I don’t know about every man, but it is true when it comes to mystery author Randy Rawls–and that’s because he writes a mystery series with a strong woman protagonist. To do that, one must Well, regardless of your answer to that question, I invite you to listen in while I interview–not Randy–but his heroine, Beth Bowman, who always catches the bad guy in Randy’s latest, a Kindle version of DEATH BY DIAMONDS (and at an unbelievable $2.99.) be a good guy–or good at being a bad guy–wouldn’t you think?
Q. Beth, give us a quick overview of yourself. Where you live, what you do for a living, marital status. Anything else you want to share.
A. (Chuckling) Well, as you know, my name is Beth Bowman. I’m a private investigator living in Coral Lakes, Florida. That’s located in Broward County between Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. As for my marital status, I’m single, actually divorced, but my mother’s always looking for the perfect mate for me.
Q. A PI. That must be an interesting life. Tell us about it.
A. I enjoy it. I’m on retainer to Bergstrom and Bergowitz. They’re a top civil action law firm. The retainer allows me to pay the rent and keep gas in my car. When I don’t have a case for them, I’m hustling cases on my own. Interesting? Some of them are, but most take me into the underside of marriages. You know, man steps out on wife or wife is unfaithful to husband. Occasionally, there’s a child custody situation, but mostly they’re pretty mundane.
Q. I know you’ve been in Florida for a while, but do I hear some Texas in your voice?
A. (Laughter) Oh yes. I was born and bred in Dallas, spent most of my life there. After college, I was on the Dallas Police Force, but decided to take off on my own as a PI. And I’ll always be a Texan at heart.
Q. So, what are you doing in Florida?
A. That’s another story unto itself. As the old cliché goes, Texas wasn’t big enough for both of us. When my marriage flopped, I opted for a change in scenery. He stayed in Dallas, and I moved out.
Q. Beth. Short for Elizabeth?
A. Yes. Actually, my full name is Elizabeth Angeline Bowman. I was named for my two grandmothers—two tough women who were liberated long before woman’s lib became a popular cry. I’m proud to carry their names.
Q. Okay, I understand you have a book out named DEATH BY DIAMONDS, chronicling one of your cases. Tell me about it?
A. It was a strange time in my life, but a really lucky time. It started with a distraught wife hiring me to follow her husband. Little did I know at the time that she wasn’t a wife and he wasn’t a husband. When I walked into the middle of a murder and ended up framed for it, things got real serious in a hurry. The police were less than helpful. I suppose that’s understandable since they thought they had their killer—me. Then things got muddy, and the police had their hands full with other cases. Unlike television, crime doesn’t stand still allowing the police unlimited time and opportunity to work one case.
Q. Sounds like you were neck deep in trouble. How’d you get out?
A. That’s what DEATH BY DIAMONDS is all about. I don’t think my scribe, Randy Rawls, would appreciate it if I gave the story away. But I will say I made some wonderful friends along the way and met one delightful man whom I have great hope for.
Q. Great hope? Sounds romantic. Do I hear wedding bells?
A. Only in my mind. And, of course, in my mother’s mind. But David and I are still together. I’ll let the future take care of itself.
Q. That’s the second time you’ve mentioned your mother. Tell us about her.
A. She’s the best mom a girl could ever have. After my father was killed, she busted her butt to raise my brother and me. Whatever it took was the least she gave. But, like so many mothers everywhere, she has premonitions. And, all too often, they’re too close for comfort. If I have a surveillance coming up, I can almost expect the phone to ring with Mom telling me to be careful. How she knows, I don’t know. But she knows—and I love her dearly.
Q. Was she right in DEATH BY DIAMONDS?
A. Yes—more than once. There were some touchy situations. Without the help of a wonderful group of homeless people, I might not have survived. Oh, I didn’t give too much away, did I?
Q. No. Homeless folks? A love interest? A mother with promotions of danger? Sounds like one heck of a story. Anyone else that you met you want to tell us about?
A. A lady named Dot. She has a background that will break your heart, but she shrugs it off and maintains a bright outlook. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m glad she does. She’s a pleasure to be around. And, if she hadn’t been around, I might not be here to talk to you.
Q. Okay, Beth, ‘fess up. What’s it like working with Randy Rawls? If you were given the power to change one thing about him, what would you change. What about his writing? Is there something you’d like him to do differently when he writes?
A. Working with Randy is a pleasure. Unlike some male authors, he works hard at trying to present me as a woman, not a man in a pantsuit. And, when he gets stuck, he turns to his Honey for advice. The “Wicked” nail polish I wear in DEATH BY DIAMONDS is one example. I had an appointment with my manicurist, and Randy had no clue about nail polish. He asked Ronnie and she suggested Wicked. Just perfect for me.
You asked what I would change about him, and what I’d like him to do differently when he writes. I’ll combine the two. I’d like him to develop some discipline. I never know whether I’ll be on his desktop PC in the office or on his laptop. And the laptop might be in the family room in front of the TV, in a library anywhere in Broward County, in the waiting room while the oil is changed in his car, or even his doctor’s office. He might print out pages of my stories to take with him, load me on his Kindle, or sit with one of the computers. It’s a bit disconcerting never to know where I’ll show up next. And, of course, it wouldn’t hurt if he took me back to Dallas—at least for a visit.
Q. Do you feel like he knows you well? What is it you think he doesn’t really get about you? Have you tried telling him so?
A. I assume you ask this in jest. What man knows a woman, I mean, truly knows a woman? But I give Randy credit. He tries to get inside my head. And I’m sometimes successful at turning him. He’ll start off to write me into some squishy scene, but it will end up a lot tougher than he expected. Or vice-versa. There is a scene in DEATH BY DIAMONDS where I kidnap a guy who has wronged me. Randy wanted me to take a broomstick to his head to encourage him to talk, but I didn’t want it that way. So, we compromised. Instead, I brought Dot into the situation and she came up with a whole new interrogation technique. And at the same time, she added humor to the story. So, overall, I’d say Randy and I communicate as well as any woman directing a man.
Q. What about this fellow in your life. Tell us a little more about him. What do you like about him and what do you not?
A. Uh-oh. You must have unlimited time and space for this interview. His name is David Rasmussen and he’s a doctor. Incidentally, Mom thinks that’s just great. She always said marry a lawyer or a doctor. My first husband, Sonny-the-Bunny, is a lawyer, and that was a catastrophe. So, she’d pretty much given up on me until David came along.
David has a wonderful sense of humor. Well, some might say quirky, but I like it. We met during a visit to the Emergency Room. He was on duty and examined the lump on my head caused by the flat side of a pistol. I wasn’t in the best of moods, but he ignored my sarcasm and kept up his comic patter. By the time I was released the next day, I was ready to hold his Groucho Marx glasses. Fortunately, I had a similar effect on him. So, when he prescribed a banana split at an ice cream shop in Boca Raton, I was ready.
Like about him? Everything.
Not like about him? He worries too much about me. And wants to come along when things are likely to get sticky. I try to explain that I won’t be able to take care of him while some thug tries to separate me from my head, but he still insists. There have been a couple of times when I feared he might walk away. So far, though, he’s tolerated my profession. I hope I never have to make the choice between him and being a PI. I love my work and love helping people. But, David is something special, too.
Q. I know you and your mother get along, and sometimes she ‘pulls your chain.’ What would you like to tell your mother that you haven’t yet—and likely won’t.
A. Sylvia, you have a mother and are a mother. You know there’s no point in telling a mother anything. And even if you do, she will only hear what she wants to hear. Mom is no different. So, I won’t tell her to butt out of my love life. It wouldn’t do any good. I’ll just keep smiling—and warning David.
Thanks, Beth, for stopping by, and thanks for your honesty, particularly about working with The Randster. We wish you and your new series the best.
Don’t forget folks, for a mere $2.99 on Amazon Kindle you can follow this cheeky young woman as she puts her life at risk to get her man–both the good one and the bad one.
No comments:
Post a Comment