Author Interview—JT Hine

Memorial Day is in the rear-view mirror, so that means the unofficial start of summer has arrived—my favorite time of year! I love the longer daylight hours of summer, and after the unusual amount of rain we had in Northern California this year, I’m happy to see the sunshine.

I’m also happy to post another interesting author interview, this time with JT Hine, author of multiple fiction and nonfiction books. His latest is Art to Die For, the conclusion of the Lockhart trilogy. Enjoy the interview!

About the Author

JT Hine is an author and translator living in North America and Europe. Although born in the United States, he grew up in Italy and calls Rome his hometown. After a 24-year naval career in cruisers and destroyers, he spent ten years at the University of Virginia as Administrator of the Physics Department then Director of Housing (Management Services). He left the University in 2000 with a PhD to focus full-time on translating and writing.

His fiction includes coming-of-age crime novels featuring female heroes. Nonfiction includes self-help booklets for freelancers and career-changers.

All his books are available in electronic form or print. Find them at https://jthine.com/books/.

Interview

Who or what inspires you to write?

Life itself. Because I must write every day (Anaïs Nin’s definition of a writer), just breathing makes me want to put pen to paper (or hit the keyboard.)

I imagine there are a lot of writers out there that don’t meet Nin’s definition, but it sounds like you do—kudos to you! What is the best thing that has happened because of your writing?

There is more than one “best thing” here. In nonfiction, I had the professional satisfaction of my dissertation being extensively cited (first-ever venture, so everyone had to mention it) and purchased, and the booklet from my business presentations for freelancers was a hit. In fiction, the satisfaction of publishing my first novel, then having the next five improve on that one.

But “best thing” also means best thing that happened to others. A classified operation order I edited (and wrote most of) achieved its aim and turned our piece of the war with no casualties on either side (no, I don’t have copies at home!). Studies I wrote to reorganize departments that I worked in left the employees better paid and more secure in their jobs than before.

You have a lot of varied experience in your background with some great achievements. What is the most difficult thing you have experienced about writing or publishing?

Getting an error-free copy the first time. To be fair, I love my editor and proofreader, but the big traditional publishers simply put more people on the book, so fewer errors get through.

Those errors and typos can squeeze through even the most thorough editor. Was there anything you didn’t do during your writing or publishing journey that you wish you had?

Publish sooner. I have decades of material finally seeing light, which should have gone out shortly after I wrote it. Only what I wrote on spec or for an employer was published right away.

That is a common wish. Many authors regret not starting sooner. Do you have a publisher and/or agent, or are you an indie (self-published) or hybrid author?

Independent, or, as I like to say, I own the publisher.

Indie publishing provides the most freedom, and also the greatest responsibility. Which genre(s) do you like to write in, and why?

Coming-of-age crime novels. Why? Because my heroes were teenagers when I started, and they ran into criminals. Simple. Of course, now that they have grown up, I may change genres. We’ll see.

I imagine it’s satisfying to watch your characters grow up. Do you outline your books before you write them?

No. I learned to hate that in school. However, I do stop to outline after I have been writing for a while, to help me figure out where we (the characters and I) want to go with the story. I am not ready to buy GANTT software to get all the details first, though.

I didn’t like outlining in school, either, but it sounds like you found a good hybrid outlining solution, part pantser and part plotter. How do you define success as a writer?

Rereading what I wrote through my tears or wishing I could have lived that adventure I just penned. Having someone say they liked the story is nice, too.

Adoring fans are always a big boost. If you could have lunch with any author, who would it be?

No fair: it would have to be a banquet! I would buy lunch for Sara Paretsky, Diana Gabaldon, Nevada Barr, Laurie R. King, Karryn Nagel, Elizabeth George, or Patricia Briggs.

You picked some talented and popular authors. Tell us about a great adventure you’ve had.

It’s all been an adventure. I almost can’t believe the stories and pictures when I go back to the sea stories in my blog (https://freewheelingfreelancer.com and https://jthine.com/blog).

Recently, I would point out breaking out of the pandemic in 2021 to ride (bicycle) from the Atlantic to the Cumberland Gap, then the National Parks Highway (US-89) from Glacier National Park to Flagstaff, AZ, then the Ohio-to-Erie-Trail and the Erie Canal Trail, ending with the Tri-Boro Bike Tour. (https://freewheelingfreelancer.com/category/2021-breaking-out/?order=asc)

Getting washed overboard in the North Atlantic was an adventure. So were many storms in vessels ranging from forty-eight-foot yawls to ten thousand-ton cruisers. Riding the great rivers of Europe in 2017 was up there too. Next question?

You’ve had some incredible adventures and a very full life. JT, thank you for spending time with us and sharing your experiences.

Readers, you can find out more about JT and his books at his website, https://jthine.com/.

Art to Die for (2023)

A badge is not bullet-proof.

In the conclusion of the Lockhart trilogy, Sandra and Joe come back to the US to finish their studies. The historic art recovery has made Sandra a target to prevent her helping Interpol with a new international art crime case. Meanwhile, Joe remains a target of revenge. Surviving bombs and snipers, the two lovers must determine what they truly value and learn to make a life together—if they can stay alive to do that . . .