JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Thomas Overton, author of Murder with a Deadly Weapon
(Live to Die Publishing)
When a Glock nine-millimeter is snatched from a pawnshop by two would-be robbers, it embarks on a wild journey. From the hood to the ‘burbs and back again, this gun is a vehicle for murder. The Glock reaches the hands of several individuals and is used as the weapon for diverse malicious crimes. Detectives Peterson and James are determined to locate the whereabouts of this deadly weapon, but realize the task at hand is more difficult than they expected. Why? Villains, more often, move faster than law officials. After a person is killed and another gun goes unrecoverable, who will be the next to be murdered with an undiscovered deadly weapon? If it fell into your hands, what would you do?
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Murder with a Deadly Weapon?
Thomas Overton: I was serving a two-year sentence in prison, and that is where I became inspired to write. Out of boredom, and the fact that there was nothing else to do, I came up with the concept. I began to wonder whatever happened to the first two guns I owned. I remembered my cousin giving me a gun to handle some business with at one point in my life. Because of the mass gun violence that takes place in our streets these days and personal life experiences, I thought that a gun with a voice that travels from hand to hand would be an excellent concept.
JP: What sets Murder with a Deadly Weapon apart from other novels in its genre?
TO: It’s not the same old street lit: girl meets drug dealer, they go through some drama, they end up either dead, in jail, etc….. That’s the same old stuff. I like to write about different things that go on in the streets. And the a gun that travels is definitely reality.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Murder with a Deadly Weapon getting out to the public?
TO: I’ve only been out for a few weeks now. It has been difficult getting out to the masses, but Terry Woods said it best. She said, “At first no one will buy your book. After one or two readers embrace the story, masses of others will follow.” So…. I’m just waiting on the masses. I haven’t gotten any bad responses, so that’s a blessing. Just keepin’ it movin’ is what I’ll have to do.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Murder with a Deadly Weapon?
TO: I usually try to write something everyday. A sentence, a paragraph, a page, etc…until the story is complete. When I was in college, my professors use to tell me that I was a good writer. So, when I got to prison, I just expanded what the college teachers use to compliment me on. After I read True to the Game and Bloody Money 1 by Leodrei Prince, I decided to write my own tale. Originally while incarcerated, I self-taught myself how to write a screenplay. Murder With a Deadly Weapon was originally a movie script, however Leodrei Prince and my baby-mama convinced me to convert it into a novel. Plus, it was easier to shop that way. It took me about 3 months to do the conversion, but I liked the novel writing process. It allows me to express my full vision of what is going on in the story.
JP: What’s next for Thomas Overton?
TO: I’m working on three novels at once. (1.) Keys to the Franchise is about five drug dealers who come up in the game to purchase a professional football franchise but will they see their dream come to life. That’s actually done already. (2.) It Was All Good Just a Week Ago is about a woman who is on top, however, takes a trip to the bottom of the food chain after she looses her job, relationships, and her freedom. When she decides that enough is enough, she devises a plan to get back on top. (3.) Now Who has the Last Laugh which is a tale about a young black man with ambitions to be a successful entrepreneur, but negativity surrounds his lifestyle. He struggles to survive the clutches of life in a way that all ambitious black men can relate to. Also, look out for “THE URBAN BOOK OUTLET.” An online bookstore strictly for the urban reader and/or the urban author to promote and sell his/her work.
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