Mystery Author Stacy-Deanne

V.Richardson: Greetings Stacy! I am happy to finally chat with you.

SD: Thanks for having me.

V. Richardson: It's my delight. Stacy, let’s talk “Melody”, it is your mystery series. What is the synopsis about?

SD: Actually Melody is a standalone but the detectives in it are the stars of my new mystery/crime and interracial romance series. Melody is about a young woman who fights to prove that her sister’s new boyfriend is dangerous while protecting her best friend from becoming the victim of a serial rapist.

V. Richardson: What do you want readers to take away from “Melody?”

SD: I just wanted them to be entertained. Whatever else they got was a bonus. As long as it was enjoyable to them, that’s all that matters.

V. Richardson: Share with readers who are/were your literary influences?

SD: Because I like dark suspense and thrillers, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis-Stevenson are my biggest literary influences. Hitchcock is my largest influence for mysteries and suspense altogether. I find all of these legends to be geniuses in their own right.

V. Richardson: What have you discovered about yourself on your journey to publication?

SD: That I am stronger than I thought I was and very determined when it comes to something I want to achieve. I also realized how much I loved a challenge and that’s probably why I’ve come so far. I don’t give up and always keep fighting.

V. Richardson: There is always a story behind the author’s works. How do/did you handle rejection (s)?

SD: I just let it roll off my back. Of course it’s always disappointing to be rejected but you can’t let it stop you. You gotta also realize it’s a part of the industry. If you give up then you’ll never know what you can accomplish. Gotta take the good with the bad and believe that the rewards will come one day.

V. Richardson: What advice would you offer to aspiring authors?

SD: Research the industry and be realistic. They should make sure they are writing for the right reasons or it’s never gonna make you happy. Write because you love it, not just hoping for publication because the truth is a lot of writers do not get published.

V. Richardson: Are there any up coming and/or future projects readers should be made aware of?

SD: The debut installment of my mystery/crime and interracial romance series, “Giving up the Ghost” will be released April 2011 by Peace in the Storm Publishing. The second installment will be released in 2012 and I have a lot of other things going on. I invite everyone to check out my site to keep in touch with me: http://www.stacy-deanne.net

V. Richardson: How can readers contact you?

SD: At my site they can send me a message on my contact page or send me an invite on many of the social networks I am on like Facebook, Twitter, etc. I’m all over the net.

Bonus Question

From The Heart:

V. Richardson: When life can get a little hectic and you are feeling a little dismayed. How do you find peace in the storm?

SD: Good question. All I can say is I keep going. Life can be hard and it can be draining but if you stay focus on your goals and what you want out of life, you can conquer anything thrown at you. So I look within myself to find peace and satisfaction. I also do all I can to always be a positive person and keep a positive outlook. That makes all the difference. How we think is a powerful thing.

V. Richardson: Stacy it was delightful to chat Melody amongst other things with you. As always in closing, continue to inspire as you aspire!

SD: Thank you, Vanessa. I appreciate the support and I hope everyone checks out the series! They can get a sneak peak of “Giving up the Ghost” at my site.

Best Wishes!

Mystery and Thriller Author DK Gaston

D K Gaston was born in Detroit, Michigan. He left Michigan as a young adult to serve in the U S Army from 1985 to 1990. During his stint in the military, he traveled overseas to Korea, Japan, Mexico and Australia. After leaving the Army, D K earned his Bachelor degree at Detroit College of Business in Computer Information Science.

He worked as a janitor, security guard, computer instructor, word processor, and computer technician before centering his career in computer networking. Since then, he'd earned two Masters Degrees from the University of Phoenix in Technology Management and Business Administration.

D K Gaston is the author of XIII, The Friday House and Lost Hours. He is a husband and father, residing in Michigan. He is currently working on his next novel.

Richardson: Hello D K! Thanks for chatting with me. Please tell readers about yourself.

Gaston: I'm an author. I write in several different genres and currently have three published novels: XIII, Lost Hours & The Friday House.

Richardson: Have you always known that you would write Mystery & Thrillers? Who are some mystery writers that influenced you?

Gaston: I've always been a big mystery and thriller fan. But, no, I originally planned on writing comic books when I was younger. It wasn't until I was much older that I considered mysteries and thrillers. I would have to say that it was Dean Koontz who inspired me to write. I read Midnight and fell in love with his writing style.

Richardson: What do you want readers to take away from your novels?

Gaston: I really want to entertain the readers. I want my books to be that shot of caffeine that launches a person's morning and to keep them going all day.

Richardson: D K, you donated half the royalties from the sales of “The Friday House” to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Tell us how did that come about?

Gaston: Unfortunately, it did not generate any hard sells. I suspect the bad economy had a lot to do with that. I don't plan on giving up helping charities with sales of my books. Once the economy picks up, I'll start again, hopefully with better success in the future. I did appreciate all the people who tried to make others aware of what I was doing by posting on their blogs.

Richardson: What have you discovered about yourself on your journey to publication?

Gaston: That a little patience goes a long way. I also learned that authors love to help other authors on his or her journey.

Richardson: There is always a story behind the glory. How do/did you handle rejection (s)?

Gaston: Opinions are subjective; some will love my stories while others just won't get it. I understand that readers, reviewers, agents and publishers have varying taste, so I listen to them, evaluate their comments and hopefully improve upon my work. Authors have to have a tough skin in the writing business.

Richardson: What advice would you offer aspiring authors?

Gaston: Keep writing and don't stop writing until you finish your first draft. Once the draft is complete, step away from your book for a month and then come back and begins your edits/rewrite.

Richardson: How can readers contact you?

Gaston: The future belongs to eBooks. There will always be a great demand for paper edition books, but be aware that a growing number of young readers are jumping on emerging technologies.

I can be contacted at: author_dkgaston@yahoo.com

Richardson: D K, thank you for chatting with me. As always in closing, continue to inspire as you aspire.

Gaston: Thank you for this interview. I had a lot of fun answering your great questions.

D K Gaston
www.dkgaston.com
XIII, April 2007
Lost Hours, October 2007
The Friday House 2008

FYI
The Friday House - second edition
A second edition of The Friday House is now available at:

https://www.createspace.com/3344369


Short description:

Without warning or explanation, prominent Americans are carrying out horrendous crimes against the government. FBI Special Agent Jamaica Kurtz is assigned to profile these assassins. All the killers have one thing in common, the Friday House Orphanage. What secrets does this institution hold and will Jamaica Kurtz find the truth in time to stop more attacks?