John Verdon: On Writing and LET THE DEVIL SLEEP

By Mark Young

Author John Verdon’s third novel, LET THE DEVIL SLEEP, is comprised of many interesting elements—a compelling story, a population of vivid characters, and an opaque and dangerous plot whose literary waters only become clearer in the novel’s closing pages. All the earmarks of a fabulous read! For me, however, above all else, is the character of David Gurney and how he developed from the debut novel, THINK OF A NUMBER, navigating his way through SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT, and finally culminating with LET THE DEVIL SLEEP.

In this third of a series tracking down serial killers, main character David Gurney—a highly decorated, retired NYPD homicide detective—reluctantly agrees to take a young television reporter under his wing as she interviews survivors of the victims targeted by The Good Shepherd, a vicious serial killer. This novel is about two journeys—finding the killer and Gurney finding himself.

We are privileged to have John Verdon share his thoughts and comments about his latest novel, LET THE DEVIL SLEEP, the art of writing, and a little insight into his own life. It has been more than two years since John joined us here on Hook’em & Book’em after launching his debut novel. We welcome him back.

MARK: John, please tell us what you want the readers to know about LET THE DEVIL SLEEP.

JOHN: I couldn’t possibly come up with anything better to tell readers than what Publisher’s Weekly said in their starred review:  "Verdon, who rejuvenated the impossible crime in his 2010 debut, THINK OF A NUMBER, shows there’s much more that can be done with the serial killer plot in his breakneck, knockout third Dave Gurney whodunit .... The tension is palpable on virtually every page of a story that perfectly balances the protagonist’s complex inner life with an elaborately constructed puzzle."

MARK: As I understand, one of the techniques for creating a unique character is showing a person’s often-shallow external desire—one that is often self-serving, goal-minded—conflicting with the character’s internal desire, an internal motivation that is often  more selfless.  How would you identify and describe these conflicting desires within David Gurney throughout all three novels? What might be Gurney’s interpretation of his internal desire be for the greater good?

JOHN: Wow, that’s a big question. But it’s a particularly relevant one, since Gurney is often troubled by a sense of conflict concerning his own motives. I think the best way I can answer you is to quote a brief passage from the new Gurney novel (still untitled) that I’m working on right now:

“The truth was that a complex murder case attracted his attention and curiosity like nothing else on earth. He could make up reasons for it. He could say it was all about justice. About rectifying a terrible imbalance in the scheme of things. About standing up for those who had been struck down. About a quest for truth.

But there were other times he considered it nothing more than a form of high-stakes puzzle-solving, an obsessive drive to fit all the loose pieces together. An intellectual game, a contest of minds and wills. A playing field on which he could excel.

And then there was Madeleine’s dark suggestion: the possibility that he was somehow attracted by the terrible risk itself, that some self-hating part of his psyche kept drawing him blindly into the orbit of death.

His mind rejected that possibility, even as his heart was chilled by it.

But ultimately he had no faith in anything he thought or said about the why of his profession. They were just ideas he had about it, labels he was sometimes comfortable with. Did any of the labels capture the essence of the gravitational pull? He couldn’t say.

The bottom line was this: Rationalize and temporize as he might, he could no more walk away from the challenge of a complex murder case than an alcoholic could walk away from a martini after the first sip.”

MARK: This last summer, you wrote an article about serial killers for Publisher’s Weekly. It appears you have become an expert on these psychopaths since each of your novels is populated by serial killers. How do you go about creating these killers’ state of mind so that their personalities and motivations become a believable part of each story?

JOHN: The subject that actually interests me most is the destructive impact of self-centeredness. Like any human failing, selfishness exists in many forms on a continuous spectrum from peccadillo to true horror; and serial murder, killing people for personal gratification, could be seen as representing one extreme of that spectrum. This is the reason I write about it. The state of mind of the killers in my novels is dominated by the desire for instinctual gratification, warped and intensified to the point where all inhibition and empathy disappear. From a creative point of view it’s a matter of taking basic human desires and ratcheting up the volume until the output becomes severely distorted.

   

MARK:  I read somewhere that there is often a semiotic relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist where one becomes a reflection of the other—good versus evil. There lurks within the protagonist a choice whether to cross that line, to emulate the antagonist as they both struggle to achieve that final objective. Do you see that in Gurney’s psychic, struggling against that pull to the dark side, that willingness to cross the line in order to achieve the greater good?

JOHN: Gurney has a strong, traditional moral compass. He is honest and truthful. His failings lie more in the area of ignoring the emotional needs and feelings of others and becoming intellectually obsessed with his professional challenges. Although he is certainly no saint, he has perhaps fewer problems with temptation than he has with love itself. He is often more comfortable dealing with people who want to kill him than with people who want his attention and affection.

MARK: In Robert McGee’s how-to book on writing, Story, he explains that a story is a design in five parts: The Inciting Incident, Progressive Complications, Crisis, Climax, and Resolution. In Let The Devil Sleep, without giving away the Inciting Incident, what are some of the factors leading up to it in this story?

JOHN: At the beginning of Let the Devil Sleep, Gurney is struggling with the physical and emotional damage he suffered at the end of SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT. He’s depressed and needs to get back in the game. The opportunity to help a young journalist writing about the lasting effects of a ten-year-old serial murder case begins to pull him out of his lethargy. Discovering a few initial oddities about the situation awakens him further. And the deal is sealed when he encounters real peril and mystery. (This echoes part of my answer to your previous question -- the fact that Gurney seems to be drawn more strongly to danger than to his family.)

MARK: As a novelist, I’ve tried to find the best way of developing plot and story structure to help me keep on track throughout the novel. One suggested method calls for a very detailed story structure in which each chapter, each scene, is meticulously outlined before a writer sits down and writes the first draft. On the other extreme, another suggested alternative is to use the free flow, seat-of-your-pants technique in which everything emerges as you work through the story. What have you found works for you?

JOHN: Typically, an idea for a certain kind of crime will come to me -- let’s say the series of shootings of motorists in LET THE DEVIL SLEEP -- and I’ll jot it down on an index card. Then I may think of a number of possible motives for it, and I jot them down. Then I may think of a way into the story -- in this case a journalist writing about the surviving family members ten years after the event, or maybe something else -- and jot all that down on index cards. Then I have to figure out how Gurney might get involved -- and jot the various possibilities on index cards. That kind of free-association see-where-my-mind-leads-me process goes on for three or four months. My little cards fill up with notes about major plot points, key discoveries, red herrings, characters, subplots, descriptions of settings, snippets of dialogue. I generally end up with three or four hundred of these cards, as well as a growing sense of a central story skeleton -- places where all these details might appear in some rational progression. Then I start to see new relationships among the people, new twists in the story line. I lay out all my cards on the dining room table, and organize them roughly into a three-act structure. As soon as I’m convinced I have an exciting, coherent story to tell, I begin the linear writing process. In the course of that process, the characters themselves become more assertive and change some of my original ideas. Maybe I can sum all this up by saying that I have a reasonably detailed plot structure laid out before I start writing a first draft, but then the characters take over and bring it to life in ways that hadn’t occurred to me.

MARK: On your website, you share photos of the area upstate New York where you and David Gurney reside. Very picturesque! Like Gurney, you migrated from New York City to take up life in the country. I presume it was a very stark contrast in life styles. What initially drew you to that area? And—separating expectations from reality—what surprised you the most about this transition?

JOHN: The fact that there were no negative surprises. We had expected to like living here, and we ended up loving it. Even in the small details, there is something pleasantly benign about our mountain surroundings. For example, there are no poisonous snakes in this area, no poison ivy. There’s also no traffic, no noise, a slow pace, endlessly beautiful countryside, pure air, wonderful water, nice people.

MARK: Also on your web site bio, you wrote, “Along the way I also got a commercial pilot’s license, as an alternate route to the horizon, but that’s another story.” Could you elaborate?

JOHN: It’s a long story, but the short version is that flying always fascinated me. And I was equally fascinated by the idea of doing something completely different from my career in advertising. So I took lessons, got a private pilot’s license, then got an instrument rating, then got a commercial license with the notion that I might start a small air-charter business -- at which point I got distracted by another business opportunity and never followed through with the charter plan. But I still have a fond place in my heart for flying.

MARK: Now that you have three, widely entertaining novels under your belt, what does the future hold for John Verdon? Can we expect more Dave Gurney adventures, or are you considering traveling in another direction?

JOHN: The fourth Gurney novel is happily underway. There may be a fifth and even a sixth. My feeling so far is that the mystery-thriller form and the core personality dynamics of the Gurney novels are an adequate framework for anything I would be interested in writing about.

MARK: I enjoyed reading your web page bio about your journey through life. You mentioned that after settling in upper New York you finally lost that need of “wanting to be somewhere else.” What brought this about—your new location or something else?

JOHN: Maybe it’s just a form of contented old age.

MARK: Again, thanks for joining us, John. We look forward to reading whatever and wherever your creative mind takes you in the next novel.

*****

Author John Verdon’s three bestselling novels won international acclaim and have been translated into 20 languages. Leaving the life of a Manhattan advertising executive, he and his wife moved to upstate New York, where he learned to build Shaker-style furniture and earned a commercial pilot’s license before turning his attention to writing. You can find out more about John at his website.

Chapter 1: A Novelist’s Journey to Self-Publication

Writing In A Changing World

By Mark Young

February, 2011

Editor’s Note: Like my current novel, this story I am sharing is a work in progress. It is about a journey toward self-publication, a path I thought I’d never tread. I want to share bits and pieces of this journey as it unfolds in hopes of helping other writers make up their minds. This blog will continue to offer a wide variety of cop and author interviews, and other interesting features related to mystery fiction. 

Starting today, however, I will be writing some articles on self-publishing to specifically boost the spirits of all those struggling novelists who might find themselves caught on the same fence I straddled for many years. These articles are for the benefit of  writers still trying to decide which direction their career should head. I finally made a choice. For me, everything changes this month. My journey into self-publishing will begin shortly. I don’t know where it will lead. I don’t know how it will end. Come with me as we find out what the future holds. But first, a little backstory:

“I am no stranger to humiliation.” My lovely wife used that line the other day as we took a break from preparing my novel, Revenge, for publication. Her words—said in jest—got me thinking about this writing journey I embarked upon a long time ago. To be humiliated, one must possess a certain amount of pride.

Now, some types of pride—like the feeling you have when your kids excel in something—can be healthy. Some forms of pride—like vanity—can be ugly. When pride is involved, even good intentions can sometimes go awry.  Some time ago I began to understand how pride enslaved me as a writer. Other words and expressions—fear, for example— are closely related to pride. Have you ever asked yourself, “Is my writing good enough to be published?” (pride, fear); or, “What if I don’t succeed?” (fear). Worse yet, have you ever asked yourself: “What if I find out—after all these years—I never had it in me to be a publishable novelist?” (again, fear). And finally, “Have I wasted my time all these years to improve my craft—for nothing?” (Blend of fear and anger).

This month everything changes in my writing world. I am embarking down a new path, a journey that began forty years ago when I started writing. It began with small, pathetic attempts toward fiction: short story here, first chapter of a novel there. At the time, I chose to edit  my creativity to death until each writing piece landed up in my own rejection pile. Out of frustration, I stuck with non-fiction for the next thirty-five years.

I never lost the desire to write fiction, only the confidence that I might write fiction that someone else might like to read. Five years ago, I decided to return to fiction. I sat down and began writing my first complete novel, Broken Allegiance. A year later, I proudly began to market that novel while starting on my second novel, Shadows. Persistence always paid off for me in previous careers, and I saw no reason why it could not help me now. I decide I would be as persistent as a pit bull, latching onto agents, editors and publishers until I finally achieved writing Nirvana. That point where my novel finally reached the shelves of book stores around the world, or at least my local bookstore.

It never happened.

Three novels later, I found myself still looking for a home for my babies. As years passed, I began to wonder if I'd made a mistake. Like many writers, I wrestled with that paralyzing idea that maybe my writing would never be good enough. Many people knew I was trying to break into the publishing world—how do I hide the fact that I write every day to those who know me. Family, friends, and acquaintances always asking, "So, how is the book coming along." Translation: "Does anyone think your writing is worth enough to publish?"

Pride, frustration and humiliation began to set in. I just seemed unable to connect with the right people to make things happen. As I mailed each manuscript toward the publishing world, my carefully-written, carefully-edited novels seemed to bounce along the rim of acceptance, never swishing through the basket of approval. At times, my hopes were raised when an acquisition editor liked my latest novel and passed it onto their review committee—a faceless body of people searching for reasons to shatter every writer's hope. Unanswered query letter and requested manuscripts disappeared into the publishing abyss. A few editors and agents took the time to send back  rejection notices, or emails with the proverbial thumbs down line that begins, "Thank you ... but after careful review we have decided ..." to dash my dreams. Some editors and agents did take the time to email small notes of encouragement or advice. I latched onto these like a drowning swimmer. I continued to write, while growing angrier, frustrated and—yes—humiliated.

Granted, economic times have been tough. Even authors, who’ve landed on the New York Times bestseller list in the past, seemed to be experiencing great difficulty trying to get their manuscripts past the gatekeepers. Publishers seemed to pulling back, going with fewer and fewer authors, settling for the sure bets rather than those long shots. And for new authors—well, just forget it. Some squeak through, but the vast majority slip away into the black hole of oblivion. I did not want to slip into that void.

John Verdon

One of those fortunate new authors —John Verdon, author of that fabulous debut novel, Think Of A NumberTess Gerritsen, John Lescroart and Dean Koontz—all appeared on this blog last year, telling us their stories, giving us insight into their latest work. It was exciting to interview them, and each of these authors—with major publishing house  backing—seem to be doing very well. Great writing. Great name recognition. Each of these writers paid their dues and deserve to reap the rewards of their efforts. I tip my hat to them.

However, I believed these are the exceptions—not the rule. For every author who makes it into a major publishing house, there are many more writers—good writers—out there whose novels never break the surface. Never get noticed. Their works fail to reach the attention of readers desiring a well-written story. Now, I know there is many poorly written novels piling up on the desks of agents and acquisition editors. However, good writers—those who continually strive toward excellence, pushing themselves to their writing limits on every WIP—deserve a chance to get their work before readers. To let the market decide whether these writers deserve a reader’s trust. Until now, those chances for new authors getting published seems about as slim as BP getting new oil drilling rights in the Gulf.

But the winds are shifting in the publishing world. Let us return to backstory:

I love to read. That love started the first time I learned about words. When I was young I would be allowed to go to the library on Saturday afternoons if I did all my chores. I’d slip into the book stacks amidst medieval nights and ladies-in-waiting, reading about war, adventure and even romance—if it had a few knife fights or knuckles involved. I traveled the high seas with swash-buckling pirates, wielded weapons of war alongside other brave warriors. I rode horses with cowboys on the vast plains beneath open sky. It was a wonderful, exciting world in which to live. Never once did I give a thought about writing.

Then I grew up fast and hard at the age seventeen. I went off to a real war—Vietnam—where I saw the dark side of human nature. That experience changed my life forever. When I returned, I read writers like Ernest Hemingway with a different perspective, those writers whose works spoke to my soul because we both shared the experiences of war. It was about this time I begin to develop a need to write, a cathartic need to get words down on paper. Using the GI bill and working night jobs, I earned my BA degree in journalism and worked for several newspapers in the of San Francisco bay area for six years. It was a grand time. I slipped into Wounded Knee during the takeover and interviewed AIM  leaders Dennis Banks and Russel Means. I wrote about cops, crooks, and politics. I covered shootings, forest fires, and floods. I wrote about people struggling to make ends meet and about kids who made it to the state fair competitions. I wrote about the ecstasies and tragedies of human life. It was a great job, but I soon realized that I could not support my family on the peanuts I made as a reporter. Without getting into the particulars, I went to the dark side as my journalism friends called it. I became a cop.

For the next twenty-six years I lived a life that I found very challenging, in a career that provided very well for my family. Many of the skills that I had developed in journalism bade me well in law enforcement—report writing, interviews, seeking out facts and the truth. It was a great ride while it lasted. Through most of the eighties, I served on the federal Organize Crime and Enforcement Task Force, traveling throughout our nation hunting down major drug traffickers. From 1997 to 2002, I provided supervisory support for another federal organize crime task in San Francisco, targeting prison gang leaders throughout California. All this time, I was storing up reflections and information about people and human behavior, almost subconsciously. I never thought that I’d become another Joseph Wambaugh, but somewhere in the recesses of my mind stories and ideas started to gather like water seeping into dry soil.

That ride in law enforcement ended in 2005. I handed in my badge and moved my family to the Pacific Northwest, settling  in a little town far from the world I once lived and worked in.  This gave me a chance to return to one of my first loves—writing.

And so began the journey that led to these articles. I worked to become a published novelist like many other writers. As I struggled toward this goal, I thought if I was persistent enough, eventually I could make things happen. It worked for me as a journalist and a cop—why not as a novelist?

I attended writing conferences, read everything I could get my hands on about the craft, and began my first forays into social networking. Created a web site (www.MarkYongBooks.com , currently down for construction) and started this blog “where mystery readers, writers and law enforcement connect.” Upon the advice and invitation of other writers, I became involved with several online writers forums and writing organizations like Mystery Writers of American and the International Thriller Writers. I began to make friends and contacts in the publishing world  as I continued to learn the craft. I never stopped reading fiction, but now I began to read with an eye toward how these successful writers worked their craft—molding sentences, paragraphs, and chapters into published and successful novels.

All the time I continued to write: Broken Allegiance, my first novel, followed by Shadows, and finally Revenge. Currently, I am working on my fourth novel, Off The Grid, expecting to be completed later this year. Now, I know some authors wrote many more novels and spent many more years in obscurity before they finally broke through publishing obstacle courses.  I read or spoke to other published authors who had given themselves a certain amount of time to be publishied before calling it quits. Five years seemed the common denominator. This seemed like a reasonable amount of time, so I gave myself a five-year goal.

James Scott Bell

After my first novel, Broken Allegiance, was soundly rejected (and looking back, I can see justification for these rejections), I put it on the shelf and began working on Shadows, using everything I learned from my first failure. I attended a writer’s clinic and met a fabulous author/teacher, James Scott Bell, who provided expert advice and encouragement to me as I struggled to get published. (Quick promo: Check out Jim’s books, Try Dying, Try Darkness, and Try Fear. Very entertaining novels for readers looking for LA noir legal thrillers). I met Jim while trying to get traction in the CBA market. Later I began to move toward the ABA market, following the path of Jim and other writers.

I finished Shadow, and began working on Revenge, still trying to find that open gateway into the publishing world. Everything remained locked up tight. Self-publishing still did not factor into my game plan. I thought that if I went that route—self-publishing—I would be caving in, admitting that I was just not good enough to snag the attention of an agent or a publisher. Like a true Marine, I could not accept defeat.

Other authors around me began to succumb to the allure of self-publishing as they faced repeated rejections from traditional publishers. Not me. I would never give in. I kept plodding along, believing that one day my dream would come true. Meanwhile, my five-year-goal loomed ahead while rejection slips for Revenge and the other novels kept piling up. Then I began to take note of what other authors, editors and publishers were blogging and writing about in the publishing world. I read a number of articles on changing trends, of the eBook revolution, of refined POD publishing opportunities, and of the economic struggles of brick-and-mortar book stores and publishers fighting to stay in the black. It seemed as soon as I made an acquaintance at a publishing house, that person vanished, never to be seen again. I saw a number of really good editors leaving publishing house—some leaving under duress, some voluntarily—to become free lance editors and writers. Agents seemed to be leaving literary agencies in droves. Writing contracts seemed to be drying up. Bad winds were blowing.

One day I sat back and began to take stock of my career and where it seemed to be headed in light of all these changes going on around me. I finally began to see these changes in a completely different light, as opportunities for writers like myself trying to get published. I began to see a glimmer of hope for writers. That hope made me realize I must cast my pride aside. I had come to a fork in the road and knew I must make a choice.

***********

Join me next week as we begin Chapter Two: One Novelist’s Journey to Self-Publication. I want to share with you some of the good news that is happening out there in the writing world. I want to give other writers a sense of hope. Thanks for joining me. I appreciate the company. Feel free to leave comments along the way. And writers: Take heart and keep writing.

Novels To Read

Mystery Novels To Warm Up Autumn

The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell

 (Editors Note: Interviews with Robin Burcell, retired police officer and novelist, are scheduled for the coming weeks ahead. Robin, also a trained forensic artist, writes from experience.)

Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, forensic artist to the FBI, returns to Quantico to help identify a brutally murdered young woman. But when Sydney’s friend and colleague, the forensic anthropologist who assisted her, is killed in a hit-and-run, a covert government team takes over the investigation, and Sydney is suddenly removed from the case. Certain her friend’s murder is connected to the first case, Sydney investigates. She discovers that the first victim was not only an archeological student, but also the daughter of the ambassador to the Holy See. Just before she was killed, the ambassador’s daughter claimed to have found one of three keys that just might lead to a map of the long lost Templar treasure. Sydney’s search for answers takes her to the streets of Rome, and into the underground crypts and caverns in Naples, one step ahead of a ruthless killer. Time is running out for Sydney as a fellow government agent is kidnapped. And the ransom demanded? The Templar map.

The Black Madonna by Davis Bunn

Art historian Storm Syrrell and rugged treasure hunter Harry Bennett travel to Russia to search for and investigate another historic art treasure with significant contemporary implications: The Black Madonna. 

And as before, their efforts to shed light on the mystery surrounding the murder of Storm's grandfather, Sean Syrrell, and the contents of his frayed leather journal, puts their own lives in grave danger. 

Formula for Danger by Camy Tang

Her life was on the line.

Someone wants dermatologist Rachel Grant's latest research, and they'll do anything to get it. Including trashing the plants needed for her breakthrough scar-reducing cream—and trying to run Rachel down. Desperate for help, she turns to Edward Villa, the only man she trusts. But the greenhouse owner knows too much about Rachel's research, and now he's a target, too. Break-ins, muggings, murder...the would-be thief is getting desperate—and getting closer. Edward vows to protect Rachel at all costs. Yet with time ticking away, Edward knows they have to uncover the madman shadowing Rachel before their chance for a future is destroyed.

Think Of A Number by John Verdon 

Arriving in the mail one day is a taunting letter that ends with a simple declaration "See how well I know your secrets-just think of a number." Eerily, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD's top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial-murder investigation. Brought in as an investigative "consultant," Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that have local police in awe. Yet, with each taunting move by his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney feels his tragedy-marred past rising up to haunt him, his marriage approaching a dangerous precipice, and, finally, a dark, cold fear building that he's met an adversary who can't be stopped.

GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent by Fred Burton

(Editor’s Note: Okay, this is not a mystery novel … but it reads like one. Fred Burton—one of the world’s foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations—will be a guest here on this blog in the coming weeks).

For decades, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, has secretly been on the front lines in the fight to keep Americans safe around the world. Now, in this hard-hitting memoir, Burton emerges from the shadows to reveal who he is, what he has accomplished, and the threats that lurk unseen except by an experienced, world-wise few.

In the mid-eighties, the idea of defending Americans against terrorism was still new. But a trio of suicide bombings in Beirut–including one that killed 241 marines and forced our exit from Lebanon–had changed the mindset and mission of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the arm of the State Department that protects U.S. embassy officials across the globe. Burton, a member of DSS’s tiny but elite Counterterrorism Division, was plunged into a murky world of violent religious extremism spanning the streets of Middle Eastern cities and the informant-filled alleys of American slums. From battling Libyan terrorists and their Palestinian surrogates to having to face down hijackers, hostages, and Hezbollah double agents, Burton found himself on the front lines of America’s first campaign against Terror.

In this globe-trotting account of one counterterrorism agent’s life and career, Burton takes us behind the scenes to reveal how the United States tracked Libya-linked master terrorist Abu Nidal; captured Ramzi Yusef, architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and pursued the assassins of major figures including Yitzhak Rabin, Meir Kahane, and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan–classic cases that have sobering new meaning in the treacherous years since 9/11. Here, too, is Burton’s advice on personal safety for today’s most powerful CEOs, gleaned from his experience at Stratfor, the private firm Barron’s calls “the shadow CIA.”

Told in a no-holds-barred, gripping, nuanced style that illuminates a complex and driven man, Ghost is both a riveting read and an illuminating look into the shadows of the most important struggle of our time.

John Verdon

Novel: Think Of A Number
An interview with John Verdon

By Mark Young

Author John Verdon’s debut novel, Think Of A Number, is a gold mine for mystery readers seeking a novel that captivates one’s imagination. This catch-me-if-you-can plot makes readers guess until the very last pages. Forget about figuring out who-done-it. You will wind up stumped. John’s main character, Dave Gurney, is a retired NYPD homicide detective leaving a police career spattered with successful, media-intensive successes in his wake. Gurney’s illustrious career resulted in the capture of one serial killer after another, each monster falling prey to this detective’s analytical mind

Turning in his badge, Gurney plans to start a new chapter in his life. Similar to the author, Gurney and his spouse moved to upstate New York: a picturesque rural setting, a new beginning, presumably free of crime and violence. However, Gurney finds it hard to let go of the past, ancient issues still haunting him. A call for help from an old acquaintance sends Gurney—almost with a sigh of relief—down a path that challenges him at every turn.  A serial killer emerges to toy with each new target, asking … Think Of A Number … before striking again.

Readers will find this novel hard to put down. Verdon manages to wrap each chapter with tension-filled twists, each scene offering a deepening story that delves into the detective’s life as deeply as the killer cuts into his victims. This author’s grasp of language and story promises many more great novels to come.

John joins us today from the Catskills Mountains area of New York, where he relocated with his wife after an advertising career in Manhattan. John held several executive positions in the advertising industry before leaving the big city lights behind for a more idyllic setting.

MARK: John, thanks for joining us today to discuss your new novel, Think Of A Number. I won’t make any bones about it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel once I could wrestle it away from my wife. She confiscated your novel right after I purchased it, refusing to return it until she finished. How does it feel to have a debut novel out that seems to be attracting a growing readership every day?

JOHN: Well, it’s certainly a happy feeling. At first, the success of the book with reviewers and the favorable comments from readers came as a bit of a shock. Think Of A Number is not only my first novel, it’s the first thing I’ve ever had published. So the remarkable reception—I was just told that it’s now the bestselling novel in Spain—has taken some getting used to. 

MARK: Is there anything about your novel that I may have missed in this introduction that readers should know about? Any warnings they need to heed before plunging in?

JOHN: The only “warning” would be that whatever a reader might be expecting, they’ll probably be surprised. As some of the reviewers have pointed out, Think Of A Number is a genre-bender. It’s a police procedural, but it’s also a thriller.  It’s full of complex plot twists, but it’s also very character-driven. The Washington Post reviewer said that it combines the toughness of Raymond Chandler with the cerebral puzzle-solving of Agatha Christie.  Of course, none of that was planned. When I wrote the book I wasn’t trying to conform it stylistically to any particular model or combination of models. What emerged was something that is not easy to categorize.

MARK: Your plot has more twists and turns than the Winchester Mystery House in California. Without divulging your novel’s brilliantly convoluted strategy, how did you develop this intricate plot?

JOHN: It seems that I always have a few “what if” plot possibilities lurking in the back of my mind.  In my own imaginative process, plot devices precede character development—but that’s a matter of sequence, not priority. I may think of an intriguing situation—like the number device in this book, or the inexplicable footprints in the snow—and that leads me into imagining what sort of larger story that situation could be part of. Imagining that story then starts to bring to life the kind of people who would inhabit that world and do those things, what those people might look and sound like, and so forth. The further I get into that process, the more important the elements of character become and the more the goals and feelings of the characters start to take over. The characters themselves begin to drive the twists and details of the plot and the nature of the final resolution. So I’d say that bits and pieces of Think of a Number had been in my mind for years, but not how they would all fit together—nor how they would fit into the lives of “real” characters. That all happened gradually, during the writing.

MARK: The main character—Dave Gurney—comes across as fiercely intelligent and perceptive, words used by a member of your publishing team to describe not only your main character but also yourself. Where does Dave Gurney’s life end and John Verdon’s life begin? A reader cannot miss some similarities between you and your character. For example, both men moving out of the big city to a rural setting and psychological characteristics that seem similar to each other. We have never met, John, but I find it interesting that others see these similarities. How much of John might we find in Dave?

JOHN: We’re both introverted, we both tend to spend more time in our own heads than in conversation with other people, we both prioritize the value of thought over emotion, and we both have plenty of unexamined issues in our lives. Those are substantial similarities, but our differences are just as substantial.  Dave has reserves of courage and determination that are way beyond me.  He can deal with people and situations that would terrify me. And he chose a career that would have turned me into a basket case in six months. 

MARK: Share with us a little about this detective’s background. What is going on inside this man’s head? What motivations are driving him?

JOHN: Dave Gurney has an underlying need for order and predictability. He’s fond of parallel lines, 90-degree angles, and repetitive motifs. As a byproduct of that innate preference he has a huge sensitivity to discrepancy of any kind—to anything that seems to be out of place—along with a deep desire to understand the deeper order of which that discrepancy is part. He craves order or, in its absence, an explanation for the apparent disorder. Ironically, this desire to understand how things fit together keeps drawing him into chaotic situations, which he then pursues obsessively until some form of balance is restored. 

MARK: Is the novel’s inciting incident when the first victim is murdered?

JOHN: The first murder may be the point at which Gurney is irrevocably committed to the process, but I think the “inciting incident” would be the presentation of the initial think-of-a-number note with its seemingly impossible feat of mind-reading—since that is the incident that entraps the victim and, in a sense, Gurney himself. 

MARK: Characterization and plot seem equally important to this story. Dave Gurney’s character and the nature of the mystery seem to bind together seamlessly. The job—finding the killer—becomes Gurney’s crusade as his character struggles internally and externally on this journey. What mechanics did you use to get this novel off the ground? Did you plot the story as Gurney’s character emerged, or did Gurney exist in your mind before the plot materialized?

JOHN: In my answer to your earlier question about plot development I said most of what I would say here. All that I would add is that detective stories are really two stories:  the story of the crime and the story of the detective unearthing the crime’s true nature.  Both of these stories grew and intertwined in the way I described above. They started as plot ideas, which were then incorporated into, and finally taken over by, the dynamics of character and motive.

MARK: Your novel-writing career seems to have gained traction over night. When did you start this novel? When did you finish?  How long have you pursued this writing career?

JOHN: I’ve enjoyed writing ever since high school. But when I graduated from college and got married I found that the advertising industry offered the best way for me to actually make a living as a writer, and I did that for over 30 years in New York City. Every few years I would write a short story, send it to The New Yorker, get a rejection slip, and stick it in a drawer. After I retired from advertising and my wife and I moved to rural upstate New York I started spending a lot of time reading mystery novels—especially the major British authors like Reginald Hill and Peter Robinson.  Then, about four years ago, I decided to see if I could write one myself.  I worked on it for about two and a half years—on and off, which makes it hard to say how much time I put into it—and the result of the effort was Think Of A Number. 

MARK: How did you locate your agent? In addition to your great writing skills, it appears your agent became instrumental in marketing this novel quickly. Tell us the story between the time you finished the manuscript and signing a contract with Random House. Is it a blur?

JOHN: I finished it in late January of 2009.  I went to one of the big literary agent databases that lets you make selections based on various criteria. I chose agents who were interested in mysteries, thrillers, or police procedurals; and I ended up with a list of 54 agents to whom I sent a one-page query letter. Two asked for the manuscript, two asked for the first few chapters, thirty wrote to say they had no interest, and twenty never replied. The first one who asked for the manuscript, Molly Friedrich—one of the most respected agents in the industry—called me a couple of days after she received it and told me she loved it.  The next week or two are, as you say, a bit of a blur; but the book was sold very soon to Random House. And everything since then has been amazing—the great blurbs from top thriller writers, the bidding wars for foreign rights, one wonderful thing after another. The book is currently scheduled for publication in twenty-one languages—including Russian and Chinese.

MARK: Every writer seems to have their own writing schedule, their own rhythmic method of creating story.  Is your writing structured? So many hours per day writing? Use a word count to determine when to stop? Just write until you drop?

JOHN: My work habits may look like the product of discipline, but they really aren’t.  I like to work very early in the morning for about three hours, and then again late at night for about two hours.  It’s a pretty regular pattern, but it’s really just driven by what I feel like doing.  I enjoy the work, and I seem to be particularly drawn to it at those times.

MARK: I can think of at least one author who rose from the advertising industry to become a very prolific novelist. Did time in that industry lend support to your current literary success? What paths in your writing journey brought you to this point in your career?

JOHN: It may be that experience in writing ads is helpful in a couple of ways.  It focuses the writer on the discipline of communication rather than on simple expression—on what a particular audience is actually hearing you say rather than on what you think you’re saying. It also gets you comfortable with the editing process—especially the importance of eliminating unnecessary words. In advertising you’re usually trying to maximize the strength of the message within the confines of very limited time or space, and I suppose that might unconsciously train one to be more precise or vivid.  One also gets accustomed to deadlines.

MARK:  What advice would you offer aspiring novelists based upon what you have learned thus far?

JOHN: Be true to your own voice. Let your characters be true to theirs. Put conflict in every scene, even when there is only one character present. And don’t pay a lot of attention to my advice. So far I’ve only had one novel published, so what do I know?

MARK: What can John Verdon fans hope to see coming out in the near future? What writing project are you currently undertaking?

JOHN: I’ve just finished writing the second Dave Gurney novel, which is scheduled for publication in the summer of 2011, and I’ll soon be starting work on a third. Readers have expressed interest in seeing the relationship between Dave and his wife developed further, and seeing more examples of how Dave’s particular way of thinking solves the most difficult crimes—while at the same time it threatens his marriage.  Dave has a lot more to learn about himself, his priorities, and his limitations.

MARK: You must have a very hectic schedule right know. To complicate matters, I imagine fans will be seeking more current information about what is going on in your writing career over the coming years. They will be looking for information about book signings, speaking engagements and alerts about the next John Verdon/Dave Gurney novel coming out. How can these fans plug into this information?

JOHN: I hope to have a John Verdon website up and running in the not-too-distant future. 

Readers can go to the Crown Publishing Company’s Random House Inc. web site for more information about John Verdon and his debut novel.

Book Sales

What Makes A Bestselling Novel?

When was the last time a new author caught your attention? What made you wheel around in the book store or on-line, glancing through this new treasure and fork over hard-earned money?

I’m talking about novels that escaped attention until that moment you walked into the book store. Something so compelling you just had to reach for your wallet and pay the price of admission to enter into the author’s fictional world.

And what about those so-called overnight successes. Those debuting authors that seem to hit the New York Times bestseller list with their first novel. You know those ones—busting all sales records, getting translated into more languages than Rosetta Stone teaches. What did these new authors do differently that the rest of us writers failed to grasp?

These thoughts crossed my mind last week when I came across two such successes—John Verdon’s launch of Think Of  A Number and  Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s translated novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (His remaining Trilogy sequels, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest are now available). I am probably one of the few writers around who never heard of either of these two guys until I walked into the bookstore last week. So give me black marks on my report card for not knowing who’s who in the publishing zoo.

I wound up buying both novels.

I bought Verdon’s book after walking through a Barnes&Noble Store just to see what was there. First mistake for a book addict. A couple days later, I bought Larsson’s first novel via my Nook e-Book reader. At this point in time, I have not read more than a chapter from each novel.

So what made me dole out my money to read these novels.

Verdon’s book sat front and center as I entered the book store. Snazzy cover and great location. Customers practically had to walk around this book to enter. A bright red band hugged each expensive copy of Verdon’s book with these words: “If you love Baldacci, Gerritsen, Kellerman, Demille, and Lescroart, you’ll love Verdon.”

If shoes can make tread marks, I left a ski mark the length of Manhattan. Come on—Baldacci, Gerritsen, Lescroart. I love these writers. So who is this Verdon guy, I asked myself. Then I glance  at the bottom of these fabulous authors as read this line: “Debut Thriller At A Great Price.”

Debut Thriller?

Give me a break—hardcover copies, author endorsements to die for, and a publishing house right up there in the clouds. I picked up the novel, wondering how this young whippersnapper catapulted into stardom over night. I glanced inside and saw Verdon’s photo—he's been around for a few years. For some reason, this made me feel better about the whole thing. The book cover simply says the author “has held several executive positions with Manhattan advertising firms.” Immediately, I think: A James Patterson protégé from New York’s advertising industry. This guy knows how to put words together.

I searched the Internet and found dozens of interviews with this author, including one from Reuters Life that points out Verdon’s novel has been translated into 19 languages with $1 million of advance sales before its release this month.

Before the novel is released?

Now, I know I’ve been a little secluded trying to put words together for another novel and writing these blog articles about writers, readers and cops. But where did this guy come from?

Later in the article, I find that Verdon never lined up a publisher or agent up until he completed Think Of A Number. After finishing, he sent a one-page letter to a number of literary agents. One agent called back and wanted to see manuscript. Two days later, she call to tell him she loved the novel—although she has not finished reading it— and urged him not to show it to anyone else. A couple weeks later, Random House buys Verdon’s novel. In fact, the publisher likes it so much Verdon won a three book contract.

That’s what I call an overnight success.

I glanced inside Verdon's novel, read a few paragraphs, eyed what other authors had to write about the novel, then doled out my admission to the party.

The second novelist, Steig Larsson, came to my attention while I still in the same Barnes&Noble. I took out my Nook—using the store's online service—and thumbed to see what bestselling mystery e-Books popped up on the screen. Steig Larsson's novel topped the list. I see his novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, was first published in 2005 and still topping the lists. I glanced across the store and see another of Larsson's books blocking another isle.

So who is this Stieg Larsson. Another overnight success? (Further evidence of my self-imposed cultural ostracism seeping through).

I learned this author died five years ago without every realizing his success. He’d become a publishing sensation in Scandinavia, selling millions of books  before his Millennium trilogy took off for the stars in 2005. His novels have been selling fast and furious ever since. I learned that Larssonn was the editor of a Swedish journal, he was co-editor of several science fiction fanzines because of his interest in that genre, and he became involved in a lot writing and political pursuits over his career.

Another writer who knew how to put words together.

Sales of novels by Verdon and Larssonn are spiraling upward as of this writing. How did this happen? Can one duplicate these publishing home runs?

Aspiring novelists—yes, I am in that category—can learn many things from those published authors who’ve crossed over that publishing threshold and made it into publishing heaven. Marketing strategies, social networking, writer’s conferences, great query letters, and even better book proposals are all part of what we're told makes for a successful writing strategy. But there is one key element that must come before anything else.

Great writing.

Writers are in a business, the business of writing. Now, don't go all literary on me. Face it. Writers need to sell if they intend to make a living at writing. And, like any other business, writers need a good product. Better yet, we need an excellent product.

What do we sell?

Words and sentences created into stories people want to read. Fiction writers create a new world for readers to enter, a world filled with characters, places, feelings, and, above all, great stories. I suspect Verdon and Larssonn—first and foremost—learned to write. And they, like all excellent authors, learned to write extremely well. They learned to write with passion.

Literary agent Donald Maass, concludes his book on writing, The Fire In Fiction, with this:

"Having something to say, or something you wish us to experience, is what gives your novel its power. Identify it. Make it loud. Do not be afraid of what’s burning in your heart. When it comes through on the page, you will be a true storyteller."

My author friend, James Scott Bell, in his latest book on writing, The Art of War For Writers, writes this about writers:

"Respect the craft of writing. Be in awe when you sit down at the keyboard or with a pen. Write hard, write with passion, because that is what you do. Don’t waste any time dissing other writers or whining about how tough things are."

So, to John Verdon and Seig Larsson—I say, “My hat is off to you.”

And I say to the rest of us looking to publish—get back to writing.

Authors: I hope to see your novel on the shelf one day. Write well.

Q: How do you pick out new novels to read?