John M. Wills

Interviewed by Barbara M. Hodges

 John M. Wills is an award winning author/freelance writer, former Chicago police officer and retired FBI agent.
John also writes book reviews for The New York Journal of Books and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. He has published more than 150 professional articles online and in print magazines. John is a monthly contributor for Officer.com, writing articles on training and officer survival.
His award-winning thriller/mystery trilogy is called, Chicago Warriors. John's non-fiction anthology, Women Warriors: Stories from the Thin Blue Line, is available online as well as at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C.
John's two latest works include an award-winning Christmas novel, The Year Without Christmas, and a novella called, Dancer.
For more information, please visit John's website: www.johnmwills.com.

BMH:    Tell us your favorite joke.
JMW:    I’m not a joke teller, but I enjoy jokes about seniors. Here’s a short one:
A doctor is examining an elderly, slightly deaf female patient. As he places his stethoscope on her chest, he tells her, “Big breaths.”
She replies, "Yes, they used to be."

BMH:    When's the last time you used profanity?
JMW:    I don’t recall, I do my best to avoid using it, although I will write it in my novels if the character calls for it. I don’t think one needs profanity to make a point.

BMH:    How many hours of sleep do you get (on average)?
JMW:    Probably seven.

BMH:    Describe your level of ambition.
JMW:    Moderate. I’m semi-retired after having spent 33 years in law enforcement. I work out of my house for a training company located in Seattle, Washington. I also am a freelance writer and I’ve had more than 130 articles published. Bottom line is I’ve had my career, now I’m keeping busy doing things I like to do.

BMH:    You're president of the United States for enough time to only make one executive decision. What is it?
JMW:    Repeal the health care law.

BMH:    What's a common and accepted practice for Americans nowadays that you think we'll look back on with regret?
JMW:    The ubiquitous surveillance cameras.

BMH:    What would you attempt to do if you knew that you could not fail?
JMW:    Start a chain of Chicago hotdog restaurants on the east coast.

BMH:    Describe a few pet peeves of yours.
JMW:    People on the smart phones, people who cut in lines, people who park in handicap spots, wait staff who call my wife and I, “guys,” calls from politicians running for office.

BMH:    How often do you Google yourself?
JMW:    I haven’t done it in a while, but when I first started writing I probably did it several times per month.

BMH:    What do you know now that you wished someone had told you ten years ago?
JMW:    Family is more important than one’s job.

BMH:    What childhood event shaped or scarred you the most?
JMW:    My younger sister, probably seven at the time, spilled a pot of hot coffee down the front of herself, burning her chest and stomach. It shocked and scared me. I felt helpless to do anything to ease her pain. I always cringe when I recall that incident.

BMH:    Would you rather...
...…live without music or live without TV?
JMH: TV

…be gossiped about or never talked about at all?
JMW:    Never talked about

BMH:    Do you blog? If so, why and what do you usually blog about?
JMW:    Not in the traditional sense. I use a blog for a new book, but don’t do daily postings.

BMH:    Do you enjoy doing promotion?
JMW:    Sometimes—the online stuff is obviously easier than the in-person type. Signings are sometimes laborious, particularly if you have to bring the books rather than the bookstore ordering them.

BMH:    What’s the oddest thing you’ve ever done to promote your work?
JMW:    I’ve had a couple book signings in a Las Vegas casino.

BMH:    What’s the strangest fan question/request you’ve ever gotten?
JMW:    It’s not that strange, but someone asked if my books were on audio. I told her, no, and she said she wouldn’t read them unless she could listen to them.

BMH:    Respond to these pairings and tell why you respond the way you do:
•    Series or stand-alone books
JMW:    Stand-alone because I can read the book without needing to have read a previous one
•    Outlines or find-your-way plotting
JMW:    Find my way because I don’t like to be constrained by an outline or template.
•    Lots of research or make it all up
JMW:    Make most of it up, but if I don’t know a certain aspect of what my character is doing, I need to write it with some credibility.
•    Neat or sloppy
JMW:    Neat, I like things where they belong.
•    NY or DC
JMW:    DC, only because it’s smaller and easier to navigate.
•    Carnivore or vegetarian
JMW:    I love meat.

BMH:    How have you grown as a writer? What has gotten better?
JMW:    My ability to write dialogue has improved with each novel I write.

BMH:    What things have you dropped along the way?
JMW:    Using clichés and unnecessary words such as, “that.”

BMH:    What helped most in your growth as a writer?
JMW:    Critique groups have allowed me to accept criticism much better, and helped me to realize that a writer cannot write in a vacuum—he needs input from others. Also, being a book reviewer has allowed me to read more and see how others write.

BMH: What historical or present day famous figure would you like to have dinner with? And things like that
JMW:    First choice: Jesus for too many reasons to list. After that, some of my heroes are Ronald Reagan, Walter Payton (deceased running back for the Chicago Bears.) I would love to sit down to lunch with Florida Congressman Allen West, a true hero and patriot.