Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written a number of non-fiction books (under another name), and just started writing fiction. I have a background in math and science and used to be a professor in an engineering school. This has advantages for the detective stories that I write. While my prose isn’t as flowery as other authors, my plots are air tight based on the starting premises. I also put a lot of humor into my fiction. A number of reviewers of “Karma Dead Ahead” have said how funny they found it or that they had laughed out loud at various points.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Karma Dead Ahead”, which is the first book in the Private PSI Detective Mystery Series. I am not sure what exactly inspired it. The entire story popped into my head one day in June 2014 (not every little detail, but the characters and what they did and how the story began, proceeded and ended). It took five weeks to type. There was a lot of paranormal activity taking place in my home during this period. I had never written any fiction before and had no plans to do so at the time.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always go through at least a period when I write all the time, not just during a scheduled amount of time per day. My first fiction book I wrote every free moment I had at any part of the day. I wanted to finish it as quickly as possible before I forgot the details of the story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.
What are you working on now?
In addition to two non-fiction books, I am two-thirds of the way through with the second book in the Private PSI Detective Mystery Series. The first book takes place on a Caribbean Island, but in the second installment, the two detectives, Sagacity Jeunesse and Chance Mankowski, go to Paris. Sagacity and Chance are graduate students who work in a university paranormal research lab under eccentric professor Wilkinson. Along with them, he appears in all the books, as does Sagacity’s outrageous mother, a group of psychics known as the Gang of Four and an Indian woman who is a tech entrepreneur and witchcraft practitioner. Sagacity, who is bold, beautiful and a good shot, is more of the Sherlock Holmes type. Chance, on the other hand, is a cautious, intellectual guy and is more of a Dr. Watson type.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Other than Awesomegang? Facebook is the most important social media site for authors. A large percent of the public uses it and there are probably well over 100 book related groups. After that, I would say it’s important to find sites that specialize in your genre.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t put barriers in your way. Anyone can publish a book today because of the Internet, eBooks, and Amazon. You don’t need anyone’s permission to publish, so either don’t ask for it or don’t accept rejection from publishers. Just finish your book (the biggest problem I’ve seen), get it properly edited and post it online. Then, realize you have to market it, otherwise no one is going to buy it no matter how good it is.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you build other people up, you rise with them; when you tear other people down, you go down with them. Many writers ignore this advice and guarantee they’ll never have many book sales.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading one of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am hoping to have the Private PSI Detective Mystery novels made into a TV series or one or more movies.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The books I would take to a desert island are 1. How to Build a Hut 2. How to Forage for Food 3. How to Get Clean Drinking Water and 4. How to Build a Seaworthy Boat.
Author Websites and Profiles
D.H. Montgomery Amazon Profile
D.H. Montgomery’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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