Lessons Learned on the Way to Top: A Q&A with Ron Laughlin Author of The Deadly Quiet Sea.

Ron Laughlin is the author of the romantic thriller The Deadly Quiet Sea. Writing Daze caught up with Ron recently and asked him some questions about his book. Find out how he weaves a story of drugs, guns, romance and death that meet as one to set off an explosive island paradise.

About The Deadly Quiet Sea

The Deadly Quiet Sea

A romantic thriller………… Drugs, guns, romance and death meet as one to set off an explosive island paradise. On a quiet night reef fishing in the Florida Keys Clint is startled by the sound of gunfire. Rushing to see if he can help he discovers a boat with its deck covered in blood and bodies and only one female survivor that he hurriedly takes aboard. They are chased in a barrage of machine gun fire escaping into the shallow mangrove islands. The pursuit is relentless by a Columbian drug cartel that will not stop until they finish the job. While running for their lives Clint and Ericka slowly find within each other a soul mate. Escaping to the romantic Bahamas they end up on an isolated island south of San Salvadore. Eventually they are discovered and all hell breaks loose. It is then Clint, an ex-Marine, his mates: Dan, an ex-Army Ranger; Bill, an ex-Seal and Jim an ex-Air Force para-rescue man along with Andrew of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force decide enough is enough and create “The Fishing Club”. They vow to take out the drug lords from the top since no one else can touch them. “To grab the devil by the throat and never let go” is their motto. The war is on.

Visit the website www.ronlaughlin.net 

Purchase The Deadly Quiet Sea in e-book format or paperback version

 

Welcome to Writing Daze Ron,

Author Ron Laughlin

Thank you for the kind welcome Rebecca. I consider it quite an honor and a privilege to be interviewed by you. I am a big fan of your blog and your work. Authors are quite lucky to have you. Please keep up the good work.

Q: Who or what motivated you to write the book?

A: This particular novel has been lying dormant in my brain for many years while I have been busy creating New Zealand travel articles and guide books. It relates to my twenty years while living in the Florida Keys and fishing, diving and sailing throughout the Caribbean. It was in the 70’s and 80’s a time when drug smuggling slowly became a major activity and I was there in the middle of this exciting period of time. I met and knew many of the participants as I sailed the Caribbean enjoying the scattered island tiki bars. It more than rivals the earlier 1920’s prohibition liquor smuggling days from the Bahamas. No one has ever really told the story and I feel it is time from my personal perspective.

Q: What types of books do you read and how have they influenced your writing?

A: Historical novels, thrillers and mysteries seem to dominate my shelves John MacDonald, an early Florida writer with his Travis McGee series is one of my favorites Stieg Larrson, James Patterson lately. All books I read influence my writing as I am constantly noticing the writer’s style and that what I enjoy or intrigues me influences how I write also.

Q: Are there any specific things in your past which influenced The Deadly Quiet Sea?

A: As I mentioned I was there living in what I considered a historical moment in US history when south Florida and the Florida Keys especially were becoming a major area for the smuggling activities in the US. I watched it grow from a few University students and a small sailboat load now and again to the organized world of the Cuban Mafia and then the Columbian infiltration bringing their guns and killers to wreak havoc and hell with anyone in their way. The sailing, boating, fishing and diving throughout the Florida Keys and the Bahamas are reflected in my descriptions of the areas visited in the book and is from my personal experiences.

Q: What have you learned about the writing or publishing process and how has it helped you as a writer?

A: What has come to the forefront to me is I am so impressed how professional, hard working and conscientious the people I have dealt with are in the business. As a writer it has made me raise my game to hopefully be on that level and provide my work to the best of my ability.

Q: Describe your book in Five words or Less?

A: Romance, Heartache, Death, Heroes, Retribution

Q: What makes your main character impatient or angry?

A: Greed and corruption destroying honesty and integrity

Q: Now that the Deadly Quiet Sea has been published do you have another book in the wings?

A: This is the actually the beginning book of a series that has next “The Fishing Club”. Readers will understand who and what the “Fishing Club” is in the last chapters of “The Deadly Quiet Sea” and why. It is a major reason for the series to have spawned. Then next perhaps my life story of true life adventure in the Caribbean.

Q: Have you ever met any famous authors? If so, how did you react? If not, who would you want to meet?

A: Living in the Florida Keys and hanging out in Key West at Hemingway’s and Capt Tony’s puts one in a position to meet a lot of wonderful and exciting people.

• I actually hung out with Tennessee Williams drinking at Hemingway’s bar. In the early days, he was a regular there. I was quite overawed by the opportunity and the man.
•  At the Tiki Bar in Islamorada I spent many an hour with Peter Maas of Serpico fame in the early 70’s. We had a lot of laughs together. The real Tiki bar then was as I have described it in the opening chapters of The Deadly Quiet Sea. (I was the bartender there.)
•  Hunter S Thompson lived for a short time just an island over from where I lived near Big Pine Key. I have been to his place for a party. He was weird even by my standards.
• Michael Lee - famous Provincetown writer and friend of Norman Mailer is one of my dearest friends. We met and spent a lot of time together in the Florida Keys. He was my greatest writing influence actually. 
• Many others of minor note that passed through my life in the Florida Keys, New Orleans and Provincetown… areas that were a magnet to artists of all description in those days. Lots of musicians, famous actors, politicians, etc…… 
• Can I count my hero Peter Jackson……………………..even though he isn’t really a writer….? I got to be an extra in the LOTR (Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and watched Jackson do his magic plus met all the stars. 

Q: Do you have any hidden talents?

A: I am a survivor. One time returning home from Jamaica my sailboat caught fire burning up in the middle of the night far from land. Three of us spent six days in a life raft in full storm conditions before being rescued by a passing oil freighter heading for Panama. There was a Russian sailor on the freighter who took photos of the rescue and I have them now.

Q: What are three things that your fans would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I enjoy listening to Chopin when I write, I wrote a book on philosophy and I love my wife.

About Ron Laughlin

Ron started life in Dayton, Ohio and became interested in writing early in the school years at Miamisburg and Miami University. After ten years with the Ohio Division of Wildlife retiring as the Law Enforcement Supervisor of southwestern Ohio, Ron headed south to the Florida Keys in pursuit of a full time writing career. Writing for outdoor magazines for several years, he created two radio shows and produced an outdoor television show. Laughlin spent 20 years in the Florida Keys writing articles and had his own newspaper with a partner and son. Laughlin lives in New Zealand and writes for a Wellington newspaper as their "Dining Out" editor. Traveling on the road in a 7 metre bus for 5 1/2 years he wrote travel articles and has published a couple of travel books. His credits include 20 years of New Zealand travel writing and photography; it is information that came from actual experience of traveling a country that he loves.

Visit the website www.ronlaughlin.net

Purchase The Deadly Quiet Sea in e-book format or paperback version