Minus One the Drew Smith Series prequel takes us
back when the attorney launches his legal career. Before the ink is dry
on his license to practice law Drew Smith finds himself at the center of a
murder mystery. The recent law school graduate works as a hotel concierge
and befriends two bellmen an Arab and a Latino, Medhat and Julio. Like
the three musketeers they bond in a fraternal friendship put to the test when
Medhat is kidnapped after running up a drug tab he can't pay. Rescued by
Drew and Julio, Medhat then becomes the prime suspect in a string of
murders. Driven by their romantic entanglements the attorney is
captivated with a pretty Latina whose father objects to her dating a Black man.
Julio and his Filipina love find themselves expecting, and Medhat’s passion for
blondes gets him snared in a femme fatale's net. Minus One captures Drew
Smith's evolution from youthful indiscretion to a professional burdened with
seriousness of purpose.
How did you come up with the idea for your
book?
The book was inspired by my two buddies, the real Medhat and
Julio. We worked together as part of the
opening teams of The Washington Marriott.
They had such dynamic and admirable relationship. I decided to turn it in a fictionalized story
of male bonding.
Do you have a
favorite character?
My favorite character is my protagonist Drew Smith, but many
of readers seem to favor his sidekick Julio.
They think he had more compassion and empathy unlike Drew.
How old were you when
you started writing?
I started writing when I was 12 years old. My mother had a copy of Never Love A Stranger
by Harold Robbins laying around. That
summer I picked it up and read it. The
book really inspired me to want to write.
Upon finishing it I penned a review imitating the style of reviews I had
read in The Washington Post. This was
the beginning.
Tell me about your
writing process.
I write systematically with plot outlines and character
sketches. That becomes the basic
framework and then I flesh out the story adding the bricks with mortar.
Do you listen to
music while writing?
Sometimes when I’m looking for inspiration, but then again
it can sometime be a distraction. Music
is not necessary. I like to submerse my
whole being into the story when I writing and background music may or may not
serve as a distraction.
Where is your
favorite place to write?
In my home office at my desk, that really the only place I’m
comfortable. I find balancing my laptop
in my lap can be awkward and not that comfortable.
Favorite character
from your favorite book?
Favorite books vary depending on the day.
Is there any certain
message you want readers to take from reading your book?
I want my readers to consider the value of friendship and
particularly the process of male bonding. At what point does a friendship
become too burdensome?
When is the release
date? Where can we buy it at?
Minus One was released June 1st. You can get it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble,
as well as my web site NorwoodHolland.com
Do you incorporate
any of your favorite things, places, hobbies, into your books?
I love my hometown Washington DC, and the local color
figures prominently in my books. Local
readers tell me they like the idea of recognizing the local landmarks and
watering holes. It brings a touch of
reality.
Who are some of your
favorite authors?
I would have to break that down to the living and the
dead. My favorite all time authors are
Charles Waddell Chesnutt, James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes. Two of my favorite contemporary writers are
Beverly Jenkins and Keith Thomas Walker.
Favorite books?
I have read and enjoyed so many books in my life it is
virtually impossible for me to list any number.
Usually whatever I’m reading at any given time is a favorite.
Favorite foods?
Watermelon, fried chicken, waffles and egg shrimp foo yung.
Black and white or
color?
Color. Life is more
exciting when viewed through a color prism.
Batman, Spiderman, or
Zorro?
Zorro, I got a thing for Latinos.
Twitter or Facebook?
Facebook. People say
that Facebook is for connecting with the people you went to school with and
Twitter is for people you wished you had gone to school with. I know whom I’ addressing on Facebook. Twitter and the 140 characters is for people
with ADD.
What are you
currently working on? Can we have a sample of it?
I’m working on my next book, Snakehead which deals with human
trafficking.
If you could ask your
favorite author anything, what would it be? Answer it for us, please.
If you could tell
your readers anything, what would it be?
If you want to be a success at a certain endeavor then
adhere to the “10,000 Hours Rule.”
There’s an old adage: How do you
get to Carneigie Hall? Practice,
Practice, Practice.
Book Excerpt
Chapter 1
Caught Red-Handed
HE OFFICERS WERE dispatched on a possible domestic
dispute. They didn’t know what to expect when Mrs. Oliphant met the two at the
elevator, one Latino the other African- American, both towering over the blue
haired dowager. Nervous and animated, she spoke as rapidly as she stepped,
guiding them to the apartment door.
“Are you related?” asked the stocky dark haired
Latino. “No. I'm Carol's next door neighbor. There was a fight and I heard the
disturbance,” Mrs. Oliphant sighed and shook her head as though shaking off a
secret annoyance. “Mind you, I don't eavesdrop but I couldn't help hearing—you
know thin walls and vents carry conversations. This is her apartment.”
They stopped in front of the corner apartment at
the end of the hall. “I have the key,” she said. Mrs. Oliphant's tiny trembling
liver spotted hand offered it up between the thumb and forefinger. With a nod
the Latino urged her to open the door. “Hard to make sense of it all,” she continued
her prattle fumbling to get the key in the keyhole, “I
could only piece things together. She's so
distraught almost hysterical—it had to be something traumatic. I gave her a sedative.”
She relaxed with the key finally in.
“Did you go in?” the Latino asked. He reached over
her shoulder, turned the knob and pushed the door open. “No, she told me to
call the police.” Mrs. Oliphant followed
the two in.
Norwood Holland is a freelance writer, lawyer, and
author of the Drew Smith legal thriller series based on the capers of an urban
trial attorney. He is a graduate of Howard University School of Law with
a bachelor’s degree in English from Fisk University where he studied under the
renowned Harlem Renaissance author Arna Bontemps. Holland favors D.C.'s
local color in his fiction and currently writes the blog
editorialindependence.com devoted to promoting independent authors among other
things.
He has served in several government agencies including the National Labor
Relations Board and a number of Washington’s top national law firms. In
the mid 90s Holland began freelancing for the local media. Some of his
credits include The Writer Magazine, the Examiner, and Black Literature Magazine.
Minus One follows up on the success of Sleepless Nights, the first in the Drew
Smith Series.
Email = norwoodholland@aim.com
Website: http://www.norwoodholland.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Norwood22
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/norwood.holland
