QUESTION: The unique beginning of Overtime is the basis of my first question.  Did you write the story first or create the characters first and proceed to blend them into the story?

ANSWER:   We prefer to start with a fairly detailed outline of the direction the story is going to take, and then work on the characters’ background, ambitions, traits.  When you get to the point that you have a feel for how the characters sound, and how they would react to various situations, good and bad, then you are ready to start writing the book. You don’t want to start before all these elements are in place, or the writing process can seem like pushing a grand piano uphill.

QUESTION: I have never attended a Green Bay Packers game.  I do understand, however, that it is quite an experience.  I did a little research on the Packers, how they began, survived, and became so successful. I agree their history is fascinating in itself.  Would one or both of you describe some highlights of a typical Packers game, who is your personal favorite (past or present) player and coach.

ANSWER: 

Dee: Speaking as an "out-of-towner" attending a game, the first thing that strikes you when you arrive in Green Bay is that the Packers are not just a football team, they are a huge industry and vital contributor to the local economy.  The airport is even decorated in Packer colors.  Packer logo merchandise is available in nearly every store.  The history and accomplishments of the team are proudly displayed everywhere you look.  

The second thing that strikes you is how much people there go out of there way to make you feel welcome.  There is definitely a spirit of, "if you’re a Packer fan, you’re already a friend."  It is really the way we all wish our hometown was.

The best way to describe the game itself is, when the game ended, we didn’t feel like leaving the stadium, it was such a memorable experience.

Brian: My favorite Packer player is undoubtedly Bart Starr.  As far as coaches, I am really enthusiastic about the team’s current coach, Mike Sherman.  He seems to have a great appreciation for the history and tradition of the team (almost as much as Coach Denton in Overtime).

Dee:  I agree with Brian that Mike Sherman is terrific.  My favorite player is a tie between Ahman Green, running back, and Brett Favre, quarterback.

QUESTION: My day job is Corporate Legal Assistant for a Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, and have experienced Corporate Takeovers in companies I have worked for in the past.  However, none were quite as hostile as the take over of Wilson Industries in Overtime.  

I am curious where the idea came from for this takeover.  Was it fueled by your interest in business and the knowledge you gained when writing Inside Secrets to Venture Capital and Attracting Capital From Angels – How Their Money and Their Experience Can Help You Build A Successful Company?

ANSWER:  We were management consultants for over ten years and were involved with merger & acquisition and venture capital transactions. The events depicted in Overtime are (unfortunately!) fairly close to the reality we observed.  That’s what makes business fiction interesting to write: wealth makes heroes out of some people and corrupts others.  It’s too bad the media tends to ignore the business heroes and keeps the
spotlight on the sleaze weasels.

QUESTION: This is my first review of a book written by a man and a woman. Would you care to share a little of the segments each of you contributed and how you work together to create a fiction story combining football, business, and romance.

ANSWER:   Weaving those elements together was quite a challenge.  This book has a lot of sweat equity in it.  We didn’t really divide the book into segments that each of us wrote.  We came up with the plot outline and characters, then Brian created the basics of the first draft, then we took turns making changes, additions, deletions, until the story was finished.