Blog Archives
Leading Up To The Discovery
Scam at Five Mile Road follows Jack on a new assignment that seems straightforward, find missing money, but after a string of near misses, he finds that someone is willing to kill to keep their secret. What were some sources that informed the development of this novel?
This is based on true events which happened in the automotive component industry.
I did a lot of consulting in this industry and was the one who uncovered what was going on.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
The one where I am leading up to the discovery.
As it was a true event and clear in my mind, getting that same clarity across to the reader was fun.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
To get a better balance, with dialogue and description without losing My Voice.
What is one surprising way you’ve seen Jack Rhodes’ character develop in this book?
Jack’s sense of justice is heightened due to the killings that occur.
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Once he arrives at the facility, it’s clear not everyone is happy about his arrival. After a string of near misses, it is evident that someone wants him out of the picture and is not afraid to get their hands dirty.
As Jack closes in on the culprit, he inadvertently places everyone he comes in contact with in danger. If he doesn’t get results fast, there’ll be more to lose than the factory and the people he cares for. This time, there won’t be any escape from the darkness within.
Who Could Benefit From Such A Crime
Contracts for Sale follows a reporter and colleagues who investigate a series of murders with no evidence to work off of but a lot of questions. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I have often fantasized while writing about the perfect murder, the perfect crime, where there are no witnesses, no DNA evidence, no surveillance records, and no fingerprints. I’ve often wondered about how such a crime could be committed, and who could benefit from such a crime. It was this line of thinking that led me to believe that if this were possible, it would need to be handled by a group of professionals who would profit from committing such a crime. Thus, the Eradication Inc. corporation was conceived, and CONTRACTS FOR SALE was written.
With so many interesting characters, both good, evil, and those in between, who was your favorite character to write for and why?
I am still attracted to my protagonist characters, especially my reporters like Paul Crawford and Larry McKay. In several books, my favorite egotistical, narcissistic news reporter, Chaz Rizzo will always be a cherished character. Little Tony DiMatteo is my beloved mob guy. He has been inspired by Actor Joe Pesci from GOODFELLAS & CASINO. Criminal Attorney Michael Prescott constantly reappears in my storylines. CPD Detective Phil Dorian is another go-to favorite.
With my books, I have created a ‘CHICAGO STYLE’ community of characters that interact with one another in various storylines, but still create stand-alone novels. With my DETROIT THEMED NOVELS, Johnny Valentino and Mikie Palazzola will always be my favorite DPD detectives.
A reader can pick up any one of my books and jump in, without having to engage in reading a series of novels in any specific order.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I have said, many readers have often fantasized about performing the perfect murder, the perfect eradication of one’s most evil enemy. It is always nice to create that fantasy and incorporate it into a new story line. Thriller fiction is a means of creating and envisioning your most perfect, most personal acts of retribution and revenge, and CONTRACTS FOR SALE explores those evil intentions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on several, hopefully will be available soon:
Dinner at Tony Napoli’s, Evil Acts of Contrition and Never Catch a Firefly – these storylines are evolving and changing, so stay tuned!
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How would you like to hire the services of an elite group of professional assassins who will accept the assignment of deleting your most horrific adversary, performing the perfect murder without a trace?
Chicago Sun-Times Reporter Paul Crawford is asked to investigate a series of recent murders he eventually calls the ‘Houdini Victims.’ He begins with the investigation of a corporate executive who vanishes from a parking garage in the Chicago Loop without a trace. The most unusual fact about this crime is that there is no body, no DNA evidence, no surveillance cameras, and no fingerprints. This murder was done by a professional, and neither Crawford nor his Channel Eight reporter buddy, Chaz Rizzo, can figure out who it is.
Mark Stelter, CEO of Eradication, Inc., has found a niche and a marketable demand for those who wish to eliminate their worst enemies. For the price of $99,900, he has a stable of professional killers who can abduct any victim and make them disappear. With the help of his affiliate company, Eco-Green Environmental Consultants, he has the chemicals, the facilities, and the personnel to make any murder victim vanish without a trace. He conducts his covert corporation like any other corporate entity, with a board of directors meeting monthly and dividend declarations to his shareholders.
But when one of the directors attempts to resign, things get complicated. Stelter sends his killers to track down and assassinate the former shareholder. They use a unique apparatus called a ‘bolito,’ instantaneously killing their victims. With a section in the director’s contracts barring them from resigning and signing their death warrants, the shareholders of Eradication Inc. are now getting nervous. Although they are making millions, the shareholders now realize they are risking their lives and can only escape with their deaths.
As the victims vanish, Paul Crawford continues to investigate the environmental company and how they are connected to the recent Chicago murders. With the shareholders of Eradication Inc. wishing to resign and make a deal with the Chicago P.D., Mark Stelter struggles to keep his Board of Directors unified with an iron fist.
It is now only a question of time before either the reporters or the shareholders become the next vanishing victims of Eradication, Inc.
The Difficulty of Escaping the Rat Race
The Lay-Off House follows a group of people who wind up living together due to circumstances beyond their control and create a supportive community. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The very first inkling was an article I read on the BBC News website about a genre of Japanese novels, heroic tales of career triumphs and adversity. Office lit, I guess you can call it. And I thought, Americans are workaholics, this country is organized around business and work life, why don’t we have this genre over here?
Then I realized, oh yeah, it’s because Americans hate their jobs. So, I decided to write an anti-work book, about the difficulty of escaping the rat race.
It’s also a bit of a kitchen sink book, a conglomeration of lots of thoughts and experiences I’ve had the past decade or so. Many of the details are based on real people and stories. Just a bit here and there; only they would recognize themselves.
What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
Individualism. Take people as they are, as they actually act. Don’t just look at their social identity or position, whatever that may be.
Another moral would be, not self-reliance as such, though that is a virtue, but its related virtue of surviving together. Build a community and give help and be open to accepting help. The people at the top of this heap we call society don’t care about us, so it’s up to us to care for one another.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The one-word key to the book is “dignity.” I wanted to show the difficulty of living with a sense of dignity in our society, which has become so stratified. Dignity is reserved for a few at the top. So, we have to provide it to ourselves, and gift it to others.
“Adulthood” is another theme. When does someone become an adult? If you define adulthood as having the knowledge and power to sustain oneself and have full agency, are you really an adult if you can be laid off from your job any time for reasons beyond your control? How about if an HOA can seize your property that you paid for and have equity in, if your fence is ¼” too tall? Where’s the control over your own life? And there are many powers that are trying to keep their control over you, because that’s how they define themselves—how many peoples’ lives they can command. That means a perpetual childhood for most of us.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The theme of the next book will be “communication.” It’s still percolating in my subconscious, and I’ve only written a few pages, just to try and feel things out. As far as I know it will be a combination of The Razor’s Edge by Maugham, Hesse’s Siddhartha and the old TV show Convoy. This will be interesting. It’s going to take a couple years to write and perfect, I think.
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Doug knew this from three previous lay-offs and now he had to deal with the familiar disaster for the fourth time. He did what he always did when the pink slip was handed to him; he went home, he drank, and he brooded alone. But this time, acquaintances and strangers come to Doug’s door, seeking shelter from the same economic calamity. Together they make a community, a home, and a way out of the rat-race. But there are those in the wider world, some close and some far, who don’t think there should be an escape and that the rat-race is all there is and ever will be.
A story about the challenge of making one’s own life in a society that tries to say ‘no’, The Lay-off House by David Rogers portrays how many of us live now, in the real economy, and suggests a way to try and live a little better.
A Book Peeked Over The Horizon
Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond among the States shares with readers the history of Delaware through photographs and research. What inspired you to write a book about this topic?
A unique octagonal schoolhouse from the early 19th century that’s 20 minutes from where I live in Delaware. It’s the only one left in the state, but it represents the tail end of a national fascination with octagonal buildings that started in the mid-19th century. My curiosity sent me down the rabbit hole. I started looking around for other Delaware buildings distinct in their own way, and the stories behind them. There are a lot in this state. The material started to pile up, and a book peeked over the horizon.
How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?
Short answer: a lot. I’m fortunate to be the son of a librarian. I learned at a young age some supercharged shortcuts to find the research material you’re after. I remember being startled as a teenager when my Mom showed me a thing called the ‘Encyclopedia of Encyclopedias’. Very useful before the age of Google. Just knowing the sources doesn’t eliminate the hardest part, though: slogging through the results. I expect there must be an AI program somewhere that can digest mountains of raw material for an author, but for this book I worked old school. Start to finish this book took about a year.
Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?
Yes: just how much human activity has taken place in this little state of only three counties. From the view of states with hundreds of counties Delaware must seem impossibly limited. But. Henry Hudson sailed up the Delaware Bay in 1609, a year before he sailed up the Hudson River, and only 2 years after Jamestown, VA was founded. Delaware history starts early, runs deep.
Where did you get your love of history and photography from?
From my 8th grade geography/history teacher Mr. Jarboe, who was a master at story buildup. The first day of class he had written “Pizzaro was a pig farmer” in large letters on the board. When the students were settled in he took a big, deep breath, and sprung.
“I want to tell you about a young teen, Francisco, who was a bastard son.
“And because he was a bastard son his mother felt no responsibility to educate him.
“And because he couldn’t go to school like all the other kids, he had to tend to the pigs.
“And because he had to tend the pigs he was bored, restless, and wanted to strike out on his own.
Long pause.
“Mind you,” said Mr. Jarboe, scanning the class for emphasis, “he was about your age.”
He continued on like this for the whole class-machine gun bullet points, long pause-but we still had no idea who Francisco was or why we should remember him.
Finally, there were about 30 seconds left in the class. “Oh yes, and when he finally got out into the world, Francisco Pizzaro, no longer a pig farmer, conquered the Incan Empire. Class dismissed!” What?? How?? When?? Mr. Jarboe had tricked us into wanting to learn more! I hated him then. Love him now.
Two photographers bent my young eye in their direction: Ernst Haas and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Hass, because he was one of the first photographers to take color photography seriously as an art form, and to forge his own way in this new direction. Fearless! And Cartier-Bresson for his unbelievable ability to be at the right place at the right time: ‘the decisive moment,’ as he famously explained it. The thing is, when you look at his contact sheets and see what images came before and after his most famous shots, you appreciate keenly just how hard Cartier-Bresson worked a scene before the magic moment ‘happened’ for him.
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I Hope It Makes Them Smile
Sally Stevens Author Interview
I Sang That tells your story about life in the music industry in Hollywood and as a single mother working in this field. Why was this an important story for you to share?
I started working in music at a very young age, and I also became a wife and mother at a very young age. The music business was so competitive in those days—it still is, of course, but the activity was much greater here in town. I began to get calls to work for very significant projects, for important vocal contractors, and the schedule became very intense—sometimes six days a week from 9 in the morning till 10 or 11 at night. My first husband, Susie’s daddy, and I were divorced when she was 4 years old. I became the supporter of our little family then, and felt I had to accept every call that came up. Additionally, if I did not show up for something, they very likely might find someone they liked better, and I would lose that contact. So I really was “on call” 24/7. Susie had no brothers and sisters, and we were blessed to have good ‘caring for’ situations, but I know she felt very alone, very abandoned a lot of the time. I wish I could make amends for it, but alas… my daughter is 60 now, with daughters of her own. It’s just hard to move on from those feelings of how I disappointed her, how I wish I could have done it better.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
I think the hardest thing was talking about the business in a way that was honest, that allowed me to express thoughts and opinions about it, but that wouldn’t hurt or harm anyone else. You just never know what someone would rather not see discussed on the pages of a book! I didn’t share any personal relationship information that I think would be hurtful, but the interactions and relationships within our business get political at some point. I tried to be respectful and still be honest about my thoughts and opinions.
The chapter too about the tragic event at the Toluca Lake House—it’s always painful to think about, to write about, to share.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
I sometimes wish I had been encouraged to “follow my dreams” a bit more enthusiastically—I really had at one time wanted to be a song writer/artist—it likely would have been a much shorter career than this long journey I’ve had…and I think in the long run it was the wisest thing I could have done, and undoubtedly the most interesting and diverse—but sometimes we need encouragement to follow our dreams, but still be as realistic as we can about the choices and paths we follow.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I honestly hope it helps them understand and gain respect for the huge community of artists—musicians, singers, composers—that might never become famous, but are at the core of almost every film they view, every record they listen to… I hope somehow it brings to the front of the stage the people whose skills and talents are often responsible for bringing emotions to life in the scenes we see on the screen—those actors most of the time are great, yes… but try looking at a film without the underscore sometime. It feels empty, hard to relate to, like nothing much of great importance is really going on.
I also hope that they find moments we shared—moments they may have forgotten about in their own lives, or tried to forget about… to see it on the page, to see it in another person’s life… the happy moments and the sad moments sometimes help us feel the events of our own lives more deeply. I hope it makes them smile, or laugh, and I hope it makes them think.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
It’s about a long singing career that began in 1960 with concert tours – Ray Conniff, Nat King Cole, and later, solo work in concert with Burt Bacharach – to thirty years of vocals and main titles for The Simpsons, vocals for Family Guy…vocals on hundreds of film & television scores & sound recordings, plus twenty-two years as Choral Director for the Oscars. It’s also the personal story of growing up in a “his, hers and theirs” family in the forties and fifties, and how a shy little girl became a second-generation singer in the ever-evolving music business of Hollywood.
Where The Real Story Begins
Restart follows a group of teenagers who survived the initial apocalypse and are trying to save humanity from those that wish to alter the world. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
For a long time I’ve enjoyed dystopian stories, and like a lot of people I’ve begun to worry about our increasing dependence on technology and what it would mean if all that power were gathered into one place. What if it were held by one person? Why would she want that power? So motivation, I think, is where the real story begins.
Uly had simple plans for life, and saving humanity was not part of them. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Uly represents a lot of decent kids who more or less do what they are supposed to do. He’s not perfect, but when pushed into a corner he will fight back, and only as much as is needed. He despises bullies and just wants to be left alone. In short, he’s been taught to follow the Golden Rule, but that isn’t easy in a post-apocalyptic world. So he struggles to hold onto his ideals when trying to fight monsters. And although he gives himself very little credit, he’s better at things than he cares to admit. I think a lot of people see themselves in Uly.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Friendship and the need to support one another is an important theme as the kids realize they can’t depend on family members who are no longer there. Yet they want to maintain community. Another theme is knowing when and how to fight against abusive and absolute power. And while fighting back, how to hold onto your humanity.
What is the next book in the Restart Series that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently writing Book II of the Restart Series, and hope to have it available through Cosby Media Productions by Summer 2023.
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When a computer virus decimates the earth’s population, four teenagers and a dog survive, searching for answers while trying to escape packs of humans wired to hunt and kill. These four teenagers must band together to find solutions that will hold the key to saving the world. Yet the most dangerous enemy of all… is betrayal.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, never seems to make noise on the world scale. That is, until now. Ulysses (Uly) is a teenager with dreams. Most of which range from earning straight A’s in school, making money, and marrying the girl of his dreams one day. None of these include saving the world, but Ulysses has learned to always keep his options open.
But one day, all his dreams and hopes crash and burn when a worldwide apocalypse is transmitted through electronics such as cell phones, laptops, and TV screens, bringing the entire planet grinding to a halt. Even worse, Ulysses is now being hunted by ruthless humans called The Changed, programmed to hunt and kill survivors, controlled by a female scientist only known as Eve. Separated from his family, Ulysses teams up with his friends Xavier, Maxine, and Tyler, along with a dog named Finn McCool, determined to stop Eve’s plans and restore the world in… a Restart!
Climate Change Is REAL!
The Vanishing Glaciers of Patagonia take readers on an expedition to the glaciers of Patagonia and shares the effect of Climate Change on this landscape. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Following discussions with the Corporación Nacional Forestal’s (CONAF) person in charge of the protected wildlands of the Aysén Province high up on Glacier Benito in 2017, I felt strongly that I should provide the people of Aysén Province of Chile, more information about the history of the exploration of their region from the sea.
Next, I wanted to establish a recent historical timeline for West flowing glaciers in this dynamic region for a further research paper.
Finally, I needed to obtain stories of explorers so that the many untitled photographs that I had found could be identified and labelled. With all this information, an excellent story emerged of a remote place.
Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?
Finding and reading Commander Pringle Stokes (Captain of HMS Beagle in 1828) last journal in the Mitchell Library of New South Wales, Australia was extremely emotional. Here, there was a description of a place I had spent several months in 1972/73 and visited again in 2007, 2011 and 2017.
Viewing the original 1830 Royal Navy chart of the relevant Patagonian coastline was equally exciting as it showed clearly the two prominent glaciers and the associated icefield (for the first time).
Being able to link the grandchildren of the 1920/21 explorers to this part of their grandfathers lives was most rewarding.
Finally finding a photograph from 1920/21 of the edge of the great Glacier San Quintin that showed fresh ‘clean’ rocks intermingling with moss covered rocks which demonstrated that this glacier was experiencing a surge in 1920.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The most important idea to share is that these significant glaciers are thinning fast.
Another idea to share is that we must revisit the stories, photographs and documents from previous explorers to remote areas and revisit their locations to document the changes to our world.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Climate change is REAL!
Author Links: Website | Facebook | GoodReads
About theAuthor / compiler:
Martin Sessions, as a 24 year old Royal Navy Engineer Officer, spent five months in 1972/73, monitoring a west flowing North Patagonian Icefield glacier, one of the tasks of an 11 man British expedition. He next flew over the region in 2006 and was struck by the catastrophic changes. Returning again in 2007, 2011 and 2017, he led expeditions to measure the rapid surface lowering of the study glacier. As a result, he became familiar with the terrain traversed by Nils Pallin and Allan Bäckman and was able to ‘place’ their many uncaptioned photographs.
The Perfect Place To Start The Journey
Doing Time in California follows a man who escapes from jail just before his release and embarks on a fun and thoughtful journey with friends to a golf tournament. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My younger sister died of bile duct cancer. It was nine months from diagnoses to death, the same amount of time for a natural pregnancy to lead to life. So, when I decided to write a story dealing with time, I thought the perfect character would be someone who has had their time taken away from them. During the decade I lived in San Francisco I would take Marsh Creek Road for my drive to Stockton to play in a golf tournament every summer. I passed the detention center going and coming and it struck me that it was the perfect place to start the journey.
Kimo Jones is an interesting and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I obviously wanted a flawed character, like most of us. One of my favorite quotes is Oscar Wilde’s “I can resist everything but temptation,” and I wanted Kimo to be like that. He’s someone that wants to do the right thing but is a slave to his narcissistic impulses. I wanted him to have to make choices that were beneficial to others instead of his own self interests. It was important to me that he evolve beyond his arrested development.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore the big boys: life and death, man vs self, love, time, God—but in a humorous way. I grew up Catholic and was often told that God works in mysterious ways, and I wanted to show that with this character. I tried to have him do something for the good of others almost despite himself, that sometimes God must get his vessel drunk out of his mind before He can work His will!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on a memoir called Army Brat that I hope to have completed and ready to go next year. I went to first grade in Germany, second grade in Aberdeen, Maryland, third grade on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, fourth grade to the middle of seventh grade at Fort Benning, Georgia, the last half of seventh and eighth grade at Fort Hood, Texas, ninth grade at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, then the rest of high school at Punahou School in Honolulu. I got hit by a car chasing my brother with a baseball bat and hit by lightning playing baseball in first grade. We saw Bobby Kennedy give a speech in Stockton, California on his way to Los Angeles the week he was killed. My brother and I played touch football with Lt. William Calley and his M.P. guard while he was on trial for the My Lai Massacre, and I went to high school with Barry Obama before he was Barack. Should be a fun read. Then I’ll work on a sequel to my novel called Doing Time on the Camino.
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Disgraced Catholic School teacher Kimo Jones does just that, starting a journey through the California Delta with the aid of a beautiful young pianist. Mr. Jones taught his students that God works in mysterious ways, but he didn’t tell them that he believes hawks could be messengers from God. What kind of mind are we dealing with?
Dwight Jesmer’s Doing Time in California takes you on a laugh-out-loud funny journey to redemption. It’s a rock opera of a novel. Can’t wait for the movie!
LITERARY TITAN 