A Word Please

My guest today is author C.J. West. I recently read his book The End of Marking Time. Love it (I did) or hate it, this book will make you think. Most of you know how I am with questions. I read the book, then have to ask. C.J. will answer those questions for us but, first, let’s get to know a little about him:

C.J. West’s latest thriller, The End of Marking Time, pits a gifted housebreaker against a futuristic prison system then asks you to decide his fate. Sin and Vengeance, the first book in C.J.’s Randy Black series, is currently in development for film with Beantown Productions, LLC (screenplay by Marla Cukor).

C.J. hosts a Blog Talk Radio show which features interviews of contemporary thriller and suspense writers. CJ also hosts creative book tour events. Past events include an advanced driving course, firearms training for women, winery tours, and murder mystery events both online and in person.

Here’s a little about his book The End of Marking Time:

In 2011, the Supreme Court declares long term incarceration cruel and unusual punishment and releases two million felons. Chaos reigns while Michael O’Connor is unconscious in a prison infirmary. When he wakes, the world has drastically changed. Felons enter reeducation programs where they live freely among the population. At least that’s what they think. They are enslaved to an army of counselors and a black box that teaches them everything they failed to learn from kindergarten through adulthood. Michael believes he’s being tested by the black box, but what he slowly begins to realize is that everything he does is evaluated to determine whether he lives or dies.
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As you have gathered, The End of Marking Time takes on our justice system, asking the ultimate What if? Let’s take a look at what C.J. had to say:

The End of Marking Time is based on the premise that our justice system here in the U.S. is a mess and needs a complete overhaul. Do you believe that’s true?>

My research for The End of Marking Time was all based within the Massachusetts criminal justice community. There were a number of problems that were related to me over and over. The most troubling was that the system isn’t effective at either rehabilitating criminals or punishing them. The only protection the system offers is taking criminals away from the public for a short time. The other problem I heard over and over was that troubled young people are identified early by policemen and teachers, but they can do nothing to help. To answer your question, yes, the system is broken and needs serious attention.

Some of the changes in the new justice system you created had me nodding in agreement. Others made me grimace. Regardless of my reaction, the entire concept had me thinking, What if? Did you write this book with the intent to create conversations and controversy regarding our justice system?

The justice system does two things really well. It puts a focus on rehabilitation and it punishes those who are beyond help. While my methods work in fiction it is unlikely that a system so extreme would survive public scrutiny, but the goals of the system are based in real needs. Yes, I wanted to stir conversation and build interest in helping those who can be helped.

Michael, the main character, is a career criminal. He is someone that most people would want to dislike. I thought you did a great job of showing another side of him and how he got to where he was. Did you want him to be a character that readers would eventually sympathize with?

Choosing Michael as a protagonist was a big risk. If people hated him, many would stop reading, but the story needed him. I wanted people to have a view to how he came to be who he is and the huge undertaking necessary to truly help him. I have been surprised by how many people are on Michael’s side by the end of the book.

What type of research did you do for this book?

I spoke with police officers, court officers, toured a local prison and interviewed people connected with the Massachusetts Correction System. The work was eye opening.

You also write a series based on a character by the name of Randy Black. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Randy Black is another character I took a huge risk on. In Sin & Vengeance, Randy Black is out for revenge and we see him doing evil things to a winemaking family from a small New England town. Most people hate Randy after reading Sin & Vengeance. Friends thought I was crazy to write a book from Randy’s perspective, but by the end of A Demon Awaits, people are in Randy’s corner. The transformation in people’s attitudes is amazing and it is something that I’m really proud of.

What are your favorite genres to read?

I primarily read suspense. I host a Blog Talk Radio show each month and conduct author interviews. This takes most of my leisure reading time. I do enjoy non-fiction and will read about any subject that catches my interest.

When you’re not writing or reading, what might you be doing?

Lately I have been writing and directing live murder mystery events. That’s technically writing, but it is huge fun for me.

What are you working on now in your writing?

I’m writing a book titled Addicted To Love. It is a thriller about the essence of love and I’m really excited about it.
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C.J. is a busy guy! Trust me, you don’t want to miss his books! You can learn more about C.J. and his work in the following places:

Thanks for reading.

Tags: A Demon Awaits, author interviews, C.J. West, Cheap Kindle Books, CJ West, Goodreads Authors, Gretchen Greene, indie authors, Kindle Books, Sin and Vengeance, Taking Stock, The End of Marking Time