What brought about the writing of this book, Halfway to a Vineyard?
Halfway to a Vineyard began from polling my fans to help select the title of my next book after I completed writing, Halfway to Magnolia House. I presented four potential titles, from which to select and Vineyard won with the most votes. Using a vineyard backdrop appealed to me after attending our daughter’s wedding at Firestone Winery in 2009. While there, we toured several vineyards and I was enthralled by the idea of writing a thriller using a vineyard as a backdrop. After careful consideration and research, I also discovered an area in northern California that is known as the Emerald Triangle. 
The name refers to the counties of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity which are the largest cannabis producing region in the U.S. Growers have been cultivating cannabis in the region since the 1960’s.
How long did it take you to write it?
I began writing the book in June 2016. However, late September of that year, I needed a total knee replacement and it was to be a while before I felt like taking up writing again. I picked up where I left off about March of 2017 and completed the story July of that year.
Tell us something about you your readers don’t know.
During my military career I met very interesting people. I was privy to be present in Hawaii as Admiral Noel Gayler conducted the last evacuations of the Vietnam U.S. embassy. I also had the opportunity to brief the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Edward C. Meyer, and later, through my duties at the Pentagon, met the president of El Salvador, Jose Napoleon Duarte.
Are you working on another book to release this year?
I have been working on my next novel, Halfway to MMXX, which is slightly futuristic with an environmental theme. I won a local adult library contest using only the first chapter of the book as a short story. However, I am not able to project a release date due to another surgery this past January. Your interest, may be the spark I need to continue writing that piece of work.
Then by all means, please continue writing it. We want to read it. We love how you weave several plots into your stories making a great suspense––mystery.
Wasn’t your book picked as a semi-finalist?
Halfway to a Vineyard, was a semi-finalist in the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author competition.
Thank you for visiting Anthony. Let us know when your new book is published.
Visit Anthony at: https://www.anthony-mays.com/
http://authors.southernwritersmagazine.com/anthony-mays.html
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