Book: Deliberate Duplicity
Q1) Please introduce yourself so that the readers will get to know you better.
After a long career in business that allowed me to travel to all but one continent and countless countries worldwide, I decided to write a murder mystery series based on a fictitious character named Detective Sasha Frank. The first book in the series is titled Deliberate Duplicity. I live in Illinois with my wife, and when I’m not writing I spend as much time as possible with my family. I particularly enjoy golfing.
Q2) What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your books?
I guess the first thing is that I was able to write a murder mystery. I’ve written a business blog for many years, but writing about murders is a significant change. Deliberate Duplicity has received great reviews, and I’m very grateful for that.
Q3) Could you please tell the readers something about your book Deliberate Duplicity?
The book follows the main character, Senior Detective Sasha Frank, with the Bloomington Police Department. One by one, bodies are discovered at different points along the Constitution Trail, consisting of forty-three miles of abandoned railroad tracks that once ran through the “Twin Cities” of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The murders are the work of a calculating, methodical killer. Each murder victim is found posed, with their eyes wide open – witnesses who cannot testify to what they’ve seen. Deliberate Duplicity explores the twisted, vengeful mind of a serial killer. Sasha Frank is working to solve the mystery of who’s responsible for the string of gruesome crimes. There is a complicated web of clues leaving Sasha and his team with more questions than answers. It’s up to Sasha to find the killer and justice for all who were affected.
Q4) What are your hobbies apart from reading or writing?
I greatly enjoy golfing and spend as much time working on my game as possible. I also am a fan of college basketball.
Q5) How is life in Illinois?
I grew up in Central Illinois, and I’ve lived in a handful of states and several countries. I lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving back to Central Illinois a few years ago as we have a family nearby.
Q6) What is your favorite quote?
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” I’ve certainly made countless mistakes in my life, and I can only hope that I learned from them. While in business, I liked the anonymous quote, “Delegate authority ruthlessly with confidence.” In most endeavors, it takes a team to accomplish big goals, and the only way for a team to achieve is for all to learn to do.
Q7) What has been the most difficult situation in your life which you finally overcame?
In March 2019, I suffered sudden cardiac arrest. I was down without a pulse for 15 minutes before many heroes, including my wife, a 911 dispatcher, a police officer, paramedics, and a dedicated group of health professionals at a local hospital, worked tirelessly to give me my life back. Over 99 percent of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest in their home die and my living is a miracle. I suffered no memory loss, brain damage, or severe heart damage. With the help of countless people, I survived and was able to finish Deliberate Duplicity.
Q8) When is the second book of Detective Sasha Frank Mysteries to be released?
The second book in the series is titled Cold Consequences, and I’m currently working with editors and my publisher on final edits. We have a planned release date of late Summer 2021. I’m also currently working on the untitled third book in the series.
Q9) When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
I’ve enjoyed reading my entire life. I like reading mysteries and especially murder mysteries. A few years ago, a friend suggested that I write business books and become a conference speaker on business. I tried writing a business book and found it impossible to write. I then started thinking about all the books that feature detectives in big cities while there aren’t books featuring detectives from a smaller city like Bloomington, Illinois. I had the name Sasha Frank in my mind and began thinking about what kind of murders would be interesting to readers like myself, so in 2018 I started to write Deliberate Duplicity. I greatly enjoy writing about Sasha Frank.
Q10) Lastly, who inspires you the most and why?
Those who have created something from nothing are incredibly inspirational. Since the beginning of time, the list of those who have made a difference in the world is endless. That list would include those who began transformational societal movements like Martin Luther King or Nelson Madella to this century’s business game-changers like Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, or Elon Musk.
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