An interview with my dad, Chris Paynter...

With the impending release of Daddy's latest book, Two for the Show, the second in the Playing for First Series, I thought it'd be fun to interview her for my blog. She rolled her eyes when I suggested it, but promised she'd sit down with me. We spent some time talking this past week:

Buddy the Wonder Dog (BTWD): Can you tell us anything about the plot to Two for the Show?
Daddy Chris: Sure. The story picks up almost where Playing for First left off. Amy is playing for the Indianapolis Indians as she anticipates a call-up soon to the Reds. Lisa Collins is there, of course, along with her friend, Sarah Swift. Lisa gets the job covering the Reds for Major League.com right before Amy's called up. Frankie and Stacy are there by their sides. Lisa and Frankie go through a medical crisis, while Amy suffers her own personal tragedy. I won't go into detail on how the women handle the situations, but it's all wrapped around a season of baseball.
BTWD: Where did you first get the idea for the original story?
Daddy Chris: I'd maintained that I thought of all the professional men's sports, a woman could play professional baseball. My dad and I would have this discussion a lot. Playing for First started with a totally different opening scene that was from a short story I'd written. The book then went through two major rewrites before it became the book that was released.
BTWD: How did it feel returning to your characters? I know you released a romance, Come Back to Me, in between Playing for First and Two for the Show.
Daddy Chris: It was a comfortable feeling. I chose to start on Two for the Show with National Writing Month in 2009. I wrote over 50,000 words in November 2009 and finished up the rough draft afterward. Then submitted it to Em and Jane, my publisher and editor at Blue Feather, in January 2010.
BTWD: Did you have to make any changes in the editing process?
Daddy Chris:  Snort!
BTWD: Excuse me. Did you just snort, Daddy?
Daddy Chris: Uh, yeah, Bud, I did. No matter how good I think my manuscript is, there always has to be work done on it before it's ready for publishing. Always.
BTWD: How does that feel when Jane tells you what needs to be fixed?
Daddy Chris: You're beginning to sound like a therapist with these "how does it feel" questions.
BTWD: Just answer the question.
Daddy Chris: Listen, little guy, don't forget who feeds you.
BTWD: Okay. Please answer the question.
Daddy Chris: No matter how upset I may get with suggestions or changes Jane makes, I take a deep breath and realize she's right 99.9% of the time. Jane is one of the best in the business, in my opinion. If she sees something there that the reader will have a problem with, I may disagree at first. Then I step back, look at it from a strictly objective viewpoint, and then rewrite where I need to rewrite.
BTWD: You told me once that readers have been asking about Two for the Show. Does it bother you that they say things like, "I liked Come Back to Me, but when's the sequel to Playing for First coming out?"
Daddy Chris: No, not really. Come Back to Me was a personal journey for me, and it's one I hold close to my heart. But I love baseball, and I love returning to my sportswriting days when I wrote the game situations in the books. More than that, I loved meeting up with Amy, Frankie, Lisa, and now Stacy again.
BTWD: I heard you tell Mommy that you fell in love with the character of Stacy in Two for the Show. Why is that?
Daddy Chris: Probably because she reminds me of Mommy. She's kind, giving, generous, loving, and she's such a big support to Amy. She needed to be in this book, too.
BTWD: So what happens at the end?
Daddy Chris: (laughs) You're kidding, right?
BTWD: Hey, I had to give it a shot.
Daddy Chris: I'll just say that there will be at least one more in the series, probably more. We'll see where the characters take me in the third book in the series, From Third to Home.
BTWD: How's that coming?
Daddy Chris: I started it, but haven't gotten too far yet. I wanted to wait until editing was done for Two for the Show in case any major plot lines had changed.
BTWD: But you finished another book that's your next release, right?
Daddy Chris: "Finished" probably isn't the best of words since I know there will be rewriting once editing begins.
BTWD: What's the name of it? I know you've been secretive about this one.
Daddy Chris: Yeah, I have been. The name of it is Survived by Her Longtime Companion. It's a romance. One of the main characters, Eleanor, is the strongest character I've written, I think. She had control of that book from the get-go. If she didn't want to talk, I didn't write. The book is written in third and first person. It's a totally different book for me, but one I hope the readers enjoy.
BTWD: That's it? You're not going to tell me anything else?
Daddy Chris: No. Like I said, I probably won't say much on it until we get closer to the release date.
BTWD: Which is....
Daddy Chris: Sometime after the first of the year.
BTWD: Well, heck, that really narrows it down.
Daddy Chris: Buddy, sarcasm doesn't become you. Again, I remind you who feeds you.
BTWD: Yeah, but I've got Mommy wrapped around my paw.
Daddy Chris:  Bud, you have us both wrapped around your paw. The Dog Whisperer would be soooo disappointed with how much you run the household.
BTWD: Which is why you'll never call him to visit... I have spoken.
Daddy Chris: See what I mean?
BTWD: It's been fun talking to you. Now when are we eating?
Daddy Chris: Soon, Buddy, soon.

My heart is with the Butler Bulldogs tonight

I've been listening to Dad the past week or so going spastic about Butler in the NCAA Tournament. Well, I watched some of the game Saturday night--notice I said "some" because Dad and Mom got nervous and kept flipping it back to the Reds game. Tonight, I want the Dawgs to bring it home! Yes, because they're an Indianapolis team and the coach is nice and smart and the players are all respectful. Dad keeps saying Coach Stevens runs a clean program. I'm not sure if that means the same thing as me not making messes in the house, but it sounds good.

Mainly, I want them to win tonight because Blue II, the Bulldogs' mascot, seems like one cool dude. Someone I could hang out with and swap stories over a beer down at the pub. And, seriously, even though Connecticut's nicknames are the "Huskies," huskies just do not have the same coolness factor as a bulldog ... or even a beagle for that matter!

So tonight, if Mom and Dad can stand it, we'll have the game on in our household. And even if they can't, I'm taking control of the remote and keeping the damn channel right where it is.

GO BULLDOGS!!!!