It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, your chores are done and there’s nothing good on the TV. You go to the bookshelf and pull a volume from the stacks. What is it? When you have time  to curl up with a good book what’s your go to genre?
    I tend to relax with a well-written book on history. Generally, World War II or American history. I am fascinated by questions such as, how could France with arguably the largest and best equipped army (and the best tanks) in the world be defeated by Germany in 1940? Or, why did Japan declare war on the United States knowing that their war industry could never equal that of America? Or, maybe why did President James Madison want Congress to declare war on the most powerful empire on the face of the planet in 1812?
    Questions like these have always intrigued me. And, since “experts” may disagree on the answers, there’s always an interesting point of view popping up. Which means a new volume on the subject. And, a new gripping read.
    What’s your go to genre for a relaxing read? I’d love to hear from you.

    I recently wrote a novel entitled The Proxima Plague and received a review that mentioned the novel as "horror". While I didn't think of the book as a horror story while writing it, I began to wonder: Why do we love scary stories? After all, our natural reaction to scary things is the so called "fight or flight" response: a surge of adrenalin which allows us to survive an existential threat by either runny away or attacking the peril head on. The threat may be dealt with but, afterwards we're left shaken and drained.
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    Some psychologists and aficionados of the genre would tell us that we enjoy them for the adrenalin rush similar to the feeling we get on riding a roller coaster with the near ninety degree drop. Afterwards we become more alive thanks to a quickened pulse and shaky knees. A different take on the after effects of that adrenalin rush. Or, it may be the closeness some couples feel after experiencing a horror movie. Yeah, who would have thought that watching Jason slice up a dozen or so bodies could be a bonding experience? An even darker explanation is we like seeing the blood and gore. Perhaps that's why each new generation of horror movies seems to ratchet up the cartoonish violence and body count over the previous crop.

    There may be another reason for our love of fright: it helps us face our fears. Since we are thinking rational animals we learn from bad experiences. And I guess watching a scary movie or reading a horror novel could be classified as vicariously living through a bad experience. So, how does it help us face our fears?

• It makes those fearful things less terrorizing. Something can be said for repetition. We learn by repeating things over and over. And by facing those scary moments on a regular basis we begin to see them as less frightening and more manageable. Think of a horror movie you saw at one time on the big screen that scared the living daylights out of you and then watching it on TV a few times in reruns. The actor in the monster suit doesn't seen so scary and the crimson dye blood and latex severed limbs start to look a bit comical.
• It helps us to visualize overcoming our fears. We sit in a darkened theater watching the horror story unfold. The hero is about to be eaten, sawn in half, or smashed to bits by the monster. But, at the last minute our intrepid protagonist turns the tables and defeats the evil beast. If we've bought in to the suspension of disbelief, for the two hours we've lived vicariously through our hero, imagining ourselves as the hero of the drama can help us visualize ourselves overcoming a real life terror. Maybe it's walking into the bosses office to ask for a raise or facing down a bully at school.
• It reminds us that there are real terrors in the world. We aren't confronted with chainsaw wielding psychopaths, fifty foot prehistoric lizards, or supernatural teens crawling out of wells on a daily basis. But, from time to time we do face reckless drivers, duplicitous coworkers, or heartless neighbors. Watching at the theater or reading about those twisted antagonists about to wreak havoc on civilization can remind us that we do live in a world fraught with danger. We should treat others with courtesy and grace but be aware that we may not always receive the same in kind.
• If you're religious, frightening situations reminds us we have no need to fear those terrors. Many religions espouse a God able to overcome those scary situations or at least provide comfort through them. On watching that scary movie or reading that Stephen King-type book we are reminding that we possess an antidote to such fear. On a personal note, I'm a Christian and have a Savior whose love has overcome the world. For me horror only serves to remind me that "...perfect love casts out fear."

    So, the next time The Shining or Texas Chainsaw Massacre is on TV, if you're so inclined, break out the popcorn, pour the sodas, sit back, and relax. You may still jump in fright at the scary parts but as the credits roll you can smile knowing you've faced the fear and come out on top.

   Honestly, I started it before the beginning of 2020. My initial outline involved my heroine infiltrating an underground cabal selling medical research to find a cure for an ailing child. But, it was missing something—not enough conflict and high enough stakes. So what if she steals vital information and is chased by the bad guys? It’s been done before. I needed something unique, something with really high stakes.
     Then it hit me. What if the illness my heroine sought to cure was a heretofore unknown virus that didn’t just affect one person but the entire planet? And not just a flu-like illness but a universally fatal illness that caused a small subset of patients to morph into near supernatural creatures.
    There, I had it. The stakes were raised about as high as they could be: solve the problem or face extinction. With outline in hand I did some research on epidemics, the CDC, and viruses and began to write.
    As I started writing it happened. The Covid-19 pandemic began. I was writing about a fictional pandemic during an actual one.
    Let me stop right here to say that I’m not bragging that I in any way foreknew that Covid was coming. It was a coincidence. I was as shocked by the turn of events as anyone else.
    Now, the burning question was should I stop writing about a fictional pandemic during an actual pandemic? After all, real people were getting sick and dying.
    At the time I was working part time as a hospitalist. The VA hospital I worked in was not on the frontlines of the fight against Covid, but still the risk always loomed as we were required to don N-95 masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves to see new admissions.
    I asked a couple of physician colleagues what they thought about me continuing to write after sharing the storyline. Both were intrigued by the plot and responded with an enthusiastic yes, I should continue writing.
    My writing in a strange way helped me cope with the uncertainty and isolation that accompanied the early days of the pandemic. I suppose a way of facing your fears is to write about them. This is why journaling is considered a healthy way to cope with stress and anxiety.
    The compelling theme—love and sacrifice—was something I wanted to explore in the context of a pandemic. This also drove me to continue to write.
    Lastly, the precedent of famous writers played a part. Daniel Defoe and Albert Camus both wrote eloquently about plagues.
    I recently completed my novel, entitled THE PROXIMA PLAGUE. It was a wild exhausting ride chronicling the tragedy and triumphs of my heroine caught up in a pandemic all the way to the fantastical denouement. Check it out. I think you might like it.

When does research become a burden?

You’ve got this great idea for a novel, but, first, you need to do “a little” research. You go to the library and check out three or four great reference books. You know, the kind that can double as door stops. You scour the internet and download a ton of articles on your subject. You copy and paste dozens of quotes and tidbits. 

At last you’re ready to start your research. As you plow through those massive tomes and cutting edge papers the minutia begins to pile up. You find that your detective hero can’t get the DNA test back in 24 hours (it takes about two weeks for most DNA tests to come back from the lab) and that upsets the timeline of your plot. You learn that blood coagulates pretty quickly so your antagonist couldn’t return to the crime scene two days later, get blood on his shoes, and leave a blood trail down the street. Then you learn that your detective hero can’t be fired by his captain on the spot. It takes quite a bit of administrative gymnastics to fire someone working in any government job, be it local, state, or federal. Then you find...

Hey! Time out!

Research is essential for any good genre novel but don’t let it get in the way of a good story. Use the information wisely. Don’t stress over those tiny facts, especially if they are of little consequence to the overall plot. Here are some morsels I’ve learned over the years that might help you in your research:

• Research jargon if it’s pertinent to the way your characters speak. For example, it would be helpful to learn how doctors speak on rounds if you’re writing a medical thriller.
• Learn only what’s pertinent to your story. In other words, if you’re writing about the movie industry, don’t get immersed in what a key grip does if you’re focusing on a romance between actors.
• If you’re writing a historical novel learn about the overall setting of the times such as customs, dress, occupations, politics, etc. But, don’t try to become an expert. People have devoted their lives to that. They’re called professors and they work at universities.
• You’re writing fiction so don’t be afraid to bend the facts a little. That DNA test I mentioned earlier—maybe the state crime lab gets a new machine that spits out the results in a matter of minutes.
• Don’t let your research get in the way of the story. Some people feel that since they’ve done all this research, no matter what, it’s got to appear in the story. Nobody wants to read pages and pages about how a fuel injector works.

So, relax. Do your due diligence regarding research, but don’t tie yourself into a knot over it. Writing should be enjoyable and so should research.

​Who is Hope Allerd, the protagonist of my new novel, Lethal Paradise? She is a dynamic, heroic, compassionate twenty-first Century woman. 
As an adolescent she, her parents and brother, came home from an outing to be surprised by a burglar. He shot and killed her mother and father. Her brother, Jack, was made a paraplegic. Hope was wounded and endured a prolonged hospitalization. 
But, Hope overcame this traumatic adolescence.
She also survived a close encounter with a serial murderer. This is chronicled in my previous novel, The Peril Protocol.
Left with PTSD from the above traumas, she struggles against this psychiatric problem while also dealing with the ups and downs of a tumultuous romantic relationship with investigative reporter Clive Andrew, her boyfriend.
Hope isn‘t perfect but she continues to seek to do the right thing. She is a physician with a sub specialty in infectious diseases, and as stated in a previous blog post, Hope Allerd wields compassion like a weapon against poverty and despair.
Hope, I feel, is a role model for young women, especially young African-American women who are considering a STEM career—in the same vein of how the Star Trek franchise inspired an actual young African-American girl to become an astronaut. 
Check out Hope’s adventures in my current novel, Lethal Paradise, and in my next novel due out in July 2020.

    There are a ton of indie books out there. And within this type of book there are numerous thrillers ranging from stories about a secret agent working against the clock to find and defuse a nuclear device to a woman in jeopardy of being murdered by her psychotic ex-husband. Why read one or another? 
    A bigger question is, Why read Lethal Paradise?
The story is a fast paced thrill ride, a fun beach read that keeps you turning pages. Many chapters end with cliffhangers. I think you’ll find yourself at the end of each chapters, as the clock strikes midnight, saying, “Just one more chapter.”
    There is a deep underlying theme about service that doesn’t get in the way of a fun story. I put a quote in the front matter from Mahatma Gandhi. It states: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” This hints at the novel’s theme. By the end you’ll see why that quote is important. And, who knows, the book may inspire you to “find yourself”.
     Hope Allerd, M.D.,  is a fiery, intelligent, driven African-American protagonist. She doesn’t back down from a fight. She doesn’t flourish a Glock or Walther PPK, but takes on the villains with wit and guile, using her extensive medical knowledge in a effort to right wrongs. She’d rather outwit the antagonists than outshoot them.
     Hope also wields compassion like a weapon against poverty and despair. She has a crusader’s heart when it comes to those less well off as we are and she acts decisively. 
      In short, Lethal Paradise is an exciting, nonstop adventure with a moral that will touch your heart. 
There aren’t many thrillers out there with a strong African-American female physician lead. I urge you to check it out. And, look for further adventures of Doctor Hope Allerd coming in July 2020.

      Rising like an emerald from the azure Caribbean Sea the island of Mousseux is an exotic getaway spot of sun, sand, and surf for visitors, sure to elicit unforgettable times of excitement and balmy relaxation. 
    The above could be an ad agency’s copy for a promotional campaign touting the benefits of vacationing on the fictional Caribbean island of Mousseux, the main setting for my new novel, Lethal Paradise. 
    Mousseux is a tiny island with a mountainous spine in the center. And like all islands in the region it was created by a volcanic eruption, the lava based soil insuring lush green vegetation from the tip of it’s mountain peaks to the edge of the sparkling beaches. 
    Speaking of beaches, they are the island’s biggest attraction. It became legend that a French explorer, one Pierre Leclerc, on discovering the island, stated that the beaches sparkled in the tropical sunlight. He therefore dubbed the island “Mousseux”, which means sparkling in French. The name stuck and tourism blossomed and grew in the late twentieth century. Days of  lounging on the beach in the warm tropical sun and of sipping Pina Coladas in the cool of the evening flowed.
    But, the very attraction to tourists is, ironically, the very reason that Mousseux has a sinister underbelly. The island is a divided nation. On one side of the rising jungle spine is a tropical tourist paradise of luxury hotels, five-star restaurants, and pristine sparkling private beaches. All this is supplemented by a corporate giant of a pharmaceutical company. This side practically oozes money. On the other side of that mountainous divide lies the rub. There, in small clearings within the jungle, are tiny villages containing the island’s poor. They eek out a living by taking menial jobs and gleaning whatever meager natural resources are available. Their beaches are not as pristine. In fact they are rocky. 
    But, those rocky beaches hold potential for the rich. They can be cleaned up and new hotels, casinos, theme parks, and corporate offices can be constructed along those beaches making the rich even richer. 
    And the poor are now a liability. A liability to be exterminated.  Refuse to swept away by a diabolical act of terror. 
    Who will stand in the gap for those poverty stricken islanders? Is there anyone willing to risk everything to set things right?
    This is the background of my new thriller, Lethal Paradise, a novel of intrigue, cover-ups, and heroism. Please, take a look at it. I think you’ll enjoy a thrilling read.

    You’re in the book store’s fiction section browsing the new arrivals. A cover catches your eye. You pick up the book and open it to the first chapter. The narrative waxes on about a cottage in an idyllic rolling meadow with grass so green that it takes your breath away. You continue to read about that bucolic scene for four more pages and feel your eyes closing as your consciousness wanes. Your eyes snap back open as you put the book back and move on to the next.
    The opening chapter of your novel is important. Next to the cover, it may be your most important selling point. So, what makes a good first chapter? What draws a reader in and causes him or her to tuck that book under their arm and head for the check out counter or hit that “Buy” button on Amazon?
    In the genres of thrillers and action adventure there are certain components that are common to all first chapters. This is not to say that they don’t work in any genre. Let’s take a look at them:

• The opening line or opening paragraph has to draw the reader in. Here are some opening lines. Can you name the novel they are from? 
  • Call me Ishmael.
  • Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.
  • It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
  • Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.
  • All this happened, more or less.

    Each is intriguing and practically drives you to continue reading. (By the way these are the   
    books: Moby Dick, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Pride and Prejudice, The Trial, and  
    Slaughterhouse-Five. How many did you get right?)

• Introduce your protagonist. The protagonist is usually in their ordinary world. But, in a thriller or action adventure novel it means the ordinary world may be fraught with problems or conflict which must be quickly addressed by the hero. This allows our hero to demonstrate their special ability and foreshadows the coming major conflict of the novel. The extreme example of this is the series of James Bond movies. Just after the opening credits, Bond finds himself in an impossible situation with death on his heels. He escapes with the aid of some space age gadget provided by Q. What we learn from this is that Bond is a man familiar with danger and that we’re in for a heck-of-a thrill ride. By the way, if your first chapter is fairly short, you can introduce your protagonist in the second chapter.
• Introduce your antagonist. They are usually the instigators of the main conflict of your story so get them involved early. Now, you don’t have to physically show your antagonist at the onset. Sometimes opening your novel with a dramatic scene of mayhem entices your reader with the level of malevolence, sophistication, and drive your antagonist possesses and thus the hurdles your protagonist will face.
• Your writing has to be done well in the opening chapter to keep your reader reading. This probably goes without saying.
• Finally, end your opening with a cliffhanger—the first step in a rising staircase of cliffhangers throughout your story.    

That’s my list for opening chapter must haves. I’ve tried to incorporate them in my new novel, LETHAL PARADISE. Check it out. 

It’s finally happened. My book is ready to drop. After years of writing I had to release my baby into the world. Although, you could call the entire project a labor of love, the final part, the editing, was (putting it mildly) excruciating. 
    Before I say more about my editing ordeal, I must admit that I would have preferred to hire a professional editor. Even a cursory check of blogs and articles on the internet will bear me out. A professional editor for you book is the way to go. However, I wanted to get the book out as I have several others coming down the pike. Unfortunately, I also had significant housing expenses. The final results: no money for an editor.
     Editing is difficult. And really no fun. But, it’s a necessary part of writing. This is how I did it:

• After completing the manuscript, I put it away for a while. 
• I then did three read throughs:
  •  The first to correct obvious mistakes and to fill in those blanks writers create when a name or description eludes you at the moment and you don’t want to stop the creative flow to search a thesaurus; 
  • The second was to adjust the timeline. You don’t want to say your character, John, flies to Europe in two days, then later write, “Three weeks later, John boarded the plane for Paris.” 
  • Lastly, I did a read through to evaluate the entire manuscript. Finally finished? Not by a long shot.
• I then obtained a beta reader. Her criticism gave me a sense that I was on the right track with the story. 
• I next obtained proofreading software and ran the manuscript through it multiple times. I looked for not just typos and grammar , but passive sentences, word repetitions, sentence length, and vague words.
• I then put the manuscript away again. This time when I came back to it, the manuscript read like a new story. This allowed me to see errors that I’d missed before.
• Finally, I read the manuscript twice more: once for the flow of the story and the second time aloud, to pick up any further grammar and typo errors, as well as poor sentence structure.

Although, not completely satisfied with the manuscript (I think no author is ever completely happy with their work) I decided to release it. 
    LETHAL PARADISE will be available on Amazon. I hope you take a look at it. 

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