Winterview with Author D. R. Willis

To celebrate 13 weeks of winter, Hàlön Chronicles will be conducting one interview a week for 13 weeks. We’ve also partnered with additional artists and authors for a few surprises throughout the winter. Join us on the hashtag #13Winterviews, or check out our blog hop for a sneak peek at who’s on the roster in the coming weeks.

Hosted by: K. J. Harrowick

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

In all honestly, if it wasn’t for my mom I probably would never have started writing.

I started writing short stories (on a typewriter) for my mom a very long time ago to read to her. She had become legally blind due to diabetes and one day out of the blue as I was reading a book to her my mom said, why don’t I write some stories maybe something about Star Trek? (That was her favorite show).

Of course, I had no idea what I was doing, but that didn’t stop me from writing words down. And after about ten short stories I realized I love to write, I loved getting lost in my stories. Now, I do my very best to write each and every day, which typically means getting up at 4am. I never said I wasn’t crazy.

2. What types of books do you write, and why?

I’ve been writing mystery/suspense now for about 15 years. I love the twist and turns of the plots in this genre. Having said that, I am playing around with a romance story and I have an idea for a detective/mystery series. So the next few years book wise for me should be a lot of fun.

3. What were your early influences, and how does this manifest in your work today?

Well, I think watching a lot of 1940’s film noir movies, probably had an impact on my mystery writing. Alfred Hitchcock movies. Reading Stephen King and Sidney Sheldon. So in my writings there is a lot of suspense with twists and turns.

4. Are there aspects of the craft that excite you more than others?

I like when someone comes back that has read your book and starts talking to you like the characters in your book are real. That’s pretty cool.

Speaking of characters being real…I like when they go in a direction you never thought they were heading to. That’s pretty cool too!

5. What books or websites are your go-to places while editing?

Writer’s thesaurus
Almost any book on show vs tell
I also use Hemmingway and Grammarly

6. Tell us about your current WIP or your latest book release.

Nick Davis leads an ordinary life until the sight of an intruder’s shadow in the mists of an early morning storm sets in motion a series of events that will reveal his family’s mysterious past—and change Nick’s life forever. This seemingly random event makes Nick aware for the first time that he and his family are in grave danger. Nick learns that back in the 1940s his father had unwittingly become entangled with an evil international organization as he investigated the death of his brother. When his father is killed, Nick decides that he must disappear if he hopes to survive. He relocates and changes his name in an attempt to escape the bad luck that has been plaguing his family for decades. But when it becomes clear that Nick has not eluded his mysterious enemies, he realizes that he must once again run for his life. Check out all books by D. R. Willis >

Thank you so much for having me here, it was a lot of fun!

Curious to know more about D. R. Willis? Be sure to visit his website, connect with him on Twitter, or check out his books on Amazon.

Don’t forget to check out this year’s Winterviews and partner interviews. You can also follow this blog and be the first to know when new content is released.