A few words from the author . . .
The response from you has been gratifying. I thank you for reading my books and recommending them to your friends and relatives. The primary promotional tool for these novels is word of mouth at this time. In the meantime, I remind you that books make great gifts. Even I can wrap a book. Better yet, click on the picture of one of the books above, which will take you to that site on Amazon.com. There you can order books and have them gift-wrapped and sent directly to your family and friends with your personal greeting to the recipient.
I've been asked about NOMAD/Y The Moon Base Project. Although it was classified "science fiction/fantasy" by the industry, the science fiction component is small (but significant). The novel is basically about discovering clues that lead to a massive cover-up, and then having the courage and ability to do something about it – while someone is trying to stop you. Is it accurate? There was an active project to establish a Moon Base. NASA did develop a thermo-generator in the 1960s at a NOAA facility in The Bahamas, then no more was heard about it. There is no doubt in my mind that NASA thought that the Apollo Moon landings were just steps toward a Moon Base. (Congress evidently thought otherwise.) The basic plot is rooted in facts. The research was exciting. There are technical errors, mostly intentional.
In contrast, The Doorstep of Depravity is based upon my experiences as an attorney. This novel has been described as John Grisham meets Robin Cook. Naturally, I am delighted at the comparison. Yet this is neither a court room drama nor a story of intense medical investigation. The backdrop of the story is the law office of Grace O'Higgins, who – like most attorneys – does not belong to a large firm. Her dealings with the most venerable firm in town provide a realistic contrast to the practice of law as portrayed on television. All I had to do was add a psychopathic client with remarkable abilities. I selected Syracuse, New York, as the location so that the motion picture could be made in Canada. The research involved viruses, medications and New York estate tax law. I had competent help. Ultimately, this novel is about the consequences of accepting strangers as they present themselves.
I've found that when you place a few interesting characters in a situation where they have to interact, they will do so in unpredictable ways. Thomas Harris, author of The Silence of the Lambs, put it this way in his forward to Red Dragon:
I was invisible then, out there in the dark, the way I am invisible to my characters when I'm in a room with them, and they are deciding their fates with little or no help from me.
Neither of my novels to date ends as I had originally expected. To achieve this spontaneity from my characters, I tend to write in dialogue rather than narrate the story. I refrain from detailed physical descriptions of the characters for the same reason. I guarantee that you will not be prepared for the ending of any of my novels.
SUSPENSE IS BEST SERVED WITH A TWIST!
Do I know any of these people? Surprisingly, none of the characters is based upon a single real person. My own point of view as a solo attorney is expressed by Grace O'Higgins, but we are not similar. What about the raccoon? Yes, there was a Snooks, who took up residence in our backyard.
Some of you want to know why I write. I have always written just for the pleasure it gives me. This may be due to some gene that appears once every century, because there is little in my family history to explain it. When I get an idea that I think would make a good story, I make notes about it and give it a working name. (I have dozens of these.) Once I have started writing a story, I know that it will take unexpected turns. So, although it sounds strange, I complete the novel in order to find out how it ends.
The American educational system is not designed to discourage reading for pleasure. That is simply the unintended result of forcing students to read depressing literature that has no relevance to modern society. And even Shakespeare would have scoffed at the idea that his plays be read. Don't get me wrong. I have voluntarily read many Charles Dickens novels and consider A Tale of Two Cities to be one of the finest books ever published. But you can't force people to read The Mayor of Casterbridge and Death of a Saleman and expect them to want to read again. (My own formal education required three readings of Death of a Salesman. It's a wonder I didn't kill myself.)
Shortly after NOMAD/Y was published, I gave a copy to a friend who did not read for pleasure any more. Over a course of several years, she would tell me what part she had reached and I would emit encouraging sounds. One day she announced that she had finished it and was looking forward to the next one. I took this to be mere politeness, but I did give her a copy of The Doorstep of Depravity when it was published. Three weeks later she told me she was ready for the next one. Now she reads a novel every couple of weeks. That, my friends, is gratifying.
After years of reading law books, I too had stopped reading for pleasure. Then I discovered Ian Fleming's James Bond books and quickly exhausted them. Friends got me reading Alistair MacLean's intriguing spy novels. Then I discovered John D. MacDonald, who excelled at everything from Travis McGee to science fiction.
Now I read mostly fiction, but occasionally great non-fiction like The Hot Zone, The Devil and the White City, Havana Nocturne or The Perfect Storm. Favorite novelists (and favorite books by them because some are inconsistent) are Nelson DeMille (Mayday, Night Fall), Clive Cussler (Night Probe, Sahara), Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, The Great Train Robbery), Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Cat's Cradle, Slapstick), Len Deighton (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, in that order), Martin Cruz Smith (Havana Bay, Gorky Park), Ken Follett (The Key to Rebecca, Eye of the Needle, Night Over Water), Carl Hiaasen (Native Tongue, Stormy Weather), Randy Wayne White (Sanibel Flats, Shark River), and, of course, Dan Brown (Angels and Demons). This list is not exhaustive.
