Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 284 pages
Genre: thriller , psychological thriller
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Release date: March 2024
Content Rating: PG. My book is rated PG for the times some of the mob characters utter mild curse words
A forged loan application ignites a chain reaction of events leading to a shocking kidnapping and a string of murders that has the local sheriff's office scrambling to uncover the truth.
What started out as a dream quickly transforms into a nightmare as innocent people find themselves caught in a web of crime, betrayal, and one multi-million-dollar secret. With each twist more unexpected then the last, the real question is: who will make it out alive?
1. Where do you get your inspiration?
I’ve always loved stories from books or movies. My taste in genre is not specific. I like stories that develop characters who later become connected to the plot with pace that keeps my interest as well as my anticipation.
2. Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source).
I just finished watching To Have and Have-not, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. At one point while she is leaving the room, she turns and smiles and tells Bogie how he can find her if he wants to. “Just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you? Just put your lips together and... blow!”
3. What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?
I begin with a few thoughts about a plot and then consider the characters that might fit inside of it. From that point on, my characters take over, carrying me from a hook right into the next inciting incidents. By now, the story has its own life, and I find myself as anxious. as I hope the reader becomes, to ride it all the way over the finish line.
4. When did you first consider yourself a writer?
While working in my career jobs, I often attended writer classes at night, some at Elmhurst University or College of DuPage. One such opportunity happened after I signed up to attend such instructions from a published author. Along with twenty-four other wannabees, we met at his Chicago apartment twice a week for three months. On one occasion, he gave us an instruction to “free-think write” ( he called it). There were only twenty minutes remaining for the class. Anything goes, no rules, just write. I wrote about a man walking under a midnight moon, seemingly lost and becoming desperate. As he walked aimlessly through the forest, he spotted a small house that appeared vacant except for one, dimmed light coming from behind a shade covered narrow window. It frightened him and he considered turning back rather than approaching any further. Curiosity pushed aside the timid concerns. He continued until he arrived and was able to hear sounds that caused his heart to beat beyond control. He inched up from under the window...and.....TIMES UP – Pencils down!! Class was ended. At our next session the author/teacher announced that he would read only one of our stories. He read mine and then asked for the class to offer their thoughts about it. The first to speak was a young attorney from Sidley Austin who said that the only thing he could say was that he wished that he had written it. A few heads nodded agreement, the author/teacher smiled, and... I felt discovered!
5. What do you hope your readers take away from A Table Rock Mystery?
I hope my readers feel rewarded by the telling of the story that was hidden behind the scenery that prompted their visit to this Ozark wonderland.
Tom Wood became a reporter and byline journalist at four newspapers in suburban Chicago after retiring from the U.S. Postal Service. After Alone Along Writers' Roads, published in 2024, A Table Rock Mystery is his second published novel.
Connect with the author: goodreads
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