At the helm of TMJ Books, we have TM Jefferson, a writer who has lived an extraordinary life. He is a writer that’s is well-equipped to deliver a slew of page-turners to the urban drama genre.

When writers pop up on my radar, I’m always curious about what brought them to that first moment of creation. I want to learn all about their influences, their route toward publication, and the projects they’re working on. Those became my three focus areas when I approached TMJ for a conversation. This interview covers those three areas: Influences, Independence, and Projects.

An Interview with TM Jefferson, founder of TMJ Books

Inspirations

Gary Swaby: Can you tell us a little about your upbringing and any important moments that shaped who you became as an adult?

TM Jefferson: Peace. I was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY, which is in lower Westchester County, area code 914. I grew up in the Hartley projects, specifically 60 Horton Avenue. Horton & Brook St. The projects had five buildings and my family lived in three of those but I can only recall living in two as a kid. I can vividly remember us moving from one building to the next when I was about 7-8 years old. I lived in a single-parent household with three siblings. Two brothers and my sister. My father was out, running the streets, but my mother made sure I knew who he was even if they weren’t physically together. She never once spoke badly about him either. My father and I weren’t close, but we were good. He passed away in 1989. I was ten years old.

I went to New Rochelle High School for two years before I was kicked out for fighting. From there I went to an alternative school called St. Gabriel. At this time I was running around in the streets, getting in trouble, so I was sent to Morganfield, Kentucky to Earl C. Clements Job Corps. That was definitely an experience. While in Job Corps I took up automotive repair and had the chance to take my G.E.D exam. After about two months in job corps, there was a riot that popped off between some gangs that were there so. To ease the tension they sent all the New York people home.

Back in New Rochelle, I enrolled at Monroe College, taking up computer science. I stayed in Monroe for three semesters before I strayed to the streets.

GS: When did you first have aspirations to write?

TM Jefferson: I started writing as early as I can remember. It started with writing music and eventually evolved to me writing short stories. It wasn’t until 2006 when I went to prison that I actually sat down and wrote a complete piece. After sending my story to one of my friends, they suggested I self-publish. I had no knowledge of the publishing industry and how it worked but I did some research and was able to navigate my way to self-publishing my first novella in 2008.

Writing was my way of communicating my ideas. – TM JEFFERSON

GS: So you always knew you wanted to be a writer then? Even at an early age.

TM Jefferson: I always wanted to create. Writing was my way of communicating my ideas.

GS: Who were some of your literary inspirations when you went about self-publishing that first novella?

TM Jefferson: I was in prison reading a lot of books by different authors. Different genres of work. I was inspired by a few urban/street authors I was reading; specifically K’wan, Al Saddiq Banks, and Kwame Teague aka DUTCH. After reading their work, I wanted to put my own stories out.

Independence

GS: What kind of challenges did you face when publishing your first title?

TM Jefferson: I knew nothing about publishing. Nothing at all. When my friend told me about self-publishing it was the first time I had heard about it. Through my research, I came across a few authors who I reached out to but no one reached back. So, I went ahead and did it myself.

That first book was an experience. This was 2008. I had print copies and I published them to Amazon Kindle, which was fairly new at the time. I priced the book at $6.99 thinking I was doing it right. In total, I sold about 3-5 copies of that book on Kindle within a six-month period.

After that, I started to study Amazon and how it works. I came across a published author who was white. He had his book priced at .99 cents. His reviews were in the hundreds and his ranking was Bestseller status. I did some more studying and figured I was going to adapt his pricing method. I put that book at .99 cents and it took off.

After I saw what my first book was doing I just kept writing and releasing work.

When I’m writing a story and creating characters, I become those characters and I’m in that story. – TM Jefferson

GS: And now, you’ve had the experience of being an Amazon Bestseller of over nine different titles. Congrats on that one. Would you still consider traditional publishing as an option?

TM Jefferson: Yes. Definitely. I’m not looking or taking the steps to get traditionally published, but if the opportunity is there and the circumstances are in my favor, I would probably take the offer.

Projects

GS: What first inspired you to write The Union?

TM Jefferson: The Union is not a new book. It was originally published as a three-book series in 2012-2014 under another independent publishing company I was dealing with. I have recently re-released it as the full story as it was intended when I wrote it. I broke it into three parts for the company I was dealing with. The inspiration for The Union came from my wanting to pen a street love story.

The hardest part in creating The Union was probably coming up with the title. It had a different title before The Union.

GS: How long did it take you to start, finish and publish The Union?

TM Jefferson: I wrote The Union in less than sixty days. It was over one hundred thousand words so the company I was with suggested I break it up into three parts and create a series. And I did that. So, the book was published maybe 90-120 days after I wrote it.

GS: Is there a standout character from The Union that you enjoyed writing?

TM Jefferson: Yes. Mox Daniels. The lead character in The Union. After you read the book you’ll know why I say this.

GS: Do you have a regular writing routine that you follow to complete the objective?

TM Jefferson: No routine but when I sit down to create, I go in! When I’m writing a story and creating characters, I become those characters and I’m in that story. Day in day out. I like to immerse myself in my work.

GS: What can we expect from TM Jefferson in the future?

TM Jefferson: I’ve started a new imprint; TMJ BOOKS and I’ll be re-releasing some of my previous titles and also publishing new works.

At this time I have one author signed to TMJ BOOKS and her name is Poison Ivy. Keep an eye out for her first title: Single Wive’s Club coming summer 2022!

Please visit my website for all new releases, giveaways, and event dates.

Thank you! Peace.

Buy from TMJ Books Website / Buy on Amazon (US) / Buy on Amazon (UK)

Thankfully, with Dale being as gracious as she is, she agreed to an interview. Now we can all learn a little more about the author as we await her new legal thriller, Hollywood on Trial, to release on October 23rd.

In the interview, Dale talks about her history in law, the moment she knew she wanted to write and the challenges that she faced. She even offers some practical advice for aspiring authors. If you take away anything from this interview (like I did) then be sure to drop a comment below!

Gary S: You write legal thrillers, and in them your expertise in the field reveals itself. The amount of detail you go into really shows how much experience you have. What exactly is your professional background like?

Dale E. Manolakas: I considered it a privilege to go to law school and become a litigator at two major law firms in Los Angeles. It is a world few attorneys can use authentically in legal thrillers because these attorneys, as depicted in my works, are too busy or don’t have the desire. I have clerked at the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit and have been before the bench litigating and behind the bench.

So what I bring to my work is multiple perspectives, together with authenticity and accuracy. Simply put, I know from whence I speak. Louis Auchincloss is an author, now deceased, who wrote major law firm works that were sheer genius. I consider the trials in my legal thrillers the centerpieces of my books and my signature.

G: What was the exact moment when you KNEW you wanted to write for a living?

D: I knew I wanted to write for a living through my relationship with Ray Bradbury. I was at his home in Cheviot Hills visiting, this time talking about our cats, small things, and also his plays. He loved the theatre as I do. The characters I performed in his plays were rich and full. Just being in his writing room, full of decades of memorabilia and awards, was a history lesson in the world of books, plays, and screen writing. When we spoke about writing that particular day, he was warm and encouraging. The most interesting concept I took away was that the characters write the book.

As I took my writing more seriously, I realized what he said was true. It gave me the piece of the puzzle that was missing—uncertainty is part and parcel of the work.

“Every morning your characters challenge you, disobey you, resist you, and guide you.“

G: What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome to make your author career a reality?

D: Knowing that the first sentence may tell you where you are going, but not where you will end. It is a leap of faith to write. That leap is taken every morning and every morning is new. Every morning your characters challenge you, disobey you, resist you, and guide you.

G: Was there something that made you choose between traditional publishing and self-publishing?

D: Yes. Control. I create my own everything, including my own mistakes, and I have made many. It’s amazing to master the craft of fiction writing, cover creation, advertising schedules, going wide on all platforms, and marketing in general. It is hard work and I feel rewarded when it all comes together.

I am now creating my own sound studio to audiotape my books. I have practiced by making my own book trailers for YouTube and have learned so much. From my biography, you can see that I am a highly trained actress and I want to give audio-taping my own books a try. Sometimes doing it yourself is easier than proofing other peoples work. Since legal books have so much legalese, I think it may just be easier.

G: You have around six books now, Including Hollywood on Trial. What has been your biggest lesson learned when producing these books?

D: I am addicted to producing works that address major legal issues of our time. Each of my books takes on a legal issue that I want to discuss, present, and expose. I have found freedom in expressing different perspectives through characters. There is so much to say that I wish I could produce faster. I certainly admire Stephen King’s amazing productivity.

G: How long does it take you to write a book and publish it?

D: That is a complex question. Writing is not the loggerhead. Being technically sufficient in formatting and finalizing the book is the hard part. I am getting faster as I master the technical skills involved. In the beginning, it took me hours to learn how to produce an em dash and correct elipses. It took me weeks to format my first paperback. However, the “daily grind” of the technical is less onerous when you have done it again and again. I published two high quality unique books this year and would like to keep that pace up. I will not sacrifice quality though. And, by quality, I mean a unique voice, with a unique message, with revelations that inspire, frighten, repel, and reveal the hidden. I usually have three books in my head and two in progress at any one time.

“I get up at four in the morning and use the dawn of the day to create words“

G: What is your daily schedule like as a committed writer?

D: I get up at four in the morning and use the dawn of the day to create words and worlds other than my own. I do seek a quota from two-thousand to twenty-five hundred words—some days are better than others. I always take a running start by editing about a page or so before tackling the new. After the words are produced, I take care of the business of writing, the endless learning curve of cover creation, book trailers, advertising, email list expansion, professional relationships, setting up a sound studio, and nuancing platforms for sales. If you do it all, it is a full day of work, eight hours minimum. And, yes, I have a complex and full other life, but that cannot break your focus at four in the morning or if you have a laptop.

G: Your genre is dominated by huge brand names, has that ever intimidated you?

D: Not really. I stopped being intimidated by much in life decades ago. I love the authors in my genre. I would love to meet them someday. I learn a lot from them. We each bring a unique voice and those voices give hours of pleasure to legal thriller fans.

G: Have you thought about stepping into new genres in the future?

D: I would love to flex those creative muscles, but I won’t. I have written short stories in science fiction and read Scientific American regularly. The stories that run through my head are alive and fun. But, alas, to market yourself you must remain genre specific, at least in the beginning. I also have a book of poetry I am preparing for publication—another formatting nightmare.

G: What advice would you give to aspiring authors who can only dream of being where you are today?

D: When you are in the free-fall of creating a book, especially in the first fifteen thousand words, trust yourself and your characters—both of you know where you are going. As a partnership your creative work will inevitably get you where you need to be—the end. Will there be some mishaps along the way? Yes. If there weren’t, then you and your characters wouldn’t be human and wouldn’t be very interesting.

We appreciate you answering these questions and we look forward to the release of Hollywood on Trial.

Visit the website of Dale E. Manolakas to find out more about the author. 

Order Hollywood on Trial here!

Gary S: When did you first know you were a writer?

Tod Goldberg: I come from a family of writers – my older brother Lee Goldberg is a bestselling crime writer, my sisters Karen Dinino and Linda Woods write art books together, my mother Jan Curran was a newspaper columnist and author, my father a TV news journalist…and then there are the uncles and cousins and all that – so writing is the family business, unless you’re one of those relatives who ends up a lawyer, so I think I knew I was a writer from a very early age, despite being profoundly dyslexic.

Even then, when I couldn’t read, I was making up stories using my Star Wars actions figures as my narrative device. Apart from playing professional sports of some kind – an unlikely option, since I am also profoundly un-athletic, though I’m pretty good on the PS4 and in fantasy sports – writing was all I ever wanted to do professionally.

GS: You mention being dyslexic. This is also something I struggle with as a website owner and content writer. Many writers do suffer with this, can you let us know what it’s like overcoming the challenges of writing with dyslexia?

TG: I appreciate the ability to read and write much more — I couldn’t do either until I was about 10 — and, you have to realize, this was the 1970s when I was first diagnosed, which wasn’t exactly a time of great understanding of dyslexia, so it could have ended up much worse for me. I was put in classes with kids with pretty severe developmental problems — kids with cerebral palsy, kids with Down’s Syndrome, kids who were essentially 100% handicapped — because they simply didn’t know what to do with me and didn’t have the teaching resources to actually figure out what was wrong with me. I recall, finally, when my mother found some folks at either Berkeley or Stanford — I can’t recall which, and it may have been both because I know I went out to both schools at some point to meet with specialists — who were doing some cutting edge stuff that there was a real breakthrough for me.

In addition to dyslexia, I also saw in double vision frequently, and I am also terribly color blind, so, basically, everything I saw in front of me was wrong. I also remember very vividly an eye doctor telling my mom, just behind me in an exam room, that I would never read or write above a 4th grade level. I had the same thought then that I do now: fuck that guy.

GS: Do writers tend to have a wild imagination, and do you daydream?

TG: Good writers, I would imagine. Though I think, really, you also need to be pretty well grounded in the real world if you’re going to convey humans in a believable fashion. If you’re just in the clouds all the time, I think attempting to create empathetic characters might be difficult, since part of a writer’s job is to create people you can believe in, people you care about, and if all you have is wild imagination, then perhaps you don’t quite know as much about the human condition as you might need to achieve that goal.

I daydream constantly. Usually about killing people and getting away with it. It’s not a great comfort to my wife, I promise you, but it comes with the job.

GS: We’ve heard of your short story “Mitzvah” and it seems like Gangsterland was based on it. Can you tell us how Gangsterland came about exactly, and how much it resembles Mitzvah?

TG: “Mitzvah” was originally written for Las Vegas Noir, an anthology of short stories about Las Vegas published by Akashic Books – they’ve published a bunch of these, for major cities around the world – and later a slightly different version of the story appeared in my story collection Other Resort Cities. I was tasked with writing a story about the neighborhood I’d lived in in Las Vegas (I lived there from 1998-2000) for the anthology, which meant I had to come up with something dark and nefarious about a fairly bucolic part of town, which is when I initially came up with this idea of a hitman hidden away in Summerlin as a rabbi. The story is actually the last day on the job for Sal Cupertine/Rabbi David Cohen and once I completed it, I realized that there was a whole book – maybe a few – in this character’s story.

I didn’t stay married to some of the details in the original story – I changed the timeline, I changed some key details about the main character and the secondary characters, and generally expanded and deepened everything, and altered the plot pretty elementally, which is what you can expect to happen when you go from a 20 page short story to a 400 page book. So there are things mentioned in the story that became entire subplots, elements that were dumped, etc.

So, Gangsterland essentially is the origin story…and the “Mitzvah” is the end point…except that I doubt that “Mitzvah” will be how the story ends.

GS: We love the dark humor and sometimes sensitive themes that are bought up in Gangsterland, but I’m sure that it’s easy to be viewed as racist or prejudice because of something you may write in your stories. Do you ever feel the need to hold back when writing?

TG:No, I never feel the need to hold back, because it’s all make believe – I don’t think anyone believes I’m running around the world shooting people in the back of the head and, by the same token, I’m certain people don’t think I share the beliefs of my characters (in Gangsterland or otherwise). That I can conjure those beliefs isn’t to be taken as an endorsement, you know? Many years ago, I wrote a novel about a man who may or may not have killed his wife and child and sometimes people ask me, Is there any part of that novel that’s true? And I always think, well, no, of course not – I’m not some fucking maniac!

Interestingly, though, I really don’t think someone who wasn’t Jewish could have written Gangsterland without being criticized for it – in fact, just the other day, I did a talk at a temple in Las Vegas, and posed that question to the congregants and rabbi (a rabbi, I should note, named Rabbi Cohen!) and asked if someone whose last name was O’Neil had written about someone pretending to be Jewish if it would have come off differently to them vs. seeing an obviously Jewish name like Goldberg on the cover of the book, and the answer was pretty uniformly in the affirmative. There was a review in the Forward, a Jewish magazine, that called the Sal Cupertine/Rabbi David Cohen character “one of the most compelling and repulsive crime fiction protagonists in a long time” and I took that as high praise. It’s supposed to be an uncomfortable transformation he’s undergoing and, as I write the sequel right now, it’s becoming even more uncomfortable.

GS: Would you say that writing short stories is just as tricky as nailing a novel?

TG: No. A short story can just be one really compelling idea or emotion – you don’t even need a plot, really – and if you can sustain it for 5000 words, you’ve got yourself a pretty good short story. A novel requires much more complexity and, on the part of the author, dexterity. They’re both super hard to do in the way any piece of art is difficult to create, but not compared to, you know, working in a coal mine or practicing medicine or working as a plumber or being a decent parent or teacher or husband or wife.

That said, a great short story – like, say, Passion by Alice Munro or The Ceiling by Kevin Brockmeier or Aftermath by Mary Yukari Waters or The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (or…or…or…) – still has the power to be just as emotionally satisfying as any novel.

GS: What are your views on the book publishing industry in 2015?

TG: Any year when there aren’t mass book burnings in the public square = a pretty good year for publishing. My views aren’t terribly complex – it’s a difficult business, but so is every art form that is dependent on people spending their disposable income in a time when a lot of people don’t have a disposable income. I love to read and I take great comfort in having a book in my hand – a real book, not an ebook, which just doesn’t have the same allure for me – knowing I’m about to drift away from the real world for a few hours. And I’ve read a lot of great books this year – A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, All This Life by Joshua Mohr, Naked at Lunch by Mark Haskell Smith, The Whites by Richard Price, which I just finished the other day, The Cartel by Don Winslow, Dragonfish by Vu Tran, just to name a few – and have a TBR pile the size of a small child.

GS: As someone who teaches creative writing, what single piece of advice would you give to an aspiring author?

TG: Get a really good desk chair.

GS: We’ve all heard of the popular TV show Burn Notice, but some may not be aware that you’ve written the novels. Tell us about the series of novels and how the TV show iteration came about.

TG: Actually, I wrote the books after the TV series – the books were based on the show, not the other way around. Matt Nix, the creator of the show, was an old friend and when Penguin, the publisher, came to him with an offer to turn the show into a series of novels, we were able to hook up and make a deal.

It was a great deal of fun – I wrote five of them, starting right after the first season, and Matt gave me free reign to do what I wanted, which took enormous trust on his part, and hopefully I didn’t drive the bus into a wall while I was at the wheel. I could have kept writing those books forever, but the fact is I had this idea for Gangsterland and wanted to move over to do that. But I still have Michael Westen in my head and often have story ideas that would be perfect for him. And sometimes, when I’m driving around, I mutter “When you’re a spy…”

GS: Are you working on any upcoming projects?

TG: I just finished a super –secret book project with another writer, which hasn’t been announced just yet, but which is very cool and which I’m quite proud of, and I’m hard at work on the sequel to Gangsterland, which is due to be released in America in fall 2017.

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Head on over to Tod’s website for more information on the man behind the novel.