10 Questions with Thriller Writer C.W. Lemoine (@CWLemoine)

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Author Spotlight

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Thriller Writer

C.W. Lemoine

Author of

Fini Flight

C.W. Lemoine is the author of the military/espionage thriller novels SPECTRE RISING, AVOID. NEGOTIATE. KILL., ARCHANGEL FALLEN, EXECUTIVE REACTION, BRICK BY BRICK, STAND AGAINST EVIL , ABSOLUTE VENGEANCE, THE HELIOS CONSPIRACY, I AM THE SHEEPDOG and FINI FLIGHT.

A Louisiana native, Lemoine is a graduate of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans. After graduating college, Lemoine joined the Air Force Reserve where he flew the F-16 and accumulated one thousand hours including a combat tour in Iraq.

Lemoine later transferred to the Navy Reserve where he flew F/A-18A+ Hornets for four years. He currently flies for a legacy U.S. airline and is a POST-1 certified reserve deputy sheriff.

1.How did you get into writing and why do you write?

It started as a coping mechanism after my mom passed away when I was twelve years old. That turned into a novella that I thought would make me the youngest author in the history of ever.

Turns out, there’s a lot more that goes into it than just emailing it to the first agent I could find. When the agent rejected me, I figured that was the end of it.

Years later, my fiancée started writing and I decided to pick up the keyboard once more. I wrote five chapters and then shelved it as life took over until I transferred to the Navy Reserve and moved to New Orleans.

I had a bit of down time, so I started writing again.  With the encouragement of my good friend, Dr. Doug Narby, I kept going.  Eventually that became SPECTRE RISING, which kicked off the SPECTRE SERIES.

I sent out hundreds of queries to agents, but never could get any to bite. I went the self-publishing route and never looked back.  Ten novels later, and it’s been an amazing journey.

2.What do you like best (or least) about writing?

My favorite part of writing is the feedback. I enjoy interacting with fans and discussing characters and storylines.

I hate editing, picking the title, and writing the blurb on the back.

3.What is your writing process? IE do you outline? Do you stick to a daily word or page count, write 7 days a week, etc?

I usually have a vague outline in my mind, but I like to say the characters write the story. I often have no idea where it’s going until I start writing.

I usually shoot for 1-2k words per day – writing whenever I can.

4.Who are some other writers you read and admire, regardless of whether they are commercially “successful?”

The late Vince Flynn was a great writer. I loved his writing style and the story of how he became a writer is inspiring. His death was a tragic loss to the literary world.

5.Should the question mark in the above question be inside or outside the quotes?

My editor and I go back and forth about this, but the correct answer is inside.

6.What’s your stance on the Oxford Comma?

Agnostic.

7.What is your book FINI FLIGHTabout and how did it come to fruition?

FINI FLIGHT is my latest novel. It’s my tenth book and the eighth in the SPECTRE SERIES.  It was an idea that I had as an adversary pilot in the military.

With the current drama in North Korea, I tried to make it as “ripped from the headlines” as I could imagine.

8.What’s your current writing project?

I’m taking a break right now, but my next project will be the third book in the Alex Shepherd Series.

9.What book(s) are you currently reading?

Sadly, none at the moment. With my various jobs (cop, fighter pilot, airline pilot, author, vlogger), I find very little time to sit down and read.

10.Who or what inspires your writing?

Life and experiencing new things. I’m fortunate to have had the experiences I’ve had in the military, law enforcement, and aviation.  I like to write about what I know and apply my experiences to “what if” scenarios based on real world current events.

They say the truth is often stranger than fiction, so I try to do my best to bridge that gap.

Finally, is there anything you’d care to add? Please also include where people can read your published stories, buy your book, etc.

FINI FLIGHT is now available in print and eBook.  It’s book 8 in the SPECTRE SERIES, but can be read as a standalone novel.

https://books2read.com/FINI-FLIGHT

Readers can check out my weekly vlog MONDAYS WITH MOVER every Monday on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/cwlemoine/

Thanks for having me on your blog. I appreciate the opportunity.

You're welcome, C.W.  Keep up the great work. Fellow pilots such as myself always enjoy reading stories in which aviation is prominently featured.

Be sure to check out C.W.'s website and subscribe to his YouTube channel for fun and interesting content on writing, aviation, Corvettes, and more.

Follow C.W. on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/CWLemoine/
Facebook: facebook.com/CWLemoine/
Instagram: Instagram.com/CWLemoine/
YouTube: youtube.com/CWLemoine/