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Praise for Green 61 |
Jen's Jewels Jennifer Vido One of the joys of writing this column is getting feedback from my readers. Nine times out of ten, you agree with my author selections and applaud my choice in books. (Thank you!) However, the one complaint I hear quite frequently is: why don't I select any male authors? That's an excellent question and I hate to disappoint you, but there really isn't any reason. The authors selected come from the pool of books that are sent for my review. Obviously, I hardly ever get any written by men! I do have some good news, though. For all of my readers looking for a male author, guess what? September is your lucky month! Unfortunately, he is not single! A happily married man with four daughters, Cody Fowler Davis is a rising star who I predict will one day find his name on the top of New York Times Best Seller's List. Mark my words! The majority of my Jen's Jewels' authors I never actually meet due to conflicting schedules and deadlines; however, this month's column is quite unique because I have had the pleasure of meeting not only Cody, but also his charming wife, Beth, at The Book Expo last May. Our meeting was the perfect example of being at the right place at the right time. After spending the entire morning meandering down the aisles of vendors, my husband and five year old son had decided that it was time for all three of us to call it a day and go grab lunch. As I reluctantly headed towards the parking garage, I pleaded with the jury for one last tour of the floor. So many books, so little time! They hesitantly agreed and off I went in search of a book I just couldn't leave behind, Green 61. I met Cody and Beth standing beside a stack of books and we've been friends ever since. Go grab a cup of coffee and get to know my friend, Cody Fowler Davis. JEN: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your educational and professional background? CODY: I am a Florida boy through and through. I was born in Tampa and can't imagine ever leaving the sun and salt water. I attended Jesuit High School where I concentrated on studying and my number one passion, playing tennis. As I approached my senior year of high school, I was entertaining numerous college scholarship offers but then, one of those events we don't expect in life occurred -- I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. I went to Houston for surgery, and although I obviously lived, I had to have the lymph nodes under my right arm removed. My hopes of college tennis were up in the air since I had no idea if I'd ever be able to play tennis again. My freshman year, I joined my brother at Washington and Lee University. I transferred to Vanderbilt my sophomore year where I was able to improve my tennis game and even played number one on the varsity team as a senior. However, any dreams of a professional tennis career had been lost to cancer. I focused on my studies so I could become a lawyer following the tradition of my family. Despite my tennis achievements and my academic success, my greatest accomplishment at Vanderbilt was talking my best friend, Beth, into marrying me. Upon graduation from law school, I joined a large, prestigious firm. After three and half years of busting my ass and working absurd hours, I became the youngest partner in the history of the firm. Ten years later, I was named head of the trial department. When my mid-life crisis struck at age 40, I started my own law firm, as it seemed more practical than buying a red Corvette or having an affair. I am president of Davis and Harmon law firm and one of the very few lawyers in Florida who holds three board certifications. Beth and I have four daughters of whom I could not be more proud. Elizabeth also graduated from Vanderbilt last year and works for a non-profit in Rwanda, Africa. Mary Patton is a freshman at Georgetown University and Caroline and little Cody are still at home with us and continue to be my fishing buddies. JEN: Have you always dreamed of becoming an author or did the opportunity just arise? CODY: In college, I always dreamed of writing but graduate school, four children, and working around the clock somehow seemed to interfere. About two years ago, I figured out I could write two hours a night and Sunday afternoons instead of watching TV. Beth became my greatest critic and encourager through out the process. Now we enjoy writing as a team effort. JEN: Are you still a practicing attorney? If so, how do you juggle both careers? CODY: I work full time as a trial attorney, night and weekend hours are still a common occurrence. I guess I just sleep less now. JEN: How did you come up with the premise? CODY: Unfortunately, as a result of twenty-two years of handling cases and trials involving loss of life and severe personal injuries, I see accidents and lawsuits everywhere. While sitting on the porch of our Useppa Island home, I looked out to the intercoastal waterway and visualized a boating accident in my mind. Then I created two trial lawyers, one who was idealistic about the law and another who represented everything that is wrong with the civil trial system. JEN: How did you arrive at the title? CODY: Just across the waterway from our Useppa home is green marker 61, which designates the channel entering Cabbage Key. This is where I pictured the boating accident taking place, hence the name of the book JEN: Were you concerned that your readers might have a difficult time making the connection with the title and the Floridian waterways? CODY: It might seem a little odd until you see the picture on the front of the book, which by the way, my daughter, Elizabeth, took for me. You can even see our home in the background if you look closely. I also explain in the book how the intercoastal waterway was set up and that Green 61 was the marker for the channel where the accident occurs. JEN: From conception to completion, how long did it take for you to write the book? CODY: Green 61 was hand written on legal pads - predominantly at night, on weekends and on flights around the country. I finished the first draft in about 8 months. Then came the editing and rewriting process which was much more difficult. That's where Beth's help was essential. I also had a wonderful editor who gave me the constructive criticism that I needed to hear even though I often didn't like it. I'd estimate that the entire process took approximately one year. JEN: Take us through your writing process. Plot first? Characters? Outline? CODY: First, I created the accident - in conjunction with finishing a bottle of chardonnay. I scratched out an outline of the entire book and then it was on to creating Anderson and Justin which was easy, since I interact with trial lawyers daily. JEN: Who is your target audience and why? CODY: Originally, I wrote the book because I had a story to tell and I wanted to write it. From the various emails I've received, it appears that readers enjoy learning about the civil trial system. They also love to admire Anderson and hate Justin. I write for anyone who enjoys a good story. Just wait until the second book. In the next battle between Justin and Anderson, Justin takes dishonesty and his win-at-all-costs philosophy to a new low. JEN: How did you find a publisher and do you have an agent? CODY: I met an editor from California who was kind enough to read my writing and then crazy enough to think I might have some potential. After working together to complete the book, he recommended Little Moose Press who published Green 61. JEN: The most obvious question....is Anderson Parker modeled after you? And if so, was it difficult to separate yourself from the character and make him his own entity? CODY: Anderson is definitely nicer and more idealistic than I am. I wish I were like Anderson but after twenty-two years in the legal system, I have picked up a few Justin-like characteristics. Although Anderson is not based on anyone in particular, he has traits of two family members for whom I have great respect -- my grandfather who was both president of the American Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers and my brother Jim, the ultimate ethical guy, who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently running for Governor of the state of Florida. JEN: I can only assume that Justin Cartwright is a compilation of all of the crooked lawyers you must have met in the courtroom throughout your career. Were you fearful of emulating a certain someone and risk offending a colleague? Has anyone ever asked you if you were describing him or her? CODY: I have never met a lawyer as disgusting as Justin. I made a list of bad things a defense lawyer could do and then I created Justin. Of course, I have seen many dirty tricks throughout my career and those experiences helped me give birth to Justin. Numerous lawyers have asked me if Justin is a based on a particular person and I always respond, "Yes, he's based on you!" JEN: Who in your immediate circle was the most surprised that you wrote a book and why? CODY: At first, I think Beth was surprised that I actually completed writing the book, but now she is my co-writer. We are working together on the second book. I credit her ideas and writing style as the force which will take our next book to a new level. JEN: Are you treated differently by your peers now that you have become an author? If so, how? CODY: My friends and family love to talk to me about the book. I do find that people are amazed that I actually completed the project. JEN: In the novel, Anderson's wife was extremely supportive of his decision to leave the law firm and go out on his own. What role does your wife play in your career? CODY: Beth is my best friend and my team mate. We decided together that I would leave the comfort and economic security of the large firm. It has proven to be one of our best decisions. JEN: What was the most difficult part to write and why? CODY: The boat collision was the most challenging writing of the book. I had to make sure the readers could visualize the waterway and feel the impact and injuries. No one wants to write about children dying but it was imperative that I convey the tragedy and emotion. Two separate readers who have young children told me they had to stop reading for a while after that chapter. These comments suggested to me that I was successful in conveying the heartache of death. For me, it is a constant theme in my law practice. JEN: Why only 216 pages? Truly, it's more difficult to be brief and concise, but did you feel as if you left anything out? CODY: I didn't want the story to go off on unnecessary tangents. A few people have told me they wished I'd written more but most readers said they loved the fast pace of the story. I didn't want the flow of the story hindered by too much superfluous description or diatribes. JEN: What has surprised you the most about the publishing business? CODY: How competitive it is. Beth and I went to the Book Expo in DC and we couldn't believe how many books were competing for a limited audience. There are millions of books out there just waiting to be read. And there are millions more writers hoping that their books will soon be out there as well. I would never suggest writing as a quick or easy way to make money. Write only because you love it. JEN: Who are your favorite authors and have you met any of them? CODY: My particular favorite topics involve legal matters and boating. Randy Wayne White's books are always fun. He comes to Useppa often since he lives nearby. Obviously I enjoy John Grisham's legal thrillers. Unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to read as much as I'd like b/c I read all the time at work and my eyes are too tired at the end of the day. But Beth reads constantly - that must be why she enjoys helping me with my writing. JEN: What three adjectives best describe your writing style? CODY: I'm not sure I can give you three adjectives but I can describe what I hope I do when I write. I like to keep the story moving and I particularly enjoy explaining legal issues people don't understand. My goal is to write books a reader just can't put down. JEN: Do you have a web site? Mailing list? Blog? CODY: I do have a website and I hope you'll check it out. It's Green61.com. You can find any new updates there. But you can also email me. I love to hear from my readers and any comments or suggestions are always appreciated. JEN: Will there be a sequel? If so, what can you tell us about it? When will it be published? CODY: Absolutely. Beth and I are working on it now. I don't know when it will be published but we are in the editing process now so we're hopeful it will be published in the next year. JEN: Do you have any scheduled book signings? CODY: I try to keep all my book signings up-to-date on my website. That's the best place to find out what's going on. I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Cody. Don't forget! The first five readers to enter the contest with the correct answer to the following question will win a copy of Green 61. Good Luck! What is the name of the publisher of Green 61? Look for my upcoming interview with Tina Leonard in early October! You won't want to miss it! Review by: Alan J. Couture A horrific boating accident kills a man in a pleasure boat and two children in a kayak. The children’s father watched them die, and he believes that the driver of the Pacer Marine test boat, which struck the other two craft at a high speed, is solely to blame; the test boat driver was distracted and negligently left the Intracoastal Waterway. Yet, justice eludes the grieving father when the test boat driver commits perjury and is absolved by the authorities. The father turns to a bright young attorney to pursue a civil suit against Pacer Marine. Anderson Parker was recently fired by Justin Cartwright II, the most ruthless, unscrupulous, and successful defense attorney in South Florida. Anderson is as honest and courteous as Cartwright is unethical and nasty. Cartwright will do anything to win a case, including doctoring evidence, for a price—his exorbitant hourly fee. He is proud of his ability to win at all costs. “Nobody can put lipstick on a pig like I can,” he chortles. When Anderson learns that his former boss has been retained to represent Pacer Marine, his promise to zealously represent his client becomes personal. He wants desperately to win the case and beat the man who humiliated him, but he doesn’t know just how underhanded Cartwright will become to teach his former employee a lesson in courtroom brawling. Cartwright was the one who convinced the test boat driver to lie, and he isn’t finished concealing evidence. He has threatened the only witness to the crash—an eleven-year-old girl—to make her stay quiet. Anderson does not know it, but this girl holds the key to his winning at trial. She alone can verify that the test boat driver did not have the right of way and actually hit the boats outside of the buoy that marks the Intracoastal Waterway near the point of impact—Green Marker 61. Anderson’s attempts to outwit the crafty Cartwright, coupled with the legal maneuverings of these skilled adversaries, create suspense right until the very end of this brilliantly staged courtroom drama. The author, a successful trial attorney, has an incredible legal pedigree. His grandfather (whose namesake Davis is) was president of the American Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers; his father was a judge and a law school professor; his brother is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Davis has previously written a manual to guide trial lawyers; this is his first novel. His writing skills are as accomplished as his professional achievements: he has created an absorbing legal drama of which Scott Turow or John Grisham would be proud. His ability to create compelling characters and “real world” legal scenarios is outstanding. Anyone who enjoys legal thrillers will love this book and will
eagerly await the sequel, which is teased at the end. "Friends
of Cody F. Davis, Carolyn (Kelli) and Bruce Kerns kindly
lent me GREEN 61 by Cody Fowler Davis. They were interested
in my "critiquing" the book as they know
I am an avid reader mostly of legal thrillers and mysteries.
Another common denominater is my husband and I spend
a
lot of time in the Boca Grande area and keep our boat
at Gasparilla Marina. "Legal
thrillers' newest star!" "Practicing law and making a difference in the world has always been Anderson Parker's lifetime dream. As with any profession, he knows he has to pay his dues to get to the top, but once he gets there, he has plans of setting the legal world on fire. Unfortunately for him, he has to pay his dues to the devil if he wants to achieve that level of success. Putting his integrity on the line each and every day sheds an entirely different light on his once so bright and idealistic future." "Often thrillers are mainly plot driven with lots of action and very little character development. In his debut novel, Mr. Davis shows he can do a fabulous job at providing both elements in equal measure. " — Reviewed by Roberta Austin Legal Thriller Get's Real! "Green 61 is a delightful, readable adventure." — The St. Petersburg Times Lawyer's 1st Book A Festival Finalist Cody Fowler Davis, a Tampa lawyer and brother to gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis, has been named as a finalist in the Hollywood Book Festival for his novel "Green 61" (Little Moose Press). The festival works to find books that deserve more attention from the film, television, game and multimedia communities. Obviously, that's the sort of recognition any author craves, especially with a first book. The festival is sponsored by the likes of Final Draft screenplay software, the Hollywood Creative Directory, the Los Angeles Press Club, the DIY Convention, DIYReporter.com and the Westside Web sites. "Green 61," released in April, centers on Anderson Parker, a talented and honest prosecuting attorney who faces off against defense attorney Justin Cartwright in a courtroom drama involving a boating incident that killed three people. For added fun, Cartwright is Parker's former boss and will stop at nothing to beat his former underling. — Kevin Walker "Thanks Mr. Davis, I enjoyed this book and hope there will be more to come." — Gaylen Wilson, Wilson Travels "Mr.
Davis, I am vacationing at Indian Creek in Ft. Myers. This
morning I
was in their library and the volunteer, Jan, offered me Green 61
that you
had personally autographed for her. I took it home and read it
3 hours - I
could not put it down. The characters became so real to me as I
read. I am
going to assume that your character, Anderson, is a reflection
of your own
beliefs and applaud you for this. — Sincerely, Doris B. "I wanted to drop you a quick note about “Green 61”. I read the book and liked it a lot and have recommended it to friends as well. Please encourage Cody to keep writing. You may have another Grisham on your hands!" — Fritz Archerd "In addition to being a fascinating story with characters I came to genuinely care about, Green 61 has more "intensely satisfying moments" than most books I've read. I happened to pick up the book a few days after I had finished it and a paragraph caught my eye. I found myself reading the whole darn chapter just to get to the climactic moment. And that was in the middle of a busy day!" — Laren Bright, Emmy-nominated Screenwriter and Author "The next best thing to living on Useppa Island, Florida, is reading this gripping, powerful legal thriller set there. Intensely readable—and you’ll see the truths about lawyers you never see on TV. Outstanding!" — Michael Levin, Author of Soft Target "I read a LOT of books, and I just didn't expect a first-time author--especially one with no background in writing or journalism-- to be able to produce something of this caliber." Maybe that's his secret--he doesn't try to "write". He just tells his story, and develops his characters through their internal/external dialogue, rather than inserting himself in the narration. (I don't read a whole lot of books in this genre, but when I do, I find that I'm often distracted from the plot by this very thing--probably the most recent example I can think of is The Da Vinci Code. It was all I could do not to throw that book across the room, and I would have, if I wasn't so anxious to get to the next "clue"...) It's refreshing to not have our protagonist's life story and physical description shoved down our throats in the first two pages of the book--we get to know Anderson by his thoughts and actions, but even at the end of the story, there is still much we don't know about him, which is good. Even the villain, Justin Cartwright, is rendered in such a way that makes him not just a bad person, but also a fascinating one, truly a guy you love to hate. I hope we see more both characters!" As for the plot, I thought it was interesting
and amazingly well-paced, and, although there was no mistaking
that this was pure fiction,
I felt like I was getting a privileged glimpse into the real
litigation process. I was also impressed with how nicely you
put the book together--the cover art and printing is top-notch,
and the editing is flawless! (Seriously, I was kind of looking
for errors or bad sentences, and there just weren't any!) Again,
not what I expected from a first-time author and what I thought
was a small press." I think they will!" — Sandy Hughes, Tampa, Fla. |
Meet Cody Fowler Davis