Interview with Joe Perrone Jr.

Published 2014-01-18.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing seriously when I was hired as a sportswriter for the then Passaic-Clifton Herald News in New Jersey in 1970.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I was past the age of 60 when I decided I'd had enough of banging my head against the "legitimate publishing" wall. I felt my work was good enough to be published and that if the Big Six couldn't handle the chore, I'd just go out and do it myself.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
It gave me the confidence that I could get my work "out there" without incurring any expense and enabled me to reach a wider audience.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love to create something out of nothing. By that I mean that I sit down at my computer with a germ of an idea and then proceed to create a believable work of fiction. I love it when a reader writes to me and asks about a specific locale in an actual town in one of my books, hoping to be able to find it. Then, I tell them that there is no such locale; I made it up!
What do your fans mean to you?
Assuming that I actually have fans in the first place, they mean all the world to me. They are the reason I write, and knowing that they are enjoying my work is a tremendous reward for all of my hard work. I love to hear from my readers.
What are you working on next?
I am currently working on a stand-alone thriller called Getting Even!, which is the story of a kind of chess match between a soon-to-be-retired FBI agent and a serial killer prowling the Interstate highway system.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I love fly fishing and fly tying. I also enjoy cooking (and eating) and watching films in my home theatre. I especially prefer serious dramas, which I can watch over and over again without ever tiring of them. I have a collection of over 200 films.
How do you approach cover design?
Because I concentrate on Ebook sales, I try to design covers that look good in thumbnail size. I focus on making the title engaging and eye-catching. Most especially they need to be legible. You'd be surprised at how many authors put their books out there with titles that are barely legible on the Internet. I like bold, attention-getting covers. Simple is best!
What are your five favorite books, and why?
In Cold Blood, Tom Sawyer, Jaws, My Life in Court, Brighton Beach Memoirs. Each of these books is unique: In Cold Blood was perhaps the first docudrama; Tom Sawyer perfectly captures life in the late 1800s; Jaws is the ultimate thriller; My Life in Court describes the ins and outs of the judicial process; and Brighton Beach Memoirs is the quintessential coming-of-age novel.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
I have found that a mix of interviews, Tweets, Facebook posts, and sponsored search advertising have worked best for me.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Books by This Author

Deadly Ransom: A Matt Davis Mystery
Series: The Matt Davis Mysteries, 5th in series. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 61,370. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
Matt and former partner, Chris Freitag, head west to Montana to help an old friend's neighbor. The rancher's prize bull has been slaughtered, and his foreman kidnapped and being held for ransom. Back in Roscoe, acting Chief Rick Dawley is facing an arsonist who is running wild, burning barns. Can Matt and Chris rescue Shorty in time? Will Rick stop the arsonist? Read Deadly Ransom for the answers.
Broken Promises: A Matt Davis Mystery
Series: The Matt Davis Mysteries, 4th in series. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 74,000. Language: English. Published: August 21, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
When an 86-year old widow is found dead among the ruins of a once-famous, landmark hotel leveled by fire nearly 70-years ago. residents of Roscoe are shocked. But, it is the manner of her demise that has everyone shocked. For it isn't a heart attack that has felled her; nor has she suffered a stroke. She's been shot through the heart! Who did it and why? Matt Davis must find the answers.
Twice Bitten: A Matt Davis Mystery
Series: The Matt Davis Mysteries, 3rd in series. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 74,620. Language: English. Published: March 11, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller, Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Fishing
(5.00 from 1 review)
A Meth dealer often has many enemies, so it's no surprise when one is found murdered in the cab of his pickup truck in a parking lot for fishermen. There are lots of potential suspects and motives galore, but, after all have been thoroughly examined, Roscoe Chief of Police Matt Davis finds himself at somewhat of a dead end - that is, until he encounters the Trentweilers and all hell breaks loose.
Pau que nasce torto: Um mistério de Matt Davis
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 75,880. Language: Portuguese. Published: December 1, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural
ALGUÉM ESTÁ ESTUPRANDO E ESTRANGULANDO MULHERES no distrito de Chelsea, em Manhattan. Mas quem? Este mistério explosivo revela o mundo sórdido das salas de bate-papo na internet. ADVERTÊNCIA: Contém material sexual gráfico que pode não ser apropriado para alguns leitores. Trazudido por Rafa Lombardino da Word Awareness, Santee, CA.
Opening Day: A Matt Davis Mystery
Series: The Matt Davis Mysteries, 2nd in series. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 75,910. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
(4.67 from 3 reviews)
Opening Day is a 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. Girls are coming through an Upstate New York fishing village, but they aren't all coming out--alive! Out fishing, Police Chief Matt Davis stumbles upon the remains of a murder victim, killed approximately six months earlier. With no evidence, no ID, and no clues, it's up to Matt to not only find the murderer, but to discover the victim's identity.
Escaping Innocence (A Story of Awakening)
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 112,560. Language: English. Published: December 28, 2009 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » General, Fiction » Coming of age
(5.00 from 1 review)
The journey of enlightenment is laugh-aloud funny and gut-wrenching, as David Justin discovers that coming-of-age is more than just a five-minute roll in the hay culminating in a thirty-second celebratory shower. The book is filled with great characters and rip-roaring adventures, including a hilarious spring break trip to Key West, Florida, with a gay artist, goats, fleas, and, well, you'll see.
As The Twig Is Bent: A Matt Davis Mystery
Series: The Matt Davis Mysteries, 1st in series. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 78,320. Language: English. Published: November 10, 2009 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Police Procedural, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
(4.75 from 4 reviews)
Women are being raped and strangled in NYC. The clues: a heart carved on each victim’s breast with the initials “J.C.” and those of the deceased; copies of the Bible with underlined passages about infidelity; and fingerprints of a juvenile arrested in the '60s in Upstate New York. This explosive mystery thriller rips the cover off the sordid underbelly of the world of Internet sex chat rooms.