Interviews
A Conversation with James Patterson
about
Violets are Blue
Violets are Blue
Q. The underworld of the vampires that you describe in Violets are Blue is very dark and disturbing, where did the idea come from? Did it require a lot of research?
A. For many years I had heard about an underworld consisting of people who act out a vampire fantasy while I was living in New York. Fortunately for me there are also several books on the phenomena. I read some, and then visited with people involved in this curious, exciting and somewhat misunderstood sub-culture. I met with a fang maker, who offered to fit me for an exquisite pair. I also went to a club in Los Angeles where I was one of the few participants without fangs and colored contact lenses to make my eyes appear red or purple.
Q. The Mastermind makes a return appearance in Violets are Blue after being the villain in Roses Are Red. Is he your most sinister killer yet and how do you think up these evil characters?
A. It's very difficult for me to pick a favorite among my sinister children. The Mastermind, Gary Soneji and Geoffrey Shafer are all pretty nasty. Most of these characters are based on people I knew while working in advertising. Just kidding.
Q. In Violets are Blue, the action takes place across the country from Washington DC, to San Francisco to Las Vegas to Savannah to New Orleans. Did you travel to all these locations? Why did you pick these cities? Are they known to be the centers of the vampire world?
A. Yes, I have visited all of the major locations in the book-with the exception of Las Vegas. The vampire underworld is much larger than most people could imagine. It exists in all the cities mentioned in the book, but also in many, many more. Teenagers, especially, seem to like to act out vampire fantasies. There are several popular computer games with vampire scenes.
Q. With the success of your new Women's Murder Club Series (1st To Die) and your love story (Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas) did you look forward to returning to the character of Alex Cross?
A. Sure, I always look forward to writing about Alex Cross. However, writing 1st To Die and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas gave me a very necessary breather and I'm sure contributed to Violets are Blue in that way.
Q. When you write, do you tend to finish one book at a time or are you working on several different stories lines simultaneously?
A. Lately, I find that I'm working on three or more projects at any given time. For some reason, this is a very comfortable way for me to work.
Q. What is next for Alex Cross? Will we see him on the big screen again?
A. I'm just finishing up the next Alex Cross and I'm pleased with it. Some people will look at it as more realistic than Violets are Blue, but only because they won't be able to believe that the vampire underworld is as large and real as it is. Currently, Paramount is talking about Roses Are Red that I think has the makings of a terrific movie.
Q. What is next for James Patterson? Is there any form of writing that you haven't tried that you are interested in?
A. This summer, I'll be bringing out a mystery that involves a young lawyer and a court scene the likes of which I don't think you've ever seen. Hollywood said this is James Patterson meets John Grisham. I'm also working on a medieval mystery story that hopefully will read like a historical novel on speed. At some point, I'd like to try a contemporary horror novel, and maybe write another love story like Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas.
