Featured Interview With Sallie Moppert
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
A New York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal justice, law, and forensic science. Sallie currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which consists of two dogs, two guinea pigs, three betta fish and a leopard gecko. When she’s not writing, Sallie trains in martial arts and holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is working toward her black belt in karate. She is also the owner of an Etsy shop called PawsomeCraftsStudio where she sells her handmade novelties.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I remember having a love for creating stories from an early age. I have memories of writing stories based on a movie or a game that I liked, all the way back to when I was about five or six years old. I believe it was about age 13 that I realized that writing was my passion and that I wanted to pursue it. Once I knew that, there was no turning back!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Hands down, Agatha Christie. I adore her mysteries. It’s truly amazing how intricate and fascinating her mysteries are, so much so that there are times that I don’t have the faintest idea whodunit until Poirot or Marple or whoever the main character is reveals the culprit. Her stories are timeless-I mean, Murder on the Orient Express was just remade, right?
Mysteries, by far, are my favorite genre, but I also love the classics. I’m working my way through the stories of all the great authors, past and present. Reading the works of others can be very helpful in developing my own writing; it makes you think. What makes this book so entrancing hundreds of years later? Why do people relate to this character so deeply? Writing and reading absolutely go hand in hand; if you want to become a good writer, you have to read. Read much, read different genres, read different authors, and read because reading is fun!
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel is called Good Cop Bad Cop and is a series of short stories (each featuring its own crime) that follows the life of Detective Samuel Marlowe. The first story starts off with a troubled teenage Sam who is saved from going after his alcoholic abusive stepfather, Seth, after Seth nearly beats his mother to death when Sam has a chance meeting with police officer Edwin Hill. Edwin takes Sam under his wing and Sam vows to pay back the Hills’ kindness by becoming a police officer himself. Things are going well and Sam is the star of the department, at least until Edwin is killed in shooting. Sam blames himself for Edwin’s death and begins a dark descent away from the stand up policeman he once was. The police captain recognizes the troubles plaguing his top detective and concocts a plan to put Sam back on the straight and narrow-a plan that Sam wants nothing to do with, right up until the moment that Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett is forced into his life. Her by-the-book demeanor and style of policing are the complete antithesis to Sam’s “what rule book?” type of attitude and lax method of policing but, despite this, the two become a strong partnership and an excellent crime solving duo. Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her? What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.
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