Women suffer in a patriarchal world each and every day. From domestic violence to glass ceilings, it can all be too much to handle sometimes. Imagine if women got together to conspire against the men who hold them down?
Michael Crawley and Laurie Clayton explore the idea in The Women's Club, a new crime thriller from Max Crime. Now, if the Crawley name looks familiar, it should. Michael Crawley is my father, and Laurie Clayton is my stepmother. I've found their newest novel very exciting, but I figured a book review would be a little biased. So, I sat down with them for an engaging interview.
Dad, was it necessary for you to collaborate with a woman?
Michael Crawley: It wasn't necessary, but it certainly improved the end product.
How?
Michael: Laurie's better with feminine dialogue than I am, and she brought a feminine perspective.
Laurie Clayton: Also, I have more knowledge of the history of the feminist movement, and the disappointments that we felt. I generally write a lot of the dialogue in the work we do together.
Were you able to teach him anything about women while working on the project?
Laurie: No. Ha! I don't think so. It's possible he taught me more about women, about women's power over them, in terms of granting sexual favors.
What's the difference between your writing styles?
Laurie: I'm a little less formal, although we have similar styles. Don't we, Michael?
Michael: Yes.
Laurie: I like addressing the reader more than you do.
Michael: I'm more of a plotter, when it comes to intricate plots, I'm your guy.
Laurie: When it comes to intricate detail and dialogue, I'm your gal.
Michael: We complement each other.
Laurie: We read everything each other writes. We make comments. So writing together was a natural progression of that.
Dad, is there any you in Jack?
Michael: Yes, bits.
How so?
Michael: As a general rule, any protagonist should contain bits of the author. Paternal feelings, always looking for the positive and denying the negative when it comes to personal relationships.
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