1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
-Years ago, I went to film school, focused mainly on directing. I discovered a passion for screenwriting, which later led to a love of writing in general. When I was around thirty, I figured I’d give a novel a try and haven’t looked back since!
2) What inspired you to write your book?
-Mostly the main character, Teddy. I wanted to write a character who is genuine and kind (though not naive), and to then place that character in the seedy and unpredictable world of a private investigator in L.A. I had also wanted to write something that critiqued advertising and disinformation. At that point it was just a matter of swirling everything together into an entertaining narrative.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
-I hope readers are more patient with people, more aware of disinformation, and less tolerant of letting advertising into their lives unchallenged.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
-I love twisty and somewhat weird detective stories that often keep the reader on shaky ground but (mostly) congeal by the end. I feel like detective stories provide a lot of opportunities for playful misdirection, colorful characters, and sneaky foreshadowing, all of which are fun to write.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
-Teddy! I’d ask him how he maintains the stamina to be open and accepting no matter what’s thrown his way.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
-I try to really limit my social media for a lot of reasons, so the only one I use is Instagram. I think it’s pretty well suited to the needs of an author since you can post new covers, text, or videos (I made a few for this book that are pretty fun).
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
-Try to get all the way through to finished book so you can see every aspect of the process. Also to figure out ways to combat discouragement; there’s no one path to being a writer or artist, but perseverance seems like a must-have, no matter the route
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
-I’m already deep into the next novel, my first sci-fi story. I’m very, very excited for this one. It’s still coming together, but broadly, it focuses on a utopian-like city, and explores what can be achieved if we’re able to control and use AI to our advantage. Things certainly go wrong, but overall I would say it’s an optimistic look at a possible future.
Author Bio:
PATRICK CANNING is the author of For Your Benefit (2024), Cryptonalia (2021), Hawthorn Woods (2020), The Colonel and the Bee (2018), and Cryptofauna (2018).
His work often blends genres, combining elements of humor, adventure, fantasy, and mystery into stories with imaginative settings, quirky characters, and typos.
Patrick lives in Chicago with his Australian Shepherd, Hank. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys walks on the lakefront, being excited/worrying about AI, and eating his bodyweight in potatoes.
