PRIDE 2020 INTERVIEWS: Joseph Pittman / Adam Carpenter

Today’s Pride 2020 Interview is with author Joseph Pittman, who also publishes under the pen name “Adam Carpenter.”

Hi, Joe! I hope you’re staying safe and healthy during the current pandemic lockdowns. What are you doing to stay creatively motivated in these unusual times?

Everything I can. It’s important to keep your mind engaged. I have read over a dozen books since March, and it’s knowing that these authors have kept at their creative process reminds me that I too can do it. Some days I get a lot done, some days I get caught up in a novel that I want to finish. It’s all about resolution: knowing what’s possible, and that endings lead to future adventures.

Since June is Pride Month, I have to ask: how has being gay influenced or informed your art/craft?

I struggled for years with my identity. When I published the sweet, romantic TILTING AT WINDMILLS, one of the reviews called it “sentimental slop.” Someone else said, a man writing a romance? What, is he gay? Brutal words from anonymous people. But you are who you are. You feel what you feel. Finally recognizing my dual life helped make me whole. It led to Adam Carpenter.

You’re one of the most versatile writers I know, published in a variety of genres from mystery to erotica. Is there any genre you haven’t been published in that you’d like to try your hand at?

I think I’ve covered all my interests. I’ve done mystery, crime, caper, saga, erotica, romance, I even did a sort-of western (DUDE RANCH!). Literary fiction is a questionable category, as it expects a certain level of writing I’m not sure I have in me. My closest example of that would be WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL, inspiration after having read a John Irving novel. Otherwise, I’m content mostly with the mystery genre.

I think the last time I interviewed you, I wasn’t aware that you also publish under the pen name Adam Carpenter. Many writers publish under different names in different genres, and I’m always curious why and how the pen name was developed.

I was approached by a new online eBook publisher to write erotica. But given that Joseph Pittman is known for his Linden Corners books, I couldn’t publish DESPERATE HUSBANDS under my own name. It’s a marketing decision. Know your audience. And so Adam Carpenter was born. The name is ironic. Adam is biblically the first man. Carpenter was the profession of Jesus’s stepfather, for whom I’m named after. It was meant to mean we have all origins.

Has there ever been a story idea that you thought could just as easily be a Pittman book as a Carpenter, or vice versa? And does your writing process vary at all between pen names?

Actually, Jimmy McSwain was originally straight. I developed the idea in the early 2000s. He had a girlfriend, but the backstory of his father’s death remained the same. I sold it to an audio publisher for an original series, but it ended up not panning out. When Adam was created, I recreated Jimmy as gay. But otherwise, Joseph and Adam maintain separate identities and separate audiences. But each of my characters, Brian Duncan, Todd Gleason, and Jimmy McSwain make one person: me.

What’s next from Joseph Pittman and from Adam Carpenter?

Joseph is currently writing THE CASE OF THE CON IN CANNES, a Todd Gleason novella. There’s also a partial draft of THE WINDMILL’S PROMISE and a stand-alone, THE SILVER MOON. Adam’s busy too. SECOND SHOT, #7 in the Jimmy McSwain Files, plus #8 and a new series set in Provincetown, more of a “Murder, He Wrote” cozy style.

The big news though is THE SHADOW DIARIES. A year-long blog written (sort-of) by our dog SHADOW. It’s the story of how he was rescued and came to be loved by his two daddies. It’s actually the perfect combination of Joseph and Adam…and Steve.  It will be published this summer, with beautiful artwork by Steve Cummings. (Editor’s Note: Joseph’s husband, artist Steve Cummings, is tomorrow’s interviewee.)

Where can people find you and your work online?

All of my books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, Kobo, iTunes, Audible.

JOSEPH PITTMAN is the author of the beloved Linden Corners series: TILTING AT WINDMILLS, A CHRISTMAS WISH, A CHRISTMAS HOPE, THE MEMORY TREE, and CHASING WINDMILLS. Other novels include WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL, BEYOND THE STORM, and LEGEND'S END. His crime fiction includes the Todd Gleason novels, LONDON FROG and CALIFORNIA SCHEMING, and novellas "The Perils of Penelope Pittston," "The Antics of Anton Ardno," "The Mystery of Marilyn and Her Men," and "The Business with the Bumbling Blind Man." Also available is the three-part serial suspense novel, THE ORIGINAL CRIME, in eBook and audio: PART ONE: REMEMBRANCE; PART TWO: RETRIBUTION; PART THREE: REDEMPTION. Under the Adam Carpenter name, he is the author of the Jimmy McSwain Files, a detective series set in NYC, which includes HIDDEN IDENTITY, CRIME WAVE, STAGE FRIGHT, GUARDIAN ANGEL, FOREVER HAUNT, FRESH KILL and the forthcoming SECOND SHOT. Other series include the Cane's Inlet Mystery: SCANDALOUS LIES, SINISTER MOTIVES, and SUSPICIOUS TRUTHS; The Wonderland Scandal: DESPERATE HUSBANDS, DESPERATE LOVERS, and DESPERATE ENEMIES; the Edenwood Saga, EDEN'S PAST, EDEN'S PRESENT, and EDEN'S FUTURE.

JOSEPH PITTMAN, California Scheming - Author Interview

It’s Thriller Thursday (another should-be-hashtag on Twitter), and who better to chat with today than my old friend Joseph Pittman, author of the Todd Gleason crime novels?

Joseph Pittman

JOSEPH PITTMAN was born in the borough of Queens and lived there for the first seven years of his life, before his family moved to Upstate New York.  A graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School, he then went on to get his Bachelor of Science at SUNY Brockport, where he majored in communication, with a concentration in journalism.  While attending Brockport, he was an editor for “The Stylus,” the school newspaper, where he had a weekly book review column.

Upon graduation, he returned to New York City, where he began his publishing career.  After short stints at Putnam Children’s Books and at Viking Penguin, he landed his first editorial job at Bantam Books, where he assisted with such authors as Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Palmer, Rita Mae Brown, actress Ali MacGraw and General Norman H. Schwarzkopf.  He moved to NAL as an editor and worked with authors such as Max Allan Collins, Lawrence Block, Stephen King, Martha Grimes, Jeff Abbott, Joan Collins, Judith Gould, and many other best-selling and acclaimed names.  His career has also taken him to the world book clubs (Doubleday Book Club), and small presses (Alyson Books).  He is currently Editorial Director of the new Vantage Point imprint.

His novels include TILTING AT WINDMILLS, WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL, LEGEND’S END, and A CHRISTMAS WISH.  His crime novels featuring Todd Gleason are LONDON FROG and CALIFORNIA SCHEMING.  He’s at work on several other projects.

ANTHONY: The second Todd Gleason novel, California Scheming, is now available. For my newer readers, remind us who Todd is, and where do we find him at the start of the new novel?

JOE: Todd Gleason is a con man.  Once a small time con, he only stole from the rich, but never gave to the poor…unless you count him.  He’s doesn’t like to talk about himself, his past, and definitely not the father who walked away when he was five.  Todd lives alone in an apartment in Manhattan—though he does have a pet frog, named Toad.  Todd has a habit of speaking first, acting second, thinking last.  It usually lands him in a lot of trouble.  After his successful con in LONDON FROG, Todd is taking a sojourn on Bermuda, relaxing in the arms of the lovely Lana Davies.  But this being Todd, his idyllic holiday can’t last.  Trouble comes looking for him.

The plot revolves around a noted bank robber named Fast Cash, who disappeared seven year ago…never to be heard from again.  His “widow” has him declared legally dead—and that’s when the dead bodies start turning up.  What Todd needs to do is rescue a long-time friend of his from a loan shark and the only way he can imagine is finding the missing cash that Fash Cash stole all those years ago…all three million.  Let the fun begin…

ANTHONY: I hear you had some interesting adventures researching the new book. So dish!

JOE: Not sure “adventure” is the right word. The early chapters of the book are set in Bermuda.  I was going to use the Bahamas, but I’ve never been there.  Bermuda I knew, so I picked that.  There’s a bar in SCHEMING modeled after a local watering hole in the main town of Hamilton.  For the Los Angeles sections, I visited LA twice.  One of my visits had me staying for 10 days at The Standard Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, just so I could soak up the sun, the atmosphere, and the attitude.  There was lots of all.  I also got as close to the Hollywood sign as they’ll permit, and did a visit to Marina Del Rey, because there is a scene on a yacht that launches for there.  Otherwise, I drew on experience of driving around West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Palos Verdes, all setting for the book.  For a guy used to walking all over Manhattan, car culture was a cruel shock.  Part of making the LA scenes successful was getting the lingo down—“Take the 101 to the 10 to the 405.”  I actually know what all that means, now!  There are also some scenes set in Manhattan—when you read the “Raven” bar scene, please remember this book is fiction.

ANTHONY: I’ve already recognized one of my favorite NYC diners in the early pages of the book! For new readers, is it vital to have read the first Todd Gleason novel, LONDON FROG, before diving into CALIFORNIA SCHEMING, or does each book largely stand on its own?

JOE: No.  Each book is designed to stand on its own—new characters and cons are introduced in each book.  So far I haven’t yet had a recurring character other than Todd…and Toad, the frog.  He’ll be in each book for sure.  There are recurring themes about Todd’s character, what has helped shaped him.  But I haven’t explored all that yet.  Maybe Book #5 in the series will reveal a bit more about Todd’s past.

ANTHONY: I know that like me, you’re not a huge fan of outlining. Did any plot twists take you by surprise while writing CS?

JOE: In between the first draft and final draft, there was one big change.  The killer.  Something just wasn’t sitting right with me about the ending, so I had to go back and think.  Maybe that’s where an outline would have come in handy, but what’s the fun in knowing what’s going to happen?  I like to go by Todd’s instincts—he has to think on his feet when a problem occurs, so that’s how the writing goes too.  I had some other fun things in the book, but they ended up on the cutting room floor.  I think I was twisting the plot one too many times, so something had to go.  There was a great scene with Beverly Mills of Beverly Hills, my blowsy, big-bosomed real estate lady, executing a scam poolside in West Hollywood.  In the end, I cut it and it hurt.

ANTHONY: Maybe the Beverly Mills con can be a short story! Speaking of which, tell us a bit about “The Perils of Penelope Pittson,” the first Todd Gleason short story. Where and when is it appearing, and where does it fall in Todd’s chronology?

JOE: Perils will appear in the anthology, CRIME SQUARE, to be published in the coming weeks.  There is no chronology with this story with FROG and SCHEMING…it just exists.  The story takes place on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, where Todd is protecting a woman.  But he imagines himself back in the 50s, what if he were a P.I. and she a damsel in distress.  The two plotlines end up having many parallels.  I wrote the story in the style of an old detective movie, so some of the lines and dialogue are flat out funny.

ANTHONY: How is the third book, which takes Todd to the south of France, progressing?

JOE: Ah yes, the long-rumored third book, THE CANNES CON.  I’m writing it, but I’m also toying with switching that book to #4 in the series and writing another idea I have.  That one is set mostly in New York City and environs and it’s called BROOKLYN HEIST.

ANTHONY: Man, I love your titles. Other than Todd’s adventures, what else are you working on right now?

JOE: The next Linden Corners “windmill” novel comes out in October from Kensington Books.  It’s called A CHRISTMAS HOPE.  Then in Spring 2013 is BEYOND THE STORM, a stand-alone novel with new characters and town.  More Linden Corners books are in the works, too.  My big suspense novel, THE ORIGINAL CRIME, may see publication as an original ebook later this year.  Still working on those details.  I don’t lack for ideas…just time.  But I’m having fun writing about these worlds I’ve created.  I hope readers are enjoying them.

ANTHONY:  More for me to read! And now my usual closing question: what is your favorite book (by someone else) and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

JOE: My favorite book?  It’s an oldie, but a goodie.  THE PRIZE, by Irving Wallace.  It’s set in the world of the Nobel Prizes and features a huge cast of characters.  It’s pure storytelling, absolutely riveting.  A big, old-fashioned read.  Wallace was one of my early favorites and I still have all the hardcover editions of his novels in my collection.

You can find out more about Joe’s projects by checking in on his website. Joe also occasionally appears on Twitter as @JosephPittman13, and he also has an author page on Facebook.  You can also find my earlier interview with Joe right here.

JOSEPH PITTMAN, Author - Interview

This week, we get a bit shady with crime fiction author Joseph Pittman.

Joseph Pittman

JOSEPH PITTMAN was born in the borough of Queens and lived there for the first seven years of his life, before his family moved to Upstate New York. A graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School, he then went on to get his Bachelor of Science at SUNY Brockport, where he majored in communication, with a concentration in journalism. While attending Brockport, he was an editor for “The Stylus,” the school newspaper, where he had a weekly book review column.

Upon graduation, he returned to New York City, where he began his publishing career. After short stints at Putnam Children’s Books and at Viking Penguin, he landed his first editorial job at Bantam Books, where he assisted with such authors as Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Palmer, Rita Mae Brown, actress Ali MacGraw and General Norman H. Schwarzkopf. He moved to NAL as an editor and worked with authors such as Max Allan Collins, Lawrence Block, Stephen King, Martha Grimes, Jeff Abbott, Joan Collins, Judith Gould, and many other best-selling and acclaimed names. His career has also taken him to the world book clubs (Doubleday Book Club), and small presses (Alyson Books). He is currently Editorial Director of the new Vantage Point imprint.

His novels include TILTING AT WINDMILLS, WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL, LEGEND’S END, and A CHRISTMAS WISH. His crime novels featuring Todd Gleason are LONDON FROG and CALIFORNIA SCHEMING. He’s at work on several other projects.

London Frog, Joseph Pittman

ANTHONY: LONDON FROG is the first Todd Gleason crime novel. Todd is not a crime kingpin, but he’s also not completely on the side of the angels. He feels a bit Robin Hood or Bernie Rhodenbarr. Give us a little insight into his character and his moral code.

JOSEPH: Todd is complex. Yes, he feels the world owes him something, but he’s willing to work for it. Even if the work is slightly on the wrong side of the law. He never takes from those who would suffer greatly from his schemes. He’s a petty thief with champagnes tastes. Big crimes like murder he would never be involved in—unless it’s stopping them. Like in “Frog,” he stumbles upon the murder plot and does all he can to stop it—but he also wants to make his money, too. So he’s always playing both sides, working them to his advantage. Don’t call him a crook. He likes sneaky opportunist. I suppose Bernie Rhodenbarr was a bit of an inspiration. I was Lawrence Block’s editor for those books and perhaps some of Bernie rubbed off on me. The ninth book in that series, THE BURGLAR IN THE RYE, was dedicated to me—an honor I would love to pay it backward.

A: What makes the reader root for Todd despite the fact that he’s a criminal?

J: I think it’s those damn dimples. No, seriously, Todd is just trying to make his way in the world and if he’s got some warped view of achieving that, well, that’s the fun of writing such a character. When it comes to describing the Gleason series, I always say that while Todd is a con man, he’s also the nicest guy in the book. Trust no one is my motto when it comes to the crime novels. But Todd is always handy with a smart-ass remark, and that helps endear him to readers. They laugh with him, not at him.

A: LONDON FROG was originally released in 2007. If I remember correctly, it got good press and was a Mystery Guild monthly selection. Vantage Point has brought it back in trade paperback format in anticipation of the sequel, CALIFORNIA SCHEMING, due out in 2012. Can you give us a hint at what to expect in the new book?

Yes, good reviews in hardcover and a Mystery Guild “editor’s choice.” That was a cool honor. As for “Scheming,” it picks up about six months after the action in “Frog.” Todd is relaxing (hiding out?) On the island of Bermuda when he is approached by an old flame, Cindy Scanlon, asking for his help. How she knew to find him there is but one mystery. It all revolves around Fast Cash, a notorious L.A. bank robber. Three million dollars is missing, so is Fast Cash, and if Todd finds the money he can help his friend…and pocket some cold hard cash. It comes out mid-January from Vantage Point Books, with the same great cover look as LONDON FROG. Pre-order it now! (the author asks nicely…)

California Scheming, Joseph Pittman

A: Unlike the fantasy and SF genres, crime and mystery fiction series don’t seem to favor the “long arc,” where characters age and grow and change, concentrating instead on stand-alone mysteries in long-running series. Where do Todd’s adventures fall, and how far ahead have you plotted/planned?

J: Oh, Todd will age. He won’t like it, either. I figure each book takes place six months after the last. I’ve got solid ideas for books three and four, but we won’t be any closer to finding out what makes Todd tick. He’s got a past, for sure, as indicated at the end of LONDON FROG. Not all is as it seems. Perhaps book five will explore the whole issue of Todd’s father—the guy who left to buy cigarettes when Todd was five. There’s a backstory there, and it also helps explain why the pet frog. Toad is the keeper of many secrets.

A: And when, after CALIFORNIA SCHEMING, can we expect to see him again?

J: You’ll see Todd again in his very first short story, “The Perils of Penelope Pittson,” to be published in a volume called CRIME SQUARE, edited by Robert J. Randisi, the founder of the Private Eye Writers of America. It comes out in March 2012. The story finds Todd imaging himself as a 50s gumshoe, coming to the aid of the imperiled Penelope. The next full-length novel, THE CANNES CON will appear early 2013…but I have to finish it first. Setting is the south of France, and truthfully, I didn’t mind the research for that one at all. It all begins, though, at the Vroadway opening of a revival of ‘Can-Can’.

A: LONDON FROG. CALIFORNIA SCHEMING. THE CANNES CON. How long can you keep up these city-inspired puns?

J: You’d be surprised. I have seven titles, even if I don’t have the plots for all of them. As long as I’m having fun with the series, I’m sure the titles will come to me. I had interest from a Japanese publisher and as a way to entice them I said I would write a Gleason story set in their country. Tokyo Ruse was the title. It didn’t sell. But I’d love to write it.

A: I’m always curious about process. How do you approach a Todd Gleason adventure? Do you outline fully before starting the work?

J: I hate working from outlines—I find them very limiting. I have a general synopsis that I work from, with characters specified, but the plot unfolds as I write it. You can’t plan twists and turns, they happen as you write. And that’s the fun of it all. Once I’m into the story, I may plan the next two or three chapters ahead, just to give me a sense of where I’m going. But no, I never have a full outline. It’s all structured in my head.

A: Do you approach the Todd Gleason books differently than your other books, which are not crime fiction?

J: Same approach, in terms of outlines/synopsis/characters. But the writing of a book like TILTING AT WINDMILLS takes more time. The language is different—the tone, the energy. Those books are more poetic, while the crime fiction is very…well, snarky. There’s a looseness to the Todd Gleason series that is not present in the general fiction. But I love switching the voice—whether first person or third, sweet and heartfelt, or suspenseful and sarcastic. It’s all about getting into the main characters’ head, and then trusting your instinct.

A: Speaking of those other works: Your Linden Corners books are back. TILTING AT WINDMILLS is back in print from Kensington Books, and you’ve heavily revised the sequel, A CHRISTMAS WISH. Tell us a little about those books.

J: TILTING AT WINDMILLS was my first published book, done by Pocket Books. It didn’t so terribly well on first publication—at least, not the U.S. version. It was a hit in Italy! Some readers though wondered what happened after that book ended, so I wrote A WISH UPON THE WIND, a Christmas-themed sequel. Both a re set in Linden Corners, which is located in the Hudson River valley. Both revolve around this old-style windmill, which inspires the people of the town. “Windmills” is back in print with a beautiful new cover.

A Christmas Wish, Joseph Pittman

A: Why “completely revise” WISH for its official commercial release? How long did that process take?

J: The publisher asked me to revise it. The original version was only 45,000 words. The published version is now closer to 70,000. I’ve added new scenes, expanded existing scenes with new descriptions and dialogue, and then also added to some of the subplots. But I think it’s pretty seamless; it’s hard to tell what’s been added. It was only about a month of rewriting to get the book into its final shape. We also agreed on a title change. So A WISH UPON THE WIND became A CHRISTMAS WISH. Booksellers do better with books when the word Christmas is in the title.

A: Are there any future Linden Corners novels planned? Or does WISH conclude Brian and Janey’s story?

J: We will revisit Linden Corners next year. Brian and Janey have had their big moment, so it’s time for some other characters in the town to take center stage. I am under contract with Kensington for another Christmas-themed book to be set in Linden Corners. Brian and Janey will play supporting roles in the book—the main character is Nora Connors Rainer, one of Gerta’s daughters. And a man named Thomas van Diver, whose family originally owned the windmill decades ago. They have both returned to Linden Corners just in time to help the town prepare for another holiday. It’s called A CHRISTMAS HOPE. Then Kensington will publish the stand-alone novel BEYOND THE STORM—new town, new characters, same dramatic tension as “Windmills.” But I think they plan to publish the next Christmas book first. That’s their decision. Fortunately, BEYOND THE STORM is already written. A CHRISTMAS HOPE is on my computer now, I’m just now getting into the writing. Not sure what comes first, finishing it…or Christmas itself.

A: And my standard final question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them to read it?

J: You want me to choose my favorite child? Haha. Actually, the two books of mine we haven’t discussed are WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL and LEGEND’S END. “Legend’s” is a family favorite, especially my mom. She always mentions “Legend’s” as her favorite. But I think WHEN THE WORLD WAS SMALL is my personal favorite. It’s the book that took me by surprise, in terms of the writing, its themes, and the fact that it spans twenty years. Usually I like a more concentrated timeline, like with “Frog,” which takes place in a matter of weeks. “World” was a big challenge to me, and I just love the symbolism through the story. Both “World” and “Legends” are new to Kindle—and at a 2.99 price, it’s hard to beat. Sorry to play salesman at the end of this interview. But I hope readers will give me a shot—whether they like mysteries or family drama or heartfelt tales of love, my books have something for everyone.

A: They really do. I can say that, having read pretty much all of them. And you know, I’ve never known Rosemary Pittman to be wrong. (Yes, I am bucking for an invite to Christmas dinner, haha)

You can most easily find Joseph Pittman, and all of his books, on his website.