Authorpreneur Dashboard – Mark Conard
Killer's Coda
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
A psychologist on the brink of a breakdown. Detectives on the hunt for a murderer. A reporter with a ladder to climb. All on a collision course with a killer in this noir tale of murder and retribution. His wife dead, and her murder still unsolved, brilliant psychologist Henry Blackwell hurls himself into his work assisting Philadelphia detectives Jimmy Slomman and Dave Busch with criminal profiles. Living off whiskey and adrenaline, desperate for answers, Blackwell uncovers a pattern in a series of killings thathe hopes will help him solve his wife's murder. Blackwell is convinced his wife's murderer has returned to torture him, but Slomann and Busch see a different pattern: Blackwell knows all the vic and his periodic alcoholic blackouts coincide with the crimes. As Blackwell turns to an ambitious young reporter Michele Stone for help, the body count grows and the race to find the killer just might lead Blackwell to the most shocking suspect.
Book Bubbles from Killer's Coda
Character Development from First Draft to Final
Killer’s Coda is a major revision of the first novel I wrote years ago. It was based on a screenplay idea I conceived with a friend in grad school, but which never came to fruition. I decided to turn the story into a novel at some point, started reading in the genre, and began work on it. The book was rough, as first ones tend to be. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I hadn’t found my voice. I was consciously mimicking authors I liked. From the beginning my strongest element was dialogue. Some of the writing was good, some of it very poor, but the dialogue was hot. I had a good ear for it, and it nicely conveyed the intricacies of the various characters. So in the initial draft I had a good fix on Ray Stendon’s character through his speech. I’ve known guys like him, and I thought he was a distinctive, believable character. He’s crass, clever, knows how to bullshit, and can be dangerous. I think that character is even better filled out in Killer’s Coda. Ray’s character doesn’t take up a lot of real estate in the novel, but his presence looms large.
Dark As Night (A Philly Payback Novel)
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Only two things can keep Morris White from clawing his way out of his Philly neighborhood and away from his criminal past: His brother Vince, and a diamond heist that could make all their dreams come true. An aspiring chef looking to climb out of the Philly gutter, Morris White's past won't let him go. When his brother Vince is released from prison, Morris is forced to choose between loyalty to his blood and loyalty to his ambition. His job in jeopardy, his new relationship on the rocks, and his dream in question, Morris is asked to do one last job to save them all--and save himself from the clutches of his hometown roots, which unlike the crisp, bright white linens of the restaurant, are black as hell and dark as night.
Book Bubbles from Dark As Night (A Philly Payback Novel)
For the Love of Food
I grew up in a small town in Ohio, where the restaurant options were fast food joints and family restaurants. The most exotic food option available was Chi-Chi’s faux Mexican. There might’ve also been an Americanized Chinese takeout place. I’m not sure. My mother did a great job of putting food on the table, of keeping us nourished and healthy, but the fare didn’t have much variety to it. Moving to Philly was a revelation for me in many ways. It was urban, hip, exciting, very cultural, filled with people of all different ethnic backgrounds. And for the first time I was exposed to great food of many different varieties. This was the beginning of my transformation into a serious food-lover. For me, it’s one of the great pleasures of life, especially when you add a couple of bottles of wine and some good friends. So writing a story with a chef protagonist came naturally. Food is also Morris’ great love, and cooking was his way out of his rough background, his path to a better life. It’s also his way of connecting with people. In this chapter he uses food to reconnect with and draw out his brother, Vince.
