Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always loved the mystique of the written word. My very earliest memories of books are now merely elusive images lost in the hazy mists of childhood. However, I can clearly mark that space in time when the world of literature opened up to me in a very real and concrete way. I was eight years old, third grade, when my teacher opened a book in class one day entitled THE GHOST OF BLACKWOOD HALL by Carolyn Keene. Yes, it was one of the Nancy Drew amateur sleuth series. As she read, I was suddenly whisked away into a land of adventure and intrigue–a magical, mystical journey into another place and time. That was my first love affair with the written word, and that love continues even now.
For me, creating my own tapestries with words was a natural spin-off from reading the works of others. Writing became a means of expressing all of the thoughts and feelings and dreams and emotions that I harbored within myself–a place where all things were possible and my imagination could run free and wild. I wrote primarily for myself, a source of self-satisfaction, from journals to essays to short stories to finally my first novel, RAIN OF TERROR.
As RAIN OF TERROR, Book 1 in the Blacklick Valley Mystery Series, exemplifies, I have a proclivity toward the mystery genre. The twists and turns in plot, the questions, the clues, the suspense, the final revelations, the challenge of bringing it all together captivate even me because often I’m not certain where my characters will take me. My second book, A REASON TO KILL, and my third in the series entitled ANGUISH are also chilling mystery thrillers combined with a little romantic suspense. Coming in March of 2016 is DEADLY SECRETS, where the characters from the first three books combine into an explosion of mystery, romance, and intrigue that you won’t want to miss!
I have written a total of four (4) books in The Blacklick Valley Mystery Series:
RAIN OF TERROR
A REASON TO KILL
ANGUISH
DEADLY SECRETS (Release date March 2016)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book, DEADLY SECRETS, will be released in March 2016
Inspiration? I love the challenge of creating a mystery/thriller–the twists and turns in plot, the questions, the clues, the suspense, the final revelations, the challenge of bringing it all together captivate even me because often I’m not certain where my characters will take me.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When the inspiration strikes me, I start writing from scratch–no outline, no plan, no plot. The words just start flowing; and as I said, even I don’t usually know where my characters will take me. Also I write non-stop–morning, noon, and night until it’s done. Then I go back and polish.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Brad Thor, Lee Childs, Nelson DeMille, Dean Koontz, James Patterson
What are you working on now?
I’m getting DEADLY SECRETS, Book 4 in The Blacklick Valley Mystery Series, ready for publication in March 2016.
I’m also working on the AUDIO release of A REASON TO KILL, also scheduled for release in March 2016.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter and Facebook
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t quit! Follow your dream with determination and hard work and hope.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never be a quitter!
What are you reading now?
Editing my own book, DEADLY SECRETS.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I’d like to do a compilation of short stories and essays for a change.
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?
GONE WITH THE WIND
WAR AND PEACE
The Bible
Brad Thor’s newest book
Author Websites and Profiles
Donna Cummins Amazon Profile
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