Sean Chercover has done a lot of interviews over the years and we thought we would ask him a few questions he may not hear often.
Jon: Given the political situation of the 1960’s Eastern Europe and the global economic situations at the time what is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?
Sean: Tapsilog is my favorite breakfast. It’s a combination of beef tapa, (Filipino beef jerky), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and a fried egg, served with sinamak (spiced coconut vinegar). But given the economic hardship and political tensions in 1960’s Eastern Europe, I’ll just have a bowl of yoghurt with berries, thanks.
Jon: Do you enjoy shopping for shoes?
Sean: I like to spend as much time as possible barefoot, but I do like buying a new pair of shoes, so long as I don’t have to spend a lot of time “shopping for” them.
Jon: Can you confirm or deny that your mother worked with British Secret Service and was in fact called “M”?
Sean: To the best of my knowledge, she did not, and was not. But I cannot deny it with absolute certainty. She’s a cagey one, my mom.
Jon: The publishing industry has gone through some radical changes since your first book was published. E-books are huge, social media and the internet play a much larger part. There are bound to be more changes coming. With this in mind what would be your dream car to own?
Sean: I’d really like to own a Tesla Model S. They’re beautiful, fast, handle like a dream, and environmentally friendly. Plus (and many people don’t know this) the Tesla can also publish books.
Jon: Remember that time we were in Chicago at Love is Murder and people were drinking a lot?
Sean: Yarmph! Hell yes, I do. But I’ll never tell. What happens at Castle Crimespree stays in Vegas…or something like that.
Jon: Ever buy anything from TV like a K-Tel album or thigh master?
Sean: Not the Thigh Master or a K-Tel album (I did have some K-Tel albums, but I got them in a record store—remember those?). But yes, I have bought stuff from TV. I won’t tell you what I bought, but let me just warn you: you don’t want to be caught in a downpour wearing spray-on hair.
Jon: What kind of tires do you have on your bike?
Sean: I’m rolling on Bontrager AW1 Hardcase tires (700×32) but I want to move up to 38s, which will absorb more vibrations. I’m looking at the LT1 Hardcase, which still rolls fast on pavement and has good grip in the rain, but will also give me a bit better traction off-road. (And, with that answer, I’ve just put every Crimespree reader to sleep, except perhaps Keith Snyder, Paul Guyot and Simon Wood).
Jon: What is your favorite kind of weather?
Sean: Hot and sunny, just like me.
Jon: We have video footage of you singing in the car, could you tell us what song you were singing with?
Sean: Probably Dance Like A Monkey by the New York Dolls, or maybe Stepping Razor by Peter Tosh. Or it could’ve been something by Louis Prima. Honestly, when I’m singing, nobody can name that tune.
Jon: Have you ever done an interview that had questions this goofy?
Sean: Probably not. Although I once did a morning-television interview in Ohio with a guy who could’ve been Ted Baxter’s brother. He started the interview by telling me that he didn’t read my book, but gave it to his wife, “and it’s on her bedside table.” He then said he never reads fiction, “because it’s all just made up.” That was an odd way to start the interview, I thought.
Sean’s new book THE DEVIL’S GAME is out now from Thomas and Mercer and he is appearing at select bookstores doing signings. You can find Sean’s website here.
