This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dan Padavona will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
I write dark thrillers and mysteries similar to the Thomas Harris Hannibal Lecter books. This genre appeals to me because it ratchets the suspense high. I love horror elements combined with a good mystery.
What research is required?
I’m fortunate to know a few members of law enforcement, and I also read a lot of true crime and interviews with federal agents.
Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.
Thomas Shepherd teaches me to love people for who they are and appreciate our differences.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I can’t write to music. Believe me, I’ve tried. Instead, I use a box fan for white noise. If a fan isn’t available, I listen to white noise on headphones.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
Both. I write short paragraphs to describe each chapter ahead of time, then allow myself the creative freedom to fill in the details.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
A faux fireplace that sits on my desk and keeps me company while I write.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
This will be my busiest year as a writer. Twelve published novels in 12 months.
Do you have a question for our readers?
Absolutely. What got you interested in thrillers and mysteries? Was it a certain book or author?
Every mind holds a secret. Some are more deadly than others.
Nightshade County Sheriff Thomas Shepherd is a successful model for every law enforcement officer with autism. He leads an idyllic life in his uncle’s old home along Wolf Lake and is planning to marry private investigator Chelsey Byrd.
But when a star athlete’s girlfriend disappears while camping, everyone blames the boyfriend. He’s volatile and dangerous. Did he murder the girl and bury her in the woods?
The sheriff’s gut tells him there’s more to the story than the boyfriend is willing to admit. The more he digs into the case, the more he worries someone is hiding a dark secret.
Is the boy a killer? Or is he the next victim?
Read an Excerpt
He waited until the woman’s Honda Civic rounded the bend and disappeared down the road. Behind a stand of trees, he remained hidden and formless, an invisible predator.
The day hadn’t gone as planned. McKenzie had torn up his note and slid it into the hallway. He needed that money. Without her username and password, his only choice was to put her up for ransom, and that would increase the risk of getting caught.
A downstairs light shone inside the sheriff’s A-frame, but nobody was home. Nobody except a cat and that damn beast of a dog. More lights illuminated the guest house along the lake. There was movement inside, though the drawn curtains made it difficult to tell who it was. He stepped toward the side window, crouching low so his shadow didn’t pass over the glass and forewarn the tiny house’s occupant. His hand moved to the gun in his pocket.
Without making a sound, he rose and stood beside the window, one eye peering through the opening between the curtain and the sill. Oh, how he hoped it was LeVar Hopkins, now a sheriff’s deputy. A bullet to the head would take LeVar out of this world.
A chair swung around, and the man edged away from the glass, hoping no one had spotted him. He slid along the wall and looked again through the opening. Right in front of him, a teenage girl with a brunette ponytail filled a glass at the sink. Where was LeVar, and why was this girl inside his house?
About the Author:
When he’s not writing, Dan enjoys photography, biking, weightlifting, and storm chasing. Dan has videotaped tornadoes from New York to Oklahoma and Texas and was nearly swept up by a strong twister outside Sweetwater, Texas. A self-proclaimed ice cream and gelato lover, Dan admits to spending too much time in the gym, compensating for his questionable nutritional decisions.
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ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and think the book looks good.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the interview and learning a little about you, Dan, I also enjoyed reading the excerpt and Grave Girl sounds like an excellent book for me to read!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it with me and have a happy and successful New Year!