I’ve got a fun announcement. My newest supernatural thriller, NOWHERE TO RUN, is up for Pre-order on Amazon e-book! This is the very first time I’ve ever done a book on pre-order, but if folks are planning on ordering, by doing this it will all hit on launch day and will help me in the rankings incredibly.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I actually started writing this novel well over 20 years ago. It’s been with an agent, was picked up by a publishing house that closed down before launch, then was with 2 different editors where I changed the bad guys at one point. I struggled with some of the concepts of the story and how it would be received. Well, I finally just decided to get it out to the world. It’s typical me and my style. Easy prose, fast paced, a little sexy, a little violent and off the wall ideas. The Official Launch Date is July 1st but if you’re interested, I’d love it if you were planning on grabbing it to possibly consider doing the pre-order. Just $2.99 and I’d love to share it with you. As always, when you’re finished, I’d love an honest review.
In the center of the ocean lies a dark secret. Ten strangers, each with a unique gift waiting to be unleashed, find themselves stranded on a remote island.
But their arrival is no accident. Kidnapped and brought there by a shadowy organization, they are pawns in a deadly game of experimentation and manipulation. Their captors believe they possess abilities unlike any seen before, powers that could change the course of humanity and ones they can harness for their own evil purposes.
In this supernatural thriller, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the ten must confront their fears and fight for their lives. For on this island, nothing is as it seems, and the true enemy may be closer than they think.
NOWHERE TO RUN is a gripping tale of suspense, romance, and superhuman abilities, where survival is the ultimate test of strength.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for your support.
I’m really excited to interview David C. Cassidy on my blog this week. Authors that gear their writing towards Horror and Suspense have a special place in my heart. Scare me and keep me on my toes, pretty please! So without further ado…
David, can you describe your writing process? Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I’m a deep, deep planner. My outlines look like movie scripts but contain much more detail. I always begin with a seed idea for the story, and then I spend weeks or months developing my character profiles—their past, present, and future. By the time I’m finished, I know them inside and out; they become as real to me as family.
My books read like movies. One of the most important things I do is select actors for each character in the book and include a photo of them in each profile—actors who I think would be perfect for the role. In my time-travel thriller Velvet Rain, I chose Hugh Jackman for Kain Richards. In the supernatural horror novel Gateway, Joaquin Phoenix would play Jared Cole. Having these images ingrained in my mind allows me to picture them and their reactions in every scene that I write. They come alive on the page.
As I’m developing my characters, quotes, scenes, and plot points leap out at me. Things they need to say and do. How the story progresses from start to finish. Only then, usually after several months, do I start to write.
This is fascinating, David. I usually have an idea of the beginning, middle and end of my own novels, but besides that, I’m just a big panster I think! Though when I wrote my Kelsey Porter series, I did what you did and I created a 20 page character document with photos and descriptions of each character. Kelsey had 4 full pages just dedicated to her. I know that girl now inside and out!
I want to hear more about your book Gateway. Can you describe it in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it?
A troubled man with miraculous power. Crazies and killers. Evil unleashed.
Okay … that’s 11 words. But I’m used to breaking so-called “writing rules” all the time. For me, there are no rules.
Shameless plug: The reviewer at TaleFlick.com—a company that pitches books and scripts to major movie studios—awarded Gateway with a “TaleFlick Pick” badge, highlighting it for producers and directors. The reviewer’s summary stated it would make a good film or mini-series and could win awards in the horror and thriller categories.
That is incredible and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Having your baby on the big screen is something that would be amazing.
Curious, do you have any odd writing habits?
I do. Whenever I sit down to write, I tap four keys first: L. U. C. K.
Ok, this is SO COOL. It’s like you put your feelings out to the universe. I’m a firm believer in positive thinking. Though with your talent, luck isn’t necessarily needed.
What do you enjoy most about writing horror?
My stories are character-driven, never plot-driven. It’s all about the characters and their overwhelming struggle to carry on. The story—their story—comes from them. From where they’ve been and where they’re going. So for me, writing about real characters—in my mind—that’s gold. I need to feel their purpose and pain. And I do. Many readers have told me the same after reading my books.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Photography—film and digital. I’m very visual, whether it’s in words or images. I love to create art with keyboard and camera.
That’s fantastic, David. Tell me, where can readers find your books?
All my books can be purchased from my online store at www.davidccassidy.com/store. The books are much cheaper there than at the major retailers. I also offer special deals and exclusive bundles at great prices.
Of course, my books can also be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Smashwords, and Kobo.
About Gateway
Sometimes, good people do bad things. And sometimes … really nasty things.
Jared Cole has it all. Talent. Fame. Success. But this best-selling horror novelist also has an astonishing power: he can see souls. Returning to his sleepy hometown of Torch Falls, Montana after seven years in the grind of New York City, it seems the perfect plan to keep his secret safe and to jump-start his sagging career. But when he unwittingly opens a window—a gateway—into the soul of an epileptic child, his dream of a fresh start becomes a nightmare. A relentless and sinister evil is unleashed, twisting peaceful townsfolk into psychotic crazies and cold-blooded killers. Can Jared close the gateway before the town becomes a graveyard?
Author BIO David C. Cassidy is an award-winning author, the twisted mind behind several chilling books of horror and suspense.
His supernatural thriller, The Dark, won the Independent Book Publishers Award and ReadersFavorite.com Award in horror fiction.
If you love horror with unforgettable characters in epic stories that draw you in and won’t let go—stories that haunt you long after the final page—then check out his incredibly rich storytelling.
I’m so excited to offer some free books to my followers over the next month. This week is THE HUNT FOR XANADU. From December 4th to December 8th I want to invite everyone to go grab a FREE e-book copy of Book #1 in my Kelsey Porter series. The best part is that I’m going to do a little give-away for readers to also win ANY of my 14 books for as an ebook for free! In fact, I’m going to have 10 winners so the chances of winning are really good. EVEN if you already have the book, you can be entered if you follow the rules below!
So, here’s the rules:
Grab your free copy of THE HUNT FOR XANADU from December 4th – December 8th. Come back here to tell me you got one (even if you already have it) and if you gifted it out to five people you will get an additional second entry! Since I have a special set up with Amazon, I can view free purchases, so give-away and get for yourself, please! I’ll be posting the winners this weekend and on next Monday’s blog!
This entire series has been so well received. It was also written up by Douglas Preston on Amazon and he even had the book on a podcast! Here’s his review: The Hunt for Xanadu by Elyse Salpeter is a remarkable novel, a fascinating and fantastical journey in time and space, and one of the most gripping novels I’ve read in a long time. It flies along at the pace of a thriller, with plenty of murder and mayhem along the way. But behind the thrill-ride is a spiritual story, an archetypal tale of mystery and darkness,riddled with fascinating and esoteric concepts in Tibetan Buddhism. Vivid characters, a truly appealing protagonist, unexpected twists, and crisp writing complete this unforgettable book. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
—Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling author and co-creator, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast seriesLove for you to take a peek!
Here’s the link to The Hunt for Xanadu on Amazon. Don’t forget to comment below if you get it and also when you gift it out!
PS. Dreams and hard work do pay off. Here’s me finishing the NY 70.3 Half Ironman on Sept 23rd. Set your mind to something, commit and you can rule the world!
Elyse Salpeter 