The following is a brief QNA I conducted with Indie Lit god Nelson Pahl in August.

JG: Why do you write?
NP: To get things off my chest; to create a better world, to live in a better world, if only for a moment.
JG: Good answer. I like that.
NP: Thanks. (Deadpan) I thought long and hard about that one.
JG: (Laughs) OK. Question #2: Is Mia (Bee Balms & Burgundy) real?
NP: Not that I know of. If she were, she’d be sharing my bed.
JG: (Laughs) I bet so. OK then, is Manny (Two for Tuesday) real?
NP: (Smiles) Not that I know of. But if she were, I’d be sharing her bed.
JG: Ah, an affair, huh?
NP: No, never. If one existed, the other wouldn’t. The world would never be kind enough to avail both. This is the same world that’s given us the last two presidents, you know? A couple of baby boomer stooges. There’s no way it would give us both Mia and Manny.
JG: You’re very fond of both women, huh?
NP: I’m madly in love with both. I think subconsciously you can see what type of woman a man is innately drawn to if that man happens to be a fiction writer. Even a guy like Vince Flynn, in his last couple books, we get a glimpse of women I think he’s probably attracted to. He plays out that attraction through Mitch, but we see it. In fact, one might be his wife in disguise. But, that doesn’t mean a writer can’t be innately drawn to a couple types of women, you know? It would be kind of sad to think that only one type of mate can satisfy you.
JG: I understand. I agree too. So, I’ll ask this: Which one would you rather share your life with, Mia or Manny?
NP: (Smiles) I could never choose. I love them both, dearly. I created each from scratch, you know? Thus, they’re both utterly perfect in my eyes. Both qualify as my dream woman. How can they not? They’re my hand-made heroines.
JG: Yeah, I see your point. That makes so much sense. How cool, to be able to do that. And if they were your villains—
NP: They’d probably be based on a couple of past girlfriends.
JG: (Laughs) Like Sonja and Linda?
NP: (Smiles) Precisely. Actually, Linda’s based on my former neighbor.
JG: God no!
NP: (Laughs) My thoughts exactly.
JG: (I shake my head in pity.) OK. Now I need to ask this, so I’m sorry if you’ve answered it a million times. I love your dialogue. It’s so real and right on target. You use a lot of it to move us through the story, and I love that. But you’re also a great descriptive writer. I feel and hear and smell and see things in your writing that I don’t find in anyone else’s. Is that a gift or did you work really hard to become that, you know, imitate another write?