Suspense
Date Published: Release date: February 6, 2017
When his former crime boss suspects that he is revealing information about her, and a young newspaper reporter sees him as her chance to get her own by-line, Patrick’s life and death struggle escalates. For her part, reporter Katherine Alderson keeps secret what she knows about his transplant, unaware that Patrick has his own secret, hidden in the fine print of the deal he agreed to.
Patrick’s new heart draws them together and into a conflict neither could have imagined when they discover someone has delved into their lives, using them as pawns in his own political game. Fighting to stay alive, one shocking revelation follows another, exposing the best and worst in both of them.
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Interview
Where do you
get your inspiration for your stories?
I will try
to be specific.
The
inspiration for my first story, written at the tender age of eighteen with my
cousin, was money. An English mystery novel, he wrote one chapter, I wrote the
next. It was a sure fire scheme (one of many) to make us a lot of money.
Surprisingly, the offers didn’t roll in and to this day you won’t find it on a
shelf. But I guess it was the first feeble start of my writing career.
The motivation for book two was a long time in
development. As a youngster, I was a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Andre Norton,
Tolkien and later Terry Brooks. Twenty years later, unable to find a science
fantasy adventure I liked, to the encouragement of my wife, I wrote my own. I
had tired of gnomes and dwarfs and was never a big ‘magic’ fan. By now I had
family, and the theme of family, caring and protecting it, became central for
The Reedsmith of Zendar, an adventure fantasy quest. It turned out, as many
first books do, to be very much a personal novel.
The
inspiration for the next novel, A Lesson in Revenge, was about wanting to write
something more mainstream. Everyone was familiar with schooling and I was a
teacher. I had taught in two old schools that had excellent architecture and
they were large enough to develop a cat and mouse scenario – much like the
original Die Hard
Change of
Heart was inspired to a great extent by my family’s health history. Six of my
mother’s brothers and sisters died of heart attacks or heart related illnesses,
my mother as well. It was a starting point into which I mixed my passion for
suspense that culminates in a thriller ending. A romantic relation always seems
to wend its way into the fray of things.
How did you
do research for your books?
Even
before the research, when I get that germ idea, I usually spend a year or two
(while I am working on the present book) developing the idea in a notebook. The
story and characters constantly change (Change of Heart was much darker when I
first envisioned it) but, when I am ready to tackle it, the research starts with
the computer. So much easier than scouring the library (which I did for my
earliest books). Obviously, depending on the nature of the book, some require
more research than others. In the case of Change of Heart much research was
needed because of the central issue of heart transplants. Again most
information was culled from the internet but a retired doctor friend was
instrumental in finding those final details from a heart surgeon that was
difficult to find by myself.
Do you have
another profession besides writing?
At present I
do not, nor am I looking for one. Between looking after my darling wife Lynda,
my three sons and four grandchildren, I sometimes have a difficult time getting
the time to write. Hence it takes a while to produce that next book. Just for
interest sake, besides teaching at the elementary level, as a youngster I
worked in a department and liquor store. After building our log house I formed
a Log House building company with another fellow whose house I helped build. I
taught a course on log house construction at a local college and also ran the
office of a manufacturing company.
If you could
go back in time, where would you go?
Interesting
question. When I was younger I would have answered much differently, but age
and experience has a habit of tempering our decisions. The first time I went
canoe tripping in northern Ontario with a friend, I think it was 1974, we took
what we could carry on our back and portaged from lake to lake. I have been
camping in Algonquin most summers since then. Went through taking the guys up
one at a time as they grew until all five of us were going. Then as they
dropped off, just Lynda and I continued. The point? I’m getting to it. Now
Lynda and I take pads – for the sleeping cots, fold up chairs, a two burner
little stove – well you get the point.
The medieval era, the wild west, to name two, can be very romantic – on
film and in books, but just like the reality of the hard ground on a rainy day
up north can be brutal – so can the past. I quite happy right here right now,
thank you very much.
What is your
next project?
I
currently have three project ideas that are in the development stage. (ie. The
notebook stage) One has to do with using the north as a setting for a suspense
novel involving some historical events. Another is a dual story, present and
past, involving the old west (the past) and present day. The third is a modern
day, brutal thriller –which I think I probably won’t write because it would
have to be just too dark. But I could change my mind, you never know.
Daniel is a retired school teacher who has written and produced many school plays, built his log home, restored a classic car, and spent many summers canoeing with his family in northern Ontario. Daniel’s other novels are A Lesson in Revenge and The Reedsmith of Zendar. All three novels are available on Amazon.
Contact Information
Email danieldside@gmail.com
For February, heart month, the money raised through the sale of CHANGE OF HEART will go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
“We are delighted that Daniel has chosen the Heart and Stroke Foundation as the charity ofchoice,” says Avril Goffredo, VP, Community Engagement, Heart and Stroke Foundation. The funds raised from this event will help us invest in research and continue our programs in prevention and survivor support, allowing us to save lives and create more survivors.”
Visit Daniel’s personal fundraising page.
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