"IT JUST GROWS AS I TYPE": AN INTERVIEW WITH NORDIC & FINN'S PETER BRANDVOLD

Nordic & Finn, Peter Brandvold's latest western, deals with a large loner, Nordic, who sparks off a range war, when he comes to the defense of a stray collie, Finn, pulling in his widow rancher boss and the town marshal. Peter answered my questions like his human hero, with few words that pack a punch.

SCOTT MONTGOMERY: How did the idea of Nordic & Finn come about?

PETER BRANDVOLD: I have a dog of my own I'm very close to and I've always been a fan of man/dog stories. I guess it just dropped into my head naturally. I never have a complete idea when I start. It just grows as I type.

S.M.: What did you keep in mind with following the relationship with a man and animal?

P.B.: Just the love and the close bond of the two. I knew they were very much alike.

S.M.: The supporting players in the story all standout. What is good to keep in mind when writing for the non-leads?

P.B.: That they have to be as real as the main character.

S.M.: One of my favorite supporting characters is Marshal Adams. How did you approach him in the story?

P.B.: He just became real to me, as all the others. Very hard to analyze it. 

S.M. I was impressed by the book's pace. How did you keep it moving?

P.B.: A book's pace is all it's own. After I start writing, the momentum just builds. The story builds in my head and I get to writing faster and faster and faster. I've burned out a lot of computers. :)

S.M.: Do you see other stories for Nordic & Fimm? 

P.B.: I'm writing the second book now, THE MAN FROM DAKOTA. Just wrapping up. I'll probably write five or six more.