PageOneLit.com:  Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Art Adkins: I was born in Punta Gorda, Florida which is south near the Tampa/Charlotte area, but I grew up here in the Gainesville area. North Central Florida was vastly different then as compared to now. Not a lot of people were moving into the region. Walt Disney had opened Disney World in Orlando and Orlando was in the beginning pains of growth and expansion. A lot of people were still moving to the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. Gainesville was somewhat overlooked at the time. I lived out in the country and our nearest neighbors were over a mile away, so I grew up in a rural environment on the farm.

Reading and writing was very much a part of my early upbringing, especially reading. Reading was escapism for me, especially during the summer months before I was old enough to drive. I could escape into a novel and have it transport me to another part of the world and it was this sense of discovery that kept me glued to books. When I was in the tenth grade I had read everything in the library and the librarian used to get me out of class to have me select the books I wanted to read. Reading allowed me to develop my imagination as I tried to envision the places I had read about. Being the only son on a farm means you have to do a lot of solitary work, oftentimes for hours on end. It gave me ample opportunity to reflect on the book I had read the night before and allow my imagination to transport me to that environment. Looking back, it was one of the best things that could have happened to me as I relived the stories in the novels over and over as I worked on the farm.

It is hard to pinpoint who my favorite author was early in my life or my favorite type of novel. I like such a wide variety of subjects. I enjoyed Walter Farley's The Black Stallion and I equally enjoyed all the stories on WWII, especially the Battle of Midway and our efforts as a nation to utilize air craft carriers into a new arena across the globe. I was extremely fascinated by submarine warfare in WWII and the dangers these men faced. Submarine Commanders were on their own and only had their wits and a capable crew to save them. I always enjoyed the hero who had to overcome the odds and battle through to the end, using only their wit, courage, and determination. I especially enjoyed stories where the odds were overwhelming and they triumphed anyway. The early Ian Fleming novels about James Bond turned me into a life-long James Bond fan - I always dreamed of developing a character that was as easily recognizable as James Bond. I still have a long way to go with Slade Lockwood!

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Why do you write? 

Art Adkins: I write because I love to tell a story and entertain people. But I also write because I have to. I know that may sound odd, but when I am not writing I feel like a part of me is not being fulfilled. The story inside is screaming to be put on paper to share with others. When I wrote The Oasis Project, it was as if Slade and company stood at my side and whispered in my ear as I put their story on paper - I was nothing more than the scribe. I would write even if I was never published. It is something I enjoy doing and, like I said, the story wants out, to be recorded.
 

 

PageOneLit.com: In your new novel "The Oasis Project" , your main character is Slade Lockwood (20 year veteran of the LAPD) who has now retired to Cedar Key Florida. What makes Slade different from other sleuths/detectives in the detective mystery? What do you like about Slade?

Art Adkins: Slade is different in a lot of ways. Slade is not out trying to hustle money or worry about obtaining a case to pay the rent. Slade is trying to find himself, has become disgruntled with law enforcement and is going through a process to re-discover the youthful ambition and ideals that led him into law enforcement to begin with. It is this journey that perplexes Slade, this self-discovery that he has run from for so long, refusing to acknowledge, but now must confront. Discovering who the murderer is in the story is a parallel course for Slade, but equally important.

I like Slade because he is not afraid to venture into the unknown. At times he moves forward, not because he understands the direction he is taking, but he accepts that he must take it and the conclusion will be enlightening. How many times in our own lives do we get thrown into situations where we must battle through to the end and hope the solution is worth the price we pay? That is Slade - he moves forward because he has to and wants to, not afraid to confront those aspects of his personality and environment that may be painful, but at the same time beneficial. I think everyone can appreciate Slade.

 

 

PageOneLit.com: "The Oasis Project"  is an interesting story that actually has an environmental theme. Was this done on purpose or by accident?

Art Adkins: Like I said, I grew up on a farm and I live on a small farm now. I have a healthy respect for the environment and I am not happy with how we are conducting ourselves with respect to the environment. We are polluting our rivers and streams, we are over building, and everyone is aware of the green house effect impacting our weather patterns. I felt like the topic covered in The Oasis Project could maybe make a statement and hopefully have someone look at it as an alternative. So, yes, I did write about the environment on purpose. I hope people who read the book will start to ask questions about our environment and question the actions of our leaders with respect to how we do certain things. We only have one Earth - we cannot afford to lose what we have.

 

PageOneLit.com: "The Oasis Project" deals with big corporations and their power  -- Do you think corporations run the country more so than our government?

Art Adkins:  I sincerely believe large corporations have more of an impact on our country than people would like to realize. Look at the amount of money large corporations spend on lobbying efforts from the local to federal level - the amount is staggering. Do they have more of an impact than our government? I don't really know the answer to that, but I do believe their impact is substantial, especially the larger the corporation. One of the ideas for an upcoming Slade Lockwood novel deals with this very issue. I don't think any action by government officials fails to take large corporations into account and I think this has to be evaluated on a case by case circumstance. Also, look at the impact some of the large corporations have had on our environment - it has not been good. That is not say that all of them are not environmentally conscious because they are, but we need to stand watch in this area.

 

PageOneLit.com: You worked 12 years on the LAPD police force - Why did you move to Florida? Any of the same reasons Slade did?

Art Adkins: LAPD has been the highlight of my law enforcement career. I enjoyed everything about the agency - they are progressive, at the forefront of change in law enforcement, and they have a very strong can-do attitude. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my times on LAPD, the people I met, the dynamics of the City, and wonderful memories I have. Los Angeles and LAPD will forever be pleasant memories to me.

I moved back to Florida to raise my two sons in a rural environment. The Los Angeles area is a high density urban area and I wanted my sons to experience the rural Florida I so fondly remembered. Gainesville has been featured in several magazines in the last fifteen years as the number one place to live. I guess I do have some parallels to Slade - I wanted to continue to work on my writing, find myself in that field, and evaluate my future. Slade's reasons for moving to Florida are more self-centered.
 

 

PageOneLit.com: Florida is a setting for many popular authors in the mystery/thriller genre. In your opinion why is Florida so popular in fiction? What is it about the state that is different from other states?

Art Adkins: Florida is the setting for a lot of mystery/thriller writers - John D. MacDonald launched Travis McGhee in the Ft. Lauderdale area; Lawrence Sanders talked about Ft. Lauderdale in a couple of his novels; and more recently other novelists have set their stories in Florida. Florida is a unique state. It has a lot of history and the coastline is intriguing. We have miles of coast on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, all beckoning to be discovered. Walt Disney fascinated millions when he selected Florida to build Disney World. Throw in the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, and Kennedy Space Center, and you have a lot of dynamic places of interest. I believe it is this idea of things being larger than life that attracts people. Plus the sunshine, climate, and outdoor activities make it appealing.

 

PageOneLit.com: What do you hope readers will say after reading "The Oasis Project" ?

Art Adkins: After people read The Oasis Project I hope they will want to read a sequel! I also hope they have enjoyed the story and it held their interest from beginning to end, and they enjoyed and could identify with the characters. Lastly, I hope they learn something. Even though The Oasis Project is a work of fiction, there are issues dealt with in the novel that are impacting us today. Hopefully our leaders of today will have the insight to solve problems like Slade and company. It is also my hope that the readers recognize me as a writer and desire to see more of my work.

 

 

PageOneLit.com: "The Oasis Project"  would make a great film/movie - Hollywood calls and asks you to cast the characters. Who do you cast and why?

Art Adkins: I have actually thought about this a lot. I could see a younger Kurt Russell playing Slade Lockwood and I don't know that he is too old right now. Kurt Russell has a certain charisma about him, but also a reflective side that I think would portray Slade very well. Kurt is also a dynamite actor and I believe he could make the audience feel the story and adventures that befall Slade. Another actor of considerable talent who could portray Slade Lockwood would be Hugh Jackman. He has considerable range as an actor and a toughness that Slade needs. I think he would be an excellent Slade.

And I don't want to forget a Florida resident in the Ocala area - John Travolta. He is an actor who continues to impress me with his considerable range of characters he portrays on the big screen. I think he could make Slade come alive and could probably add some dimensions to the character I have not even considered.

I could see Kate Beckinsale as Katherine Wintergate. Kate is a star of striking beauty, especially in Van Helsing, and I believe that beauty combined with the innocent look she has would make a fantastic character as an artist. I have seen her in movies where her inner strength surfaces and that is needed for this character. Her range of acting ability would provide the nuances the character needs.

I think Jeff Goldblum would play a great June Stenger. Jeff has that swagger and damn-it-all approach that would bring that character to life. When I think of June Stenger, I think of Jeff Goldblum.

 

PageOneLit.com:   What's next?

Art Adkins: What's next is Power Grid. I am about ten chapters into it as we speak and it involves the same cast of characters. Slade is off on another adventure and we learn more about Slade as he continues to develop. The supporting cast are also explored in more detail. Power Grid examines a unique issue that has confronted the human race for the last 5,000 years. It is this discovery that intrigues me so much about this novel. I believe people will enjoy it more than The Oasis Project.

 

PageOneLit.com:  What was the last book you read?

Art Adkins: The last book I read was the Jansen Directive by Robert Ludlum, who was a wonderful story teller. I loved reading his novels.

 

PageOneLit.com:   Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Art Adkins: I have a lot of hobbies. One I share with Slade Lockwood which is kayaking. North Central Florida has been blessed with a lot of wonderful rivers and streams to be explored. And, yes, like Slade, I kayak around Cedar Key which, in my opinion, is a jewel on the West Coast of Florida. I enjoy the sense of adventure while on kayak.

I still enjoy reading, but I don't have the time for a lot of novels. Instead I read a lot of magazine articles and short stories. I love to see how other writers approach their subject, develop the story and tie it all together. I like stuff that holds my interest from beginning to end and that is why it has been important to me in my novel to have people tell me they could not wait to get home to finish The Oasis Project or they could not put it down and they were up all night.

I enjoy physical fitness and I lift weights and run regularly. I believe exercise keeps the mind sharp. I also enjoy almost any board game - scrabble, chess, etc. I love the competition and the fun associated with it.

All of these activities help me with my writing by expanding my imagination and developing my thought process. No two people look at things the same way and it is this different perspective that so intrigues me. If we stop to develop as human beings we wither away and I don't want that to ever happen to me. I hope I am writing stories until I can't write any longer and I hope the people reading them will find enjoyment and excitement in the pages.