The Golden Gates is set in 1932, in
the midst of Prohibition and the Great Depression, a charismatic new leader is
on the rise in Germany, and a set of plans for the US Navy’s newest airship has
gone missing from the Goodyear Airdock in Akron. What do these events have to
do with the grisly Raven murders along California’s golden coastline? And can
San Francisco PD’s Inspector Horace bring down one of the most brutal killers
on the western seaboard before a national disaster occurs?
I am so very pleased today to welcom historical fiction author C. R. Kliewer to The Happy Book Reviewer. She is the author of the recently-released mystery novel The Golden Gates.
I am currently reading The Golden Gates on my Kindle app for iPhone... which is free by the way, so you can get this book on Amazon and have on your phone immediately! Instant gratification!
I've found The Golden Gates to be a smoky, intriguing, classic noir.
Tell me what inspired you to set your mystery in the 1930s.
C. R. Kliewer: I
cut my teeth watching Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot on PBS and through those
shows fell in love with the 30’s era: the fashion, the architecture, the
cultural and anthropological history. As an author, the mystique of the decade also
lends itself well to storytelling. It is a dark, hazy time period that sets an
ideal stage for high stakes crime and murder without compunction.
It is one
thing to “know your history” (dates and places), but you also have an excellent
handle on the details. How did you research dress, manners, and the other
details that really make the reader feel like he or she is “there?”
C. R. Kliewer: I
can’t tell you how many books I acquired and read on any and every subject that
“might” be connected with the time period, from clothes to boat building to
airships. There were also countless hours spent on the Internet hunting down
details and verifying answers to questions like: “Who was head of the SFPD?”
and, “Did they even have cat food in 1932?”
You really did dig deep to make it sure it was accurate!
C. R. Kliewer: But not all of my research was done
in-house. I spent quite a bit of
time in San Francisco visiting key sites and was even honored to be allowed a private
tour of a certain motor yacht that was actually built during the Prohibition era
and was being restored to its original state – an absolutely gorgeous vessel
with its own secrets worth revealing and some unresolved mysteries kept hidden even
to this day. Research does
dominate much of my time, but it is perhaps one of my favorite aspects of
writing a historical novel because of what I learn and where it can lead.
You were
an English major at Vanguard University of Southern California, so I’m going to
ask a favorite question of mine… If an American Lit class were reading your
book some day, what themes would the professor want the students to pick up on
in your book?
C. R. Kliewer: I love this question. It makes me feel like I’m on the wrong side of the page when
it comes to analyzing literature. It’s a surreal feeling to be the one who is critiqued.
Power is a prevalent theme throughout The Golden Gates. It takes on many forms
and can be an agent of good or instrument of evil. It is also treacherous if it is miscalculated or too much
faith is placed into the amount of one’s own. If included as part of the university’s curricula, I can see
many professors having a field day with this one.
Ah, I love it when literature can be both a captivating read AND something that makes the reader think.
So, what was
the first creative piece you ever wrote (not first pubbed piece)? Do you still
have a copy of it?
C. R. Kliewer: The
first thriller I wrote was in elementary school, and it involved a monster and
a hat, but I think my first mystery/crime piece was in high school during a creative
writing class. It’s was a dual-time
plot where the reader began in early dawn hours following a frail and abused young
woman who had just murdered her husband leaving his body in a barn. As she escapes into a nearby orchard, the
plot jumps ahead to midmorning when police investigators studying the crime
scene discover a bloody wrench and an inhaler. At that point, the story flashes back to the woman as she is
running through the orchard. Short
of breath, she stops and slips her hand into the pocket of her windbreaker,
feeling nothing she begins to panic which induces an asthma attack. The police find her cold body just a
few hours later. That piece sticks with me even after – I dare say – some
decades, but if I have a copy, it is buried with a few other mementoes from
that time period.
If you
could be sucked into any novel, I'm thinking you might not choose a murder mystery! So which would it be? Would you be yourself, or
would you be one of the existing characters (if the latter, then who)?
C. R. Kliewer: As much
as I love a good mystery or adventure, I would have to say something from Jane
Austin. What girl doesn’t
want to be the sharp-witted Elizabeth and find her brooding Mr. Darcy?
You’re an
avid reader. What book/s are you reading at present?
C. R. Kliewer: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is my
biography of choice right now. It
details the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a theologian and pastor who worked
with the resistance against Hitler from inside Nazi Germany.
What book
have you read that that you wish you had written?
C. R. Kliewer: I’m not
sure I can answer that question the way it was intended to be answered. The books I love to read are what they
are because of the authors who wrote them. Their ideas, writing styles, imaginations and complexities
make their stories unique and their dedication to the craft makes each of these
stories epic and awe-inspiring. If
I were to put my own spin on them, it would change the story and diminish the wonder
they hold for me.
That's quite an insightful way to think of that question!
Now, you said you spend a lot of time researching. Do you have a bit of time for writing? Please tell me you're working on a next book!
C. R. Kliewer: I am
currently working on the 2nd book of the Golden Gate series,
currently titled Devil’s Tree. In it we delve a little bit more into
personal histories of some of the main characters in and we get fresh case for
them to solve. That’s all I am
able to reveal at the moment.
The
Golden Gates (and probably Devil's Tree too) is very visual. Is there an actor you could envision
playing Inspector Horace?
C. R. Kliewer: Funny you should
ask. Like many authors, I have toyed
with the idea of seeing my work on Hollywood’s big screen (or public television’s
little screen) and have thought about certain actors and actresses playing
almost every character in Golden Gates
but Inspector Horace. In the book,
he is likened to Theodore Roosevelt-- tough shoes to fill when it comes to finding
an actor who matches both the look and personality of the Inspector. If it ever comes to a point where I
would have to make a decision, I would not only be in high heaven, but welcome any
suggestions.
I love
the cover! Who designed it? Did you give a lot of guidance?
C. R. Kliewer: Thank
you! I designed the cover myself using
an image from coverdesignstudio.com.
Since the book was being self-published through Kindle Direct Publishing,
I wanted to find a way to create an attractive cover that would be compatible
with both Kindle and my budget.
The website was easy to navigate and had a variety of images to choose
from. I just selected the photo
that I thought best represented my work (hazy, desolate) and formatted the text
using Photoshop. Though the
choices were limited in regards to the background, it’s a great way for a first
time author to create a professional looking cover. Sorry if that sounds like a plug, but it’s the truth.
I'd bet a lot of first time authors are in the same boat, just starting the "how to I create cover art for this?" journey, so the tip is welcome!
Wrapping up, as you
know, I collect quotes! And I want to add to my collection with one from The
Golden Gates! What is a favorite quote from the book?
C. R. Kliewer: I would have to say the very last sentence in the
novel is my favorite, but as it gives away a little bit
of the story, I won’t state it here, just that its essence indicates that we
are all human, and though we each have our strengths, we all have our
kryptonite.
Okay, okay... I don't want a quote at the expense of a spoiler! How can
readers discover more about you and you work? Do you have a Facebook page, a
website/blog, are you on Goodreads, etc.?
C. R. Kliewer: I have a Facebook page under C.
R. Kliewer that is currently in the works (https://www.facebook.com/crkliewer), and will be setting up a webpage
under the same name shortly.
