Rockapocalypse

1. What type of books do you write?
I’m not really genre specific at this point. My first book, Rockapocalypse, was a paranormal/action/adventure/, and my second book, Cold Currents, was a southern murder/mystery/thriller. All of my books have a few core elements that I believe every story should have: character(s) with internal conflicts that they strive to overcome, relationships that drive the character(s) internally and externally and feel real to the reader, a hero and a villain, and a prevalent state of Good over Evil.

2. What is the latest book you have written?
My last book was Cold Currents. It was picked up for representation by Joyce Holland of the D4EO Literary Agency last July. It’s a murder/mystery/thriller set in the South. Synopsis:

Thirty years after the shocking murder of Jenny Franklin, followed by the arrest and conviction of his brother Terry, Knoxville Detective Bobby Taylor returns to his North Carolina hometown of Clayton at his aging mother’s request. Reluctant to face his estranged father and make amends after blaming him for not doing more to save his brother, Bobby arrives to discover the head of another young girl has washed up on the banks of the wild Neuse River. Disgusted at the brutality and familiarity of the crime, he realizes the murderous, sadistic monster from his past has returned with a vengeance. His brother’s blood is now on the hands of those who failed to catch the real killer the first time around. Fueled by retribution, and eager to heal his past, Bobby’s determined to bring the true murderer to justice.
Armed with equal parts instinct and desperation, Bobby confronts his broken relationships while chasing a mysterious trail of death that spans thirty years and two continents. Obstacles, lies, and deception face him at every turn as he partners with a tough-as-nails female reporter and a reluctant Chief of Detectives to catch a resurrected killer and vindicate his family’s name. In the end, Bobby finds redemption in a way he could never imagine as the whispers of the river reveal the horrible secrets beneath her swift, cold currents.

3. Is it part of a series, if so which one?
No, not officially anyway. Cold Currents was written as a standalone novel, but after it was completed I felt the main character, Detective Bobby Taylor, had more to share with the world. I’m currently working on a follow-up to Cold Currents tentatively titled Bone Whispers. If all the elements are there to bring that to life, then I guess it will be the beginning of a series in the style of Lee Child’s “Reacher” or James Lee Burke’s “Dave Robicheaux”.

4. When did you start writing?
I’m told it was in elementary school. I do have some recollection of devising wild stories at the expense of a few laughs. What’s even more remarkable is the fact that in recent years I’ve actually had old school mates recite some of my own grammar school writing back to me over dinner. Imagine…that was 45 years ago!

5. Why did you start writing?
Good question. And one I’m afraid I have no definitive answer for. I guess I’ve always had an imagination that needed an outlet. Writing gives me that freedom.

6. Who are your influences?
My earliest recollections of literary influence come from the likes of L. Frank Baum, O. Henry, and Mark Twain. Through my adult life I’ve been all over the genre map in terms of preference. Stephen King was very influential, but from a purely fantastical aspect. The more horror I read the more I came to realize that horror, in general, was extremely difficult for a writer to pull off effectively. I’ve been immersed in several authors over the last few years. James Lee Burke, Lee Child, John Hart, Michael Connelly, Joe Lansdale and Pete Dexter. Pete is the rainbow in that stew in case you were wondering.

7. What can we expect from you in the near future?
Well, I have every confidence that you’ll see Cold Currents in mass market publication within two years. Bone Whispers is a work-in-progress and any author worth his salt wouldn’t play the confidence card on a project in such an infantile state. (Ask me about that one in four months.) I’m also polishing a collection of short fiction I’ve written over the last few years. The idea of putting them in book form as a collective work is definitely a possibility.

Besides writing Bone Whispers, I’ve been busy promoting Rockapocalypse since its September 2012 release. I’ve attended five book signings to date with three more lined up for December-January 2013. A fourth one is pending due to schedule conflicts. Rockapocalypse can be purchased through Amazon (Kindle and paperback), Barnes & Noble (Nook and paperback) and my publisher’s website. Below are a list of links where you can follow my projects, see my promotional schedule, read book synopsis’, view photos and book trailers, and buy my book.

Author’s Website: http://www.byronsuggs.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/byronsuggsauthor
Amazon Author’s Profile: http://www.amazon.com/Byron-Suggs/e/B009CB88O8
Weebly: http://byronsuggs.weebly.com/

Direct Links to Purchase “Rockapocalypse”

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Rockapocalypse-ebook/dp/B00960UCZS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0 B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rockapocalypse-byron-suggs/1112799802?ean=2940015511659 Publisher’s Website: http://www.written-world.com/WWC/book_rock.html