The following review and interview by Shirley Johnson appears in the Midwest Book Review at http://www.midwestbookreview.com/index.html
Hookers, Tricks and Cops Loren Christensen Adventure Book Publishers Adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com ISBN# 1-55313-086-3
http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/ Now available in eBook and softcover
"Hookers, Tricks and Cops is not your everyday book. No, this one will make you sit up and take notice. Think the world of prostitution is bad? You just don't know the half of it. Mr. Christensen writes from first hand knowledge, being a retired police officer, and tells the true story of the interaction between the three, Hookers, Tricks and Cops. He answers the questions that have been whispered behind close doors.
The stories are true encounters that Mr. Christensen and his fellow workers have had. Often sad, sometimes humorous, he gets down to the nitty-gritty of life’s age-old profession. Who are these women and men who sell something so precious for so little? Why do they do this and where do their lives go after their youth and innocence has long departed them? This book takes a hard, accurate look and answers these questions and many more.
I was surprised at some of the comments and attitudes of the prostitutes and tricks. Mr. Christensen takes away the myth of the innocent victim and allows you to see things as they really are. Not a pretty sight, I might add!
This is not a book for the tender of heart, as some dialog is crude but necessary in keeping with the content of the story.
Hookers, Tricks and Cops! Interesting, sad, humorous, violent and sobering at the same time! Quite a read! Thank you Mr. Christensen for shedding a new light and answering many unasked questions.
And....for those who maybe thinking of taking a little ride down to the Red-Light district of your hometown.......maybe you might want to read this book first. You may just decide to stay home and be thankful for the wonderful family you have!
Interview with Loren Christensen:
I chose to interview Mr. Christensen because I feel he writes on topics that we would like to know about but just didn't know who to ask. I found him extremely charming and loved his outlook on life. I believe you will enjoy this interview, let's begin.
SJ: Loren, I have read and reviewed two of your works. Crazy Crooks and Hookers, Tricks and Cops. I have to say I really enjoyed those books. What was the hardest part for you as you wrote them and how long did it take you to complete these works? Also, please tell us why you decided to write books on these subjects? What inspired you?
LOREN: Thank you for your kind comments. Of the two, Crazy Crooks was the easiest because I had collected these stories, 700 of them, over the eight years I edited The Rap Sheet, a monthly, tabloid-sized newspaper published by the Portland (Oregon) Police Association. So when I decided to do the book, I looked at the pile of stories I had and then organized them into categories, burglary, robbery, and so on. I edited them for clarity and removed the location where each incident occurred and the names of all the participants. All this took roughly two months. Hookers, Tricks and Cops took about eight months because I was working on another book at the same time. During my 25-year career with the Portland Police Bureau, I often worked prostitution areas (no, I didn't request them). So when I got the idea for the book, I first dug into my noodle to recall stories, impressions and characters related to what I call the street dance of cops, tricks and hookers.
When I exhausted my stories, I called officers I knew had worked uniform and undercover in high-prostitution areas. While I was interested in their stories, I nudged them for their impressions and feelings about the people with whom they interacted. One female officer in particular had worked decoy (dressing like a prostitute and strolling the dark streets) for several years. I interviewed her for four hours digging not only for stories but also for her insight into the tricks who tried to buy her favors.
I also interviewed several hookers who were active in various prostitution organizations that support them in their jobs. One in particular was the president of an international prostitution organization. Interestingly, this woman used to work for the Los Angeles Police Department.
I wrote Hookers, Tricks and Cops because I wanted to reveal this subculture, if you will, that few people, other than the participants, know about. I wanted to show that the stereotype applied to hookers, tricks and cops are usually far from reality. Not all tricks are perverted or stepping out on their wives, though some are. Not all hookers are abused and drug addicted; some really enjoy their work. Though there may be cops who partake of hookers, I never saw or heard of it happening in my 25 years. In fact, most are disgusted by the trade and put up a fuss when ordered to work prostitution missions.
SJ: You did a great job on both of those books. You use humor in your books and I like that. I am sure you have seen more horror than any of us can imagine in your line of work. Do you feel writing these books have been a form of release for you?
LOREN: Well, I'm really a funny guy. No one laughs harder at my humor than I do. Seriously, I don't think I've gotten any kind of psychological release from my books. My objective is to inform the reader about these relatively unique worlds in which I have had the privilege and sometimes misfortune to work. I've also written about the culture of skid row - Skid Row Beat - about the psychology and post-traumatic stress involved when officers are forced to take a life - Deadly Force Encounters -- and the concept of warriorhood based on my experiences in Vietnam, on the PD and as a martial artist for nearly 40 years - Crouching Tiger: Taming the Warrior Within.
SJ: I need to do some more reading of your work Loren. I think I am missing out on a lot! What would you hope your readers will take away with them after reading your books?
LOREN: That their perceptions of these worlds just might be off.
SJ: I know mine was off to some degree. Your books were definitely an eye opener, and for that I thank you!
Did you find it difficult to find a publisher?
LOREN: This probably sounds awful, bit I really haven't. The only book I had a struggle selling was The Mental Edge to the first publisher (I later got the rights and resold it to another publisher). I queried probably 25 publishers before a Canadian publisher accepted it. Actually, I've always thought the reason it sold then was because the female editor thought I was a woman. The female version of my name is Lauren, but a lot of people don't know that. I never did correct her when she would write, "Dear Ms. Christensen."
SJ: That is funny! What advice would you give to fellow writers in their search for a publisher?
LOREN: Begin with the small houses. They treat you well and, since they publish just a few books a year, they aggressively push your book.
I think too many writers try to start at the top. Yes, the occasional first-time writer sells the big one, but that is so rare that it's big news in the publishing biz and in the writing magazines. I began writing about 25 years ago. I first sold to bodybuilding, martial arts and men's adventure magazines. I spent about five years writing for them, all the while learning the craft and building my confidence. Once I felt I was ready, I ventured out to bigger magazines, such as Reader's Digest.
I've always felt that there are zillions of writers better than me. Therefore, to get my stuff accepted, I had to be very knowledgeable of my subject, find the right slant and approach the right publisher. All the clichés are true: know your stuff, organize it well, find the right magazine or book publisher and don't sit on your mailbox. Once you have sent it out, get busy with your next project.
SJ: Some great advice there, thank you Loren! Please tell us how long you have been writing.
LOREN: I began writing in 1977, but didn't really hit the markets until about 1981. I used to write in longhand in my police car on lunch and coffee breaks. I wrote about 30 articles and five books that way. When I retired from the police department in 1997, I began writing full time.
SJ: Well, whatever way you did it certainly proved successful. Please tell us how many hours a day you spend writing.
LOREN: I've had this schedule for the last five years. I get up at 6am, stagger sleepily up to my upstairs office, check email, see how my books are doing on amazon.com, and then wave my family off at 7am. Then I pound the keys until about 3pm. I have a huge office, half of which is a weight gym, and my martial arts school is attached to my house. So whenever my brain gets fuzzier than usual, I pump a little iron or go out to my school and punch the bag. Major tip: You absolutely must do something physical every day because it does wonders for your writing. And take it easy with the coffee and cookies.
I usually have two books going at the same time, which I'm trying to make myself not do anymore. It's a killer stress wise. This past year, I've been working on two big books - one on nutrition and the other on the psychology of combat with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Grossman's last book, On Killing, was nominated for a Pulitzer. On top of this, I made four martial arts instructional videos in Boulder, Colorado. So with writing two books and practice and rehearsal for the videos, I've about had it. Never again (until the next time, that is).
So that I don't come off like Hulk Hogan or Rambo, you should know that I've answered all these questions while an eight-week old kitten, Lexii, has been nestled inside my sweatshirt. I feel like a mother kangaroo.
SJ: Ah! A strong, talented man with a tender heart! Great combo! You certainly have a lot of works published. Tell us, do you think writing can bring in enough income for a person to make a decent living?
LOREN: You need either one or two hot books out there or you have to churn out material as if possessed. It's dangerous to venture into full-time writing before selling consistently, and you have at least two or three good-paying magazines or book publishers that buy from you regularly.
SJ: Let me ask you this where do you see yourself as a writer in 5 years and what are you doing to accomplish that?
LOREN: Probably doing the same thing, though hopefully I'm better at it. What I'm discovering is that the more you hammer out articles and books, the more editors want from you and the more opportunities that come up. The secret? Keep at it. As I mentioned earlier, I'm an okay writer (and that's not phony humility) but I just keep churning the stuff out. Also, to keep my sanity, I write on as many subjects as I can. That way I stay fresh and have a reputation in two or three completely different fields.
SJ: Good idea! Tell me, do you think writing is a gift or a craft that can be learned, or perhaps a little of both?
LOREN: A little of both. I definitely wasn't the best student in school, but I shined in English because the power of words fascinated me, even as early as the 6th grade. As early as I can remember, I had a gift for story and for using words in writing to get a laugh or make people feel an emotion. I thought that was cool even when I was 13 years old.
Other than a college class on how to write radio commercials, I've never had formal training. Everything I've learned along the way I've picked up from books and magazines on writing, especially the Writer's Digest book club, and from reading other writers analytically.
Do you need formal writing classes? I'm sure they are great and I wish I would have taken them, but I'm proof that not everyone needs them.
SJ: Again Loren, however you learned it, it certainly is working for you. Do you spend anytime reading other people's work? If so, in what genre do you read?
LOREN: I try to read a book a week, nonfiction and fiction. It's all good for your mind, not only the information you take in, but all the elements of writing that you absorb.
SJ: I agree with you. I know reading and reviewing has broadened my horizon and taught me a lot about writing styles. Do you belong to any writing group and do you have someone you bounce your work off of before submitting for publication?
LOREN: No. I've co-authored a couple of books and shared the process of those projects with my co-authors, but none of my friends write. I usually don't share much of the process with friends or family because they just can't relate and aren't terribly interested. They just look at me like I'm a dweeb when I complain about taking two hours to polish a paragraph.
SJ: Do you ever have the dreaded writer's block and if you do, what do you do to remedy it?
LOREN: Never have. Just lucky, I guess.
SJ: Very lucky indeed!
Loren, would you please use this space for anything you would like to tell our readers about yourself, your books, or tips that they can use to better their chances of publication.
LOREN: While writing is an art form, it's also a business and should be approached as such. Learn all that you can about the craft and know that the learning never stops. Study other writers as to why and how they made you feel something. What was the technique that made it work? When you read something that didn't work, but should have, study it to see how it could have been written more effectively.
Package your article or book with total professionalism. Don't guess as to how it should be done; find out exactly. That package tells a lot about you as well as the content of the writing. Send a sloppy package, and the editor can only assume your information and research are sloppy, too.
Don't try to impress with fancy, $10 dollar words. It looks like you are trying too hard to sound intelligent and no one will read more than a page, anyway. Write simply and always look for the easiest way to say something with the fewest words.
Lastly, write at least five days a week. It gets easier the more you do it.
SJ: Thank you so much for all the great advice you have given to our readers and for sharing your life as a writer with us. Readers, if you haven't read any of Loren Christensen's work, I suggest that you do. His writing is refreshing!
Thank you Loren for allowing me this interview and I truly wish you the best in your future. I believe you have a lot to offer the reading world!