Tell our readers briefly about yourself.
I’m Canadian born and bred, although I’ve lived in the US for 30 years. I currently live in Las Vegas. I’m a former standup comedian, car salesman and corporate drone who writes to save what’s left of my sanity.
What books do you have available? Can you give us a short description of them?
I have four novels out in the world, with a fifth coming in December:
The Count of the Sahara- the true story of Byron de Prorok, whose meteoric rise and fall as the world’s most famous archaeologist has fascinated me for 30 years.
Acre’s Bastard- Part 1 of the Lucca Le Pou Stories. 10 year old Lucca the Louse is a half-Syrian, half French orphan caught up in the chaos of the Crusades. Taught to be a spy, he finds himself involved with leprous knights, Salah-adin’s agents and the horrifying Battle of Hattin.
Acre’s Orphans- Part 2 of the Lucca Le Pou Stories. Lucca arrives safe in Acre, only to be caught up in the fall of the city. He, a mysterious Druze girl, a nun and a Hospitaler knight with a terrible secret must go to Tyre and try to bring help before the Holy Land falls forever.
Johnny Lycan & the Anubis Disk What do you do when you’re a young, untested Private Investigator who also happens to be a werewolf? For Johnny Lupul, his work with a mysterious new client is about to show him the world is far stranger and more dangerous than he ever thought. Being a Lycan is the most normal part of this case. The first in a series of exciting Urban Fantasy Noir novels.
Do you stay in one genre when you write or do you find yourself veering toward others?
My brain won’t stay in one lane. Not only do I write novels, but I have 10 nonfiction books in the world as well. My first 3 novels were historical fiction, then I took a turn to Urban Fantasy. I go where my brain leads, and hope to heavens my readers come alon.
Are you a panster, planner, or someone in between?
I used to think I was a pantser, but in reality I’m a plotter who leaves enough room for the unexpected to happen. I plan the general arc of the story, then three-chapter blocks which give me room to surprise myself.
What is your writing routine like?
Because I have a day job that requires lots of writing and brain power, my creative writing happens on the weekends. I spend all week with my cheap notebook, scribbling ideas, lines, and plot points. Then, Saturday and Sunday I take a few hours and just dump all of that onto the page. It wouldn’t work for most people, but it seems to work for me.
Tell me about your favorite character that you’ve created?
Oh no. this is the dreaded, “which of your children do you love best?” question. If pressed really hard, I would say Brother Marco in the Lucca stories—he’s a valorous Hospitaler Knight who suffers from Leprosy. Johnny Lycan is pretty cool, and there’s a female character in book 2 (out in December of 2022) that everyone seems to develop a crush on. I can’t wait for you all to meet Cree.
Where do you get your ideas for world building?
I think the greatest gift a good writer has is the ability to explore, “what if.” What if that blue-collar, Jack Reacher-type detective was also a werewolf? What if the supernatural is real but only a few people really know about it? What if you were a werewolf trying to keep it secret. The fun starts there.
Do you add romance to your writing? Is it steamy or clean?
The Johnny Lycan books are the only ones I’ve written that have real romance ( or sex, they aren’t always the same thing) in them. They are steamier than anything I’ve ever written, but every time I think I’ve gone too far one of my beta readers accuses me of wimping out so I would say steamy is an overstatement. Overly humid, maybe?
What was your favorite scene to create?
Another completely unfair question, although I’ve asked writers the same thing. In Johnny Lycan and the Anubis disk, my favorite scene is probably the opening, where he’s fighting Russian Mobsters while narrating what it’s like to be a Lycan. It’s funny and terrifying all at once.
Where do you get character inspiration?
I live in Las Vegas, which is a petri dish for developing interesting characters. There are more interesting, crazy, and dangerous people walking the street than most places on earth. All you need to do is eaves drop a lot and play the “what-if” game. If you live here and can’t invent great characters, you’re really not trying very hard.
What genre do you prefer to read?
I consider myself “bibliographically promiscuous”—which means I’m something of a book slut. I read almost all genres, depending on my mood. Historical fiction, Police thrillers, and Urban Fantasy (the darker stuff, not Paranormal Romance and certainly nothing involving the Fae) are my fiction go-tos.
Do you have any specific authors you follow and try to craft your work after?
Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy) has always amazed me by being able to write humor while keeping the story going. Jim Butcher and Robert McCammon have been influences for sure. For literary work, Mark Helprin (A Winter’s Tale) writes such beautiful prose I want to quit in shame every time I read him.
Do you have any recurring themes in your book?
You would think that because I write in different genres I would have different themes, but it turns out I have a couple of themes. 1) The young man who learns he has to depend on himself, and there’s more inside him than people have led him to believe. 2) The world is way different than you’ve been led to believe. Keep your eyes open. 3) There is humor in even the darkest situations.
What does your editing process look like?
It looks like a cat trying to catch something in the blender. I rely on beta readers and my critique group. I can’t be trusted alone with my brain.
Do you have a preferred drink or snack that you eat/drink while writing?
Coffee. I’d love to be hard-boild, hard, drinking writer but it just doesn’t work. Hemingway be damned.
When is your favorite time of day to write and why?
I love afternoons. When I’m planning and noodling, I can sit on the deck with a cigar and watch the hummingbirds. When it’s time to write, I lock myself in for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and go to town. This helps keep my creative life separate from my worklife.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I am famously unable to relax, and don’t take enough vacations. If I got to choose, though, it would be in the Rockies in a well-lit place with an amazing view and lots of hiking trails.
Marvel or DC? Do you have a favorite character?
I watch all the superhero movies etc. although I’m developing a bad case of cape fatigue. When it comes to the graphic novels, I’m pretty much DC all the way. I can’t figure out why DC movies always have to be so dark and depressing. As for characters, I like Hal Jordan as Green Lantern although nobody’s done him any favors in the movies.
What hobbies do you have?
Writing is my hobby. I’m a voracious reader, and I decompress by watching sports. Boxing in particular.
Where can our readers find you?
My website https://wayneturmel.com
My Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Turmel/e/B00J5PGNWU/
Twitter https://twitter.com/WTurmel
Reach me by email wayne@wayneturmel.com