Author Spotlight: Marvin H. McIntyre Returns

There are several reasons Gazalapalooza is pleased to welcome today to the Author Spotlight Marvin McIntyre, who graciously has agreed to submit to our interrogation in connection with the release of his new thriller, Inside Out. He’s a graduate of The Citadel, and a Vietnam veteran. In certain circles, he’s earned the nickname "Financial Wizard," and it’s always awesome to be some sort of a wizard. He has been a steady friend of our blog since its inception. He spins compelling, intelligent and timely fiction, like Inside Out and its predecessor, Insiders. He’s a very interesting and worldly man, blessed with a twisted sense of humor.

And way back in October, 2011, McIntyre was the very first author to bite the bullet, damn the torpedoes, throw caution to the wind, warn us against stringing together too many clichés in our blog, and venture boldly into the Gazalapalooza Author Spotlight’s glare.

So please join us in welcoming back to our Spotlight the valiant Mr. McIntyre. We’ve been extremely fortunate to bring our readers the thoughts of many fantastic authors since we kicked off our Spotlight feature two and a half years ago. That said, nothing great ever happens until someone goes first, and in our case, it was McIntyre. For that we were, and remain, appreciative.

But that doesn’t mean we have to be nice to him. Accordingly and without further ado, we’ll get our guest seated on our unforgiving wooden chair beneath our even less forgiving battery of blazing klieg lights, and kick off this edition of the Author Spotlight.

Gazala:    What is the most surprising occupational hazard to being a novelist?

McIntyre:    When you donate all of the profits to charity, you soon realize that publishing a novel can be hazardous to your wealth. Even though my clients in my "real job" are well aware of my charitable intent with my books, I still get asked to send out free autographed copies.

Gazala:    Your latest book is an excellent and gripping thriller titled Inside Out. It's the second entry in your "Mac McGregor" series, where we find McGregor's brutal nemesis Jeremy Lyons hacking a path of murder, betrayal and corruption toward snatching a Florida senatorial seat. I've read Inside Out, enjoyed it immensely, and recommend it highly. Shockingly enough, however, from time to time my bare recommendation doesn't always motivate a book's potential reader to become a book's actual reader. Tell us something about Inside Out, and why its potential reader should make the leap and become its actual reader.

McIntyre:    I have yet to meet a person who is happy with “politics as usual.”  Sprinkled throughout what I hope is an interesting meal for readers and possible indigestion for the squeamish, are perhaps a few tasty tidbits about the sadly novel idea that a politician should think first about the health of our country. For dessert eaters, I have even offered a few humble thoughts on actual change that would help the public.

Gazala:    Have you ever killed off one of your characters only to greatly regret the death later? If so, whose death do you regret, and why?

McIntyre:    In my first book, Insiders, my friend David Baldacci said that the character Max leaped off the page. I was very flattered, but the town was not big enough for Max and the malevolent Jeremy Lyons.

Gazala:    If you could take credit for writing any one book not your own, which would it be, and why?

McIntyre:    I assume that I am not allowed to use Blood of the Moon. This is a great question and begs the real question—who thought of it? I guess it would be Pat Conroy’s Lords of Discipline. A fellow Citadel graduate, his story vividly brought back a rather traumatic time for me, and his descriptions are breathtaking.

Gazala:    If you had to empower one person unrelated to you by blood or marriage to read your thoughts for a day, who would you choose, and why?

McIntyre:    Someone who does not understand English. An overload of depravity can damage a weaker mind.

Luckily, we at Gazalapalooza have strong minds. If yours is too, there's no need to turn yourself inside out (do you see what we did there?) to get your own copy of Inside Out. All you have to do to order your copy from Amazon is click here.