Farin Powell talks about her new legal thriller, “The Judge”

iUniverse introduces Ms. Farin Powell, who tells us about her exciting thriller, “The Judge”, as well as her literary inspirations.

Please tell us about your book . . .

Three ex-convicts, whose lives have been ruined by harsh sentences of Judge Walter McNeil, conspire to seek revenge. Out for retribution, they kidnap, and then torture the Judge. The lead kidnapper who was involved in the disappearance of the judge’s daughter four years earlier, also has another plan—to remove the Judge from presiding over the triple murder case where his nephew is a co-defendant. He constructs a plan hoping to get the judge convicted and sent to jail for a long time. This creates a twisted web that connects the lives of both the criminals and the judge himself.

Amanda Perkins, a savvy criminal defense attorney and Aristo Manfredi, a crafty detective who has a crush on her, team up to unravel the clues and free the Judge.

And about your literary influences?

I’ve been writing poems and short stories since age 10. Growing up, I was exposed to European writers. My first favorite story was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas read to me by my uncle when I was six years old. I was also fascinated by Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. In my teenage years, I started reading Hemingway and he became my favorite American writer. I still feel he was the greatest. At age five, I also became interested in the movies and theatres. They would not allow me in the movie theatres when they showed grown up movies, but my uncle was managing three movie theatres, and could get me in.

What inspired you to write your book?

As a criminal defense attorney for 25 years, I represented more than 2,100 clients. Some of their stories were too painful to forget. I have not used their stories in The Judge, but have used some of their dialogues or opinions about our criminal justice system. Because of my familiarity with the legal world, it took four months to finish the novel.

What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?

The message probably is that due to some circumstances even the most abiding individual can end up violating the law.

Are you working on a sequel to your book?

During book club discussions, book signing and through Amazon reviews, I hear or read some readers are asking for a sequel. At this point I have to wait and see how successful this one is going to be.

Are there any events, marketing ideas or promotions planned?

I’ve had a radio interview, a magazine interview, and more radio interviews pending.

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

My advice to the aspiring writers would be: “Don’t allow any critic to discourage you, keep reading, keep writing, you’ll find your audience.”

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