Meet Andy Holloman and his debut book - Shades of Gray

We are honored to have author 

Andy Holloman 

here with us today!

Andy has just released his new book: Shades of Gray

and the Women's Literary Cafe 

is helping him launch his book!

Andy, thank you so much for joining us today!  We are glad you could come visit! 

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Do you work another job when you are not writing?    

My day job is working as a residential mortgage lender so I assist people with securing loans to purchase real estate and in refinancing their current mortgages.  I also do some real estate buying and selling when I have free time.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?  

I love doing things with my children like hiking, camping, and playing sports.  My wife and I are film fans so we spend a good deal of time watching movies at our favorite theatre in the Raleigh area and at home.

What is your favorite color? Why?        

I’m a Carolina Blue man, through and through.  I graduated from UNC – Chapel Hill, but even growing up, my blood ran true blue.  

What is your favorite season? Why? 

I love the fall in North Carolina because of the cooler temperatures (NC is horribly hot in July and August) and I love the fall colors.  Around my home, we are very fortunate to have tons of oak trees, so as the leaves change, it is amazing

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?  

My wife and I made a trip to the Western US before our children were born and I fell madly in love with Wyoming and Montana.  Thus I have a recurring fantasy of living near Yellowstone and immersing myself in the great outdoors in this area.

If you could have any car, what would it be?       

1964 convertible Mustang

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?  

My writing only began in earnest with the formation of the idea for Shades of Gray, which was around 2003.  Prior to that, I wrote a few short stories plus some novel outlines, but I was never published.     Writing became a goal for me in 2005, but prior to that, it was strictly a hobby.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?  

I haven’t had a set routine for writing since I was creating Shades of Gray many years ago.  But at that time, I spend 2 hours a day writing the novel, typically at night after my children had gone to bed.

Is there some place special you like to be when you write?  

I find that I’m most productive when I write away from my hectic household.  My favorite places are bookstores and libraries.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?    

I need quiet whenever I’m writing, so no music for me.

Tell us about your book:

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand alone novel? 

My debut novel is Shades of Gray and it is a standalone novel.

Where did the idea come from?        

For 12 years (mostly in the 90’s) I was the owner of a travel agency.  One of my sales agents reported a situation to me where one of her clients was purchasing airline tickets in a legal, but unusual manner.  Not too long after this, the woman was found murdered inside her burned out home.  This solidified our suspicion that she must have been a drug dealer.  After 9/11 and the subsequent downturn in the travel industry, an idea grew in my mind “What lengths would a business owner go to in order to save his company”.  So this is how the novel was formulated.

How long did it take to write?   

I started on 2003 and finished the first draft in 2006.  I set the draft aside for 5 years and came back to it when I received an offer (out of the blue) from a local publishing company.  When I add up the time I spent actually writing and re-writing, I would estimate that it took four years.

What is it about?    

Shades of Gray is a novel about the consequences that one faces should they decide to cross the line into illegal activities.  All of the characters are either long time criminals or (in the case of my protagonist) become criminals.   As the story unfolds, we see how bad decisions made in desperate moments can come back to haunt the characters.  I one case in particular, the decision to become a drug smuggler imposes the worst thing imaginable upon one of my characters.

Your other work:

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published?  

I do not have any other published works out.  At the moment I am very, very busy with the promotion of Shades of Gray, but I do have another work in progress.   I have described this new novel and a rowdy romp through 1990’s as seen through the eyes of Irish twins who come of age in the 1990’s.

Where can readers connect with you: 

     www.AndyHolloman.com

Books can be purchased here:

www.AndyHolloman.com

This book is part of the WoMen's Literary Cafe Mystery Book Launch Party 

Please click the link below to learn more about this great book launch! 

Shades of Gray Book Launch