Cameron Dean P. I. to the Deceased follows a man investigating the accident that almost killed him while he grapples with helping a man only he can see. Where did the idea for this book come from?

I was writing the Polish Dragon P.I. series when the idea of having a spirit from beyond needing a private detective popped into my head. Not wanting to take the Polish Dragon down a different path, I decided to create a new character and have him work with the spirits from the other side. Plus, I have always been intrigued by ghost stories and people who say they can communicate with the dead. I also wrote it simultaneously with the Polish Dragon P. I. The Missing Gambler. Both books are intertwined with the same storyline.​

Did you plan the tone and direction of Detective Dean’s story, or did it come out organically as you were writing?

It came out organically as I was writing this story. The difficult part was making sure that this story fell in line with the Polish Dragon story which I mentioned above. The Cameron Dean story is told in the first person, and the Polish Dragon is told in the third, and I had to make sure the writing style was reflected properly in each storyline. Sometimes things would pop into my head that helped me write the story, and I was wondering if I was actually getting help from beyond. I do believe that our loved ones still look down on us and help us whenever they can.

Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your characters’ lives?

I always try to put into each story some things from my own life. They might be places where I grew up, schools that I attended, or businesses or things from the old neighborhood that no longer exist. Some people have actually mentioned that when they read my books. Especially people that I grew up with and relatives. For me, adding something personal makes the story more believable.

I find a problem in well-written stories, in that I always want there to be another book to keep the story going. Is there a second book planned?

I have been considering doing another book which is why I ended this one the way I did. It more than likely will be after the holidays, though. It would mean writing two series at the same time. That may prove to be quite a challenge. Cameron Dean P. I. to the Deceased and The Polish Dragon P. I. series, one for the spirit world and one for the day-to-day world.

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