Interview with the Author

What inspired you to write this book?

In the early eighties my mother handed me a full page article and said. “You need to write a story about this family.” What transpired over the next few months cemented my need to tell this story. My research started with the Detective on the case. He refused to talk to me. He hung up on me four times before I convinced him I was writing a book. We talked and I wrote that first manuscript. I sent it to him. That piece of work brought to me a friend who became fascinated by the news articles and was given that manuscript by the detective’s family. It was returned to me a month ago in the same package I’d mailed it to the detective.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Silent River?

The family is real. The Detective is slightly based on the only policeman I knew at the time. His story is made up but his parents, brother and hometown are real. I made up a sidekick because every Detective needs someone to keep them grounded. There has to be a love interest. It helps make the man real. I had to give him a flaw. I had no idea what it could be until I needed to give him a reason to hate organized crime more than usual. I created the death of his wife, child and partner in a drive by shooting attributed to the Mob. This gave the reader a sympathy to his actions.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

They are taken from newspaper articles and police reports as well as interviews. Almost everything in this book is true to the actual police reports.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Telling the truth as close as I could. This is an unsolved murder so I had to make up an ending.

Who designed your book covers?

Designers with my publisher on my direction. I knew what I wanted. They made it happen. It took some trial and error, but the designers at Italics Publishing got it with the second offering.

How did you come up with name of this book?

I struggled with the name for this book. It’s about a family that disappears only to have two of the children discovered in the river.  I had a couple of names but Silent River seemed to stick with me.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

Chapter 2 It shows the change that starts with Robert. I wrote this first part over and over again.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

The characters are based on real detectives and what they did on this case.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

This book is about one man’s fight for justice for a murdered family. Even though every clue and bit of evidence he uncovered pointed to a well orchestrated murder, he stood firm in his conviction. If you want everything tied in a neat bow at the end, this isn’t that book. This book will reaffirm life isn’t fair, but there is a justice we can all accept.

Author Bio