Meet Scott Benkie, a graduate of the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, whose career spans over three and a half decades as a practicing trial lawyer in Indianapolis. His commitment to the legal profession is underscored by his inclusion in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers on martindale.com. Beyond his legal expertise, Scott is deeply rooted in his community, where he resides with his daughter and fiance. His diverse talents extend to coaching high school basketball, leading to a state championship in 2003, and holding a certification as a strength and conditioning specialist. With a passion for sharing his knowledge, Scott frequently serves as a speaker at litigation seminars for fellow lawyers and has authored various articles and manuals designed to empower legal professionals in their cases. In this interview, we learn a little more about Scott Benkie and what started his writing career.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Scott Allen Benkie is a graduate of the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and a practicing trial lawyer (Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, martindale.com) for 35 years in Indianapolis, where he lives with his daughter and fiance. He has coached high school basketball (Bishop Chatard State Champions 2003) and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a frequent speaker for lawyers in litigation seminars and has written several articles and manuals to assist lawyers in their cases.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing a book in 1989 after a reckless homicide jury trial. Unfortunately, I got away from it, and at that time, no one had really entered into the legal thriller genre except Scott Turow. I think I missed a real opportunity there.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read? Who Inspires you in your writings?
Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Earnest Hemingway, J.R. Tolkein, William Faulkner, James Joyce.
What inspired your book?
I wanted to explore the theme of spiritual redemption and how our lives may be sculpted by divine intervention.
What was the most difficult scene to write?
For me, the most difficult part of writing a book is deciding what to cut. There can be a tendency to provide excess back story which does not move the story along. Multiple edits are required, and I’ve heard it said that you don’t write a book, you rewrite a book. It can be an infinite process, and you may never be satisfied.
I can’t say I’ve experienced writer’s block to the extent where I am totally stymied, however, decisions regarding cuts are the most difficult. I think today’s reader has less patience for lengthy literary works in keeping with the rapid advance of technology.
What do you want people to take away from reading this book?
Hopefully what I have written will give some readers hope in their own predicaments.
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The Lawyer’s Angel
Attorney James Crosson is in the grips of despair, blaming himself for his wife’s death. A widow hires him to pursue a wrongful death case on behalf of her late husband who died in a seemingly ordinary car wreck. Crosson must confront his own tragic loss and gambling debts as he unravels the plot hatched by a deranged corporate tyrant who will stop at nothing to conceal the truth, take down the lawyer, and preserve his empire. With Vegas goons closing in and everything at stake, Crosson goes all in one last time with no realistic chance of winning the case or surviving the evil arrayed against him.
