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D. B. Corey’s debut crime novel, Chain of Evidence, opens with one of the most chilling chapters Auntie M has read in a while, narrated by a devious and despicable necrophiliac pathologist who enjoys opera. This character grabs you by the throat on page one and doesn’t let up.
It’s a hot August in Baltimore and a killer the press has dubbed the CK Killer is on the loose. DS Moby Truax of the State’s Special Investigation Unit is tasked with finding the murderer who uses cyanide to kill, earning him his sobriquet.
Moby is interesting, a Willie Lomax of a character who is nearing the end of his sterling career, facing the loss of the memory that used to be one of his finest assets. The newest Baltimore victim is a 31 yr-old woman, two weeks after the dead body of 71 yr-old Rosa Neunyo. There were similar killings earlier in San Diego five months prior, but most of the murdered California women were in their late 60’s until this newest victim appears.
After thirty years detecting Moby’s instincts tell him there are TWO killers at work: one killing the older women, the second the younger, copycatting in the shadow of the original CK killer. Try telling his boss that. Under pressure to find the killer, his job on the line, Moby finds himself saddled with the unwanted assistance of an FBI agent from the California cases.
And this is where Corey really gets interesting. Who is smarter? The original CK killer, or the copycat? And how can Moby convince his colleagues and his narrow-minded boss that there are two murderers at work, while he’s
Corey’s meticulously plotted story revolves around Moby and the sick mind responsible for the copycats, evil personified. That the copier is smart enough to know how to mimic the real CK killer adds to the tension. When the end hits with a wallop, there will be one more twist that will surprise readers.
Corey’s book is available in print on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and in Kindle format. You can order a personalized copy of his book through the Oxford, MD, bookstore Mystery Loves Company, too.
Here’s Corey in his own words from a previous interview:
When did you realize that you wanted to be an author?
In 2005, I challenged myself to write a novel; only because my new girlfriend (now my wife) said that my emails were so good I could be a writer. So I cobbled together my first novel just to see if I could write an entire book. After determining that a novel should be around 80-thousand words, I decided on a premise, and wrote the opening line:
“Call me Ishmael.”
HA! I wished!
Ok. I’m only kidding. But, the truth of the matter is that I started writing a book. After several days of Seek & Destroy on my laptop (I can’t type), I caught myself checking the word count every couple of pages. It was nowhere near 80-thousand words. That was when I decided that writing a novel was not about word count. When I finished about a year later, I had to admit that it was the worst thing I’d ever seen, that I couldn’t write a lick, and should have paid more attention in high school English. But … I also decided that I should try again. And this time, I should do it better.
Do you think there is a difference between being an author and being a writer?
I think the difference between a writer and an author is the publishing part, of course. Being published allows you to claim the title of, author. But if you ask me what I am, I’ll tell you I’m a writer, unless I’m feeling especially full of myself. Then I’ll tell you I’m a novelist.
How did you find your current publisher?
Funny story. I stopped by a book signing for Austin Camacho held in Annapolis just off the Main Street docks. I’ve know Austin for several years and always tried to support him, knowing damn well he’d have to respond in kind if I ever managed to get a book into print. While chatting with him over a cup of coffee, he told me that he and his wife Denise were going to launch Intrigue as a full-fledged publishing house in the near future. I asked if he was looking for manuscripts, and he invited me to the Meet & Greet they set up to get it off the ground. As is my way, I couldn’t find the Meet & Greet because I didn’t have a GPS, so I emailed him the material several days later. After reading the manuscript, they requested a meeting. The rest, as they say, is history.
What ritual do you have when writing? Is there something you do before, during and after you finish your story?
I have a black tee-shirt my wife gave me. It reads, “Oh, this is SO going in my next novel.” I wear it when I sit down at the laptop. I also have a room that I set up for writing, and writing only. If you’d like a peek, it’s on my Facebook page.
Some writers say they write every day. As a rule, I don’t. I can’t. I have a day job to pay the bills. But I break that pattern when I have a reason. I just took two weeks vacation to finish the 1st draft of my 2nd novel. I wrote 8-10 hours every day because I set December’s end as a deadline, and it still took me into January.
I write in pieces, or chunks, I guess. An idea for a story or novel will present itself to me (I don’t dream them up), and I’ll write the first scene or two; one Protag and one Antag—just enough so I don’t lose the story line, although this usually changes as things develop. Once that’s down, I mull it over, often during my work commute (radio off in the car) or at night, in bed. When I turn in, my mind doesn’t stop. It works and keeps me awake. Then a thought will occur and I have to get up to write it down. If I don’t, I’ll struggle to remember it over the next day or so and I hate that. Once I had a great idea for a character name and didn’t get up to put it on paper. It was the last name of an NFL player. The next day, I couldn’t remember it, and spent far too much time checking each NFL team roster trying to spark the recollection. It never came back.
I get my best ideas at night, when my mind is free from the daily drudgery. I like to re-read the last scene or two that I’ve written, and start writing by re-writing to get to the next creative (and I use the term loosely) phase. It’s like picking up a book you’ve been reading, but have laid aside for a day or so. You open to the bookmark, back up a few paragraphs, and refresh your memory. My writing process is much like that. Then it just kind of flows until I get tired, or my Muse goes to bed.
Who is your biggest supporter and why?
That’s easy. My awesome wife, Maggie. Why? A few years back, before we were married, I wanted to quit “wasting my time”, as I put it. She said, “Why do you want to quit now when you’ve learned so much?” She was right and I was wrong. Your writing is a learning process. A personal thing. It grows as you grow. If you stop, it dies.
What does it mean to you that you have a book in print?
More than I can convey. It was never about the money (don’t tell my publisher that). It’s about accomplishment. I’m in my 60s. I’m a middle-class worker bee. I’ve done some cool things in my life, but never really achieved what I thought I could—what I thought I should—until now. I don’t expect to become a household word because of one book, but it’s something to be proud of, a small mark I can leave behind that proves I was here, and I just wish my mom were still alive to see it.
What advice can you give someone who is looking for a publisher?
Don’t get discouraged. Many a successful writer forged their skills in the crucible of rejection. Never give up. Keep improving. Become fireproof.
What advice would you give to a young person wanting to be an author?
Buy a thesaurus.
Give us five words that describe your novel?
Shocking—Empathetic—Engaging—Unpredictable—Gratifying
What author would you compare yourself to?
A little Vince Flynn, a little Nelson DeMille, a little Lee Child.
Oh! Was I supposed to pick just one?
If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?
Avoid this question.
How long does it take you to write a story?
If I could make the living I am now with my writing, I think I could produce three full-length novels every two years.
Are you a pant’ser or an outliner?
You’ll pardon me if I have a little fun with this, but I am actually a little of both. I write outline form until I can’t stand it anymore, and then I cave and write the corresponding scenes to go with it. I guess that makes me an out-pantser … a term I like much better than pants-liner, which sounds like a feminine hygiene product.
Tell us in five sentences or less what your book is about….
Chain of Evidence is a story of a medical examiner who fulfills his own twisted urges by duplicating the acts of a serial killer, killing the women he wants. He uses his position to manipulate the evidence, hiding his own involvement while re-directing forensic blame toward the killer he copies. It’s a story of an aging cop confronted with forced retirement, an economically devastated pension, and diminished body and mind. Faced with rapid-fire changes to his world, solving this toughest of cases is his only chance to salvage his pension—and his reputation—before he’s ushered out the door.It’s the story of an attractive FBI agent, and her manipulation of a young, inexperienced state police commander to achieve the revenge she seeks.
I hope you like it.
D.B. Corey is the debut author of the crime fiction thriller CHAIN OF EVIDENCE.
D. B. Corey lives in Baltimore with his lovely wife Maggie, and after a stint in college, spent twelve years with the U.S. Naval Reserves flying aircrew aboard a Navy P-3 Orion sub-hunter during The Cold War. During his time with the USNR, he began a career in the computer field.
His debut novel—Chain of Evidence—was released August 2013. He continues work on a political thriller, and a second police procedural.
Corey has contributed opinion columns to online periodicals and has appeared on local talk radio, all under the nom de plume, Bernie Thomas
For more information about the author; please visit http://dbcorey.com
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