The author of twenty novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald fiction award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, Shamus, and James Thurber prizes. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote twenty-one episodes of the CBS military drama JAG and co-created the Supreme Court drama First Monday starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. Levine has just released the twelfth installment of the Jake Lassiter series, Bum Luck.
From small screen to page
“Both writing for television and writing novels are rewarding and challenging in their own ways,” Levine said. “On television, it’s a shared responsibility. Director-showrunner-actors-network executives. The vision doesn’t belong to one person but is diffused. With novels, the writer is a one-person band.”
While Levine prefers the independence of writing novels, he enjoys the pace of TV writing. “There’s something about the immediacy of television—script to air in six weeks—that is appealing. Also, I believe television scribbling helped my book dialogue.”
Levine said, “Justice as an ideal is an underlying theme for me. The difficulty of achieving justice is the heart and soul of Bum Luck and the entire Jake Lassiter series. That’s reflected in Jake’s inner voice with lines like, ‘Justice is the North Star, the burning bush, the holy virgin. When you fail to attain it, fight for the next best thing. Rough justice is better than none at all.’”
The burning issue behind Bum Luck
Attorneys defend guilty clients all the time—and that knowledge is also behind the Lassiter series. “The dilemma of a lawyer defending a guilty client has always fascinated me,” Levine said. “In Bum Luck, Jake Lassiter seeks vengeance, or vigilante justice, against his own client.”
That’s right, Jake Lassiter, in the opening lines, announces his intention to kill his client. “Why would Lassiter, after all these years representing guilty clients, feel this way?” Levine said. “He might be very ill. Remember that he’s a former second-string Miami Dolphins linebacker who went to night law school and became a trial lawyer. In Bum Luck, Lassiter suffers symptoms indicating he may be in the early stages of always fatal Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
“The idea came from a close friend of mine, a former football player and international rugby player, who died of CTE. It affected me deeply. We know that hundreds of former NFL players have succumbed to traumatic brain injuries caused by repetitive concussions and thousands more will die in the future. It’s a tragic situation, compounded by the NFL’s stubborn resistance to admitting the truth for so many years.”
Levine said his primary goal is to entertain. “That starts with character. I aim for rich, complex, layered and often humorous characters who tell me the plot.”
For more information about Paul Levine or Bum Luck, please visit www.Paul-Levine.com.
Book & a Latte Contest
What: This month, Paul is giving away one soft cover copy of “Bum Luck” and I’m adding a $5.00 Starbucks gift card. One random entry will be chosen as the winner. Winner will receive a book and a gift card.
How to enter: Choose one or more of the options below. Each option gives you an additional chance to win.
Who can enter: This contest is only open to continental US residents over 18 years of age.
Winners: Selected winners must claim prizes within 72 hours of notification. Verification of entries: All winning entries are subject to verification.
Great author! Thank you for the chance.
great author!
It’s nice that you were able to turn a sad event (the death of your friend from CTE) into something positive (your entertaining story).
Love to read mysteries like this, with lawyers that defend but aren’t sure if it’s the right thing.
I think I’ve read some of the Lassiter stories but I’m going to go check out a couple
to try them out. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your emails- always find the best books to read
Paul’s book sounds like it would be a good read.
Loved the blurb for Bum Luck, it sounds like a great read even without the CTE possibilities. There’s been a lot in the news the last year or so about CTE, so it’s an interesting add to an already intriguing book. Thanks for a great review!
Sounds intriguing. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have read a couple books by this author and loved them! I would love to win this one! Thanks for the chance.
Sounds like an intriguing story. Thank you for the opportunity.
Sounds like something I’d love to read!
Sounds like a good read
Sounds like a great read.
Cool Giveaway!
Would like to win this!
This is a new author to me. Really enjoyed the description of the book and I’m looking forward to reading the book.
The book sounds interesting. I don’t believe I’ve read this author before, but I may have. I read a lot and only recently started keeping track of my reading by listing my books.
What an interesting premise. Can’t wait to see what Jake Lassiter is up to and if he is okay.
And just about to start reading Happy Homicides 5, Terry! Love those collections.
Thanks Terry!
Thank you Terry for the chance.
I guess CTE is a good defense whether present or not. Isn’t that something they haven’t been able to determine yet until after death? You always have such good books here.
Enjoy reading your newsletters and entering the contests.
Nice
A story about a lawyer, mystery and a football player-count me in!
Thank you Terry for introducing me to Paul Levine’s book Bum Luck. Your information on your blog has perked my interest. My fingers are crossed that my name is chosen as a winner.
Sounds terrific~thank you for sharing!
Terry once again you have shown us an author that I have not read and that is great. This sounds so good and I enjoy all the authors that you have on your page!
Thank you. I always think about the football players and all the damage done to their bodies, so sad. To think about it affecting the way they think, the way the conduct themselves is even worse.
interesting title
Looks like a good read. Count me in.
This book sounds amazing. I love football, and people who fight for causes that mean a lot to them. Thank you for this chance.
GREAT INTERVIEW BUM LUCK SOUNDS LIKE A VERY INTERESTING BOOK
very interesting thoughts on writing for television.
Interesting
Interesting to hear where the book ideas cone from.
I have often wondered the same thing about the dilemma of a lawyer defending a guilty client and I would love to read this book to find the answer.
I would love to read “Bum Luck”.I can’t believeI have never read a book by Paul Levine!These are the kind of novels I love.Thanks for the chance!