Interview with E.Z. Rinsky, author of Palindrome - Win a copy of the book!

INSIDE THE BOOK

Title: Palindrome 

Author: E.Z. Rinsky 

Publisher: Witness Impulse 

Pages: 384 

Genre: Mystery/Suspense 

Format: Ecopy/Paperback

Private Eye Frank Lamb's business is simple: He finds things. Be it the world’s hottest pepper seed in a South American dictator's safe or a pair of Italian art forgers sipping Prosecco in a Miami hotel room, he delivers the goods and collects his check, never with a smile. Work is work, and he doesn’t let it get in the way of the life he’s made for himself and his ten-year-old daughter, Sadie.

But when a staggeringly beautiful woman offers him a small fortune to find a cassette tape, curiosity gets the better of him. It contains, she explains, a recording her sister’s kidnapper made of her last three minutes on Earth. She conveniently fails to mention the unsettling effects the tape is rumored to have on listeners.

Frank takes the case, and enlists the help of reclusive tracker Courtney Lavagnino to pick up a trail that's been cold for five years. As their search leads them through a horrifying labyrinth of murder and madness, it becomes clear they're chasing much more than a memento.

   

THE INTERVIEW

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

 My psychiatrist used to ask me the same thing. Kidding. Suffice to say a lot of my sensibilities are thanks to my two brilliant, pretty hilarious parents. Also, that some readers may recognize subtle Jewish motifs in Palindrome.

What inspires you to write and why?

I never know how to answer this question. I think of writing the same way I think about eating. If I sat around waiting to be inspired to eat, we wouldn’t be having this talk. I just wake up every morning and write, inspired or not.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

So Palindrome, which is my first published book, is a mystery. And I’m working on the sequel now which— *spoiler alert* —will also be a mystery. But writing mystery books is very arduous in a way other books aren’t. Everything has to be so, so tight. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing a jigsaw puzzle that you designed when you were super drunk, but now you don’t know if the pieces will actually end up fitting together in the end. Pretty soon I’d like to write something that doesn’t make me feel like Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

I almost took a path in life that would have made me very unhappy. Just a few months before finishing a masters in econ, I was positive I wanted to sign up for the Wall Street grind. I distinctly recall reading a book called ‘In the House of Money’ at one point. I’m pretty proud that I avoided that path. It was a close call.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

Well for one thing you have to be compulsively, obsessively organized, and this is challenging for me because I’m actually a really disorganized person in almost every other facet of my life. Maybe even more challenging is how many things you have to hold in your head at one time. The amount of moving pieces in a 350 page book is pretty astounding.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Rent.

Do you intend to make writing a career?

I do. But at one point I intended to make playing point guard for the Denver Nuggets a career, so we’ll see.

Have you developed a specific writing style?

I hope so? That’s a tough question. I strive to make whatever I’m writing fun and easy to read, even if the content is dark or serious. I hope I’ve succeeded.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? 

I think my imagination. People always ask me how I come up with the crazy stuff I write. I really don’t have a good answer for them.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

I once asked a friend’s great grandmother—she was 95 at the time—if she had any words of wisdom for me. She looks me dead in the eye and goes ‘play the field.’ I think that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. 

MEET THE AUTHOR

E.Z. Rinsky has worked as a statistics professor, copywriter and--for one misguided year--a street musician. He currently lives in Tel Aviv. More at ezrinsky.com

Giveaway

Witness Impulse is giving away 3 print copies of the book!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• Three winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a print copy of Palindrome
• This giveaway begins June 21 and ends on July 15.
• Winners will be contacted via email on July 16.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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