Robert Thornhill

 

Robert Thornhill, author of Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P.: City Retiree Action Patrol, Lady Justice and the Lost Tapes, and Lady Justice Gets Leid.

At age 66, Bob wrote the first book in the Lady Justice series, Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P. from his own perspective and experience as a Senior Citizen.

In the the first sequel, Lady Justice and the Lost Tapes, Bob draws on his personal experience as an Elvis impersonator, (just for fun).

Bob and his wife, Peg, lived in Maui, Hawaii, for five years and the third installment in the Lady Justice series, Lady Justice Gets Leid, is set in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands.

Bob's grandson, Blake, was given a second grade school assignment to write a book. His novel was about a rainbow, a leprechaun and a pot of gold. This little book was Bob's inspiration for writing the children's Rainbow Road series. The first in the series, Super Secrets of Rainbow Road, was so well received, he wrote Super Powers of Rainbow Road soon after. Blake encouraged grandpa to keep writing and soon, Hawaiian Rainbows, Patriotic Rainbows, Sports Heroes Of Rainbow Road, Ghosts And Goblins Of Rainbow Road and Christmas Crooks Of Rainbow Road rounded out the seven volume series.

At virtually every book signing event, Bob is approached by someone wanting to write a book of their own and asking how it's done. Bob put together the story of his journey from retired realtor to the published author of twelve books in Tears and Triumphs of a New Author.


While Walter Williams is a fictional character, many of his adventures and friends are anecdotal and based on Bob's real life. Bob holds a Master's Degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, but his wit and insight come from his varied occupations: stock boy, postman, truck driver, social worker, landlord, and finally to thirty years as a realtor, most of which as Broker/Manager of one of the largest real estate companies in Metropolitan Kansas City.

He lives with his wife, Peg, in Independence, Mo. http://booksbybob.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Robert Thornhill: I grew up in a Harrisonville, Mo, a small town about 45 minutes from Kansas City.

I was born in 1943. My Dad was in the navy in WW II and my mom and I lived on my grandparents farm for two years until he returned.

There was, of course, no TV or internet or video games, so my Mom and Grandma read to me. I still have my first book which is 65 years old, Bobbie Had A Nickel. They read it to me so many times that by the time I was old enough to talk, I could recite it from memory.

So from an early age, reading was a part of my life. I went from The Bobbsey Twins to comic books. Tarzan, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry became my heroes.
 

PAGEONELIT.COM:  Why do you write? 

Robert Thornhill: I didn't write my first word until I was sixty-six; I never had the time.At first, I just wrote to see if I could do it.

My wife, who is an avid reader, after reading my first attempts, assured me that I could.Once I had the first Lady Justice published, I began to get feedback from my readers.In a word, everyone who read it, loved it.

Though the Lady Justice series might be classified as 'mysteries', I will be the first to acknowledge that you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out the plot. Lady Justice was created to make people laugh.

The world is full of tragedy, heartbreak and sorrow. My goal as an author is to make them forget, if just for a few hours, all the bad stuff and have a good belly laugh.

One reader who had just undergone open heart surgery told me he laughed so hard he almost popped his stitches.

If laughter is indeed the best medicine, Lady Justice should cure most anything.

 

PAGEONELIT.COM:  How did the LADY JUSTICE series start?

Robert Thornhill: As I mentioned, my wife and I are both avid readers.
A friend of ours turned us on to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. We loved her immediately. We both laughed until we cried.

After reading all fourteen of her novels that were available at that time, I thought it might be fun to try to write like she did, so I went to my computer, pretended to be Janet Evanovich and using her characters, wrote three chapters of my own in the Stephanie Plum series.

I gave them to my wife and waited breathlessly as she read. When I heard her laugh out loud, I figured I might be on the right track.

She immediately told me that Janet didn't need any help from me as she was doing quite well on her own and that I should get my own characters and write my own story.
So Lady Justice was born.

You can read the three chapters I wrote on my website:
http://booksbybob.com/stephanie-plum-1_312.html

These were my first words as a novelist.

PAGEONELIT.COM:  Who is Walt Williams?

Robert Thornhill: I have read repeatedly that you should write about what you know.

I have read novels from authors who have been attorneys or cops and that's what makes their stories believable.
I was none of those.

I was just an old retired guy who had led a very full life and done some pretty quirky things, so I decided that that's who my character should be, an old retired guy who decides he wants to be a cop. In a very real sense, Walt Williams is my alter-ego.

While the book is fiction, probably half of Walt's adventures are based on real incidents in my own life.

In Lady Justice And The Lost Tapes, Walt goes undercover as an Elvis impersonator, an elf and dresses in drag.

My wife cringes when I tell people I have done all those things. Here's proof.
http://booksbybob.com/lost-tapes-photos_342.html

In Lady Justice Gets Lei'd, Walt and Maggie are married in Hawaii, recreating the Elvis wedding in Blue Hawaii.
My wife and I did the same thing.

The idea of a sixty-five year old retired guy becoming a cop may be a bit far-fetched to some.

As I am writing, I put my sixty-seven year old body in Walt's place. Walt doesn't do anything that I wouldn't or couldn't do myself.

Walt and I live his adventures together. 
 

PAGEONELIT.COM:  The LADY JUSTICE series is funny series of books - What makes Robert Thornhill laugh?Are you a naturally funny person or a funny writer or both?

Robert Thornhill: I love to laugh.

I have been given the gift of seeing the funny side of most everything in life.

While others fixate on the gloom and doom, I can usually find something hilarious in just about anything. 

A great source of frustration for my wife is when she's telling me something she perceives as awful, and instead of responding with shock or indignation, I sit there with a silly smile on my face.

However sometimes the lighter side comes in retrospect.

In Lady Justice Takes A C.R.A.P., Walt suffers through the passing of a kidney stone.
When that actually happened to me, it was anything but funny, but in looking back, it was certainly great material for a hilarious Walt episode.
 

PAGEONELIT.COM:  Out of the LADY JUSTICE SERIES Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P. City Retiree Action Patrol; Lady Justice And The Lost Tapes and Lady Justice Gets Lei'd - Which book is your personal favorite? Which book do readers seem to like more?

Robert Thornhill: Lady Justice Takes A C.R.A.P. was my first novel and like any firstborn, it will always have a special place in my heart.

But to be honest, as my first effort, it was certainly not my best.

When the manuscript came back from Tate Publishing, the editor's suggested corrections and revisions were highlighted in red and green.

It looked like a Christmas tree had exploded on the page.

The suggested revisions for Lady Justice And The Lost Tapes were about a third of what came back in the first novel and when Lady Justice Gets Lei'd came back, there were hardly any.

I think maybe that means that I'm getting better.

My readers seem to be much like me; every Lady Justice makes them laugh, but everyone also thinks that they're getting better every time.






PAGEONELIT.COM:  Briefly discuss your Children's Books Rainbow Road.

Robert Thornhill: The Rainbow Road series of chapter books for children are all my grandson's fault.

His second grade teacher gave the class an assignment to write a book. My grandson, knowing I was an author was eager to share the experience with me. His little story was about a rainbow, a leprechaun and a pot of gold.After all the hoopla and praise was over, my wife commented, "I'll bet you could write a children's book. After all, you're just a big kid anyway."

With a challenge like that, how could I resist. I picked up on the little two page story of my grandson, and I wrote about an eight-year old boy and his six year-old sister.

They follow a rainbow and discover Rainbow Road which leads them to the home of Lucky Leprechaun.Lucky has a pot of gold coins, but his coins are special as they have the power to give whoever possesses them super powers like X-Ray Vision and Super Strength.

In each of the seven chapter books in the series, Lucky gives one of the kids a new super power and they're off to a new adventure.

The Rainbow Road books were an instant hit with the kids.
When word got around that I had written a series of children's books, I was asked to come to various elementary schools in the area, so now, I dress up in my Lucky Leprechaun outfit and share with the kids my love of reading and writing.




PAGEONELIT.COM:  What do you hope to achieve with your books?

Robert Thornhill: After two years in the writing business, I no longer delude myself into dreaming of riches and fame. If you're not Sarah Palin, a drugged out rock star or an adulterous politician, that's just not going to happen.
Thank heavens I am not counting on my royalties to survive. I would starve to death.

I have three reasons for writing:First, it gives me great joy and personal satisfaction.
Second, I have seen first hand how my books impact others. They make them laugh and make their world a little bit better place, at least for awhile.

People write to me and say they are waiting anxiously for Walt's next adventure. There is no greater reward than that.
My third reason may sound a little weird.

I'm almost sixty-eight years old. I hope to have a few good years left, but who knows for sure?At my age, one begins to pay more attention to their mortality.

While I'm quite satisfied with what I have accomplished in my life, I ask myself. "If I dropped dead tomorrow, what would I leave behind?"

I am a died-in-the-wool Elvis fan. He's been dead thirty-four years but his music still brings joy into the hearts of millions of his fans.

It would mean a lot to me if five years after my ashes were scattered, someone would pick up a Lady Justice novel and it would put a smile on their face.



PAGEONELIT.COM: What was the last book you read?

Robert Thornhill: I am a series reader.

If I find an author I like, I will read as many as I can get my hands on.

Most recently, I have read Up Country, Plum Island and Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille.


 

PAGEONELIT.COM:  What's next?

Robert Thornhill: The fourth novel in the Lady Justice series, Lady Justice And The Avenging Angels is at Tate Publishing and editing will begin in May.

I have sent advance copies of the manuscript to readers of the first three novels and several have said it is the best yet.
I hope so.

I have spent several months in the marketing phase, but the juices are starting to flow again. I think maybe Lady Justice #5 is not that far away.