Paul: I'm fascinated by the tension between men and women in the workplace...especially sexual tension when two people are attracted to each other. If the man and woman have strikingly different personalities, well, that just heightens every emotion. I loved the old Hepburn/Tracy movies, and some critics have likened "Solomon vs. Lord" to "Adam's Rib." There's also the "Moonlighting" element. Whatever the framework, I thought it would be fun to throw together a male lawyer and female lawyer who love/hate each other and watch them work and play.
Denise: What event brings the two lawyers together?
Paul: We meet Solomon and Lord, not in the courtroom, but in jail. They've been held in contempt. Seems they cant' walk into a courtroom without tangling and irritating the judge. I thought it would be a different way to start a courtroom novel.
Denise: Being that they are total opposites, isn't that what makes the book work? But there is something more, isn't there?
Paul: Yes. They can't just bicker and banter. Maybe you co do that in a half-hour sitcom. But in a 500 page novel, there'd better be more. There'd better be a heart and soul and real emotions.
Denise: What sets your novel apart from other legal thrillers?
Paul: Most legal thrillers use humor sparingly. Obviously, people have responded to the humor in "Solomon vs. Lord."
Denise: What's more important to you: the drama, humor or making everything flow naturally?
Paul: Great question. You have to walk a tightrope. To maintain dramatic tension, the humor has to arise organically from the characters and the situation. You can't stop and say: "Okay, this chapter's going to be a hoot." As your question implies, the trick is to maintain the flow of the plot while smoothly weaving character-based humor into the dialogue.
Denise: What do you bring forward from your own life experiences in this novel?
Paul: I was a trial lawyer for 17 years and I've been married three times. Obviously, I know all about courtrooms and bickering couples!
Denise: Was the plot inspired by a particular true life death?
Paul: Nope. But I've always been intrigued by wives killing their husbands, or being accused of same.
Denise: Is your character Victoria Lord based on your wife's personality and her skill as a lawyer?
Paul: Yes, in large part, Victoria is based on my wife, Renee. We met in a courtroom. Her law firm had been hired as co-counsel in a case I was trying. She was sitting second chair to my first chair...and she's not a second-chair type. So we argued. But...we ended up kissing in the jury room. (The jury was not present, I might add). Renee is a proper but feisty, witty but reserved woman...and that formed the basis for Victoria Lord. Steve Solomon is a cowboy, a guy who flouts the law. "When the law doesn't work, work the law." Guess where he came from.
Denise: Did the characters plot the storyline or did you work it from scene to scene?
Paul: I did a lot of character work first, came up with the concept of a young woman being accused of killing her wealthy, older husband, then plotted how my two characters would handle the case.
Denise: What was your experience with your publisher like? How long did it take to get the book from acceptance to press?
Paul: I came to Bantam, my first publisher, and Kate Miciak, world's greatest editor. Kate bought my first Jake Lassiter novel and really has an ear for my voice. Bantam made a long-term committment (four books), and is first-rate in every way. It took just about one year from acceptance to publication.
Denise: The second novel in the series is due out in February. Can you tease us with the plot without giving it away?
Paul: Although I can summarize "War and Peace," I'm lousy at describing my own work. Here's what it says on the back of the Advance Reading Copy of "The Deep Blue Alibi."
"In Paul Levine's second smart and sexy Solomon vs. Lord legal thriller, a yacht washes up on Sunset Key -- carying a hundred grand and a dying man. Now attorneys Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord must expose a killer who's come to paradise with a shipful of family secrets. If only they can keep themselves from going for each other's throat in the courtroom...and everywhere else!"
Denise: Will you continue to write novels in the future after the series is complete or focus more on television scripts?
Paul: I'd like to do both. CBS has optioned the "Solomon vs. Lord" books, and I'm currently co-writing the pilot script. We'll know in January or February if the pilot gets the green light for filming.
Denise: What do you love about writing, your characters or finishing the last sentence of a novel?
Paul: That sounds like the question: do you love writing...or finishing something you've written. I think everyone who writes both loves and hates it. Sure, it's good to finish a novel, but there's also a sense of loss at the end. Very complicated. Like life.
Denise: Thanks, Paul. I'm looking forward to reading your book. (I'm actually 94 pages into it and love it!)
--Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
January 2006
Copyright Denise Fleischer
