Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell

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ALFRED J. GARROTTO – Former Priest – Novelist / Screenwriter / Manuscript Editor / Author

Interviewed by Author-Blogger George Cramer 
https://gdcramer.com/ 

Jan 10, 2022

I’m a native Californian living in the San Francisco Bay Area. My life path has included Catholic ministry, marriage, children, and a grandchild. The writing bug bit me somewhere along that path, and I’ve published 16 books ranging from spirituality to romantic drama to a trilogy based on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

 Please tell us about your book and blurb and any comments about any other of your books:

Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell (Book 3 of the Wisdom of Les Misérables Trilogy)

Inspector Javert’s central theme: “What happens in the next instant after the heart beats for the last time.” Javert gazes into the River Seine. What future has he after freeing his enemy Jean Valjean? Rather than face his options, he leaps into the river.

• Book 1… Lessons From the Heart of Jean Valjean (nonfiction)

• Book 2… Bishop Myriel: In His Own Words

Do you write in more than one genre? I write both fiction and nonfiction. Topics range from romance/action to the arts and spiritual themes.

What brought you to writing? After a 20-year career in Catholic ministry, the writing bug bit.

Tell us about your writing process: I am gifted with (a) a love for the craft and (b) the ability to focus on the task at hand and stay with it for long stretches of the day. I don’t set goals about page count; I just stay with the process.

What is the most challenging part of your writing process? Most challenging is never allowing myself to fall in love with the draft I’m working on. Writing Inspector Javert brought that lesson home. At draft 10, I said, “Done!” The final book took 20+ drafts.

Has an association membership helped you or your writing? Without a doubt, my most important association throughout my career has been with the California Writers Club (Mount Diablo Branch). I tell people, “As a writer, it’s the only place I can go where people know what I’m talking about.”

Who’s your favorite author? If I have to pick one, it is Victor Hugo. He was such a complex human being in his personal life. That very complexity fed his mammoth ability to create the most varied and unforgettable characters.

How long did it take you to write your first book? My first three books came out as a series under the name Adult-to-Adult (Christ in Our Lives, Christians and Prayer, and Christians Reconciling, Winston Press). I drew upon material I developed during my ministry years.

 How do you come up with character names? When writing fiction, names just seem to come to me. This may sound sappy, but the characters tell me their names.

We hear of strong-willed characters. Do yours behave, or do they run the show? My characters run the show, whether they behave themselves or misbehave. To me, a novel is boring if everyone “does the right thing” all the time. Characters must behave like real people. They can sin and repent—or not. There must always be a measure of growth as the story arcs to the end.

What’s the most challenging thing when writing characters of the opposite sex? As a male writer, it’s always a challenge to climb inside the mind and body of a woman character. In my trilogy (A Love Forbidden, Finding Isabella, and I’ll Paint a Sun), all the main characters are women. As is the protagonist in The Saint of Florenville. I’ve never heard a complaint from female readers that I “didn’t get it right.”

Do you ever kill a popular character? A protagonist, no. Supporting characters might need to die. Hugo modeled this in Les Misérables. At the barricade, the boy Gavroche dies first. Then his sister, Eponine, dies in Marius’s arms. Enjolras, the rebel leader, dies. Everyone dies except Jean Valjean and Marius.

How do you raise the stakes for your protagonist—for the antagonist? Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell offers a good example. Javert’s ordered life turns upside down when he allows doubt to creep into his soul. Could a lifelong criminal be capable of goodness? That crack in Javert’s armor demands recognition. He might have gotten it wrong all his life. In an instant, the entire structure of his life falls apart.

Do you outline, or are you a pantser? A hybrid “pantser.” I begin a novel with an idea arc. I don’t create an outline. I count on the characters to surprise me by doing something I didn’t see coming. In my Les Mis trilogy, I had to follow the plotline set by Hugo. E.g., Javert can’t be a warm-hearted, fun-loving cop. Nor could Jean Valjean act out of character. I worked within the parameters of Hugo’s storyline. After Javert’s death, I had complete freedom to do anything I wanted.

What kind of research do you do? Primarily, I focus on getting the historical time, place, weather, etc., as accurate as possible. It helps if I’ve actually visited the places where I set my story. For example, I’ve been to Paris four times over the years and have a feel for the local environment as I experienced it.

Where do you place your settings—real or fictional locations? It depends on the story. Inspector Javert bound me to get the time and place right. In another novel, I built my own world. Whether setting a story in San Francisco (I’ll Paint a Sun) or Peru (Circles of Stone and Down a Narrow Alley), I needed to get it as right as possible, though I’ve never been to Peru.

What is the best book you have ever read? Les Misérables. All 1,200 pages of it.

Do you have any advice for new writers? First, stop talking about writing and just do it. Don’t let your first draft be your last draft. Have faith in yourself and do the work.

Second, find a compatible writing community for moral support and learning the craft of writing. Third, have fun. Writing doesn’t have to be torture—if it is, don’t do it

If none of this appeals to you, find something else you like to do.

How do our readers contact you?

• Email: alfredjgarrotto@gmail.com

• Website: www.alfredjgarrotto.com

• Blog: wisdomoflesmiserables.blogspot.com
  
  
• Facebook: AlfredJGarrottoAuthor
  
  
• Twitter: @algarrotto
  
  
• Instagram: alfredjgarrotto

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I wish all my friends and readers a most happy new year! 
I pray that you all had a wonderful--illness-free--Christmas!

I'm happy to report that Inspector Javert has taken off and fared well (for me) in the book marketplaces.

David Oyewolo... the best Jean Valjean

The best Inspector Javert on film or TV is David Olewoyo (BBC and PBS series). 
About Javert, Oyewolo is quoted by Bridget McManus, in The Sydney (Australia),  Morning News Herald (June 13, 2020): 

"Javert's the antagonist, but he really believe, from a moral perspective, that he'd doing the right thing. His job is to keep order. In his mind, he's doing something incredibly noble and heroic."

#DavidOyewolo #inspectorjavert #lesmiserables #jeanvaljean #victorhugo

#inspectorjavert

#victorhugo

#jeanvaljean

#lesmiserablesmusical

Inspector Javert is here.. and he's looking for you...

My latest book, Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell, is available now on Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook formats.

Javert stands atop the parapet staring down at the

River Seine below him. He looks into his future but sees nothing but disgrace--possibly prison--for sparing Jean Valjean's life. So, he steps off and falls into the river. But what happened to him next?

I offer my take on that next? And what might be waiting for each one of us when our time comes.

https://www.amazon.com/Inspector-Javert-Gates-Wisdom-Mis%C3%A9rables-ebook/dp/B09GWFBR2Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34B2W1GD23OL4&keywords=inspector+javert&qid=1637612727&sprefix=inspector+j%2Caps%2C215&sr=8-1

#lesmiserables-musical

#inspectorjavert

#victorhugo

#jeanvaljean

#lesmiserablesmusical

The Beliefs of Victor Hugo

 

Bellos, David. The Novel of the Century: The Extraordinary Adventure of Les Misérables (Kindle Location 1667). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kindle Edition.

“Les Misérables expresses the beliefs that Hugo held, which were quite particular to him. He was never reluctant to say that he believed in God, but he did not subscribe to any established tradition or cult. Contrary to the impression that Les Misérables may make on some readers, Hugo was not a Catholic. Unlike most French people of his age he had never been baptized or confirmed and had never taken communion; he never attended religious services and never went into church to pray. But pray he did. And he was adamant that Les Misérables was ‘a religious book.’”

#lesmiserables-musical

#inspectorjavert

#victorhugo

#jeanvaljean

#lesmiserablesmusical

 

Go With a Pro
 
Manuscript Evaluations and Editing

Alfred J. Garrotto

Expert and Ethical

Entrust your manuscript to an experienced book reviewer, writing instructor, and manuscript editor, who has authored 16 books (both fiction and nonfiction) on a range of topics and themes. In addition, I offer professional editing for other authors. I have covered all the bases as a writer--commercial publishing and independent publishing. As a veteran of the writing business, I see it from both the publisher’s and author’s viewpoint. 

 

My Editing Philosophy
Your work is sacred and primary. I will respect your original text, while offering positive critical recommendations in the margins or within the text itself when I see the need. I respect the author’s feelings and sense of pride and accomplishment.

Some authors request that I revise/rewrite their text, as needed (fee structure upon request since no two projects are the same). 

Client Testimonials

"Al Garrotto respected my writing and gave me an honest evaluation. In refining my story, he captured the essence of what I had experienced. His enthusiasm, skill, patience, and diligence to detail leaves no doubt that his editorial ability is 'par excellence.' Al also handled all of the nitty-gritty work required for independent publication. He's the BEST!"  Kathryn Davi-Cardinale, Joseph—My Son, My Guide: Communications From the Baby I Lost at Birth

 “Al Garrotto's editing work strikes me as the best available. He gave an amazing smoothness to my book. And what a shock to find his fees are far and away the lowest I've run into.” – Author/Educator Richard C. Brown, Ph.D. (When Ministry is Messy and A Practical Guide for Starting an Adult Faith Formation Program)

“Al has taken the place of a (critique) group, pointing out omissions, clumsy constructions, lack of clarity, illogicalities.” – Aline P’Nina Tayar, Author of How Shall We Sing? Picador Australia

"Thanks so much for your excellent evaluation. Some of your comments I have heard before, but some were new and most appreciated. I'm looking forward to tackling another edit and working on some of the problems presented." 
-- Christine Sunderland, author of the trilogy: Pilgrimage, Inheritance, and Offerings.

Fees
Every project is unique and needs to be discussed before a final fee is set.
The following schedule will help you estimate the cost of evaluating/editing your work.

•  Reading & Evaluation (only)

You'll receive an honest, objective, written evaluation of your work. 
(1-5 pages) 

Initial reading and evaluation: US$30.00 per 100 ms. Pages.
Return postage required, if you wish your submission to be returned. 
Partial ms. and first drafts accepted. 
A ms. page is 25 lines, double-spaced. (Single-spaced pages count as 2 pages.)

•  Line Editing

My current fee for line-editing a manuscript is US$1.75 per ms. page (25 lines, double-spaced).

alfredjgarrotto@gmail.com

All inquiries are welcome. Free consultation.

Inspector Javert is Coming . . . Soon and Very Soon

 

I’m delighted to announce a mid-November rollout for new my novel, Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell. Victor Hugo’s most despised antihero stands on the parapet where the swirling River Seine beckons to him. He hesitates . . . then steps forward. 

Readers wonder, “What happened next?” Did Javert cease to exist? Is there life on the other side of life as we know it here on Earth? If there is, what kind of existence awaits  Javert—and each of us—on that “other side”? I offer readers my own version of what came next for Javert . . . and might for us.   #lesmismusical   

                              

    

#lesmiserables-musical

#inspectorjavert

#victorhugo

#jeanvaljean

#lesmiserablesmusical

 

 

Inspector Javert is Coming for You

Here's the front cover for my new novel, Inspector Javert: at the Gates of Hell in both paperback and e-book formats.

Design by Andrew Benzie, https://www.andrewbenziebooks.com/  

Publication in early October and available on Amazon and through local bookstores and your favorite ebook seller.

Writing Javert took about 14 months and ever two dozen drafts. The writing came as both a pleasure and a challenge. Javert and I share nothing in common other than our humanness.  He's the "anti-me." Climbing inside the head of Victor Hugo's antihero took great emotional energy, but in the process, I got to know him better and understand what made him...Javert.

I can't wait to put it in the hands of readers. Let me know what you think. Thumbs up/down/sideways.

Victor Hugo's Testament of Life

 “You say the soul is nothing but simply the result of bodily powers that begin to ail. In my heart, Winter gives way to eternal Spring. I breathe the fragrance of lilacs, violets, and roses. The nearer I approach to my eternal home, the plainer I hear around me the crescendo of a universe of endless symphonies.

“Yet, the marvelous simplicity of ensemble washes over me like a warm summer shower. I feel like the charming prince in a children’s fairy tale. For half a century I have been writing my thoughts in prose, verse, history, philosophy, drama, romance, tradition, satire, ode, song. I have tried all. But I feel that I have not said the thousandth part of what is in me.

“When I go down to the grave I can say, like so many others, ‘I have finished my day’s work,’ but I cannot say, ‘I have finished my life.’ My day’s work will begin again the next morning. The tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes in the twilight to open with the dawn.

“I improve every hour, because I love this world as my fatherland, because the truth compels me, as it compelled Voltaire, that human divinity. My work is only a beginning. My monument is hardly above its foundation. I would be glad to see it mounting and mounting forever. The thirst for the infinite proves infinity.”

Victor Hugo

Image: Rodin's "Bust of Victor Hugo"

Original Source: Sacramento Daily Union, March 16, 1882 (twenty years after publication of Les Miserables and three years before the great man’s death)