The last thing on earth I want to do is create the impression that I'm obstinate, but I'm afraid that's may be my only choice -- unless I choose to go quietly into that good night, pretending that my curiosity has been completely sated, when in fact it hasn't. I almost wish I could fake it. But that will never be my style, I'm afraid. Long before I began writing Rocky Leonard detective novels, I admired the tenacity of fictional police detective Lieutenant Frank Columbo. I guess his stubborn refusal to never admit a problem might have stumped him rubbed off on me. Also, I graduated from the University of Georgia, which makes me a Bulldog -- creatures notorious for refusing to quit. Apparently, it's in my genes and chromosomes. Once I began writing detective novels, I realized I had to train my own mind to think like a detective. I had to learn to apply deductive reasoning in situations where I'm evaluating potential evidence. I'm afraid my reticence to simply believe and accept everything I'm told comes quite naturally to me, even when the information is coming from an authority figure. Trust, but verify. Those are words to live by. When I have questions I feel compelled to ask them, even if they don't get answered...because if I never ask my questions, no one even knows that I'm legitimately seeking answers. Of course, my stubbornness in refusing to believe something until I can understand it sometimes creates an impression that I'm unable, or unwilling to learn, and occasionally I alienate an acquaintance, sometimes even a friend. I have no desire to … [Read more...]