#GIVEAWAY - Interview 101 by Tom Pitts

When Tom's publicist Author/Guide reached out to me about Tom Pitts' latest novel 101 I was excited to feature him and it. Read all about it and enter to #win a copy! (details below)
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1948235389
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Release Date: 11-5-2018
Length: 276
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

On the cusp of pot legalization in California, Jerry runs afoul of some San Francisco bikers in the marijuana game. He flees straight up Highway 101 to Humboldt County to hide out deep in the hills at Vic’s, a reclusive pot farmer and old pal of his tough-as-nails mother. But trouble finds Jerry no matter where he goes and soon the bikers, a pair of stone killers, and a Russian weed tycoon named Vlad the Inhaler are all hot on Jerry’s trail.

Fallout from the unfolding chaos piques the interest of SFPD detective, Roland Mackie, when he learns Jerry’s host, Vic, is somehow involved. It opens a twenty-year-old wound, an unsolved case called the Fulton Street Massacre, and Mackie is willing to do whatever it takes to get a pair of cuffs on the elusive Vic.

When Jerry and his protectors are chased off the mountain and back down the 101 to an inevitable showdown back in the Bay, he learns Vic is much more than his host, he’s a mentor, his mother’s hero, and the toughest man he’s ever met.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and an action-packed plot, 101 is a wild ride through Northern California’s “emerald triangle.”

Tom's publicist Author/Guide is sponsoring the giveaway

one Print Copy US Only of 101

please use Rafflecopter form to enter

Good Luck!

What people are saying about 101:

“Tom Pitts is fast becoming the underworld bard of the Bay Area, and 101 is his best yet. The cast of characters is rich, and the subject matter—the marijuana biz in Humboldt County on the cusp of legalization—could not be more timely. Plenty of violent action, betrayal and tough talk. Reading 101 will give you a contact high. Get this book NOW.” —T.J. English, author of The Corporation and The Westies

“Throw out everything you know about crime fiction. Tom Pitts, author of HUSTLE and PIGGYBACK, returns with a plot stickier than an ounce of Humboldt County’s finest. 101 is typical Tom Pitts, the kind of novel that proves he’ll forever and ever have followers, trailing behind him begging for one more hit.”—Eryk Pruitt, author of What We Reckon

Interview with Tom:

Tom Hi Welcome to The Reading Frenzy
Tell my readers about your new crime thriller, 101.

101 is set against the backdrop of weed country in Northern California on the cusp of legalization.  It’s about a kid who’s on the run from his troubles in San Francisco and hides in the hills of Humboldt county. His host, however, has some secrets himself, and the presence of the boy brings home trouble for everyone. A wide cast of characters are pulled into the fray, including as FBI agent, an unethical SFPD officer, a pack of bikers, a Russian pot tycoon named Vlad the Inhaler, and even a hillbilly chemist named Meth Master Mike. The roving POV fuels the pace as they race back to the East Bay where their collective fates collide.

Is this a stand-alone novel or is it part of a collection?

I like to say this is the third installment of my Northern California Quartet, but it’s decidedly a stand-alone. I’m not big on the idea of a series, at least with my novels, but I’ve already been asked by readers which characters in 101 are going to be revived in another book. I guess that’s a good sign.

Your novel covers are all interesting.
Did you have any input in the selection?

Down & Out Books, God bless ‘em, let me have a say in both design and final choice and I had the idea for this cover, the Highway 101 sign, before I’d even finished the novel. I thought it’d be the easiest cover I’d done. It wasn’t. Eric Beetner, who’s done all my covers, will attest to me being a pain in the ass when it comes to covers. What can I say? I know what I like, but it takes a few tries to hit the sweet spot.

You are the author of some previous novels and novellas.
Where did your road to authordom begin?

Setting aside my unfinished novel that I attempted while I was still on drugs and out on the street, I’d say my true path began when Joe Clifford made me get up at a reading and slay the crowd with a short story. It was a dark but funny piece that’d I’d written about my days as a junkie. The response gave me the confidence to start sending stuff out.

Did your job as an acquisitions editor make you more nervous when shopping your own books?

I think it was the opposite. I was very intimidated when I started shopping books or querying agents, but when I got on the other side of the fence, I realized that a lot of it is smoke and mirrors. There was nothing to be fearful of. You just have to toss your hat in the ring like everybody else.

So we know you like writing thrillers but what do you like to read?

I’d like to say that I read a wide variety of stuff, but the truth is I’m a slow reader, so I usually end up in my own genre. The to-be-read list is always being replenished. There’s often an author who’s asked for a blurb or I’m checking out what my peers are doing. I enjoy non-fiction too, biographies, and some mainstream stuff. I also spend a lot of time catching up on those classics I should have read while I was young.

Since you have a day job, what is your writing schedule like?

Miserable. For years I whined about my job as a graveyard shift taxi dispatcher—thinking no one had it worse. But those were my most productive years. Since I’ve been working regular daytime hours, I’ve really had a tough time carving out a spot for writing. I’ve tried getting up at four in the morning, but my mind wasn’t clear enough. I’ve tried right after work, but my brain was fried. Right now, I’m experimenting with a quick nap before sitting down in the evenings. It’s a struggle, but I’ll find a balance, a way. I have to, it’s what I do. They call ‘em day jobs for a reason.

Tom thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Good luck with your new novel.

 Tome's other works

About the author:

Tom Pitts received his education on the streets of San Francisco. He remains there, working, writing, and trying to survive. He is the author of AMERICAN STATIC, HUSTLE, and the novellas PIGGYBACK and KNUCKLEBALL.
His new novel, 101, will be released by Down & Out Books November 2018.
Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com

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