Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with AJ Ullman

What inspired you to write “Murder at Music Hall”?

Ullman: I love a good mystery as well as detective stories. There are a slew of great ones that are set in the present day whose protagonists utilize the newest technology. I wanted to focus on a detective who didn't have tools like DNA to help them. That person would have to solve a mystery with good, old-fashioned detective work. So I picked the 1970's as the setting. That was an interesting time, as can be attested by those who lived through it. Plus, given my detective's age, it set up things in his past that made for a good backstory.

How did you come up with the names of your main characters?

Ullman: Trueman North is my detective. I envisioned a series involving this character. His name suggests that he is a "true man", someone who abides the truth and someone for whom the truth is a north star. The rich man who hired True is St. John Skidmore. For someone rather sleazy, I loved the juxtaposition of the sacred and profane in his names. His son, the murder victim, Stoddard, has a stuck up sounding name for a man who grew up with everything money could buy. St. John's daughter is Kitty, who has a name that True believes reduces her down to an infantile version of a house pet with certain sexual undertones. Rather surprising, since Kitty is much more, and much smarter, than that. The killer's name (who I won't mention here) is relevant because it is a musical reference. It is the similarity to that reference that tips True to the identity of the murderer.

Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?

Ullman: I started my career out as a lawyer, then ran into a personal health crisis. I was unsatisfied with my career after I recuperated and wanted a fresh start. Medical stuff intrigued me due to my own experiences. So I went back to school and now am a nurse practitioner. With regard to my writing process, it seems to be equal parts thinking about a story, without ever writing a word down as well as the actual writing. I try to have a pretty good idea in my head of what I want to write; the writing process is simply to try to extract the best set of words or dialogue to get the story across. With regard to Murder At Music Hall in particular, I want readers to consider what would they have done in the end knowing what Trueman North knew? Would they have played it the way he did or come up with a different outcome? Ethics, morality and justice are all intertwined in North's decision. The difficult decision North is faced with may not be something that I or the average reader will ever face. But it's interesting to "what if" what would somebody do in a situation like that?

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Ullman: Practice your craft. Don't get frustrated. Don't expect a traditional book contract. Independent publishing is quite acceptable these days. Consider a writing retreat or similar experience. Join an online community such as Goodreads for camaraderie and tips.

What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?

Ullman: Oh, wow. That's a hard one! As far as my favorite book, I'd probably go back to the grand-daddy of Western literature, Homer's The Odyssey. But as far a current stuff goes, as I said above, I love mysteries and detective work. In that vein, I love, in no particular order, Megan Abbott, Jeffrey Deaver, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn (particularly Gone Girl which was an evolution in writing and had such an impact on books that came out subsequently), Harlan Coben and Lee Child.

What are you working on next?

Ullman: Well... crazy, but I have three ideas percolating, two of which I have put down about a combined 20,000 words. Very preliminary stuff. I'd be curious as to what you or your blog readers would be most interested in:

1) A dual timeline story about the Prohibition liquor baron, George Remus and his wife Imogene ,and their modern-day descendants searching for some buried treasure that Imogene left.

2) A modern retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth where things in the Underworld are a bit dicey, what with Hades having to deal with a difficult boss, Zeus, while they try to put down a rebellion by their god-like predecessors, the Titans. Think Homer meets the Godfather.

3) A mysterious Victorian home where the protagonist's young daughter thinks she hears footsteps in the attic. Maybe it's the ghost of her dead mother? And why does her dad keep reliving the same day, 9/11, over and over again?

Learn More About the Author and Murder at Music Hall:

https://ajullman.com/

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