A couple of weeks ago, I got a charming email from JJ Cooper, an author about to release his first book with Random House Australia. JJ spent seventeen years in the Australian Army, deploying on two tours of duty in East Timor and one tour to the Middle East in 2003. He specialized in Human Intelligence, including interrogation (as a practitioner and instructor). JJ’s debut thriller, INTERROGATED, will be published by Random House Australia in 2009.

He asked me to answer a few questions for his blog and I happily did so. Here is our interview:

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1. What’s one thing we may not know about you?

I’m an introverted extrovert. Meaning that I exhibit all the qualities of an extrovert — you can dress me up and take me out to a party, I’ll chat and dance and laugh and be sociable. But by the end of the evening, I’ll be drained and exhausted. In my heart, I’m just a hobbit who’d rather be at home with a cup of tea, making up stories.

2. What television show would you like to make a guest appearance on?

“Alias” — no hesitation. I need a hot pink wig and a pair of leather boots, some type of coat that swings dramatically with all my way-too-cool kung fu kicks. I want to be a bad-girl, turned good-girl, with a dark past and a bad attitude. Or maybe a good-girl turned bad-girl, pretending to still be a good girl.

Hmmm … the plot thickens.

3. What’s your greatest sporting moment?

This question assumes that I’ve had some type of sporting moment, that I’ve ever actively played in or watched some type of organized sporting event of my own free will. Which I haven’t. I did study Kung Fu for eight years until the small matter of pregnancy and motherhood derailed my martial arts aspirations.

In spite of many years of hard work, I did remain persistently mediocre in my kung fu practice, though I enjoyed and miss it immensely. I’m also an avid kayaker. But I’m not sure there’s much sports glory in paddling about the Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal with one’s two-and-a-half year old. No crowd- cheering, anyway. But it IS a special, quiet, kind of great moment to share something I love so much with someone I love so much. So I guess that would be it.

4. What’s your ideal holiday destination?

Well I live in a subtropical climate, just a short walk to the beach. So, I dream of snowy holidays … fire places and warm blankets, mountains and towering pines. I’ve always wanted to go snowshoeing or cross country skiing but have never done that. So I suppose that’s my dream holiday destination. Though I have a month in Paris coming up this summer. And you won’t find me weeping into my crepe over that, either.

5. How many comments to this blog post would I need to have you read and comment on my first thriller, Interrogated?

I’d be thrilled to read your book, JJ. Just send it my way. But I hope you get a million comments to this blog post and that everyone runs right out to buy five copies of your book each as soon as it goes on sale.

Congrats on a huge accomplishment. And best of everything to you!

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JJ’s blog also details his journey to publication. It’s very good reading and will be fascinating to all aspiring writers. Check it out: jjcooperaus.blogspot.com

What I’m listening to: The Killers/ Hot Fuss

Favorite Book for Ocean: Your Personal Penguin/ Sandra Boynton