Art Adkins
Art
Adkins has been in law enforcement for the last twenty-eight
years and has worked as a police officer on the Ft.
Lauderdale Police Department and as a sergeant on the LAPD.
He is currently a lieutenant with the Gainesville (FLA)
Police Department. His knowledge of police procedure is
vast, and he has woven these details into The Oasis Project.
Writing a detective/murder mystery has always been a desire
of Mr. Adkins’, and The Oasis Project is the fruition of
this dream. Mr. Adkins earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal
studies from the University of South Florida and currently
resides in Hawthorne, Florida, with his wife and two sons.
Mr. Adkins is currently writing a sequel to The Oasis
Project. Look for Power Grid in the upcoming months.
Visit Art online at
http://artadkinsbooks.com
Books-and-Authors.net: 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!
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: "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.
Books-and-Authors.net: "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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: "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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
Books-and-Authors.net: 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.
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.
