Author Interview Benjamin H. Berkley- In Defense of Guilt

I just finished reading this suspenseful novel with a very interesting twist. The attorney becomes the person being judged and the judge turns into G-d. It's a novel that makes us think twice about recognizing our own behaviors and being confronted with facing our own imperfections.

The following is an Interview with Benjamin H. Berkley- author of his new novel In Defense of Guilt

Q and A WITH BENJAMIN H. BERKLEY

AUTHOR OF IN DEFENSE OF GUILT

Question: What inspired you to write In Defense of Guilt?

Benjamin H. Berkley: I have known too many friends and colleagues who were workaholics; sacrificing time they would’ve had with their families. Then, a divorce occurs, or there is a medical crisis, and they wake up and wonder where the time went and lament that they cannot get it back. Lauren, the main character in the novel, is a lawyer who has never lost a case, and is forced to reckon with this same problem—in an unexpected way!

Q: What sets In Defense of Guilt apart from other novels?

Berkley: Although the principal location is a Los Angeles courtroom, and the novel is ostensibly about a case where a man is accused of throwing his wife overboard a boat, the defense attorney is ultimately turned into the defendant and the presiding judge morphs into God. I think that’s pretty unique.

Q: In Defense of Guilt tackles real life themes about family, love, and justice. Why do you think it is important for there to be books that acknowledge these themes?

Berkley: Life is a daily struggle for survival for all of us, and there are no shortcuts. We are all trying to figure out how to have it all, but in the end the only way to have a successful career and family is by learning to compromise and live according to our own moral code in the best way we can. Life is a balancing act and, when push comes to shove, justice and what is right always prevails.

Q: As both a layer and storyteller, did you find yourself basing characters in your book on real life people you’ve encountered?

Berkley: The book is loosely based on my experiences representing clients and the judges I have appeared before.  I’ve woven pieces from real people together and turned them into stories. I’ve always been a great storyteller, but some of the best stories that I tell cannot be made up. They are too crazy to be anything but real.

Q: If you hadn’t been an attorney and author, what career path would you have taken?

Berkley: A life on the stage! I wanted to sing and act, I was in all of my high school and college productions. I also dreamed of playing center field for the New York Yankees.

About the Author:

From as far back as he can remember Benjamin Berkley was always fascinated by law. Growing up in Long Beach, New York, his daily schedule revolved around grainy black and white reruns of Perry Mason, who with the help of Della Street, solved the most complicated of crimes imaginable – wining cases for their all but convicted clients. It came as no surprise to his family and friends that upon high school graduation, young Berkley chose law as his career path.

After years of intense study, Berkley earned his Juris Doctorate degree and has practiced law for over forty years. In Defense of Guilt (2018) is Benjamin Berkley’s second novel. He is also the author of four self-help books as well as his first novel, Against My Will, (2012) and is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post. Berkley lives in southern California with his wife Phyllis and their cat Riley. He has two grown children and is always bragging about his five amazing grandchildren.  

Connect with Benjamin Berkley on Facebook @AuthorBenjaminBerkley, Instagram @benBerkley, Twitter @benber150, and GoodreadsGoodreads.com/Benjamin_Berkley

I'm linking this post with one of my  food related posts about understanding the issues with GMO food- the food industry will one day really have to face the guilt related to that one. In fact, Monsanto one of the biggest offenders has recently lost a major law suit for farmer's claiming that their cancer's are related to the pesticides.

Are  you concerned about GMO food in our food supply? Perhaps we all should be -
Who  is Guilty???? What you don't know

Shared on Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking.