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Mary Rosenblum
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Hello all.
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Welcome to our regular
Professional Connection live interview.
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Tonight we're visiting with Dolph
LeMoult, artist and writer.
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Dolph LeMoult's series of
police novels, co-authored with NYPD Detective Bill Kelly, has attracted an
avid, loyal, readership. His Rock Solid, a Book-of-the-Month Club
selection, won critical acclaim.
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You can find his new book, Running
Horsemen online.
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He is also a Long Ridge
instructor, by the way. J
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Dolph, welcome. Thanks for
taking the time to be with us tonight!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Happy to be here.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So how did you get started
writing? Where did this long career path begin?
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Dolph LeMoult
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First of all, thanks for
having me on the site. As far as where this all began, I guess I always
wanted to write. As a small child I'd read stories and draw the characters
in the margins..
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Mary Rosenblum
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I bet the librarian LOVED you!
:-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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I'm not sure. I never stuck
around long enough to find out
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Mary Rosenblum
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When did you actually begin
writing and submitting? How did you get there from those stories and
illustrations?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I began writing long before I
started submitting. My first book submission was STREET DANCE, a crime
novel I co-wrote with Bill Kelly in the early eighties. It sold right away.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wow, you really did start off
with a bang. That's the same series that Rock Solid is part of?
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Dolph LeMoult
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No. ROCK SOLID was a nonfiction
book. The story of two hero narcotics cops. Actually it was their title. I
was hired to do the writing.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, I was confused there. But
you wrote several books with Bill Kelly, yes?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Seven actually - we sold six
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gskearney
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OK, writer, artist, instructor.
How do you keep all the balls in the air? I keep finding that my
photography or my digital art work tries to expand and take up all my
writing time.
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Dolph LeMoult
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I can only concentrate on one
thing at a time. I write every morning, but that's the only thing that's
routine. The rest of the world just happens.
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randi-lee
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Are all your books crime novels?
Do you write any other types?
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Dolph LeMoult
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My latest novel is a coming of
age story - about as far away from a crime novel as you can get. It's titled,
RUNNING HORSEMEN
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Mary Rosenblum
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Dolph, I am curious. Did you
intend this to be YA book? It's called that in the reviews I read, but to
me it seemed to be no more YA than Catcher in the Rye is.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks for putting me in the
same sentence with J.D. Salinger. Actually, I wrote RUNNING HORSEMEN as an
adult book, but my publisher, Nancy Hammerslough decided to release it as a
YA title as well. Turns out teens love it, as do adults
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Mary Rosenblum
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Well, I read Catcher when I was
about fourteen... :-)
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I really like the book and I
certainly recommend it.
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Dolph LeMoult
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You can't be a lot older than
that now.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh, you are soooo sweet, Dolph.
J
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speckledorf
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The character Father Troy in
Running Horsemen isn't your typical priest. Have you gotten any negative
feedback from that?
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Mary Rosenblum
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He caught my eye, too. I liked
him. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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I'm glad you liked RUNNING
HORSEMEN. It's been getting some pretty great reviews.
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I don't think any of the
characters in the book are typical. Troy Blaze is patterned after a priest
I knew growing up, as are almost all of the characters. So far nobody's
objected.
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nancy h
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The scene with the priest is
great! It's one of my favorites.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks, Nancy H. That scene is
one of my favorites too.
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tory
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Is it common for publishers to
shift audience like that?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I can't say it's common. I do
know that crossover books (teen and adult) are gaining in popularity in the
publishing world.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's certainly true in SF and
mystery.
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tami74
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I've only read the excerpt on
website so far...can't wait to read the rest....reminded me of my all time fave--Where
Red Fern Grows...maybe just in style.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have to say I was pleased at
the excerpts your publisher put up...strong scene!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Strong book, I think.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I agree... They're quite
representative.
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nancy h
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You mentioned illustrating your
stories. Do you do that any more?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I don't do as much of it as I
used to. But if you look at the illustration of Chance Bailey on the cover
of RUNNING HORSEMEN, you'll see it's mine. Writers don't get to do that
very often. Thanks, Nancy Hammerslough.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I didn't realize you did the
cover art, Dolph. That is indeed a rarity these days! Nice picture.
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Dolph LeMoult
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I think it looks just like
Chance. Don't you?
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Mary Rosenblum
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It does. It fit the character
nicely, which cover art does not always do! :-)
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randi-lee
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Does your writing influence your
art or vice versa? I find that many of my photographs inspire stories.
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Dolph LeMoult
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I think that both are a part
of the creative process. I'm very lucky in that I can practice both, but I
really can't judge whether one influences the other. I think the most
important thing is the challenge.
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Mary Rosenblum
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How did your collaboration with
Bill Kelly come about? How did you first meet?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I'd written a few books that
had never been submitted; I really didn't know what type of writing interested
or suited me. Then I walked into a card shop in New York and met the
owner, who just happened to be Bill Kelly, a NYPD Homicide Detective. I
asked him immediately if he wanted to write a book, and the rest is as they
say...
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Mary Rosenblum
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How cool! So how did this
collaboration actually work? Did you do the writing and he supplied the
realism...or did you both write?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I did all the writing. Bill
and I would leave the 47th precinct in the Bronx and travel half the night answering calls and scouting
locations. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about how police
operate.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Sounds like a lot of
fun, actually. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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It was. Some of it was
actually dangerous - gave me a new respect for what cops do.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Having read enough thrillers,
crime, and mystery stories lacking in police realism, I can see why the
series worked well.
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Dolph LeMoult
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The books were more police
procedurals that thrillers. Some of our biggest fans were on the police
force.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I bet. I have a retired cop
friend who vetted my mysteries for realism and he LOVED it when a writer
'got it right' about the police.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Publishers are a bit more
assiduous about that than they used to be.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They are indeed!
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megger
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Did you find it frustrating at
all collaborating with someone else?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Not really. A collaborator can
add a lot to a project. But writing a single title has its own charm. It's
a bit more liberating to have all the creative input.
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wolf122
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How easy/difficult is it to work
with another writer? How do you divide the work?
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Mary Rosenblum
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How much creative input did Mr.
Kelly add?
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He wasn't writing it, of
course.
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Dolph LeMoult
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In the Vince Crowley series
(Bill Kelly) Bill and I would meet once a week and go over what I'd
written. He would edit the work for accuracy, sometimes suggesting other
approaches. We had no trouble working this way. Bill never wanted to be the
creative guy and I never wanted to be the cop
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Mary Rosenblum
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Perfect partnership, seems
like.
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Dolph LeMoult
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It was. The series ended when
we kinda ran out of ideas
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, too bad. Do you ever think
about restarting it?
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Dolph LeMoult
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It's out in Hollywood now,
making the rounds. Who knows?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wooo, good luck!
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Dolph LeMoult
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It's always a long shot, Mary
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'll keep my fingers crossed
for you!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks
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speckledorf
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In general, how much research do
you do for a book and how long does it take?
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Dolph LeMoult
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That depends on the book. The
Vince Crowley series was written as we went along. Research was On The Job
Training. For my new Book, RUNNING HORSEMEN, the plot was already in place
when I started - based on a family history. But I had to research the
period and present it accurately; otherwise the book's authenticity and
integrity would have suffered. I believe that research is a creative tool.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm curious...is Running
Horsemen a bit autobiographical by any chance?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks for asking. In fact
much of the story is based on experiences my mother related to me about her
childhood growing up on a farm in Kansas. I've used the real names of my grandfather and
grandmother, and Chance Bailey's trip to Manhattan is based on reality. What happens when he gets there
is mostly fiction, though.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So I'm curious...did the
reality of parts of this story make it more difficult for you to write or
easier?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Much easier. As they say,
truth is often stranger than fiction, and the events in RUNNING HORSEMEN
were inspired by some pretty strange happenings in real life. I felt
liberated writing it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's interesting. It sounds
as if you made a strong personal connection here that didn't limit you at
all.
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Dolph LeMoult
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That's right. I think any
writer would rather be intimately familiar with his or her subject than
start off from scratch
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Mary Rosenblum
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That leads me to another
question...how much of your writing is based in inspiration and how much is
simply sitting down with the intent to write a story?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I tell my writing students
that if they wait to be inspired they'll probably never get anything down
on paper. I'm not knocking inspiration, I wish I had more of it, but most
successful writers I know don't depend on it. When an idea surfaces
it’s more a result of absorption than inspiration. I think that's
true for most creative enterprises.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh, I agree. :-) Plus, in the
real world of bills, when someone asks you to create a story for an
anthology, you DO it. :-)
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Inspiration or no inspiration.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Ask me - I'll do it
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randi-lee
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I have read fiction novels where
the story was good but obviously the writer did no research. I would never
pick up another book of theirs. I consider it a crime not to do research. I
know you consider it a creative process but do you also consider not doing
research a crime?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I consider it stupid.
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Mary Rosenblum
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In my experience, it kicks the
reader out of your story and they never really trust you again.
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iron_will
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I haven’t read your book
yet...why the title Running Horsemen
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Dolph LeMoult
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I agree. Writing a book or
story off the top of one's head is the ultimate vanity. Most publishers can
spot it in an instant.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Iron Will - I like it. RUNNING
HORSEMEN is excerpted from a passage in the book. It has meaning in context
but you'll have to read the book to get it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Motivation. :-)
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nancy h
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You mentioned challenges
earlier. What's the most challenging book you've written?
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Dolph LeMoult
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All books are challenging.
Certainly RUNNING HORSEMEN was a challenge because it is a departure for
me. ROCK SOLID was a challenge because I was a hired gun and I had to
produce. I love the challenge of writing. It's what makes it work for me.
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nancy h
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What do you do when you finish a
book? Do you celebrate? Just start another book? Or both?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I probably shouldn't admit
this, but I cry. I just crack up with emotion at having completed the book.
Don't ask me why.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Huh, that sounds sort of
familiar, Dolph. I call it my 'post partum depression'. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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Maybe it's more common that
I'd thought.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have several writer friends
who 'crash' when they finish.
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Dolph LeMoult
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They've earned it
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Mary Rosenblum
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I agree.
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cosmos
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How do you plot your novels? Do
you outline or fill in some kind of chart so you can see all the subplots
and story arcs?
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Dolph LeMoult
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It's really different with
every book. Sometimes I've done a rough outline, but my experience has been
that the book wanders far from the outline. What works best for me is
getting something down on paper - a title, a sentence or two, a page. Then
I live with the idea; it’s always there in the back of my head, just
behind the garbage to be taken out and the car to be washed. That's what I
meant by absorption
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you find that you need until
that idea has really evolved for you before you begin? Or do you evolve it
as you write?
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Dolph LeMoult
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The work can take on a life of
its own. Characters develop personalities on their own; I'm often forced to
let them behave in ways that are illogical for them
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Mary Rosenblum
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So the characters sort of take
over? :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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They can. Writing a scene that
is beyond a character's ability or untrue to a character's personality will
always be thin. Characters should have integrity, as should writers
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cosmos
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So you allow the story to take
you where it wants to go, like Stephen King writes about in ON WRITING.
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Dolph LeMoult
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I think all serious writers
have to do that.
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writeaway
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Do you work on more than one
book at a time or do you prefer doing one from start to finish before
moving on?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Of course I'd prefer to work
on one project at a time, but that doesn't always work out. I'm currently
working on three.
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writeaway
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What kind of writing schedule do
you set for yourself?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes, how do you handle three
projects at the same time?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I put aside three or four
hours every day for writing - usually first thing in the morning. What
comes out is not always good but I need that discipline. Some mornings are
spent just deleting and editing what I've written the morning before
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Dolph LeMoult
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In answer to Mary: Gingerly
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you try to work on all three
every day, or work on one until it feels cold and the switch to another
project?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Some are more important than
others. I can only concentrate on one story at a time. When I hit a wall,
I'll move onto something else until an answer presents itself
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brownish
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Everyone seems to say publishing
a book is different now from the way it was a few years ago. Do you think
so?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Yup! I suppose there was a
time when Camelot reigned in the publishing business, when publishers
developed new talents and were loyal to their writers (and vice-versa) Now
it's pretty much bottom line - a lot more cutthroat
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Mary Rosenblum
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Well, all those small,
independent publishers who loved their readers and their authors are now
nothing more than imprints of the very few huge publishers.
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Isn't Brown Barn a small,
independent publisher?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Very true for most. I'm
fortunate to have found Brown Barn Books, an independent publisher with a
heart
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Mary Rosenblum
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There are still a few of those
around. :-) How did the experience compare to working with Putnam, for
example? (One of the big NY houses).
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Dolph LeMoult
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Putnam was a lot different
when they published the first three Vince Crowley novels than they are
today. They were huge, but the writers were given a chance to work closely
with a single editor for the length of a book. They answered phone calls.
Not so in many cases today.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Did you and your editor do a
lot of work together on Running Horsemen?
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Dolph LeMoult
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RUNNING HORSEMEN needed
some editing for content to make it a crossover book. We worked closely
together on that aspect of it - speaking on the phone several times a day.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Nice.
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brownish
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It seems to me there are pros
and cons to both large and small publishers. Easier to get reviews with big
publisher, easier to get t.l.c. from a little one.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I agree.
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writeaway
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Do you feel it is easier or more
difficult for new writers to get published now, compared to a few years ago?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Good observation. I've found
that just getting published is a pretty big deal. It's never gotten easier,
so I'll take all the publicity and tlc I can get
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Dolph LeMoult
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I really don't have any
statistics, but I think it's probably harder. There are more niche
publishers though, so a writer probably has a greater range to work with.
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writeaway
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Has computerization made for a
faster publishing process?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Definitely. It's also made
writing books a lot easier. I thing the computer actually made me a better
writer.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm chuckling, Dolph. I
remember when we all started trying computers...and how many people
predicted that they would 'take the soul out of writing'.
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Dolph LeMoult
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I suppose some said that. I
know I started out writing longhand because I heard that was the way
Hemmingway did it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ha, I know writers who STILL do
a first draft longhand. Me, I get writers cramp. :-)
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randi-lee
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The computer has made me a worse
speller, everything looks wrong on here. Do you find that to be true with
you at all?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Years ago I'd type a page,
look at it, find something that could be written better, and let it go
because it was too much of a hassle to rewrite the page. Now the computer
lets me make those changes instantly.
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My computer bawls me out when
I misspell a word.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have to say, I do love spellcheck.
:-)
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So, Dolph, before we run out of
time, I wanted to ask you about future projects....you have three! What can
we expect to see?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I'm currently writing a novel
entitled THE ERGOT PROTOCOL, a kind of mystery-thriller with political
overtones. Right now it's about the Patriot Act, but that may change.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I love the title! It does have
a thriller feel to it.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Know what ergot is?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yep, the grain-smut that LSD
was originally derived from. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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You got it, are you a product
of the 60s?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yep...and have botany in my
background. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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Love it!
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brownish
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Didn't ergot make people sort of
insane? Like the Patriot Act?
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Dolph LeMoult
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So they say. My angle for the
book has to do with agriterrorism.
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Mary Rosenblum
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OH, good for you, Dolph! I have
been waiting for someone to pick up on that. I know quite a bit about the
weaknesses in agribusiness, that's for sure.
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Dolph LeMoult
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It's an angle that hasn't
really been explored by writers. Back to the farm!
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Mary Rosenblum
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It hasn't, and it's a great
angle...quick, finish it!!!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Ergot introduced into the food
supply. Everybody gets high, oh my!
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Mary Rosenblum
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LOL...you lived through the 60s
too. I can tell.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Bob Dylan's still going
strong.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Many musicians from that era
are, have you noticed? :-)
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So what about your other two
projects?
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Dolph LeMoult
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My good friend, Larry Coryell
is still on the road. I'll be seeing him at the Newport Jazz Festival next
month
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One is a story titled, THE
USHERS AT THE METROPOLE about a summer in 1952 - another crossover. The
other is just an outline now, about a restaurant that perished during the
9/11 attacks.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Interesting. I think we've
enough distance from 9/11 now that there's a lot of potential there.
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So where can people buy Running
Horsemen, Dolph?
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Dolph LeMoult
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I have another completed novel
that I'm currently trying to find a publisher for: EMBER DAYS. Wanna buy
it?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh, cool. :-) I'd have to start
a publishing house first, alas.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Back to RUNNING HORSEMEN: It
can be ordered in any major bookstore, or online at Amazon.com, Borders, or
Barnes and Noble.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And you can buy it on the Brown
Barn Books website,
right?
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Dolph LeMoult
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You bet. I urge all within cybershot
to buy a copy
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Mary Rosenblum
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I ditto that. I enjoyed it. You
create some very vivid and interesting characters. No stereotypes. :-)
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks, Mary. Coming from you
that's a great compliment
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cosmos
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Thank you. I look forward to
reading RUNNING HORSEMEN.
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Dolph LeMoult
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Thanks Cosmos. I hope you love
it a lot. If you do tell your friends
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Mary Rosenblum
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So Dolph, you're a Long Ridge
instructor, you see a lot of aspiring writers...what is the one piece of
advice you'd offer these folk?
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Dolph LeMoult
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Write. Write when what you're
writing seems terrible; you'll get through the rough spots and something worthwhile
will come out of it. It's a great way to live. Good luck all.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Great advice, Dolph.
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brownish
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I've never been to one of these.
It's great!
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cosmos
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I will recommend it. I enjoy
recommending books. I've enjoyed your interview.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And I have, too.
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I think we all have!
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Dolph LeMoult
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I've enjoyed chatting with you
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thank you so much for coming,
and I hope you'll come back and visit with us again!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Any time, Mary. Thanks for
having me.
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writeaway
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Thank you Dolph and Mary, for
making this such an interesting interview.
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Dolph LeMoult
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It was really great. I loved
it!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thank you, Dolph, and well let
you go rest your weary fingers!
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Mary Rosenblum
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Good night!
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Dolph LeMoult
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Good night.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Have a good evening all, and
thanks for coming!
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