Stacia Decker Interrogates Allan Guthrie

Author: Allan Guthrie, whose novel HARD MAN won the 2007 Spinetingler for Best Novel: New Voice

Interrogator: Stacia Decker, Al’s editor from Harcourt and winner of the 2007 Spinetingler for Best Editor

Violence
1 is no violence, 100 is… Wait, was there one scene without blood and gore in it?





Stacia: I’ll say 70 - the torture could have been worse.


Swearing
1 means no penance, 100 means you’re putting truckers to shame.





Stacia: I’m going to disappoint Al and go with 50.


Sex
1 means a nun can read it without blushing and 100 is… Wait, is this actually erotica?




Stacia: Again, no actual sex, but I’ll go to 20 for extramarital teenage pregnancy.


The Fido Factor
1 means animal lovers won’t be offended. 100 means PETA’s planning a book burning in protest.





Stacia: 70. Murder, kidnapping, vehicular assault—Pearce may love Hilda, but it’s not a good book for dogs.


Too Stupid To Live
1 means your characters have brains and use them, and 100 means it’s a wonder they weren’t killed 1000 times over.




Stacia: I like the characters and I understand why they do what they do, but, still, they’re not very bright: 80


Other Sins…
Religious content





Stacia: 20—you need more than Jesus and a nail gun; unless Jesus’s real name is a Monty Python reference, and then I’ll go to 40.



Verdict: Al sticks to white lies, except when it comes to religion. Clearly, his editor thinks he needs to work harder to be properly offensive in that department.



For the latest on Al read his interview with Brian Lindenmuth at Mystery Bookspot.



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