Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As reflected in my fiction work, I was a child of the Midwest, living in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa by the time I reached my 16th birthday. I continued my travels through the Heartland as a young man, living in Illinois, Iowa again, and finally settling in Missouri. Much of my life has been in rural communities, with the past years being urban. The contrast of rural and urban life was a central component of realism within fiction when I chose Iowa as the setting for my novel.
My journey from nonfiction to fiction writing is recent. In November I released the first in my Hank Anderson psychological thriller series, Overnight Delivery: A Hank Anderson Thriller, on Amazon, under my pen name, Raymond Parish. Previously I had two nonfiction books published including, Men at Work: An Action Guide to Masculine Healing, and I self-published two additional self help books including, I’m Sorry, It’s Cancer A Handbook of Help and Hope for Survivors and Caregivers. All were written from the perspective of my profession as a psychotherapist, and, in the case of my handbook, my own experiences as a cancer survivor.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As a writer, Overnight Delivery rose from my desire to further challenge my writing chops, evolving from successful and widely appreciation nonfiction author into the uncertain world of fiction. OD was also cultivated in a lifetime of Midwestern life and the richness of the relationships that have moved through my life as a counseling professional.
As a reader, I have been an avid fan of mystery and thriller series for as long as I can remember, starting with the ultra light Hardy Boys, then being introduced to Christie, Chandler, Hammett, Conan Doyle, and MacDonald by my dad. I’m currently immersed in the books of C.J. Box. As the story that became Overnight Delivery began to germinate, it fit that the book was meant to be a thriller, narrated from a skilled and flawed insider’s view of the inner world of gold and darkness within each of us.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Today I did a bit of writing in one of my sweaters with elbow patches. There was a period in my life when I imagined I would become a liberal arts professor, tweed jackets with suede elbow patches and such. Although I ultimately chose a different path, I never lost my love for elbow patches, and they just seem to fit well with writing books.
I don’t write within a certain daily structure, as some authors do. Writing has always fit into the spaces between the other passions in my life: being a father, a husband, a therapist, a bicyclist, and a tremendously mediocre guitarist. As such, I write when the idea for a project strikes me. I write during the day. I write in the evening. I just make sure to write.
My go to music for writing used to be Dire Straits. Mark Knofler, an amazing story teller, inspires me. These days I’m drawn to instrumental music: Tangerine Dream, Pat Metheny, and his friend and collaborator, the late, great, Lyle Mays.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mystery and thriller authors that have influenced me are those that combine tension, characters I want to know and understand, and humor: Robert Crais, David Housewright, Laurie R. King, Lisa Lutz, John Sanford. I am also influenced by writers that use geography as a key element of the story: Robert Parker’s Boston, the 1940s Hollywood of Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters series, and, once again, Laurie R. King’s early 1900s London.
I continue to be highly influenced by writers who create nonfiction that matches the page turning energy of great novels: Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies, on the history of cancer care; Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes; Victor Frankl’s tragic and triumphant combination of memoir and his theory of psychotherapy. Man’s Search for Meaning.
What are you working on now?
I am moving right along on my second book in the Hank Anderson series, tentatively titled, Higher Education. I took a break when writing Overnight Delivery to complete I’m Sorry, It’s Cancer. Although I have an idea for another nonfiction book, I’ve made a commitment to myself to stay focused on Hank’s next story.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Over the years, I promoted my nonfiction through my website, seminars, and book signings. Publishing a fiction work has opened a whole new world and a whole new learning curve. Utilizing review sites like Awesome Gang has been very helpful to a new author reaching a new audience. Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook are all on my computer speed dial these days. I’m just beginning to enjoy making connections with other independent fiction authors, appreciating the supportive community that I find myself joining.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
When reviewing my first manuscript, my first editor said, “You’re a pretty good writer for a social worker.” That was all the endorsement I required to keep writing, to keep getting better. Find whatever motivation you need to continue your adventure in writing, whether internal desire or external encouragement.
As many before have said, write what you would want to read. If you, like me, do not have much formal training in creative writing find websites (like this one), journals, magazines, and seminars that teach you the craft. And…learn to accept quality feedback from early readers and editors that, as challenging as it might be to hear, will improve your work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My son and I once attended a seminar by Ridley Pearson, the prolific author of thrillers and Peter Pan adaptations. I’m paraphrasing his closing statement: ‘Thanks for coming to my workshop today. However, if you tell yourself you don’t have time to write, you could have stayed home a written for several hours. Keep writing.’
What are you reading now?
As mentioned I have C.J. Box open at this point, with more David Housewright, Laurie R. King, and President Obama’s new book sitting on the bench, ready to go. I’m always reading professional literature, with current interests including introversion, self care during the pandemic, and the ‘new retirement.’
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am finding the balance between working on my second thriller and investing energy in promoting Overnight Delivery. Who knows, I may yet dig into my next idea for nonfiction, which would be a multi-layered project of several years. Whatever the direction, I’ll keep 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?
Man’s Search for Meaning
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Sherlock Holmes anthology
Overnight Delivery (to remind myself of the good times before I was stranded on a desert island)
Author Websites and Profiles
Raymond Parish Amazon Profile
Raymond Parish’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
I have read virtually everything that this author has published and I am delighted to report that he has accomplished a seemingly effortless leap from his previous nonfictional prose to writing fiction. Not every writer can do this successfully.
The characters in this story are eminently relatable. The relationship between Hank and his business partner, Dennis, bear a solid, well-worn patina achieved only through years of compromise, reliability, mutual admiration and support. Of course in reading fiction one never knows how the plight of one character is going to affect another. But this reader was soon comfortable in the knowledge that, come what may, these two men will have each other’s back.
My favorite depiction of male bonding however is that between Phil and Hank. They are different, one from the other, in virtually every aspect. Professions, physical stature, attitudes toward authority, self-regard… and yet there exists in each the self-same sense of virtue, integrity, and regard for the sanctity of humankind. It is hoped that these two men will frequently appear together in subsequent novels.
Multiple female relationships demonstrate this author’s comprehensive understanding of independent, self-reliant women in today’s society. The relationship between Belinda and Gail as they contribute to the education of Haley is spot on. Sexual tension between Hank and Gail, his former spouse, simmers throughout. It remains to be seen in future novels if the lawyer Jill Bennett, who Hank finds so attractive, will add to that tension or serve exclusively as a McGuffin. A minor quibble arises with the characterization of Haley. Would a female child old enough to have had her ears pierced thereafter run into her father’s arms exclaiming how brave she had been? (How would I know? I’m the father of two sons.)
The pace of the story serves the purpose of keeping the reader engaged while establishing the personalities of the characters and their respective motivations. Minor conflicts and irritations begin to accumulate until without anticipation, the home invasion occurs and the conflict explodes. From there onward it’s “Katie bar the door!”
The plot of this story is compact. All of the storylines are resolved in a timely, coherent, and believable fashion.
I liked this novel. I look forward to reading the next.