L.D. Beyer

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a reformed corporate drone who, after twenty-five years of too many missed family events, finally decided to reclaim my soul. Before I escaped, my career primarily involved relocating my family every few years—so much so that my children asked me if we were in the Witness Protection Program. I have yet to set the record straight.

I’m the author of three novels, two of which are part of the Matthew Richter Thriller Series. My third book—the novel I just released—is a standalone work, an historic thriller set in Ireland.

To complete the picture, I live in Michigan with my wife and three children. In addition to writing and reading, I enjoy cooking, hiking, biking, working out, and the occasional glass of wine.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, which I just released, is titled The Devil’s Due and is an historic thriller set in Ireland in the early 1920s. The story is loosely based on family legend for my grandfather who served in the Irish Republican Army during the War for independence, when Ireland was seeking to end seven hundred years of British oppression. Growing up, I heard stories of how he was forced to flee Ireland below a false passport because both the British and his own comrades in the IRA had put bounties on his head. Like most legends, I suspect that this one grew over time and with each retelling, especially when my Irish uncles were drinking! I spent some time in Limerick and Dublin, meeting with researchers and historians and I learned that the truth was probably far less dramatic. Exaggerated or not, though, the legend makes for one great story line!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think all writers have quirks and I think this is because the creative process varies for each of us. For me, it usually takes one or two false starts before I finally feel that the story has legs, that it might actually be going somewhere. One of the things I do that might seem odd—somewhere after I have a dozen or so scenes written and I can see a plot developing—is I take a step back and I select a working title. Over the course of a week or two, I’ll brainstorm and jot down possibilities and then come back and look at them again, add more, cross off others, modify some. I continue to work the list, narrowing it down until I have something that conveys something meaningful to me about the story. Ultimately, the title I select has to feel right. It may sound strange, but having a working title helps guide where the book ultimately goes. And for me, it seems to work. In my first three books, the final title for each was the one I selected early on.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love thriller and suspense novels–medical thrillers, legal thrillers, historic thrillers, political thrillers—particularly ones that are full of intrigue and ones with a lot of action & adventure. Brad Meltzer, Vince Flynn, Steve Berry, David Baldacci, Brad Thor—these are some of my favorite writers and they are a great source of inspiration. When I read, I want to escape and to live vicariously through the characters, even if only for a short while. I want to root for the good guy and hate the bad guy. And if the tension is just right, I keep turning the pages because I need to know what happens next. This is the journey I hope to take readers on with my books!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third book in the Matthew Richter Thriller series. This book is tentatively titled, The Deadliest of Sins, and I hope to release it early next year. The first two books in this series were very well received with In Sheep’s Clothing, my debut novel, reaching the #1 spot on three separate Amazon best seller lists and An Eye For An Eye, the sequel, reaching #3 and #4. The reviews have been great and fans really seem to enjoy the Matthew Richter character.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Driving awareness is a challenge but by far the best promotional tool I have used is BookBub. BookBub is selective in what they ultimately choose to promote and they are expensive but for me the investment more than paid off.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice I heard most often when I started writing was to write every day, for as long as you can, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. While I’ll admit that I don’t always follow that advice, like any skill, writing takes practice and you will become better over time. The second thing is to read everything you can within your genre or chosen field. Learn how different writers approach their craft and along the way you’ll learn what an intriguing protagonist, a compelling plot, or engaging dialogue look and sound like. It’s also good to network with other writers. We tend to think alike and, even if it’s to commiserate on the rapid changes taking place within the publishing industry, writers tend to be very supportive of each other. At the same time, I would learn as much as I could about publishing, whether it’s traditional or self-publishing. Most importantly: get feedback. Find a handful of people who will give you objective advice about your writing. You can’t get better unless you know where you need to improve. Finally, hang on to the dream! Perseverance is as much a part of being a writer as a computer and a dictionary are!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself. I think so many people fail to achieve their potential because they give up at the first sign of failure. Someone once asked Thomas Edison why he continued to try and invent an electric light after thousands of attempts and years of failure. His answer was that he hadn’t failed—he had merely found thousands of ways that wouldn’t work. He went on to say that many of life’s failures were people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

What are you reading now?
I just started reading The 14th Colony by Steve Berry. I’m a big Steve Berry fan and I enjoy his Cotton Malone Series. I’m only three chapters into the book. While this is the type of book I could stay up late reading, I forced myself to put it down last night because I had an early meeting today. I am looking forward to picking it back up tonight.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue writing. Like many authors I have a day job. In my case it’s a start up business, a better-for-you food company that several partners and I launched. Being an entrepreneur can be a 24/7 gig. But writing—and reading—is my release. Luckily I have a very understanding wife who does a fantastic job managing the promotional aspects for me. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to balance both my business and my writing.

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?
If I only had 3 or 4 books to choose, one would certainly be One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I’ve probably read this book a dozen times over the last 30-plus years. The imagery and the characters are so beautifully drawn. I think I would bring something by Ken Follett, perhaps Pillars of the Earth. This is an epic tale of power—those who have it, those who crave it and those who are crushed by it. Follett does a fantastic job in developing both character and setting in medieval England. I would also probably bring a classic, like War and Peace by Tolstoy. And finally, I would bring something by a foreign writer, in Spanish. There are some great Spanish and Hispanic writers. Having lived in Mexico for several years, I speak—or once did—passable Spanish. If I’m stuck on a desert isle, I’ll have a lot of time to relearn the language.

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