Interview: John Betcher, Author of The 19th Element, A James Becker Thriller - Page 3

Please describe a perfect meal - including menu and those present.

I’m not fussy about food, so the menu is determined more by the people and the location. My favorite meal would be in a 10’ by 20’ ice house in the middle of Lake of the Woods, Minnesota in February. Those attending would be my fishing buddies – a mechanical engineer, an architect, a pilot, a nuclear chemist, a graphic designer and a hotel executive. The menu would include pan-fried walleye we had caught the same day. There’d be a side of American-fried potatoes with onions.

What are some of your favorite ways to relax?

Watching Twins baseball with my family probably tops the list. We have a large screen porch on the front of our 1910 home in Red Wing. The rattan furniture is padded and comfortable. It’s really an idyllic spot to turn on the tube and watch the home town boys play.

I also enjoy watching and coaching youth volleyball . . . and spectating at Division I Women’s volleyball matches (particularly in the Big Ten).

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

There would be no single place. I would enjoy dividing time between my native Minnesota and a variety of warmer climes in the winter months. I probably wouldn’t settle in a single southern locale. I like to meet new people.

If you could only read books by one author, who would it be? *I know, this is an inconceivable thought, lol.

Robert B. Parker. I love his books. And he wrote a LOT of them. :)

Share with us a few of your dreams. Also whether they have been fulfilled or are still a work in progress.

I dream for my children to grow into the people God wants them to be. So far . . . so good.

I also dream to be a successful author. Progress toward that dream is still in its early stages. We’ll have to see how it plays out. Lol.

What are some of your guilty pleasures?

I occasionally indulge in Famous Dave’s bread-pudding with butterscotch sauce and whipped cream. Nummm! I’ve been known to smoke a good cigar while fishing.

If you could leave the world with one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t waste your time trying to convince someone who refuses to be convinced.

Article Author: April Pohren

April lives in Iowa and is the stay-at-home mom of two young children. An avid book lover since she was able to hold a book, she has fallen in love with blogging and book reviewing. Her own little piece of the world is at Cafe of Dreams where she …

Visit April Pohren's author page — April Pohren's Blog