Official Website of author T.J. Vargo

T.J. Vargo is a twenty-year veteran of writing fiction. He's written six novels, including two horror novels, a sci-fi adventure, a thriller, an action-adventure and a crime novel. His novel Low Man won a silver medal in ForeWord Magazine's 2008 Book of the Year Awards and was described as "reminiscent of the early works of Stephen King" (Dark Realms Magazine). Asked about his long path to publication, Vargo said, "Being a writer isn't hard. Anyone can do it. The trick is writing something that people want to read. And after twenty years of banging away at my keyboard, I think I'm finally figuring it out." Vargo compares his journey as a writer with the path every artist must take to become a skilled professional. "I'm a big believer in what Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book Outliers," said Vargo. "Gladwell believes there are no outliers. Some people are more inclined to be talented in an area, but the key, according to Gladwell, is ten thousand hours of practice. The Beatles, Bill Gates, Mozart... they all put in ten thousand hours before they figured out how to do their thing." Asked how many hours he's up to on his quest toward the magical ten thousand hour mark, Vargo said if he hasn't reached it yet, he's "pretty damn close."

After reading through the independent reviews, it's clear that the hallmark of Vargo's writing is his attention to character development. "It's just what I'm drawn to," Vargo says. "I believe story grows from character. Some writers and readers are more drawn to plot, but I'll take a great character over a great plot any time." Asked what makes a great character, Vargo immediately references his crime series, Tombs. "I really like the man character in Tombs, Curtis Monroe," said Vargo. "If you're his friend, Curtis is a good guy, but he's extremely flawed. He's a thug who'll break bones for a payday. He reminds me of characters like Tony Soprano and the main character on Breaking Bad - characters who do awful things, yet somehow manage to make us root for them. In my mind, these kinds of characters make a great reading experience because they lack the filters that govern accepted behavior. They don't care what people think of them and that makes for unpredictable, exciting fiction."

Vargo's reference to the meth-cooking high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (the main character in AMC's Breaking Bad), and HBO's Tony Soprano brings up the idea of inspiration. "I struggle with that question," he said. "Inspiration comes from so many places. Books, movies, television, art, music, everyday people... I guess my best answer is that I'm drawn to the underdog. The author Charlie Huston once wrote about how bad things would be for the rich if the poor ever decided to fight for their fair share of the pie. That's probably the best explanation I have for my inspiration. I like to write stories about underdogs who fight. They might not win, but they fight, and they fight hard."

Based on Vargo's twenty-years of writing before publication, it appears that fight isn't something he reserves just for the characters in his fiction.

To read more T.J. Vargo interviews or reviews, check out:

Blood of the Muse Interview

Patti Roberts Book Blog Interview

Blood of the Muse Review

Soulless Machine Review

The Book Zombie Review