Mystery/Suspense
Date Published: February 17, 2014
They said the disappearance of two high school students over 25 years ago was mystery that couldn't be solved.
No one ever said it shouldn't be.
Following the abrupt end of a relationship, college student Kimberly Bradford finds comfort in the friendship with her over-the-top neighbor, Mallory. And, Mallory encourages her to get back out there. She would of course if it weren't for the thrilling little love notes and gifts she's been receiving .
Kim thinks they're from her ex-fiancee, not realizing he's been murdered. Worse, whoever is sending her all the extra attention is not only in her inner-circle, but has a connection to that unsolved murder some 25 years ago. That connection puts her life in danger, and exposes secrets better left buried around her closest friends and family.
JC Gatlin
JC Gatlin lives in Tampa, Florida. In addition to regular fishing trips, he wrote a monthly column for New Tampa Style Magazine, then began penning several mystery/suspense stories. He also maintains a blog about mystery writing.
Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC grew up in Grapevine -- a small Texas town just outside of Dallas. He moved to Tampa in 1999, and most of his stories feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrop.
Interview:
What inspired you to write your first book?
'Prey of Desire' started out as a mystery short story that I wrote back in college in the 1990's. A professor suggested that I try my hand at writing a mystery, and challenged me. The result was a college student who was balancing school, a job, a break-up and, ultimately, a murder to solve. However, the murderer in that original short story is not the same murderer in the book.
Do you have a specific writing style?
'Prey of Desire' is written in the third person, but that's kind of boring. How about if I call my style "cuisinart blended," as it's a mystery-suspense with some unrequited love, and offbeat humor, and a little bit of shocking brutality thrown in.
How did you come up with the title?
I don't really remember, to be honest, as the original idea was a college assignment written back in 1994. I know I wanted two clashing ideas in the title, and I wanted it to sound like the late night mystery-suspense TV series that came on "Crime Time in the Prime Time" back in the early 1990's, such as "Silk Stalkings" and "Sweating Bullets."
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Nothing too deep or heavy handed. 'Prey of Desire' has no pretension of being anything more than an entertaining page-turner that keeps you up at night. If someone reads something between the lines, that's fine too, but it wasn't my intention
How much of the book is realistic?
Well, it's a murder mystery solved by a college student. It's as realistic as the suspension of disbelief allows. It isn't a police procedural or private detective on the case, but an intelligent young woman who attends classes at a local university and cares for her elderly grandfather, all the while mending a broken heat. It's set at New Year's Eve 1999, on the cusp of a new century, and has many late 1990's references.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The main plot -- the mystery surrounding this college girl and the disappearance of two high school students 25 years earlier -- were not things that happened in my life or to anyone around me. The characters who bring that mystery to life though have personalities, quirks and back stories inspired by real people.
The protagonist, Kimberly, was inspired by a girl who lived in the apartment across from me when I was in college. She had a black Doberman that she'd walk on campus, and I absolutely loved that dog. Kimberly's best friend, Mallory, the head-strong, says-what-everyone-else-is-thinking red head was heavily influenced by a girl from my hometown who made a living by winning radio station contests and getting rear-ended by expensive cars.
What books have most influenced your life?
There's so many, it's hard to answer that question. My earliest influence was Encyclopedia Brown. I loved solving his mysteries when I was a kid. 'If Tomorrow Comes' by Sydney Sheldon and 'Intensity' by Dean Koontz are two novels I have read multiple times over the years, and are probably two of the strongest influences. There are many more though.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I consider Steve Alten, who wrote 'MEG,' 'The Loch,' and 'Domain,' to be a mentor. I've been following his career since the late 1990's, before anyone else was reading 'MEG.' I learned a lot about writing, marketing and perseverance through his fan outreach. He inspired me to move to Florida, and even mentioned me as a character in one of his MEG sequels.
What book are you reading now?
'Matanzas Bay' by Parker Francis. It's my kind of mystery -- gritty, fast-paced, funny, and set in St. Augustine, Florida.
What would you like my readers to know?
I would like your readers to know that, even though they probably haven't heard of me, they should give 'Prey of Desire' a chance. If they do, they will find it's a fun read, and a challenging puzzle. I'm very accessible on my website and Facebook Author Page, and would love to hear from them, and love to know if they figured out the murderer's identity before the characters in the book (a.k.a. the last chapter). I will absolutely respond.
Website: http://jcgatlin.com/prey-of-desire/
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/jc.gatlin
WattPad at: http://www.wattpad.com/user/JcGatlin
GoodReads at: http://www.goodreads.com/JC_Gatlin
Author’s Den at: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=181731
Mystery/Suspense
Date Published: February 17, 2014
They said the disappearance of two high school students over 25 years ago was mystery that couldn't be solved.
No one ever said it shouldn't be.
Following the abrupt end of a relationship, college student Kimberly Bradford finds comfort in the friendship with her over-the-top neighbor, Mallory. And, Mallory encourages her to get back out there. She would of course if it weren't for the thrilling little love notes and gifts she's been receiving .
Kim thinks they're from her ex-fiancee, not realizing he's been murdered. Worse, whoever is sending her all the extra attention is not only in her inner-circle, but has a connection to that unsolved murder some 25 years ago. That connection puts her life in danger, and exposes secrets better left buried around her closest friends and family.
No one ever said it shouldn't be.
Following the abrupt end of a relationship, college student Kimberly Bradford finds comfort in the friendship with her over-the-top neighbor, Mallory. And, Mallory encourages her to get back out there. She would of course if it weren't for the thrilling little love notes and gifts she's been receiving .
Kim thinks they're from her ex-fiancee, not realizing he's been murdered. Worse, whoever is sending her all the extra attention is not only in her inner-circle, but has a connection to that unsolved murder some 25 years ago. That connection puts her life in danger, and exposes secrets better left buried around her closest friends and family.
JC Gatlin lives in Tampa, Florida. In addition to regular fishing trips, he wrote a monthly column for New Tampa Style Magazine, then began penning several mystery/suspense stories. He also maintains a blog about mystery writing.
Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC grew up in Grapevine -- a small Texas town just outside of Dallas. He moved to Tampa in 1999, and most of his stories feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrop.
Interview:
What inspired you to write your first book?
'Prey of Desire' started out as a mystery short story that I wrote back in college in the 1990's. A professor suggested that I try my hand at writing a mystery, and challenged me. The result was a college student who was balancing school, a job, a break-up and, ultimately, a murder to solve. However, the murderer in that original short story is not the same murderer in the book.
Do you have a specific writing style?
'Prey of Desire' is written in the third person, but that's kind of boring. How about if I call my style "cuisinart blended," as it's a mystery-suspense with some unrequited love, and offbeat humor, and a little bit of shocking brutality thrown in.
How did you come up with the title?
I don't really remember, to be honest, as the original idea was a college assignment written back in 1994. I know I wanted two clashing ideas in the title, and I wanted it to sound like the late night mystery-suspense TV series that came on "Crime Time in the Prime Time" back in the early 1990's, such as "Silk Stalkings" and "Sweating Bullets."
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Nothing too deep or heavy handed. 'Prey of Desire' has no pretension of being anything more than an entertaining page-turner that keeps you up at night. If someone reads something between the lines, that's fine too, but it wasn't my intention
How much of the book is realistic?
Well, it's a murder mystery solved by a college student. It's as realistic as the suspension of disbelief allows. It isn't a police procedural or private detective on the case, but an intelligent young woman who attends classes at a local university and cares for her elderly grandfather, all the while mending a broken heat. It's set at New Year's Eve 1999, on the cusp of a new century, and has many late 1990's references.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The main plot -- the mystery surrounding this college girl and the disappearance of two high school students 25 years earlier -- were not things that happened in my life or to anyone around me. The characters who bring that mystery to life though have personalities, quirks and back stories inspired by real people.
The protagonist, Kimberly, was inspired by a girl who lived in the apartment across from me when I was in college. She had a black Doberman that she'd walk on campus, and I absolutely loved that dog. Kimberly's best friend, Mallory, the head-strong, says-what-everyone-else-is-thinking red head was heavily influenced by a girl from my hometown who made a living by winning radio station contests and getting rear-ended by expensive cars.
What books have most influenced your life?
There's so many, it's hard to answer that question. My earliest influence was Encyclopedia Brown. I loved solving his mysteries when I was a kid. 'If Tomorrow Comes' by Sydney Sheldon and 'Intensity' by Dean Koontz are two novels I have read multiple times over the years, and are probably two of the strongest influences. There are many more though.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I consider Steve Alten, who wrote 'MEG,' 'The Loch,' and 'Domain,' to be a mentor. I've been following his career since the late 1990's, before anyone else was reading 'MEG.' I learned a lot about writing, marketing and perseverance through his fan outreach. He inspired me to move to Florida, and even mentioned me as a character in one of his MEG sequels.
What book are you reading now?
'Matanzas Bay' by Parker Francis. It's my kind of mystery -- gritty, fast-paced, funny, and set in St. Augustine, Florida.
What would you like my readers to know?
I would like your readers to know that, even though they probably haven't heard of me, they should give 'Prey of Desire' a chance. If they do, they will find it's a fun read, and a challenging puzzle. I'm very accessible on my website and Facebook Author Page, and would love to hear from them, and love to know if they figured out the murderer's identity before the characters in the book (a.k.a. the last chapter). I will absolutely respond.
Website: http://jcgatlin.com/prey-of-desire/
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/jc.gatlin
WattPad at: http://www.wattpad.com/user/JcGatlin
GoodReads at: http://www.goodreads.com/JC_Gatlin
Author’s Den at: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=181731
It sounds great, i would be wanting to see if they find out what happens with the two missing high school kids from 25 years ago, and i look forward to reading this thanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeleteI like that in the interview it is mentioned to have some offbeat humor. Often a plus in a good story.
ReplyDelete-Jamie