Interview of Joel Goulet

By

Joan Hall Hovey

Joel, how and when did you begin writing?

I starting writing while in high school but didn't really get serious with it until a few years ago. I guess I just started writing down ideas and one thing led to another. I can get carried away at times. For example, my second novel, Silver Fox, was supposed to be a short story. I just kept adding things here and there and it ended up being too long for a short story so I had to keep it going until it was long enough to be a novel.

Tell us about your book.

 Clandestine Rendezvous is a novel written in first person. It's about a reporter that sets out to find out what happened to a prison inmate who suddenly vanished from a Tennessee prison. Along the way the reporter finds out several government agencies are following him. Two assassins make several attempts to do away with the reporter. Nothing seems to make sense to the reporter all the while he's asking himself, what's so important about the missing inmate as to draw the attention of the government and the killers? Of course, as with any novel, the answer comes at the end of an intriguing adventure through the South.

I notice you write in various genres; do you have a favorite?

I would have to say my favorite is sci-fi. I have a sci-fi being considered by Wings right now.

What type of writing schedule do you have?

T try to write up to a thousand words a day. Since I work nights I don't always have time to reach that goal. I manage to do my most extended amount of writing on Sundays.

For you, what is the best and worst part of writing the book?

The best part is writing that last page. The worst part would have to be doing the rewrites. I also find it hard to write a hundred word blurb, describing the novel in only a hundred words.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I can't really say for sure since I usually work on several projects at once. I write on one story until I start running out of gas and then switch to another story. The only one I can say for sure was my second novel Silver Fox. It took just over 90 days to write.

Tell us your publishing experience.

I have two novels published by Publish America. My third and forth novels will be published by Wings.

What can we find you doing when you're not penning wonderful stories?

I have a very energetic yellow lab that likes taking walks. I think he takes me instead of the other way around. I also like watching movies and bowling. I'm also a hard-line Packer fan.

What advice do you have for the novice mystery writer?

Write. Write. Write. Never lose faith in your writing. Be open to constructive criticism. Have fun writing. You create your own little world so enjoy it.

Who were your favorite writers growing up?  Who are they now?

Dickens and Twain as I was growing up. Today I'd have to say J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Where might fans and readers contact you and will they be able to buy your book when it is released.

I can be contacted through my web site at www.joelgoulet.com. There is information on the site about purchasing the books.

Where do you hope to be in terms of your writing career in 5 years.

Within 5 years I hope to be able to quite my job and do what I really want to do the most, write full time. I have so many ideas for stories but so little time right now to work on them. Besides writing novels I have also written the screenplays for most of the novels I have written or am currently working on.

I would like to thank you for this opportunity to answer some of your questions about myself and my writing.