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Readers Get Hooked On His Books

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By B.C. MANION bmanion@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2008

KEYSTONE - By the time James Swain begins writing a book, he typically has spent a couple of years thinking about his characters and their motivations.

Characters must have credible motives to advance a story, said Swain, whose latest book, "The Night Stalker" (Ballantine Books) came out Sept. 30.

The novelist, whose books have been published around the world, doesn't write about his pastoral community, which is dotted by lakes and horse farms.

He prefers to take people into the worlds inhabited by his characters, Tony Valentine and Jack Carpenter.

Valentine, the star of seven of Swain's novels, is a former Atlantic City cop known for his ability to spot scams and rip-offs that cost casinos billions of dollars a year.

Carpenter is an ex-cop who ran the missing persons bureau of the Broward County Sheriff's Office before his fall from grace.

Swain said his books can't succeed if readers don't understand "what motivates the character to go into the line of fire, or pull a weapon, or take a chance. Only motivation will compel people to do extraordinary things."

To help him understand why someone would be willing to risk his life, Swain has spent hundreds of hours chatting with police officers, former cops, drug enforcement agents, former FBI agents and other investigators.

The idea for Jack Carpenter's character came from a stop Swain made in a Dania Beach bar about 20 years ago.

"There was a stool next to the cash register," recalled Swain, who lived in South Florida at the time. "There was a newspaper with a racing form on it and a pencil.

"I said, 'Can I sit there?'

"The bartender said, 'No. No, that's Jack's seat.'

"I said, 'Who is Jack?'"

Swain never met Jack, but it turns out he was an ex-cop who had to resign, or was thrown off the force, because he crossed the line and beat up a suspect.

"As part of his rent, he had to sit next to that cash register when the place got busy to make sure it didn't get robbed," Swain said.

The idea of a cop who crossed the line but was essentially still a good man appealed to Swain.

His best-known character, Tony Valentine, had humble beginnings.

Swain had cast Valentine in a bit role in his early drafts of "Grift Sense," a book about casino cons.

The character took on the leading role, however, after Swain's wife, Laura, read an early draft and recognized Valentine's potential.

Swain never expected Valentine to propel such a successful series of books.

Many of the author's characters are based on real people, with a few editorial twists.

"The starting point for 'The Night Stalker' is based on a little boy who was abducted two years ago in Central Florida, whose grandfather is sitting on death row," Swain said.

"The killer in 'Midnight Rambler' is based on Oscar Ray Bolin."

Some of Swain's friends - from Keystone and elsewhere - have become minor characters in his books.

He does have a rule about that: "I never make them bad guys."

His dog, Buster, gets a few mentions, too.

Regardless of his topic, Swain wants to write with authority. He immerses himself in the subject at hand.

The shelves in his boathouse are filled with books and videotapes on gambling, cheating and deception. He has stacks of books and journals about missing persons and the inner workings of the criminal mind.

Now working on another Jack Carpenter novel, "The Night Monster," Swain said when he writes a book he always has the same goal in mind: Keep the reader engaged.

"It has to hook you from the opening page.

"You don't want to put it down.

"It makes you stay up late.

"Then, I've really done my job."

AT A GLANCE

Swain's Favorite

Authors at the

Moment

Michael Connelly

Lee Child

Anne Tyler

Elmore Leonard

Richard Russo

Writers Who Have Influenced His Work

Ralph Ellison

John Irving

Ernest Hemingway

John Steinbeck

Norman Mailer

Saul Bellow

Bernard Malamud

Anatole Broyard

For information, go to www.jimswain.com

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