I think being a police officer helped my writ-
ing in several ways. Obviously, when I wrote about true crimes, it aided in my understand- ing of the investigative and prosecutorial processes. I could read and easily understand all the police reports and court documents. But I think my training as a police officer was also helpful in teaching me to think logically and organize - two things essential for writing a book.
The first time I heard of you was when I read The Greatest Champion That Never Was. Now, I am by no means a huge boxing fan, but that book just grabbed my interest. I could hardly stop reading long enough to do my life. How did you first become interested in the history of Young Stribling? I was approached by Mercer Press and the Stribling family about writing the book. At the time I knew very little about Young Stribling and next to nothing about boxing, but once involved, I discovered that he led a fascinat- ing life. I ended up writing a book about a pilot, motorcyle racer, basketball player and family man who just happened to be a great boxer.
What was the most difficult part of writing the book? I think the hardest thing about writing the book was the fact that everything I wrote about happened nearly 100 years ago, so I wasn't able to find people to interview who'd lived the story. I had to rely on research - everything from newspapers to old journals.
How did you hook up with Mercer Uni- versity Press? I had already written Whisper to the Black Candle and, like all new writers, sent my query letters off to several big publishers. Months later, I got pre-printed rejections from each and every one. Then I started look- ing for local and regional publishers (which is what I should have done to start with). When I came across Mercer Press and saw they were in Macon, where the case had occurred, ap- proaching them seemed like a good idea. And, after considerable rewriting, they took the book.
The detective comes to the surface again. What was the greatest personal reward for you connected to The Great- est Champion That Never Was? The greatest reward was just getting Young Stribling's story out there. He was a remark- able person and Georgians, especially, should know about him.
Agreed. You received Georgia Author of the Year -Biography for the book, and Publisher’s Weekly called it one of the best sports books in 2011. As any of us who write know, book reviews and comments continue for years after the initial publication. I would imagine you still hear great things about the book.
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