When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?
I started writing short stories and poems when I was a young teenager. I discovered at a young age that writing can be a great way to express emotions, both good and bad. I have found writing to be very therapeutic.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My brother David who was sadistically murdered in 1994. The book is for him and about him. My family and I have spent more than 19 years fighting for answers to his sudden and unexpected death. Antifreeze Cookbook was written as our last hope.
Talk about Antifreeze Cookbook.
It is the true story about the love for my brother and the tragic mystery of his sudden death.
How did you come up with the title?
We considered numerous titles and after reading the book, the editor suggested the title, “Antifreeze Cookbook.” I admit when I first heard it I didn’t like it, but the more I thought about it and kept hearing it, the more I started to like it. It made perfect sense. I can’t imagine a more perfect title. It just works.
Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
I think the biggest message is “Never Give Up!” When you know deep in your soul that something isn’t right, like the suspicious circumstances of my brother’s death for example, you do what you can do to prove it and no matter how long it takes. We are all on God’s time.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part for me was the fact that this traumatic time of my life, which I kept secret from most people, would be “out there” in a very public way. I’m a private person and having finished Antifreeze Cookbook makes me feel exposed and vulnerable, and I don’t like to feel vulnerable. But as I said earlier in the interview, writing is therapeutic. Telling my brother’s story and all that my family has gone through since his death, has lifted a big weight off of my shoulders.
List your favorite quotation or words you live by.
“Never Never Never Never Give Up!” Winston Churchill.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
This is a difficult question because there are so many that I like, but I especially admire William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I would like to say “thank you” for your interest and continued support for my family’s quest for justice. It can’t be done without all of you.
You can purchase Antifreeze Cookbook through our bookstore.
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