed:  Thank you, Russ—it was every bit as enjoyable to meet with the author of CROSSHAIRS as it was to meet Jesse and his crew.  Your reading public is looking forward to your next book.

RH:  Thank you.

CROSSHAIRS is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon or may be ordered directly from the publisher at www.rockpublishing.com. It’s also available in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales through the UK’s bookstore chains. See synopsis on this site under Author Links..