You have a background in the FBI and as a church pastor. Do you draw on those occupations when writing your novels?

Any writer draws from their life experiences when they create a character in a novel. I think my particular background has caused me to see people at their best and at their worse. I write character driven stories that reflect humanity as I see it. There is a surprising amount of goodness in the worse of us, and regrettable flaws in the rest of us. I think believable characters come from striking a balance between those qualities. No villain in a novel can be all bad and still capture our interest. I give all of the bad guys certain redeeming qualities that makes the reader hold out hope that they won’t do what they see looming up in the next chapter.

Which of your novels is your favorite and why?

When someone asks me that, I always say the next one. I am now caught up in writing a novel called The Relic. It is the second book in a series that started with Abraham’s Bones. I feel at times as if I am one of the characters in this series. I spent a long time researching the conditions and politics in the Middle East before I began the actual writing process. If you are talking about published books, it would be Abraham’s Bones, although I think The Relic will be a better book when it comes to completion. As I did my research, I began to compile a list of the climatic events that would occur in the story. My characters came about as a way of showing the opposing political, religious, and ethnic problems in the region.

If you had to name a character in any of your books whom you dislike most, who would it be and why?

I just finished a book called Innocent, which will be out before the end of the month. The character’s name is Carson Cardiff and he is despicable beyond words. He has all of the qualities for which most of us have an aversion to, but it is all hidden behind a perfect, social demeanor. Cardiff is a successful businessman, and has the outward appearance of being the kind of guy you might want to meet. In a Western novel I wrote, there is a character called Cass McCade. McCade is hated by almost every man he comes in contact with, but he is the champion of every child or helpless woman. In contrast, Cardiff is evil personified.

Do you consider yourself a well-rounded writer, or are there parts of writing you believe you excel at more than others?

I think my strong point is the fact that I actually like doing research. My father had a healthy interest in almost everything. At an early age, I developed an insatiable appetite for information. In order for a writer’s work to appeal to a wide range of people, it must be accurate, interesting, and informative, as well as the need to tell a good story.

What demographic of readers do you think will enjoy your books most, Joe?

I think the readers of suspense will like what I have written. Regardless of what I write, there is a strong element of suspense and mystery, for that is the way I have found life to be. I don’t write stories with the idea that this is the ideal story for a professional person, nor do I try to write the type of book that will please the blue-collar worker, or the teacher, police officer, or the office worker. There are three elements you will find in everything I write; interesting characters in real life situations, adventure, and mystery. I think all of these things transcends the other ways in which we might try to identify the various segments of society.

To learn more about Joe Prentis, visit: http://www.joeprentis.com

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