JEFFREY HAMMERHEAD PHILIPS – Loves writing underwater and behind waterfalls
I am an internationally known underwater naturalist and have pursued my passion for being up close and personal with large marine animals like hammerheads, tiger sharks, humpback whales, sea lions, and manatees around the world from Bridgetown, Barbados, Peti-Goave, Haiti, to Lucuala, Fiji.
In my former life, I was a computer guru, a working troubleshooter for Computer Power Inc., the largest mortgage servicing company on the planet. At one time, I ran cloak and dagger, clandestine computer programs for the FSLIC, investigating failing savings and loans institutions, bagging dozens of white-collar criminals, and saving the taxpayers billions of dollars.
I married the curviest mermaid of the renowned Mermaid Dive Guides, the smartest and most gorgeous blond in South Florida (or anywhere else). She holds a 100-ton Coast Guard captain’s license, cultivates rare palm trees, and raises show horses in our backyard. Our daughter, Alex, is as smart and pretty as her mom.
Then, I moved to the mountains of Tennessee and led private tours in the remote areas of the forest. In my spare time, I indulge in my new passion, writing adventure novels about the ocean, hoping my readers will learn much about the wonders of the world beneath the sea and be entertained as well.
My next novel takes place in the backwoods of Tennessee.
Do I really write underwater? The answer is yes. Well, a definite maybe. In the way you are thinking, the answer would be no.
When I taught SCUBA diving, yes, I wrote underwater a lot. It would be on my students’ slate to let them know they are doing a good job or the next skill they need to perform. But that is not the type of writing we are talking about, is it?
My first three novels have SCUBA diving scenes in them. And while I was diving for fun, I would write notes on my slate to refer to later. The notes could be weird sounds fish make, an unusual mating dance or a rare one would swim by. All could be used in a novel.
Mostly, I would take a few photographs. You know, a picture is worth a thousand words. But, in my case, a single picture could launch a whole chapter. The photographs would be of shipwrecks sunk on purpose and/or accidentally or from a tragic event. Think of hurricanes.
Funny story: In West Palm Beach, two wrecks plowed into one another after they sank. Both wrecks sank in the ‘60s, different years, but settled on the bottom about a thousand feet from one another. Then, a hurricane brushed against South Florida. The rough seas picked one vessel up and slammed it into the other. The world is a crazy place beneath the surface.
Then life happened and sent me to the middle of Tennessee. Do I still write underwater? No, I write behind the water. I live in the mountains where waterfalls abound, especially during the rainy season. Again, I took a notepad and a camera and recorded the experience behind the cascading waters. The temperature drops thirty degrees, the air is thick with moisture, and it is almost impossible to hear someone talk. If you ever get the chance to go behind a waterfall, do it. Side note: most likely, you will get wet. But it is a refreshing way to cool off from the summer heat.
George has just handed me a list of questions I should discuss. Oh my gosh, the list is longer than “War and Peace.” I’ll answer a few.
Do I outline, or am I a pantser? The short answer is I outline. I use Excel to do so. Each column is a character in the book, and each row is a scene. In the Excel box is a note on what that character is doing. Some notes are long, and some are short. Then, I highlight in yellow what the reader will see. Before I do the outline, I write a biography on all my characters, answering many questions about their physical stature, life, mental condition, and a special trait to ensure they are all on the outer edges of the bell curve. However, you must remember one thing about the outline. It is alive. Sometimes, the characters don’t like what will happen to them, or they do something that makes me change passages in the book. So, yes, I outline, but it is not carved in stone.
Do I base any characters on real people? The answer is yes. Some of the characters have a part of me in them. Remember the old saying, “Write what you know?” I draw on my experiences, good and bad, which include life-threatening episodes. Also, I take pieces of people I meet, or three to ten people, and combine them into a single character. Where do I meet these wonderful citizens – boat yards, junk yards, bars, swamps, hills, and deserts.
What am I currently working on? Here’s a quick recap. John Kole, the epitome of mountain justice, has conflicted feelings about his Cherokee heritage and his Indian name, Fat Bear. After a woman’s body and a mysterious diamond are found in a cave, her husband, an ex-communicated Mennonite named Miller, is suspected of murder. Although the evidence is stacked against Miller, Fat Bear reluctantly agrees to represent him. Fat Bear’s search for the truth leads him into the dark history of the mountain region of moonshiners, deserters, convicts, and their philosophy of “leave us alone or you’ll disappear.” To make matters worse, Fat Bear becomes romantically involved with Sheriff Mary Beth Cooper, who opposes him. Fat Bear must use the ancient teachings of the Cherokee to fight the murderer and to learn the secret of the diamonds.
Who is my favorite author? I wonder if he means someone other than me. If that is the case, then it is James Lee Burke. This man has won four Edgar Awards. He is the master of using the senses and the elements. When I visited New Orleans after reading a few of his books, I felt I had already been to the city. I wish I could write as well as that man.
Good writing.
Until next time.
Professional affiliations:
Mystery Writers of America (National and Southeast chapter)
Sisters in Crime (National and Smokin Guns chapter),
Killer Nashville
Contact Information: Jeffreyphilips82@gmail.com
My website (all the purchase links are there): https://www.JeffreyPhilips.com
Hey, Hammer. You sound like quite a guy. Your blog account read like a short story. It sounds like may have some competition down the road. Good luck
Talk about instilling your writing with FEELING. This is fantastic, George and Jeffrey. And it’s packed with friendly, charming humor, too—best of luck with MURDER ON DEVIL RAY REEF.