with Robert L. LeBrun
We are delighted to welcome novelist Robert L. LeBrun to Omnimystery News today.
Robert's new literary mystery is All That Remains (Inkwater Press; October 2013 hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook formats) and we recently had a chance to catch up with him to talk about it.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about All That Remains. Is it the first of a series?
Photo provided courtesy of
Robert L. LeBrun
Robert L. LeBrun: This is my first book and there will be no continued story line so I guess it would be considered a stand alone. The characters weren't meant to be continuing characters but when you think about it, anything is possible when your dealing with fiction. At the end of my book, I purposely wrote out the outcomes of most of the major characters because I find that a lot of people are seldom satisfied with story endings and they always want more.
OMN: Into which fiction category would you shelve this book?
RLL: When I was writing it, my book definitely took on many characteristics. It wasn't my intentions to start off trying to write in just one category. My primary concern was to do the story correctly. By the end, my book had many qualities which would reach out to various audiences. If I had to place a label on it, I would probably say mystery/adventure. As for advantages or disadvantages, I would say neither would apply for the simple fact like most people do, they read the back of the book that tells a person what it's about. People would definitely find my book attractive because it covers a wide range of audience interests.
OMN: Tell us something about All That Remains that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
RLL: My book started off with only one story line but as It was progressing, I started to see a change. I think it became less and less about the original story line and became more of a coming of age story.
OMN: Did you include any of your own personal or professional experience into the storyline?
RLL: When writing, I started to see a lot of me in many of my characters. None of the experiences in the book, however, are based on me or anyone I know.
OMN: How did your develop the storyline?
RLL: I let the story develop itself. I start off with an idea and a character then I let my imagination run loose. As the story expands, so does the list of characters.
OMN: How did you go about researching the various plot points?
RLL: All research was done via internet. Since Titanic is probably the most famous shipwreck of all time, it wasn't hard to find what I was looking for when it came to facts. I guess the challenge came when I had to make sure the information was accurate especially with numbers. I would compare certain sites and for the most part, they all had the same information.
The most exciting topic to research was the Titanic itself. Believe it or not, even with movies and all the history channel specials, there's still a lot of information that people don't know about.
OMN: How true are you to the setting in your book?
RLL: Every place in my book is real so I definitely tried to stay true to the setting because it is very important for the characters and the story line.
OMN: Describe your writing environment for us.
RLL: Quiet for the most part but my wife and I have several teenagers in the house so at times it can be somewhat noisy. Hopefully, our next house will have a private office for me.
OMN: What is the best advice, or harshest criticism, you've received as an author? And what might you tell other aspiring writers?
RLL: I kept my book a secret for six years so I didn't really receive any advice or criticism. As for advice to give somebody else, I would say be patient and don't beat yourself up. No matter what, keep at it. Many times I kept getting discouraged because of personal setbacks but I kept my faith and knew that eventually, I would finish.
OMN: Many authors and readers create a mental image of what the characters in a book look like. Who might play the lead in All That Remains?
RLL: You're absolutely right. Robert Loggia was the actor I would always picture when writing the character of Benjamin Marcus. He's played in some of he following movies: Big, Over the Top, and Necessary Roughness, but I saw him in a computer commercial a couple of years ago and he wasn't looking well. If I had to choose somebody, I would go with Harrison Ford.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young? And what do you read now for pleasure?
RLL: Like most youths, I didn't like to read but there was one book that I constantly read and had fun with. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I just pray it doesn't take 46 years for my book to become a movie. Most other books were usually picture books with some kind of adventure and not many words.
Besides the Bible, the last books I read was Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory.
OMN: Where might we find you when you're not writing?
RLL: I enjoy car shows, spending time with my children, and being a movie hound, enjoying adventure, action and mystery films.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list on any topic.
RLL: Tough question but I will give it a try. We'll go with top five actors. Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Brian Dennehy, Gene Hackman and Johnny Depp. And yes, people always tell me I look like Mr. Dennehy.
OMN: What's next for you?
RLL: I'm hoping to start my second book in January. I have to sit down and organize all of my notes I've written over the past 6 years then decide which story I want to write. In the meantime, it would be nice if All That Remains made its way into the right hands so maybe it would go further than book form.
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Robert L. LeBrun graduated from the Baltimore City Police Academy in 1998, served 10 years as a patrol officer, and now works as a Vice Detective in that city. His fascination with the Titanic's legacy, along with his gritty career, led to the inspiration for this book, his first novel.
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All That Remains
Robert L. LeBrun
A Literary Mystery
Growing up rich isn't all it's cracked up to be …
Jack Kotter Jr. is a young man being groomed to take over the family business. But it's not a Ma and Pa corner store we're talking about. Kotter Industries happens to be a multibillion dollar worldwide corporation. When he's forced to step into his dad's shoes permanently, he realizes just how ruthless the world of business can be. Especially, when he finds out big daddy held a lifelong family secret.
Join Jack on his Titanic adventure as he navigates the landmines of the business world while trying to balance friendships, love, and a family secret kept through several generations.
By the way, there is also a maniac on the loose, and she has her sights set on Jack.
