Dale Phillips is an old friend of mine. (Not as old as me, but we’ve been friends for a long time.) Our friendship extends far enough back that I don’t remember when and where we actually met. (Then again, at my age I have trouble remembering where and when I ate supper last night.)
Dale has published novels – his Zack Taylor PI stories are excellent – a hundred short stories, collections, articles, jokes, and poetry. His prolificacy (that’s a word; look it up) may stem from having Stephen King as a college writing teacher. Since then, Dale has found time to appear on stage, television, radio, in an independent feature film, and compete on Jeopardy! (losing in a spectacular fashion). He’s traveled to all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and through Europe.
One Bite at a Time: Welcome back to the blog, Dale. It’s been too long.
Near as I can figure, you’ve been publishing books for fifteen years. What has surprised you most?
Dale Phillips: Thanks, Dana, for having me back on. Been a wild and fun ride, and yup, fifteen years since my first novel, A Memory of Grief was released to the public, back when I was with a small press.
What has surprised me is that I could learn the business enough to start my own publishing company (never planned for that!) and not be beholden to anyone else. I fully control my art, and it’s wonderful!
OBAAT: You started with the Zack Taylor series of PI mysteries and have since branched out into horror and a retelling of The Odyssey. What prompted the broadening of your horizon? Are there plans to revisit Zack?
DP: I always let the story determine where in genre-land it ends up, and have so many ideas, no telling what might come forth.
I have to write horror, since I learned from my writing instructor, Stephen King.
Zack will always be on the table, however, it has to come from a good literary quote and a theme that matches. Never want to keep doing the same thing, like many other writers have done in series.
OBAAT: Going back to the Odyssey reference, your newest book is Odie and Penny, where Odie is as far removed from Odysseus are one can get. What was the germ for that story and how were you able to pull elements of The Odyssey into it?
DP: Last year, The Muse insisted on the retelling of Odysseus coming home, and that was quite a departure for me. I love stretching myself to do work in different areas, trying to become better with every book.
When you study the myth, you realize Odysseus was a self-serving con-man trickster who got a lot of people killed. So this Odie comes home, intending to get back to a normal life, but prison and his nature have shaped him, and he makes decisions that get worse every time, and keep him from being the homecoming hero. I put in a lot of nods to the original, and got great feedback from a teacher well-versed in the Odyssey. Others have done takes on it, like Cold Mountain and the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou.
OBAAT: You’ve also done some non-fiction work. Two are writing-related (How to be a Successful Indie Writer, 87 Ways to Sell More Books); the other is business-related (How To Improve Your Interviewing Skills). As long as you’ve been doing this, I can see where the first two build on your own experiences as a writer. What prompted the interviewing book?
DP: I was in the high-tech field for over thirty years as an information professional, and saw so many nuggets of info, from both sides of the interviewing desk. Seeing many blow their one shot, I wanted to help people have a better chance at a job they desired.
OBAAT: You’ve been to quite a few conferences over the years. What do you enjoy most about them, and what things can you live without?
DP: The people are the best part, and mystery writers are the most generous and cooperative anywhere. I’ve learned so much by conversing with professionals and starters alike.
I also enjoy giving talks and workshops to help others successfully walk the publishing path, and with less angst and agita.
I can live without the same old sessions and panels, like “The Importance of Setting”. That’s just me- I’d rather network.
OBAAT: If you could change one thing about how your writing career has developed, what would it be?
DP: Gotta say, no regrets. Of course there have been missteps, but it’s all part of the process. I’ve developed by being flexible and adaptable, because so much changes all the time. I’m quite happy with the path I’ve chosen.
OBAAT: You wrote a guest post in 2018 that included this statement: “They say to write the kind of book you like to read, and I was indoctrinated by the masters of the hard-boiled school: Dashiell Hammett, Chandler, Jim Thompson, Mickey Spillane. John D. MacDonald, Robert B. Parker, and so many more.” Do you have any additions to the list since then?
DP: Oh, sure, so many, could go on for days. Mick Herron, a British spy writer whose work has been adapted for television in “Slow Horses,” is amazing. Don Winslow and Adrian McKinty toiled for years with great books, and both finally hit it big about when they were ready to give up. James Lee Burke has incredible prose that paints such stunning visual pictures. Dave Zeltserman, Tony Hillerman, Craig Johnson, Paul Doiron (of Maine), and I have to say, your work. I have critical standards, and you nail the Penns River region and its people.
OBAAT: The inevitable closing question: What’s next?
DP: More of everything: stories, a trio of unrelated novels, a book of poetry, and screenplays. I could keep a Patterson team of writers busy for years.
