Avalon Books - Author! Author!


	Read some interviews from past editions:
		Zelda Benjamin April, 2008
		Shirley Marks December, 2007
		Donna Wright December, 2007
		Carolyn Brown August, 2007
		Roni Denholtz June, 2007
		Tara Randel April, 2007
		Sydell Voeller February, 2007
		Sheila Robins December, 2006
		Ann Holt October, 2006
		Cynthia Danielewski July, 2006
		Jane McBride Choate March, 2006
		Kathryn Meyer Griffith January, 2006
		Mel Taylor November, 2005
		Kathleen Fuller September, 2005
		Tracey J. Lyons July, 2005
		Ludima Gus Burton May, 2005
		Holly Jacobs March, 2005
		Sandra D. Bricker January, 2005
		Kathryn Quick November, 2004
		Cheri Jetton September, 2004
		Heather S. Webber July, 2004
		Karl Fieldhouse May, 2004
		Shelley Galloway March, 2004
		Ilsa Mayr January, 2004
		Kathy Carmichael November, 2003
		Dorothy P. O'Neill July, 2003
		Joani Ascher May, 2003
		Patricia DeGroot March, 2003
		Nancy J. Parra January, 2003
		Barbara Meyers November, 2002
		Christine Bush September, 2002
		Debby Mayne July, 2002
		Jean C. Gordon May, 2002
		Charles E. Friend March, 2002
		Norma Seely January, 2002
		Glen Ebisch November, 2001
		Gina Cresse September, 2001
		John Paxson July, 2001
		Terri Alcock May, 2001
		Amanda Harte January, 2001
		Kent Conwell November, 2000
		Carolyn Brown September, 2000
		Annette Mahon July, 2000
		Marjorie McGinley May, 2000
		Jack Lewis March, 2000
		Amanda Harte January, 2000
		Joyce and Jim Lavene November, 1999
	Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
		S.J. Stewart April, 2008


Author! Author!: March, 2001
Click on images to learn more about these books. An Interview with Clifford Blair

What appeals to you about writing Westerns?
	Whether in books, movies or television, I’ve always enjoyed the classic Western format with its emphasis on action and traditional moral values. Writing Western novels enables me to tell action-packed stories of good triumphing over evil.
How do you do your research?
	All of my Westerns have been set in Oklahoma Territory, which constituted the last real frontier in the lower forty-eight States. As a native Oklahoman, I have a love for the state and its history. When I was younger I drove cattle on horseback and mended fences on my family’s ranch. That experience has proven invaluable in my writing. In addition to making use of reference books, libraries and museums, I have visited many of the historic sites described in my novels, and have even worked on archaeological digs at some of them. Guthrie, the old Territorial Capital, has been restored to its original Victorian style, with many of the Territorial buildings still intact and in use today. Visiting Guthrie is like a trip back to Oklahoma Territory. It’s easy to imagine James Stark, Colt .45 holstered at his side, strolling with Prudence McKay along the busy cobblestone streets.
Do you consider your books to be violent?
	My books have a lot of action, but there is a vast difference between clean action scenes to further the plot, and explicit gratuitous violence with no useful purpose.
How did you learn about firearms?
	My father, a World War II veteran, taught me how to handle guns safely when I was a child. As a volunteer in law enforcement, I have consulted professionals regarding the use of firearms. In addition, I have studied fast-draw techniques. I use reference books in researching antique weapons. Claremore, Oklahoma is home to the largest gun museum in the world, which is a valuable resource.
How did you learn about hand-to-hand fighting techniques?
	I’ve studied and practiced various martial arts, including weapons techniques, since I was a child. I’ve also taken fencing and researched knife fighting techniques.
What do you do with your time besides writing?
	I’m an attorney with a law practice concentrated in the field of estate planning, trusts, wills and probate. Outside of that, my wife, Alma, and I like to adopt stray animals. We live on an acreage with five big dogs and seven cats. I enjoy swimming and archery target practice. I spend a lot of time reading—mostly pulp magazine reprints, and vintage Westerns and hardboiled mysteries. My wife and I are also active in church, where I teach an adult Sunday School class.
Who is your favorite author?
	Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. My favorite Western authors are Gordon D. Shirreffs and Ray Hogan. My favorite Western novel is Shane.
Tell us something about your family.
	My wife’s name is Alma. She has written some romantic suspense novels for Avalon Books. We have three adult children and four grandchildren.
What is your most recent book?
	Peacemaker Prizefight, the latest in the Peacemaker series, is due for release in April 2001. In it, James Stark infiltrates an illegal prizefighting ring, operating in Indian Territory, where the fights are often to the death. He finds himself pitted against brutal fighters in no-holds-barred bouts. Among his opponents is another master of the French foot-fighting art of savate, who is even more skillful than Stark himself. He has been brought in specifically to defeat Stark. Feisty lady attorney Prudence McKay must deal with the legal wiles of the Eastern tycoons bankrolling the illicit ring. Allied with Stark against the hired guns of the tycoons is legendary lawman Bat Masterson. The background information on Masterson is accurate, as is the material on prizefighting in that area. Peacemaker Prizefight makes for an exciting and suspenseful entry in the continuing saga of James Stark, Peacemaker for Hire.
What lies ahead for Stark and Prudence?
	I plan to have the unlikely couple continue to squabble and reconcile in adventures featuring a vicious gunfighter and his gang; a deadly knife artist reputed to have been trained by James Bowie himself; a mysterious assassin; a range war; a lawless town where Prudence is named as prosecutor; a haunted mountain range; and many others. As to whether Jim Stark and Prudence can ever stop feuding long enough to get more romantically involved; I don’t think either of them is ready for marriage. Yet.