Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.
Today we have Eamonn Shute, the main character from ‘Book ‘Em – An Eamonn Shute Mystery’ by Tony McFadden.
Book 'Em
Katelina: Thanks for being here, Eamonn! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Eamonn: I’m a large – what some might charitably call ‘big-boned’ – Irishman recently moved to Miami. And I’d appreciate it if you could hold off on the ‘aim and shoot’ jokes until we’re finished, okay?
K: *looks innocent* Okay, I promise.
E: It’s too bad this is in print form, because I think you’d love my Donegal accent. I’m currently living in a penthouse apartment on the 72nd floor of a building overlooking Biscayne Bay and then on over the Atlantic. It’s a simply stunning view. At present I’m single, but who knows; Nicky might make an honest man of me yet. I’m fairly well off, having won one of the largest lotteries recorded in the United Kingdom. Almost $50 million American, just a few years back.
K: $50 million? And you’re single? Wait, who is this Nicky?
E: Ah, yes. Young Nicky Muniz. She’s actually a bit older than me, by about ten months, but she’s half my size and I can’t help but call her ‘young’ Nicky. In addition to her stunning Dominican beauty (exotic for a Celt like myself) she’s whippet smart, runs a successful business, and that business is a book store. I could read for days without sleep if the book is good enough. We’re a perfect match.
K: Wow. I see why you’d be attracted to her! So, why does she need to ‘make’ an honest man of you? Not the relationship type?
E: I had a terrible relationship problem a few years before I moved to Miami that scarred me deeply. Unfaithful is one thing; blatantly and openly unfaithful is something else altogether. Naturally I was resistant to move the relationship Nicky and I had beyond the boyfriend/girlfriend stage.
K: Oh, I see. Do you move past that in the book? And how else do you change?
E: I change In a number of ways, some of them subtle. By the end of the book, after working my pasty-white ass off to clear Nicky first of embezzlement charges, and then murder charges, we’d become much, much closer. There’s also a bit of self-confidence building, a result of successfully negotiating the altercations I had with large, scary looking Russian mob types
K: I guess there’s no point in asking about enemies. Russian mob types are kind of obvious.
E: Yeah, The enemies were clear – the Russian mob heavies who held key information I needed to clear dear Nicky. At the beginning of this tale they’d never heard of me, but by the end, by God, they knew who Eamonn Shute was. Actually, I’m not sure of that’s a good thing or not. Another bloke, not an enemy but most definitely a nemesis, would be Detective Dan MacCready. As far as he was concerned he had a slam-dunk case against Nicky. Trying to convince him that he needed to dig deeper was like trying – excuse the French – to piss up a rope.
photo by William Hook via Flickr
I happen to know, though, that the author is currently working on a book with Detective Dan as the protagonist [Family Matters – late 2011]. He pays for his stubbornness. I know for a fact that the good Detective gets shot about halfway through the book. Nothing fatal, of course, but it’ll hurt.
K: Ha! It’s nice to be vindicated! I wish my author was like that! If you could say something to your author what would it be?
E: Do you have a sequel planned? Because, despite all the fighting I had to do, this was fun.
Tony McFadden leans in – “Yes. Sort of. Same universe, some of the same characters. You’re not in it.”
K: Oh. Well, I guess at least it was an answer. You can always pester him for a cameo. At least Dan gets shot. So you said you won a lot of money ? Did that change your personality any?
E: Yes, prior to the start of this story I was lucky enough to win a substantial amount of money. That didn’t shape my personality, per se, but it allowed me to be me. 100% what you see is what you get. They say money can’t buy you happiness and that’s true, but it goes a long way to removing the things that make you unhappy.
K: yeah, I bet! I’m imagining hiring a maid and a decorator…. *snaps back* So after you won all the money you moved to Miami? Why move from Ireland to Miami?
E: Look, that’s just a dumb question. Donegal summers have weather that is colder than Miami winters. I was sick and thoroughly tired of the constant cold rain. I may have been born there, but my heart was in warmer climes. Sure, I need to spend a small fortune on sunscreen, but it’s worth it. And I know it’s not a causal relationship, but I wouldn’t have me Nicky if I hadn’t moved here.
photo by Christina Rutz via Flickr
K: Makes perfect sense to me. I’m hoping for a tropical vacation soon, myself. Not that it’s going to be easy to get with vampires. Speaking of challenges, what was your biggest challenge?
E: Aside from the constant battle against my weight? Trying to find a good defense lawyer for Nicky, attempting to dig up enough evidence to convince the coppers they had the wrong person.
K: If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?
E: Peace. Not necessarily world peace, as I think that’s an entirely unrealistic goal. Personal peace for me and my closest friends and family.
K: That’s a good one. I’m right with you, in fact! It looks like we’re running out of time, but before you have to go, do you have one thing you’d like to say to your readers?
E: When you know something to be true, even though everyone around you disputes it, fight for it. Fight to expose the lies and fabrications that prevent the truth from being evident. Stand on your principles. Don’t let others tell you you’re wrong when you know in your heart you are right. Is that more than one thing?
K: Sounds like one thing to me! *winks* Thanks so much for stopping in, Eamonn! It’s been great talking to you, and here’s hoping you can get that cameo!
You can find Eamonn Shute in the novel ‘Book ‘Em – An Eamonn Shute Mystery’ , available at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/40428) and Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MYFSKM)
And a special thanks to Tony McFadden for playing along!
If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:
Amaranthine by Joleene Naylor 
sue
/ June 11, 2011Good Interview! no book cover? – I’m all into book covers – oh yeah I get why he moved but really Florida is tooooo hot
Joleene Naylor
/ June 16, 2011yeah, that’s the book cover up near the top :p
Ruth Ann Nordin
/ June 15, 2011“Stand on your principles. Don’t let others tell you you’re wrong when you know in your heart you are right.”
I LOVE this!
Joleene Naylor
/ June 16, 2011Isn’t that great?
thejissilly
/ June 25, 2011That was fun. When do the aim and shoot jokes start.
Joleene Naylor
/ June 26, 2011They can start now :p