Author Charles “CJ” Booth, who grew up in Delaware and lived in Minnesota for years, and his wife raised their children on Mercer Island, retired to Whidbey Island, and now lives in Gig Harbor, Washington. CJ began his career in broadcasting, moved into film and video production, then began writing screenplays and experimenting with fiction while owning several different businesses on the side. He has published 10 books and earns a side income from book sales. His first book, Olive Park, was published in 2011 and won three awards: Top 5 Books of 2012 at the Reader’s Favorite Awards, Bronze Medal in the Popular Fiction category at the 2012 E-Lit Awards, and Best Crime Book of 2012 at the Global E-Book Awards in Santa Barbara. CJ then decided to continue the story of OP, and thus the Park Trilogy (Olive Park, Crimson Park, and Angel Park) was born. He is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and 20Books to 50k, both of which he recommends. When CJ Booth isn’t writing, he enjoys traveling.

What genres do you cover?
CJ Booth: Most of my books are mystery thrillers, but my latest (see next) is a young adult story. I also have a book of short stories out.

What is your latest book and what is it about?
CJ Booth: Laura McGonogle and the Wombat-O-Matic. A shy 14-year-old girl finds an injured wombat in California (where no wombat should be) and, with the help of two friends, invents a machine that allows it to walk again. She becomes nationally famous and has to deal with the ins and outs of being famous. I wrote it with the intention of getting young girls interested in science. A second book is planned. I will also spin off two of the youngest private investigators from the second series (Diamond and Stone Mysteries) into their own 6-book series (tentative title: Cooper Chronicles). Since they are in their twenties, there may be more than just investigation between them. We will see. The first of two books will hopefully be published this year.

At which book events can readers find you?
CJ Booth: Since I’m a classic introvert, I don’t go to many book events or book signings. However, I do plan to attend some GH Arts Festivals or Gig Harbor Literary Society events. BBQ2U in Gig Harbor always has books for sale, even when I’m not there.

What book event that connects you with readers is your favorite and why?
CJ Booth: I do a series of Zooms with book clubs every year. I like that because everyone has to buy the book to participate (lol) and the discussions are more in-depth because they’ve read the books.

Do your books have a special message for your readers and if so, what?
CJ Booth: The mystery thrillers are pure entertainment and escapism, which is what I think this genre needs. See above regarding the young adult book.

Which author(s) inspire you again and again and why?
CJ Booth: My absolute favorite author is Dickens, because of his brevity, character descriptions, and reader engagement. In the crime thriller genre, I learned a lot by devouring Connelly, Coben, etc. From them, I learned how to pace and how to incorporate the specific tropes that every good crime novel should have.

Do you have any particular writing habits?
CJ Booth: I split my writing time between the actual writing, research, and planning. I’m not much of a planner, but when I start a book, I always start with the title, then write the first few chapters, then jump to the end and outline how it will end, because the rest of the book needs to work toward a known ending to be effective. I use Pro Writing Aid as my main editing software. I have 4-6 beta readers who critique everything well. Lately, of course, the ability to use AI has been invaluable for brainstorming. I know very few authors who don’t use it. I also use AI for image design for covers and ads. Being self-published also means spending an inordinate amount of time marketing my releases.

What are you working on right now?
CJ Booth: See above.

What book are you currently reading just for entertainment?
CJ Booth: I usually choose the books I read to prepare me for my next work. In preparation for writing The Cooper Chronicles, I’m looking for stories about young private detectives. I don’t usually read much outside of my genre, but I’ll pick up a Dickens book now and again.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
CJ Booth: What are they striving for? Do they want to write to get a story on paper that might be seen and read somewhere? Or do they want to have a career and make some money spinning stories that people buy? I wanted to have a career, so I studied closely what readers’ expectations of a mystery thriller were and then put my own spin on them in my stories. I made sure they were as good as possible. It’s easy to write crap. Overall, a new writer needs perseverance and a willingness to learn their genre thoroughly. They must not be afraid to try new things that meet readers’ expectations. They must be comfortable with the latest AI and editing software. They must be wary of the “mentors” who promise a quick route to riches or offer courses or tutorials to make you a bestseller. There is some good information out there, but it needs to be verified, and the two organizations mentioned above are good sources. And finally, don’t be so self-critical. Experiment. And for God’s sake, don’t get lost trying to be perfect. No book is perfect, and even if you keep trying, you’ll never finish it.

You can find CJ Booth’s books on Amazon.