Interview with C. Martin Stepp, author of Walking Backwards

The title of your book, Walking Backwards caught my attention. What do you think readers should expect from your book based on that title?
"Walking Backwards" is not just the title of the novel, it is a theme that repeats itself in various ways throughout the story.  Some of these are fairly obvious while others may require a little thought. 

What drew you to writing this story? 

I wanted to write a detective story that was different from any I have read or seen in movies.  In the end, the "mystery" that Hitchcock Brown is hired to solve is not the main storyline.  The book takes a clear focus on how he goes about getting there. 

Is the storyline drawn from any part of your own life or friendships?
As an author, I think it is hard to not draw upon personal experience, even though this book is purely fiction.  For example, the story takes place in and around the city of Cincinnati in Ohio where I grew up. 

What were your writing credits prior to writing this book?
At one time I wrote a column and music reviews for a local entertainment newspaper. 

Are there any other genres you would consider writing in?
Other genres I may tackle in the future might include science fiction and mystery/thriller.

Writing humor is supposedly one of the hardest forms of writing to do successfully. Since the book is considered “humorous fiction” how has that humor worked when others have read your book? Do they get your type of humor? Do they find things humorous that you didn’t write with that expectation?
I think of humor as being somewhat organic.  It is hard to force something to be funny, but I find humor in everyday, ordinary experiences.  Some readers might find that some of the humorous aspects of this story may not seem funny at first.  Some readers have told me they had to re-read sections to get the joke!

How long did it take you to write this book? How many rewrites did you do prior to sending it out to publishers? Did you self-edit or hire someone else?
I spent about two months writing the story.  I spent several months after that re- writing and editing.  I did my own editing.  "Walking Backwards" is not a particularly long book.

To wet your interest, here's a short blurb from the novel...

I listened intently, or at least tried to put an expression on my face that would make it appear to my client that I was listening intently. When he finished speaking I waited for a moment to see if he was going to elaborate on what “much worse” was. A few seconds passed and I realized he had finished and now expected a response. I complied: “I don’t have enough information to completely rule out a ‘fling’ as you called it, but I have worked on countless domestic cases that did involve infidelity. This case does not seem to exhibit the usual elements of an extra- marital affair.” Marx was sitting there looking at me like he was only half listening so I said: “I can keep working on your case if you like. It’s your money.”

That statement had the desired effect. Mr. Marx quickly rejoined me in the here and now. He obviously understood that he needed to make a decision. 

If you'd like to buy the book, here's a link to do just that, click here