William L. Myers Jr. Interview - A Killer's Alibi ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from William L. Myers Jr.

William L. Myers, Jr. is the No. 6 best-selling author for Amazon Kindle in 2017 for his debut novel, A Criminal Defense. That was the first in what has become the Philadelphia Legal Series. The third book in that series, A Killers Alibi debuts February 19, 2019.
A Killer’s Alibi has had rave early reviews including New York Times Bestselling author, Bill Lasher—

“William Myers’ riveting new novel is not just a crackerjack legal thriller, it is a wrenching portrayal of a whole range of farther-daughter relations, showing how they can damage, how they can nourish, how they go dangerously off track. A story not to be missed.”

Born in 1958 into a blue-collar family, Mr. Myers inherited a work-ethic that propelled him through college and into the Ivy League at The University of Pennsylvania School of Law. From there, Mr. Myers started his legal career in a Philadelphia-based mega defense firm. After ten years defending corporate America, he realized his heart wasn’t in it. So, with his career on the fast track to success--he gave it all up and started his own firm. It was time to start fighting for the common guy.

That was twenty-five years ago and since then, he has focused on representing railroad employees and other honest, hard-working people who have been injured by others. He has represented thousands of clients in his tenure and has become a highly-regarded litigation attorney up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Print Length: 426 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (February 19, 2019)
Publication Date: February 19, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B078H6PXD5

Praise for A KILLER'S ALIBI

"William Myers' riveting new novel is not just a crackerjack legal thriller, it is also a wrenching portrayal of a whole range of father-daughter relationships,showing how they can damage, how they nourish, how they go dangerously offtrack. A story not to be missed." ―New York Times bestselling author, William Lashner

I was blown away...A Killer's Alibi in three words: Sharp, Shocking and Intricate. ―Novel Gossip Book Review

Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania but have lived in the Philadelphia area since graduating from Penn Law in 1983.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?

Learn the difference between storytelling and “writing.” You can be proficient with the language, construct well put-together sentences with flowing language, yet still compile tales that are dull as dishwater. A great storyteller grabs people from the outset, pulls them in and keeps them in, turning the pages into the early morning hours. Strive to be a great storyteller rather than a great writer.

Are there certain qualities that make a novel better for you?

I enjoy novels with well-developed, three-dimensional characters who have both good and bad qualities. I like a novel that places those characters into morally ambiguous situations, forcing the characters to make decisions that may not be comfortable with. And, of course, the stakes for the characters must be high—life, freedom, the safety of loved ones.

Which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book one and in what way have they changed?

Piper McFarland and Marcie Hanson. Piper started out as simply the wife of the protagonist in Book 1 (A Criminal Defense). In the third book, “A Killer’s Alibi,” she is a main protagonist herself, and we see her using all of her ingenuity and passion to fight for someone she believes in. In the book I’m working on now, “A Criminal Justice,” Piper turns out to be the driving force in the defense of her husband, Mick, who has been wrongfully charged with murder.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

What I’ve found most rewarding in this journey is meeting with and talking to other writers. Some famous, some not, but all of them passionate about their writing.

What part of Jimmy did you enjoy writing the most?

In A Killer’s Alibi, one of the two main plots revolves around Philly crime lord Jimmy Nunzio and his daughter, Christina. Jimmy is caught, knife in hand, over the body of Christina’s lover, who also happens to be Jimmy’s arch rival. What I enjoyed most about writing Jimmy in this book is how he and his lawyer, Mick McFarland, both of whom are Machiavellian puppeteers, have to dance around each other.

What book would you recommend for others to read?

Wow, that would be a long list—there are so many wonderful works out there. For the art of writing, I’d recommend “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing,” and “Story” by Robert McKee. In non-fiction, “The Illustrious Dead,” about Napoleon’s ill-conceived invasion of Russia. For fiction, Steven King’s “11-22-63,” the Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles, and anything by Scott Turrow.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating Piper and Darlene?

I’ve heard it said that “you’re only as sick as your secrets.” What Piper and Darlene have taught me is that you’re only as interesting as your secrets as well.

TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT FRIEND

1. A great friend tells you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it
2. A great friend knows when it’s better not to tell you the truth
3. A great friend takes your call on a beautiful weekend day, even though he knows you’re moving that day and need help
4. A great friend thinks of you first when he gets tickets to a ball game
5. A great friend thinks of you last when he’s looking for someone to blame
6. A great friend never lets you drive drunk, or high
7. A great friend doesn’t leave her female friend go home with the creepy guy she just met at the bar
8. A great friend tells you when you’re acting like an ass
9. A great friend tells you you’re wrong when you are; admits that he’s wrong when he is
10. A great friend is there … just there…always there…when you need him/her to be

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?

No one incident. But having access to the internet with all the live feed I get, makes me acutely aware of the devastating impact our species is having on the planet, and our morally bankrupt treatment of the animals we share this planet with.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?

I think that, for most of us, life makes that choice for us, and it sucks either way.

When did you go to your first funeral?

I was twelve years old. My paternal grandfather, Jay Russel Myers, passed on Christmas day.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?

The seventies—the decade when I actually was a teenager. We had TV and air-conditioning and modern dentistry, which was all good, and we spent most of our free time on football fields, baseball fields, and or on our streets, rather than sitting on a sofa staring at 2”x 3” screens. We learned how to read and use road maps (a skill I have lost thanks to GPS), and we were totally respectful of our parents at all times.

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter's lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio's strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio's refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick's wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her sexually abusive father's violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene's innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene's past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters--some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can't stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

You can purchase A Killer's Alibi at the following Retailers: