Rogue's Angels Present: Good Cop Bad Cop by Sallie Moppert

Please welcome Sallie Moppert author of Good Cop Bad Cop

Sallie Moppert will be awarding one commenter with a $15 Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

Good Cop Bad Cop

bySallie Moppert

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GENRE:   Mystery

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INTERVIEW:

1) What or who inspired you to start writing?

There really wasn’t a specific person or instance that ignited my love of writing; I can remember coming up with stories since I was about four or five years old. My first memory of writing a story (not exactly writing, per se, but more along the lines of drawing) was at about four when a movie I really liked at the time debuted and I came up with some story about or for it. From there, I continued writing about or for things I liked, specifically video games or movies. It was about at age 13, in middle school, that I knew I wanted to move beyond writing just for fun and become an actual author. It’s been my dream ever since and, one of the best things about writing is that it’s not something that can be perfected, so I get to keep learning and honing my craft for the rest of my life. 

2) How did you come up with the idea for your novel?

The inspiration for Good Cop Bad Cop (“GCBC”) actually came from a contest prompt. The prompt was “straightforward” and the objective was to tell the story from beginning to end with no flashbacks or flash-forwards. This led to the first story in the collection that I wrote, which turned out to be the penultimate chapter and the story for which the collection is named, Good Cop, Bad Cop. I fell in love with my protagonist, Sam Marlowe, pretty quickly and knew that I wanted to write him again. His dialogue is fun to come up with and, despite being kind of a cynical veteran detective who tends to ignore the rules, he still cares deep down and tries to do what’s right, even if it’s not exactly done in the most legal way. I ended up putting the story I originally drafted for the contest aside and came up with another one featuring Sam and his partner, Dahlia Bennett, called The Gray Area. This one happened to end up in the middle of the book. For a separate contest, I wrote a third story featuring Sam, which became the first story in GCBC, Second Chances. The fun-and the challenge-was then to figure out how Sam in Second Chances ended up as Sam in Good Cop Bad Cop and the experiences and events that served as a catalyst for his change. Of course, by this time, I had already grown attached to Sam and felt bad for all the stuff I was putting him through in order to get to that point in Good Cop Bad Cop!  

3) What expertise did you bring to your writing?

My expertise comes in a couple different forms. I have a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a Specialization in Forensic Science, so I try to use my education and experience to make my stories realistic. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from professors that worked all throughout law enforcement, including FBI agents, detectives, forensic scientists, etc. and gain insight into their first hand experiences in actual crime solving and investigating. Beyond my education, I have also worked as a writer and editor. No better way to brush up on your skills on a daily basis than to work in the field!

4) What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I am a HUGE animal lover. My sister and I have volunteered with the rescue that we got our dogs from and, every year since my book’s release, I have donated a book themed basket to the rescue’s basket raffle at the annual reunion picnic. Between the two of us, my sister and I have quite the “zoo” going - including two dogs, two guinea pigs, two dwarf hamsters, a leopard gecko, two betta fish, and an aquarium with corydora catfish. I also love sports, video games and arts and crafts, I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I’m working toward my black belt in karate; I’m all over the place :) 

5) As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Writing is something that I absolutely want to continue with in the future. I am currently working on several additional stories that feature Sam, Dahlia and several other characters from GCBC. I also have some other stories that I am working on tweaking to be in a similar format as GCBC - these were originally full length novels that I’m going to change into short story collections. More crimes to solve=more fun!

6) Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

Of course! This is one of my favorite openings in the book - it’s the beginning scene of The Gray Area.

            Not guilty.

            Those two little words caused a great deal of relief to settle over young Roderick Morgan. The groans and gasps of anger and disbelief of the spectators packed shoulder to shoulder in the gallery of the courtroom turned the relief Roderick felt into jubilation and a smile crossed his lips, revealing his pearly white teeth. While his stunning smile would have normally caused nearly every woman in the court to go weak at the knees, on this particular afternoon, Roderick’s grin only served to further infuriate the numerous people seated behind him.

            “Murderer!”

            “Spoiled rotten rich kid! Nothing’s ever good enough for people like you!”

            “This is a court of law, not a damned sporting event!” the judge banged his gavel repeatedly to silence the outbursts of the crowd. “And as much as you all may disagree with the verdict, a jury of his peers has spoken. Mr. Morgan, you are free to go.”

            Roderick was immediately pulled into a giant bear hug by his attorney, the linebacker of a man named Brian Davies.

            “Congrats, Roddy boy!” Brian said with a hearty slap on the back.

            Roderick coughed, the wind knocked out of him.

            “Thanks,” he wheezed in response. “C’mon, Davies, let’s get out of here. I need to celebrate.”

            The bailiff unlocked Roderick’s handcuffs before Brian escorted his client out of the courtroom. The attorney quickly filled out the necessary paperwork to get his newly acquitted client officially released. Once that was all squared away with the court, they hurried through the courthouse in an attempt to avoid a confrontation with the mob of people from the courtroom that were angered by the verdict. Roderick attempted to open the thick solid oak doors of justice that, once he stepped through them would render him a free man, but Brian put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

            “There’s a ton of press out there,” he said to Roderick. “Let me go first.”

            Brian stepped forward, opening the massive doors with ease, and walked straight into the sea of microphones, camera flashes, and video recorders. Roderick followed a few steps behind his loyal attorney and stood at his side as he waited for the onslaught of the inevitable media coverage that was a result of the trial’s conclusion.

            “Please, please,” Brian started to speak, holding his hands up to halt the millions of questions that were being voiced to him all at once.

            Once the media crowd quieted down, Brian addressed them:

            “I am pleased to announce that my client, Mr. Roderick Morgan, was found not guilty for the deaths of his parents, Walter and Cassidy Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan adopted Roderick and raised him as if he was their own flesh and blood. There was no way that he would repay their love and kindness by brutally murdering them as they lay sleeping in their beds.”

Roderick nudged Brian, who turned to look at him.

            “May I?” he asked.

            “Of course,” Brian said.

            Roderick stepped in front of Brian to better face the endless crowd of media before him.

            “I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dreadful ordeal,” he said, speaking in the sweet and innocent tone that had helped him to win over the jury a short time ago.

            Roderick’s gentle eyes and sincere expression then suddenly transformed to that of smugness accompanied by a sneer. “But that proves that you are all stupid as hell,” he said with a wink. “Because I got away with murder. Adios!”

            Roderick pulled his designer sunglasses out of his designer suit coat pocket and put them on as his personal driver pulled up in front of the courthouse with his golden Maserati. The media watched in stunned silence as Roderick descended the concrete steps to his car, not a care in the world. Brian followed solemnly behind, his head lowered in shame at the admission of guilt by his client.

            “Stupid spoiled rotten son of a bitch,” he grumbled to himself, not caring if Roderick heard him or not.

7) When did you decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I am very fortunate to have a great support team at home. My parents and sister are super supportive of my literary endeavors, including the long road to getting a book published. They’re wonderful for bouncing ideas off of and getting feedback from. Once I had put together all of the stories in the collection, I started searching for a publisher to submit to. One thing that drew me to my publisher, Zimbell House, was the fact that they offered feedback - that is invaluable as a writer. I had submitted other works before GCBC to agents, publishers, magazines, and what have you and, while I got some bites, they ultimately resulted in rejections. Rejections are a part of the process and, while not fun, it’s something you learn to deal with. However, the real pain is often not knowing why they were rejected. How can I learn what my strengths are or what I need to work on if I never receive feedback? I figured I could submit to Zimbell House because, at the very least, I could get some direction on what to do to improve my writing. A few months later, I got the most wonderful email that stated my book was going to be accepted for publication. Definitely a win-win situation for me; I got my feedback while working with a professional editor and I got my first book published.   

8) Do you outline your books or just start writing?

After some experimenting, I found that a flexible outline works best for me. I tried both ends of the spectrum over the years, with rigid outlining of nearly every detail and character, and making it up as I went (I remember one instance where even I didn’t know who the murderer was when I started writing) in order to find what was best for my writing style. Now, I like to use a little bit of both. I typically start with a prompt or a basic idea and give myself a brief chronology of events and just go from there. This gives me a general path to follow, something like “I want A, B, and C to happen over the course of the story,” but I can have fun with the journey of getting there and all of the random developments that come along the way. I enjoy letting stories develop on their own and just being along for the ride sometimes; there was one story I was working on that I was thoroughly outlining and, while writing one particular chapter, an idea occurred to me to have these two characters nearly get into a physical altercation until interrupted by a third character they both had a connection to. This certainly wasn’t in the original outline but it definitely fit both character’s personalities, so I included it and I was pleased with the results. The plot bunnies can often come up with good ideas if I let them take the reins sometimes, so I say, have at thee! 

9) How do you maintain your creativity?

I usually like to have a couple of different projects going at the same time, so I can switch between them whenever I need to or want to because sometimes, no matter how long I sit there and stare at the page, the words just don’t flow. It’s easier to put that story aside for a bit and work on something else instead of forcing the words out and coming up with something that I’m not happy with. I’d rather return to the story a few days or weeks later with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. I also write fanfiction for fun (I’m on both fanfiction and AO3) and read books of all genres. I’m working my way through the classics, as well as reading all of the stories written by my personal hero, Agatha Christie.

10) Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

Sam is probably my favorite character. I love being able to write his dialogue, especially later on in the book when he really becomes snarky and he and his partner banter like an old married couple. He’s also one that I still find myself rooting for even when he gets himself in trouble; Sam’s not the typical character that if he does something wrong, I want him to get caught or to get his comeuppance. I still want him to be able to come out on top, no matter what it takes, and overcome all of the things that he has gone through. It’s interesting to be kind of cheering on the “bad guy,” if you want to call him that, since he’s definitely not a squeaky-clean run-of-the-mill hero guy (but I love him anyway).

BLURB:

When his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and even becomes the boy’s foster father.

Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.

The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.

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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EXCERPT:

Brian stepped forward, opening the massive doors with ease, and walked straight into the sea of microphones, camera flashes, and video recorders. Roderick followed a few steps behind his loyal attorney and stood at his side as he waited for the onslaught of the inevitable media coverage that was a result of the trial’s conclusion. 

“People, please,” Brian started to speak, holding his hands up to halt the millions of questions that were being voiced to him all at once.

Once the media crowd quieted down, Brian addressed them: 
      

“I am pleased to announce that my client, Mr. Roderick Morgan, was found not guilty for the deaths of his parents, Walter and Cassidy Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan adopted Roderick and raised him as if he was their own flesh and blood. There was no way that he would repay their love and kindness by brutally murdering them as they lay sleeping in their beds.” 

Roderick nudged Brian, who turned to look at him. 

“May I?” he asked. 

“Of course,” Brian said. 

Roderick stepped in front of Brian to better face the endless crowd of media before him. 

“I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dreadful ordeal,” he said, speaking in the sweet and innocent tone that had helped him to win over the jury a short time ago. 

Roderick’s gentle eyes and sincere expression then suddenly transformed to that of smugness accompanied by a sneer. “But that proves that you are all stupid as hell,” he said with a wink. “Because I got away with murder. Adios!” 

Roderick pulled his designer sunglasses out of his designer suit coat pocket and put them on as his personal driver pulled up in front of the courthouse with his golden Maserati. The media watched in stunned silence as Roderick descended the concrete steps to his car, not a care in the world. Brian followed solemnly behind him, his head lowered in shame at the admission of guilt by his client. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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 includes two dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.

WEBSITE: https://salliemoppert.wixsite.com/mysite

AMAZON:https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cop-Bad-Sallie-Moppert

ZIMBELL HOUSE: http://zimbellhousepublishing.com/product/good-cop-bad-cop/

FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/GoodCopBadCopNovel

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66482800-sallie

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Sallie Moppert will be awarding one commenter with a $15 Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3100