Scott R. Lord has been a highly successful criminal
and civil trial lawyer for 35 years and is active in the practice of law with
the law firm of Cohen & Lord, a P.C., located in the Century City area of Los Angeles. Scott is a devoted student
of Italian language and literature. He is the father and step-father of six
children and lives with his wife and children in Santa Monica, California.
His latest book is the thriller, The
Logic Bomb.
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Can you tell us what your
book is about?
The Logic Bomb
tells the story of Tom Tresh, a skillful but unsuccessful lawyer, who is lured
by the promise of a huge payday to become involved in a scheme to steal and
sell a mysterious new computer program.
Tom soon discovers that the program is not the harmless financial
services
Why did you write your
book?
I wanted to write a book that
I would like to read: Fun, interesting,
exciting. During my career as a trial
lawyer, I met so many interesting people and learned so many great stories, it
was always a dream of mine to write a novel using some of them.
Can you tell us a little
about your main and supporting characters?
Tom Tresh, the main
character, is a skilled lawyer who has not enjoyed the success he thinks his
talents merit. He has watched as other
lawyers, far less able than he, earn the rewards he thinks he deserves. One such lawyer. Charlie Papadoukas, asks for
his help completing a deal and promises him the moon if the deal goes through. When, predictably, the deal goes sour, Tom
turns to a former client, Skip Williams, the leader of a Los Angeles gang, for help.
Skip is humorous, intelligent, decisive and almost completely amoral.
Do you tend to base your
characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
I tend to base my characters
on real people.
Are you consciously aware
of the plot before you begin a novel or do you discover it as you write?
A mix of the two, I
think. I knew how I wanted The Logic Bomb to end before I started
to write. I outlined the plot but then
felt free to improvise as I wrote. I
find that if what I am writing has merit, good ideas tend to flow.
Your book is set in Los
Angeles. Can you tell
us why you chose this city in particular?
I
live and grew up in the Los Angeles area and I know it better
than any other city. And as many superb
authors have shown, it is a great setting for a mystery thriller.
Does the setting play a major part in the development
of your story?
Open
the book to page 69. What is
happening? Page 69 is the beginning of
Chapter 9. Tom and Charlie have just
discovered that two of the guys who helped them steal the logic bomb software
have been gruesomely murdered. They
realize they are in over their heads and need help if they are to survive.
Have you suffered from writer’s block and what do you
do to get back on track?
Yes,
I have. And the only cure that works for
me is to force myself to write something, anything, no matter how terrible it
seems. Invariably, it gets me back in
the groove.
What would you do with an extra hour today if you
could do anything you wanted?
What
a great question! Out of many options,
the answer is read for pleasure.
Which holiday is your favorite and why?
Thanksgiving. All the fun of food, family, and football,
without the pressure and expectations of Christmas.
If we were to meet for lunch to talk books, where
would we go?
I
live in Santa Monica, California and there are several beach cafes and restaurants
that are ideal of sitting and talking.
Can you tell us about your family?
My
wife and I, between us, have six children, two of whom 12 year-old twin boys,
are still at home. My wife, Susan, owns
and operates a wonderful restaurant, the Bel Air Bar and Grill.
What kind of advice would you give other fiction
authors?
As
a first-time novelist who first published later in life, I would say, it is
never too late to write the book you always dreamed of writing.