Interview with Michael Sherer

Death is No Bargain
Michael W. Sherer
Five Star (2006)
ISBN 1594143684
Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (10/06)

Reader Views would like to welcome, Michael W. Sherer, author of many mystery novels, including the newly released “Death is No Bargain.” Michael is talking with Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita:  Hi Michael, we are so happy to talk with you about your new book “Death is No Bargain.”  Would you tell readers the storyline of your new mystery novel?

Michael: Long story short, Chicago freelance writer Emerson Ward is asked to find a missing girl. When a girl fitting her description turns up dead in northern Wisconsin, Emerson drops everything to find out what happened and why. In the process, he’s forced to confront his own conflicted feelings about his girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy.

Juanita: I understand that “Death is No Bargain” is the fifth book in your Emerson Ward series.  Would you tell us a little more about your lead character Emerson Ward, and the direction of your series?

Michael: The series has been great fun to write because of the evolution of the characters, especially Emerson. I came up with the idea for his character because of the reaction I had watching TV detective show back in the ’70s. Some of their exploits didn’t “suspend my disbelief.” I remember an episode of “Cannon” in which Frank Cannon, played by short, portly William Conrad turned the tables on not one, but two tall, well-built bad guys who had ambushed him disguised as cops, and handcuffed them to their car. Had that been me, I thought, the bad guys would have beat the crap out of me.

So, I made Emerson an ordinary guy and put him into extraordinary situations to see how he would react and what would happen to him. I quickly realized that no ordinary person in his right mind would pursue killers and con-men, so I gave Emerson motivation. He isn’t a detective. He’s not a cop or a private investigator. As an amateur, the only reason he gets involved is due to his sense of righteous indignation. When bad things happen to good people, and no one else seems to care, Emerson’s sense of fairness and morality is offended, and he feels compelled to “fix it.”

He’s also motivated by his own insecurities, a desire to prove himself. Exploring who he is as the series has progressed has been as fascinating for me as I hope it has been for readers. What direction the series takes next is sort of like asking me what’s going to happen to me next year or in five years. Who knows?

After five books, though, I realized there was still a lot about Emerson I didn’t know. So, in the sixth book (“Death On A Budget”), which I’ve just completed, I took Emerson back to his home town. In doing so, I learned more about his family and friends and how his upbringing helped make him the man he is.

Juanita: What inspired this particular book?

Michael: In the first three books in the series, Emerson was very unlucky in love. In the fourth book, “A Forever Death,” Emerson falls in love with Nell Reilly. I felt it was time Emerson settled down into a serious relationship. Years ago, when I came up with the idea for “Death Is No Bargain,” the girl’s disappearance was simply a device to launch into the story. When I began thinking about why the girl might have disappeared, I decided it was because she’d gotten pregnant.

That idea led to the idea of Nell’s unexpected pregnancy and Emerson’s reaction to becoming a father in his early forties after years of bachelorhood. Good stories are all about creating tension, and I felt this not only added opportunities to create tension, but a chance to develop Emerson’s character and his relationships more fully.

Juanita: Yes, readers will definitely see another side of Emerson in “Death Is No Bargain.”  Let’s dive into your storyline a little more for readers.  Why is Emerson asked to find the missing girl?  How does he become part of this drama?

Michael: Emerson comes across Ellen Forrester on the beach one day. Disoriented and disheveled, she’s obviously in need of help, so Emerson takes her back to his house to recover, and eventually convinces her to make her way home. A year later, the girl’s father shows up on Emerson’s doorstep, accuses him of seducing his daughter and helping her run away, and tries to kill him.

A week after that, Ellen’s mother pleads with Emerson to help try to find her. Because of his past relationship with Ellen, and the fact that he’s chivalrous by nature, Emerson is reluctantly sucked in. The more it appears Ellen’s dilemma mirrors his own, however, the more compelling the reasons Emerson finds to unravel the mystery of her disappearance.
           
Juanita:  Emerson heads to Wisconsin on his quest to uncover this mystery.  How does he go undetected, and what happens there?

Michael: When a girl fitting Ellen’s description turns up dead north of Green Bay, Wisconsin, the victim of a hit-and-run, Emerson does some investigating and learns that there’s a convent in the area that takes in unwed mothers-to-be and puts their babies up for adoption. Suspicious and fearing the worst, he figures the only way he’ll get information from the convent is to pretend to be someone whose own daughter has run away from home. So Emerson adopts an alternate identity and talks his way into a job as a handyman at the convent.

Juanita:  Who are your other main characters and what are their contributions the story?

Michael: Certainly Nell is now a major recurring character because she’s such an important part of Emerson’s life.

Brandt Williams, Emerson’s best friend, is another recurring character in the series. He’s Sancho to Emerson’s Quixote, and often acts as Emerson’s sounding board as well as a great source of information and help.

There are other “regulars” who pop up from time to time, in name if not in person. Characters particular to “Death Is No Bargain” are too numerous to mention, but I’d say one of my favorites in this book is an inner-city black girl named Bonita who is studying to be a postulant in a convent. She’s not only key to helping Emerson solve the mystery, but I had great fun hearing her voice in my head.

Juanita:  You weave controversial issues of adoption, abortion, and the Catholic Church, into “Death is No Bargain.”  Would you elaborate more about this aspect of the story?

Michael: I sort of fell into the mystery genre as a writer because the first one I did was so much fun. (My first two attempts to write books – still unpublished, thank goodness – were both badly written science fiction novels.) What I discovered was that within the context of telling a story, I have the opportunity to explore a variety of subjects that interest me. Through my characters, I can get up on a soapbox and rant or rave about virtually anything I want.

Writing this series from Emerson’s point of view allows me to explore Emerson’s internal conflicts. They are, in most cases, natural extensions of who he is. When I decided to put Nell and Emerson in the position of having to choose whether to end an unexpected pregnancy, choose to keep the baby or put it up for adoption, I discovered several issues I personally wanted to explore, including abortion and the role of the Church in abortion and its own sex scandals.

In many ways, Emerson’s conflicted feelings on these issues reflect my own. I try to see both sides of an issue, and often discover my feelings and opinions end up in varied shades of gray. I think what’s important is making people aware of the issues, stimulating a little thought in addition to telling a story.

Juanita:  How does Emerson’s personal dilemma, which may make him a father at middle age, interplay with the main plot?  And, why is he so set on finding Ellen’s killer, when such serious personal issues to deal with?

Michael: I think anyone who faces a major shift in their lifestyle at any age will confront a host of fears and doubts along with perhaps tremendous excitement and anticipation. Becoming a first-time parent can be one of the most stressful, fearful and joyful occasions in anyone’s life. In Emerson’s case, impending fatherhood is not only unexpected, it comes later in his life than in many men’s, and it comes after a lifetime of a fairly solitary existence.

His biggest concerns are whether or not he can be a good father and what impact parenthood will have on his lifestyle, particularly his habit of finding himself in dangerous situations. He’s determined to find out what happened to Ellen because he has to find out for himself if he cares enough about someone else’s child to seek justice. He needs to see what it feels like to be a parent before he feels comfortable becoming one.

Juanita:  Is “Death is No Bargain” a straight ahead mystery, or would you say there is action and adventure?  What’s the pace of the story?

Michael: The pace of most of the books in the series is leisurely, but like life, punctuated with action. Emerson stumbles around for answers in the best way he knows how, but as he himself admits, he’s not clever or crafty or quick. In most cases, he’s in far over his head, and often the reader knows “whodunnit” before he does. In Emerson’s case, it’s more important to know the “why,” not the “who.”

Juanita: What is the underlying message of “Death Is No Bargain”?

Michael: I’m not sure there is an underlying message. Certainly, in mysteries in general, there’s satisfaction in seeing justice done in the end and the solution to the mystery neatly wrapped and tied up with a bow. If anything, I guess the message would be that love and kids are perhaps our two greatest gifts.

Juanita:  Emerson has been with you for many years Michael.  He’s had many experiences and matured over the course of the five books you’ve written.  What do you particularly appreciate about his inner journey in “Death Is No Bargain”?

Michael: What I’ve always liked about Emerson is that he’s been, without knowing it, on the cutting edge of what it means to be a man in today’s society. While an anachronism in some ways – he’s old-fashioned, and belongs in a time when men with manners were known as gentlemen – he’s sensitive and fully believes in equality between men and women.

He continues that journey in DINB by becoming a father, by accepting the awesome responsibility of bringing another human being into this world, and by accepting the fact that he can truly love and be loved in return.

Juanita:  I’ve read reviews that give high praises for you particular writing style, in which you bring a higher intellectual aspect to your storyline that many mystery novels may be lacking. Do you have any comments on this?

Michael: I love to read mysteries because they’re good stories that create order out of chaos. But most readers want more than just a good story. They want to be transported to another world. I hope to learn something from every book I read – about a new place, a different occupation or avocation, the human condition. As a writer, I hope I do that for my readers in every book.

Juanita: Michael, you are a full time writer with many books under your belt.  How did you direct your career to encompass your obvious passion for writing, and what’s your secret for continuing to put out highly-entertaining and successful books?

Michael: I started out washing dishes in a restaurant after college, and worked in the restaurant industry for several years before putting my English degree to work. I worked as an editor on a foodservice magazine for four years, then went into public relations for six years. Now I write articles for trade magazines to pay the rent – a case of life imitating art, since I became a freelance writer like Emerson Ward after three books in the series had been published.

I wanted to be a novelist when I was in college and took a creative writing course from author John Nichols. I wrote my first novel my senior year. But I wrote the first published Emerson Ward mystery over many years at the same time I held down a “real” job. Getting published simply took persistence.

I still have a passion for writing novels, and hope someday I’m able to focus solely on fiction. As long as I’m interested in the stories I write, I think readers will be, too.

Juanita: Michael, who would enjoy reading “Death is No Bargain”?  Do you have a target audience in mind when you write your books?

Michael: I hope most adults who enjoy mysteries will enjoy the Emerson Ward series. I don’t write for a particular audience. Emerson has been likened to a “softboiled” detective, so some fans of hardboiled detective fiction or diehard cozy fans will find Emerson isn’t their shot of red-eye or cup of tea. But you can’t please everyone. I write for myself first. If it grabs me and holds my attention through the long, painstaking process of writing, I’m pretty well assured readers will enjoy it.

Juanita:  How can readers find out more about you and your books?

Michael: They can find me online at www.emersonwardmysteries.com or they can order my books through their favorite local bookstore in addition to online retailers.

Juanita: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Michael.  We have enjoyed hearing about Emerson Ward and your new book “Death Is No Bargain,” and encourage readers to check out your fantastic mystery series.  Do you have any last thoughts you’d like to share with your readers today?

Michael: We need more readers. There are more writers than ever and fewer readers. The year my first book was published, so were 45,000 other books. Last year, more than 120,000 books were published, but the total number of books sold fell. If you like to read, spread the word about books you’ve enjoyed, and please take every opportunity you can to encourage kids and young adults to READ.

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