Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Kill Devil
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.mikedellossobooks.com/
CITY: Hanover
STATE: PA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/mike-dellosso/ * http://www.familyfiction.com/authors/mike-dellosso/ * https://www.susansleeman.com/meet-author-mike-dellosso/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2008007008
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2008007008
HEADING: Dellosso, Mike
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HEADING: King, Michael, 1972-
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PERSONAL
Born June 7, 1972, in Baltimore, MD; married; wife’s name, Jen; children: four daughters.
EDUCATION:Received master’s degree in theology.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author; also works as a home care physical therapist. Adjunct professor, Lancaster Bible College; faculty member, Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Mike Dellosso is best known as a writer of supernatural suspense novels and Christian thrillers. In works such as Scream, Darkness Follows, Frantic, and Fear Mountain, he draws on his personal past for his settings. “Most of my books,” Dellosso told Susan Sleeman in an interview appearing on the interviewer’s Web site, Susan Sleeman, “until now have been set in the northern Maryland/southern Pennsylvania area because that’s where I live and what I’m familiar with. He continued: “But for Frantic I did something different. My wife spent some years of her childhood in Maine and we’ve vacationed there a few times. I’ve fallen in love with that north country. Absolutely love it. So I thought Maine would be a perfect setting for Frantic and it turns out I was right. It really worked well with the story. It’s such a beautiful state with stark contrasts and geography that was made for storytelling.” “Dellosso,” said Cory Clubb, writing in Title Trakk about the thriller Scream, “packs real to life characters in haunting situations with detailed form, and at a pulse pounding pace that doesn’t quit.”
More recently, however, Dellosso has turned to writing in a different genre: Christian thrillers, including Centralia and Kill Devil. “My faith is an integral part in all I do—it’s who I am—and writing is no different,” Dellosso said in his Susan Sleeman interview. “I pay careful attention to the faith message in all my books. Unfortunately, because of the nature of my stories and the thrills and chills involved I fear the suspense overshadows the message too many times. It’s something I struggle to accept.” “Writing fiction is a lot like how we live our lives,” Dellosso explained to Melissa Willis in Straight off the Page. “If faith is an integral part of my life, if it is so meshed with every other part of my life that to remove it would collapse my whole purpose for being, then to an outsider or nonbeliever it appears natural, just part of who I am. But if I live the life of a hypocrite, if I live for myself, make selfish choices, give in to desires, and then try to tell you about Jesus or my faith … what are you going to think?”
Unlike the supernatural elements that characterize his earlier novels, Dellosso’s Christian fiction features characters who rely on their faith to solve crises in the natural world. “At the heart of both Centralia and Kill Devil is the technology behind artificial or synthetic telepathy. ‘To think the technology is there to manipulate people via mind control is fascinating. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong and it sets up all kinds of ethical problems but it’s still fascinating,’” Dellosso told Terry DiDomenico in Big Thrill. “The two novels also share the classification as religious thriller. Don’t let that moniker turn you away. The religious aspect is not overdone and is very real to the characters. And the addition of religion certainly hasn’t affected the thrill factor in these novels.”
Kill Devil is “a psychological thriller that deals with government cover-ups, secret experimentation, ghost agencies, and a man trying to save his family,” the author told Susan Sleeman in an interview for the Suspense Zone. “It’s Jason Bourne and The Manchurian Candidate all wrapped up in one. There are kidnappings, murders, chase scenes, fight scenes, lots of action and drama. The action moves from Idaho to Denver to Alcatraz to Kill Devil Hills, NC. It’s a great summer read that I hope will keep readers turning pages to see not only what happens next but to find out how it will all end.” “Mike Dellosso captured my attention right away and I read on. And on. And on. This is a read that will virtually have the reader—male and female alike, literally holding their breath,” enthused a reviewer for Chat with Vera. “This is a faith infused story but it is not overwhelmingly so. These are simply folks who love God and place their trust in Him even in the most trying situations.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, March 15, 2010, review of Darlington Woods, p. 39; April 11, 2016, review of Kill Devil, p. 38.
ONLINE
Big Thrill, http://www.thebigthrill.org/ (May 31, 2016), Terry DiDomenico, review of Kill Devil.
Book Woman Joan, http://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/ (July 17, 2016), review of Kill Devil.
Chat with Vera, http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/ (June 13, 2016), review of Kill Devil.
Christian Authors Network, http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/ (March 5, 2017), author profile.
Family Fiction, http://www.familyfiction.com/ (March 5, 2017), author profile.
Mike Dellosso Books, http://www.mikedellossobooks.com (March 5, 2017), author profile.
Straight off the Page, http://straightoffthepage.com/ (June 22, 2015), Melissa Willis, author interview.
Susan Sleeman, https://www.susansleeman.com/ (March 5, 2017), Susan Sleeman, “Meet Author Mike Dellosso,” author interview.
Suspense Zone, http://www.thesuspensezone.com/ (March 5, 2017), Susan Sleeman, author interview.
Title Trakk, http://www.titletrakk.com/ (March 5, 2017), Cory Clubb, review of Scream.
ABOUT ME
I'm really not a very interesting person. At least I don't think so. I'm a husband, a father, an employee, a writer. A wannabe artist.
I'm a cancer survivor.
I'm a man, flawed, at times misguided. I'm a dreamer. I'm passionate about few things but I could talk for hours about those things.
I'm an introvert by nature, an extrovert by necessity.
I'm a small town homebody.
I have no hobbies, no burning interests outside my family, my faith, and my writing.
I would say I'm boring.
But what most defines me is that I'm a Christian, a follower of Christ. I'm a sinner saved by amazing grace. I'm a work in progress. I'm unfinished business.
THE OFFICIAL BIO . . .
Mike Dellosso is the author of eight novels of suspense, an adjunct professor of creative writing and popular conference teacher, a husband, and a father. When he’s not lost in a story or working or spending time with his family he enjoys reading and dabbling in pencil sketching. Mike has a master’s degree in theology and serves with his wife in their local church. He is also a colon cancer survivor and healthcare worker. Born in Baltimore, Mike now resides in southern Pennsylvania with his wife and four daughters.
Mike Dellosso is no stranger to personal trials. As a child and into early adulthood he struggled terribly with stuttering so profound he often decided it was best to just not talk. By God’s grace he learned to work around that stuttering and now speaks and teaches on a regular basis.
Then, when he was 35, Mike was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. A year of surgery and chemotherapy later, and again by God’s grace, Mike beat that disease and is now cancer-free. Born in Baltimore, Mike has been married for sixteen years to his wife, Jen, and they have four daughters ranging in age from fifteen to three. Mike has also published eight novels and is currently working on his ninth. His passion is to motivate and encourage others to be unstoppable in becoming all they were created to be. Mike is a regular speaker/teacher at various writers’ conferences and is a member of the Colon Cancer Alliance’s speaker’s bureau. To learn more visit mikedellosso.com.
Mike Dellosso writes novels of supernatural suspense for both the mind and the soul -- to both entertain and challenge. Mike is also an adjunct professor at Lancaster Bible College and a faculty member at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference. Mike lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters.
Meet Author Mike Dellosso
Mike DellossoQ: How long have you been writing and what other careers or jobs have you had?
A. I started writing in 1998 as a way of dealing with the emotional turmoil surrounding a family tragedy. Before then I wanted nothing to do with writing, avoided it, disliked it, was never interested. But through writing I found a freedom I’d never known before. I’ve stuttered my whole life and didn’t enjoy talking, in fact, I usually avoided it. But through writing I found my voice. I could express myself without the blocks and tension and facial gymnastics associated with stuttering.
As for jobs, I still work a full-time job doing homecare physical therapy. I enjoy it because I get to work with patients individually in their own environment. And being an observer of people all my life, this is right up my alley. I do my writing in the early morning hours and treat it as a part-time job. I tell people I get up at 4:30, go to my part-time job, then get ready for my full-time job at 7:00.
Q: Do you write in only one genre and if so which one and why? If not, which ones and why?
A: As of now, yes, only one genre: Suspense. But a change is coming, a new direction in my writing. I can’t say a lot about it right now but will be breaking the news shortly. My book releasing in October, A Thousand Sleepless Nights, will open a new chapter in my writing career. Stay tuned to www.mikedellosso.com or www.facebook.com/mikedellosso for more information coming soon.
Q: How does your faith play into your writing?
A. It guides it, infuses it, envelopes it. I couldn’t and wouldn’t write without it. My faith is an integral part in all I do—it’s who I am—and writing is no different. I pay careful attention to the faith message in all my books. Unfortunately, because of the nature of my stories and the thrills and chills involved I fear the suspense overshadows the message too many times. It’s something I struggle to accept. I know some readers “get it” in regards to the message behind a story and others don’t. I try to work the message seamlessly into the story by revealing it through the lives of the characters rather as some separate strand of the story that I later insert.
Q: How do you choose your settings for your books?
A. Most of my books until now have been set in the northern Maryland/southern Pennsylvania area because that’s where I live and what I’m familiar with. But for Frantic I did something different. My wife spent some years of her childhood in Maine and we’ve vacationed there a few times. I’ve fallen in love with that north country. Absolutely love it. So I thought Maine would be a perfect setting for Frantic and it turns out I was right. It really worked well with the story. It’s such a beautiful state with stark contrasts and geography that was made for storytelling.
Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?
A: Most of the time they are made up (to a point). All my characters have a little of myself in them. I draw a lot upon my own experiences and emotional blueprint when creating characters. Occasionally, I’ll meet someone who so impacts or inspires me or strikes me as so unusual or unique that I have to base a character on him or her.
A few years back I worked with a boy stricken with cerebral palsy. Despite his numerous challenges and struggles he never once complained, never used a harsh word, never showed anger or even frustration. He was the most kind, loving, gentle person I think I’ve met. He really blessed and impacted me. I had to create a character for him and so William in Frantic was born. William is a boy with cerebral palsy and a special gift, a boy on the run from the very essence of evil.
Frantic by Mike DellosssoQ: Would you tell us about your current book release?
A: Frantic is the story of a trio of characters on a harried and dangerous journey to discover what it means to really trust. Marny Toogood has lived under a “curse” his entire life and has therefore avoided much contact with people. That is, until he receives a desperate plea for help from Esther Rose, the over-protective sister of William, a boy with cerebral palsy and a very special gift. All three find themselves on the run from Esther and William’s maniacal and possessive “uncle” and wind up somewhere much more dangerous.
Here’s the back cover copy:
Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it s too late?
For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it s just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ.
As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?
Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Frantic?
A: From the boy I had as a patient. He inspired the character and from there the story grew and evolved. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer but always stay a couple chapters ahead of myself. I spend a lot of brain time mulling over plot options and trails and character development issues. I like to say I plot on the go.
Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: I hope readers are challenged to step out in faith, a simple faith, like that of a child. There’s so much talk about great faith and having enough faith or not enough faith . . . I don’t think it’s so much an issue of the amount of faith one has but rather the object of the faith: Jesus. If we could all just grasp that it’s not about us (that goes back to that betrayal and lies thing, doesn’t it?) and our faith; it’s about him and his power, his love, his grace, his will.
Q: Tell us what you like about the main characters of this book.
A: They’re genuine, real people with struggles and flaws like the rest of us. I work hard to make my characters as real as I can, people just like the folks all of us know and come into contact with every day.
Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. A couple things. One is an anthology of novellas I’m working on with six other authors called 7 Hours. I’ve teamed with Rene Gutteridge, Veronic Kendig, Robin Parrish, Tom Pawlik, Travis Thrasher, and James Wilson to explore the element of time in a very unique way. I can’t say a lot about it right now because things are being kept under tight wraps but the project was picked up by Tyndale and will release in May. You can find out more and keep up to speed with things by liking the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/7-Hours/218628601550788.
Also, I’m in the midst of the editing phase of A Thousand Sleepless Nights, a story that is very near to my heart and will point my writing in a new direction.
Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why?
A. I would love to visit New Zealand or take a tour of Europe and see Rome and Venice, Paris, London, the Irish countryside. No cruises, though. I don’t do well with big boats and lots of water.
Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
A. I’ve done so many silly things. Growing up I was a clown, always trying to make people laugh and usually getting in trouble for it. And at home my kids are constantly rolling their eyes at me and saying “you’re so weird.”
But probably the silliest (and maybe one of the dumbest) things I ever did was dress up like a killer and try to crash my sister’s party. I was in college at the time and she was in high school. She threw a birthday party at our house that lasted until after dark. After the sun had set they were all on the back patio talking and laughing and I got the great idea that I’d dress up and scare them. I put on an old man mask we had, an oversized flannel shirt, baggy jeans, and stood at the end of the yard so I’d be silhouetted by the darkening sky. Sooner or later someone would notice me there and start screaming. Well, the someone who noticed me was our dog and he didn’t take too kindly to some stranger trespassing on his property. He chased me up into a tree.
Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
A. Battle colon cancer. In March of 2008 I was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer and spent nine months going through surgeries and chemo to fight it. It was a challenging time for all of us and changed who I am on some very deep levels. I experienced God in a whole new way and will never forget what he brought me through.
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
A. To keep up with my writing and what exciting changes are coming, please follow my blog at www.mikedellosso.wordpress.com and like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mikedellosso. Check out Mike’s bio for a complete list of his books.
LATEST BOOKS, RELIGIOUS THRILLERS
Kill Devil by Mike Dellosso
MAY 31, 2016 by TERRY DIDOMENICO
7 0
kill devilBy Terry DiDomenico
It started as an ordinary day for Jed Patrick: A quick run into town for gas and a few groceries. But ordinary was not what followed. Returning home he finds his wife in tears and his daughter gone—taken by people who want something from him.
Welcome to the world of Jed Patrick, a man with a complicated past. A past that continues to dog him unexpectedly and in ways not anticipated.
Jed is convinced he is doing all it takes to keep his family safe—new names, new location, new identity. But just when he thinks he finally has his life back, the unthinkable happens. Jed needs to find a way to use the classified information he possesses to dismantle the Centralia Project. But eliminating Centralia may require compromising his own values. As danger escalates Jed isn’t sure whether there’s anyone or anything he can trust—including his own senses.
Jed and his wife, Karen, and daughter Lily are living in the mountains of Idaho, far from the horrors of Centralia. Yes, the same Centralia that has been burning for years in rural Pennsylvania. But besides the untamable fires, Centralia was the secret base for a sinister plot using a form of mind control.
We first meet Jed in last year’s Centralia. Jed is mourning the loss of his wife and child in a car accident he has no memory of. But a constant nagging doubt keeps him believing they still live. A hidden note from his daughter leads him on a chase that ends in the smoldering town of Centralia, whose abandoned streets and homes are a cover for something far more insidious.
“When I began Centralia I wasn’t sure if it would be a series or not,” Mike Dellosso said. “But the further I got into the story, the more it became evident there would be more for Jed to do. He isn’t a once-and-done kind of hero. He’s useful, smart, cunning, and deadly. Someone, somewhere is always going to be wanting to either use him or kill him. When I completed Centralia I already had several story ideas for Jed.”
Now KILL DEVIL brings the next installment to the Jed Patrick story. Once again the “government” wants something from a man with Jed’s special skills and it appears they will stop at nothing to get it.
The idea for KILL DEVIL flowed naturally from Centralia. Readers want to know what happened to Jed and his family. And as Dellosso puts it, “Unfortunately for them it’s not all happy ending. Once again, their world gets torn apart and Jed finds himself having to do the unthinkable to protect his family.”
It is obvious Dellosso likes his main character. “I love that he’s a family man. That’s so me. I infuse a little of myself into all my leading men and Jed got a healthy dose of that part of me. It becomes a real struggle for him because he feels he put his family in danger because of the life he lived and the enemies he made. He needs to protect them and ultimately he just can’t. He can’t be everywhere all the time and he hates that he has to leave them vulnerable.
“There’s this struggle between wanting to be a certain kind of husband and father and being forced to be someone else to protect the ones he loves most. I think this aspect of Jed sets him apart from a lot of similar heroes in fiction. Jed’s not just this super agent/soldier with all these mad skills, he’s also a husband and dad and that conflict threatens to tear his world apart.”
At the heart of both Centralia and KILL DEVIL is the technology behind artificial or synthetic telepathy. “To think the technology is there to manipulate people via mind control is fascinating. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong and it sets up all kinds of ethical problems but it’s still fascinating.”
The two novels also share the classification as religious thriller. Don’t let that moniker turn you away. The religious aspect is not overdone and is very real to the characters. And the addition of religion certainly hasn’t affected the thrill factor in these novels.
Balancing work/family/and a writing career is one of the hardest things Dellosso does. His writing day begins before the rest of the family wakes up. He starts around 5 am and works until 6:15 or so when it is time to get ready for work. Dellosso aims for 7,000 to 10,000 words per week, and on that schedule he can get through a first draft in three months.
KILL DEVIL is Dellosso’s twelfth novel and the second featuring Jed Patrick and his family. The two Patrick books mark a change in direction for Dellosso. Prior to Centralia, his novels were supernatural suspense, but his new publisher, Tyndale, wanted “straight up thrillers.” This gave him the opportunity to move his ideas for Jed Patrick to the forefront and admits he is glad about the change.
Jed Patrick will return in the next Dellosso novel. “It’s another psychological thriller where reality and fiction blur. I’m also working on some short stories featuring Jed, giving readers a glimpse into his life before Centralia.”
Dellosso credits Jack London and A.J. Cronin as early influences, saying, “They mesmerized me with their stories. Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker fueled my fire for supernatural suspense and then I fell in love with Dean Koontz’s writing style and storytelling. It wasn’t until I started devouring Koontz’s works and, to a lesser degree, Stephen King’s, that I feel I really came into my own as a writer.
“I write for the reader and try to make my stories as exciting and surprising and interesting as I can while infusing them with a message that goes beyond the entertainment quality. I hope my stories not only entertain but provoke thought and eventually change.”
MIKE DELLOSSO INTERVIEW
Mike Dellosso interview with Susan Sleeman
Mike DellossoQ: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: Well, I’m a husband, father of five daughters, a healthcare worker, and an author. I love my family and love being a dad to daughters. We have so much fun with our girls. I’m originally from Baltimore and now live in Pennsylvania, love the country, Gettysburg, hiking, and just hanging out with my family.
Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: September, 1998. Yes, I remember the exact day. It was like being born again. My brother-in-law was in a severe motorcycle accident and my wife and I went to Albany, NY to be with my sister. It was bad and very sad, heartbreaking. When we returned home I was so full of every kind of emotion I didn’t know what to do with myself so I did the only thing I could think to do and that was grab a pen and pad of paper and begin writing. The short answer is that I fell in love with writing but that wouldn’t be telling the whole story. My whole life I’ve stuttered and I discovered at that moment that through writing I could say exactly what was on my mind and in my heart without struggling through blocks and stutters. I found my voice. Now, two things need to be mentioned here. One, my brother-in-law pulled through and is okay today. And two, ever since that discovery my stuttering has improved exponentially. Who knew?
Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A: Back in 2006 I attended the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference with a manuscript in hand. I was certain I’d sell it, that I’d even have editors fighting over it. Well, time after time editors and agents rejected it. Finally, my final meeting of the conference was with an author, Kathryn Mackel, who actually liked it. She suggested she hook me up with an agent friend of hers and a less than a year later I had a contract with Realms Fiction. In 2008 my first novel, The Hunted, was published. A few highlights have been publishing seven novels with Realms and then signing with Tyndale. Everyone I’ve worked with in the publishing industry has been just great. Kind, patient, encouraging. I have no complaints. I’ve loved working with everyone.
Kill Devil by Mike DellossoQ: Would you tell us about your current book release Kill Devil?
A: Sure. Kill Devil is the sequel to Centralia, the first book in my Jed Patrick series. It’s a psychological thriller that deals with government cover-ups, secret experimentation, ghost agencies, and a man trying to save his family. It’s Jason Bourne and The Manchurian Candidate all wrapped up in one. There are kidnappings, murders, chase scenes, fight scenes, lots of action and drama. The action moves from Idaho to Denver to Alcatraz to Kill Devil Hills, NC. It’s a great summer read that I hope will keep readers turning pages to see not only what happens next but to find out how it will all end.
Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Kill Devil?
A: I love the Jason Bourne books, the story, the concept. Government conspiracies intrigue me and the idea of building a super-soldier fascinates me. On top of that, I’m a die-hard family man. So the idea of blending the two, taking a real family man and putting him in the middle of a conspiracy that he knows nothing about, really grabbed my interest and I knew I just had to write a book about it, which then turned into a series.
But this particular book interested me because of the concept of synthetic telepathy, controlling someone’s mind and actions via a chip implanted in the brain. There are rumors the military is already experimenting with this. It’s fascinating and scary and makes for great fiction. And it leads to a lot of questions and hypothetical scenarios. Could someone be forced or coerced to do something outside their moral limitations?
Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: This is going to sound like a cliché or cheesy quip but I want readers to understand the power of love. From a human to human standpoint, the power of love to break down barriers and cross huge chasms; the power of love to do the impossible. From a divine to human standpoint, the power of God’s love to reach anyone at anytime, anywhere. His love is unstoppable, indefatigable, and limitless. It’s real, it’s honest, it’s life-changing.
Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?
A: I always love the beginning and ending. My favorite in this book and the most fun to write was the climax, the moment the protagonist, Jed Patrick, has a very serious decision to make and battles with not knowing what is real and what isn’t. His mind has been invaded and he needs to battle through all the lies and concoctions and find the truth. It’s a very intense, moving scene.
Q: What inspires you to write?
A: I’m a very intrinsically motivated person so the inspiration comes mostly from within myself. I love the creative process. I love producing stuff, starting and finishing a project. Extrinsically, the readers motivate me. I want to give them great stories to read and be inspired by. My family motivates me. I want to make them proud. And the future motivates me. My books will still be around long after I’m gone, a little piece of me that will survive until who-knows-when.
Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?
A: It’s a lot more work! Publishing novels is so much more than just writing books and sending them off to the editor. That’s only the beginning. There’s all the marketing and promoting stuff, the interacting with readers, social media, blogging, interviews, guest posts, article writing, conferences, speaking engagements. It’s a lot and truly a labor of love. Don’t take this as anything more than just what it is . . . but in what other field does someone work so hard and get paid so little for it?
Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?
A: Don’t give up. Way too many writers get frustrated and give up. Press on. I like to say that 100% of published authors didn’t give up. Also, realize and accept what God has in store for your writing. It may not be what you imagined or what you desire. He has a plan for your writing and will use it the way He sees best. Be okay with that. Embrace it. Run with it. Do your best no matter what you’re writing or who you’re writing for.
Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A: I’m bouncing around a few ideas for the next book in the Jed Patrick series and think I have a good one I just need to flesh out a little more. I’ve been writing a lot of articles and such. I’m between books right now so my mind is racing with possibilities. I just need to land on one and get to work!
Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A: Spend time with my family. Read. Occasionally I’ll get the hankering to draw. I like watching movies too.
Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?
A: My web address is www.mikedellossobooks.com. You can find all my books, my schedule, my blog, just about everything about me there. You can also sign up for my newsletter there and get a free short story. You can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mikedellosso and Twitter at www.twitter.com/mikedellosso.
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
A: Thanks for this opportunity. Give my books a try and see if you like them. I think you will. And I’d love to hear your thoughts. I love interacting with readers so visit me online sometime.
Q&A WITH MIKE DELLOSSO
Melissa Willis | June 22, 2015 | Interviews | 4 Comments
Mike DellossoMelissa: Hi Mike. Thank you so much for agreeing to interview with us. It’s always great talking with you. Your new book Centralia released June 5th. Great book and one I certainly recommend (my review). Readers can find more information on Centralia from Tyndale or Amazon, where it has received terrific reviews.
When reading Centralia, I felt like this book had to be extremely difficult to write. For the plot to work, there is a need to keep some things hidden from the reader, but not so much that the reader becomes frustrated searching for the missing pieces. However, reading this book feels like the words just poured onto the page with little effort. In terms of difficulty, where does this one rank for you?
Mike: This was by far the most difficult book for me to write. The plot is very complicated with lots of twists and turns and that doesn’t play nice with my style of writing. I tend to shy away from outlining. In fact, I tend to run away from outlining. Okay, I detest outlining, I shun every aspect of it, I declare it unsanitary, unethical, immoral, and do everything I can to keep as far away as I can from an outline. My style is to plot as I go. I was still able to do that with Centralia but it did present some difficulties. In part, those difficulties came because I’m also very low tech. My idea of plotting software is a stack of three-by-five cards, a notepad, and the noodle in my cranial cavity. At times I nearly went crazy trying to keep all the plotlines straight. I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off and even when I finished the manuscript I worried that this was going to be an utter disaster. So I’m glad to hear that it came together and reads as if the process was effortless. Because it wasn’t. Not even a little bit. It was a fun book to write but a challenge from start to finish.
Melissa: I started reviewing in 2006 when the speculative market was growing. There were several authors who started their careers writing speculative and many established authors tried their hand at the genre. But 9 years later, the market has declined to the point where I struggle to find speculative (not fantasy or sci-fi) thrillers or mysteries. With one exception, all your books have a speculative aspect, but I felt like Centralia had less speculative content than prior books. Couple of questions, first in what ways does the changing market affect how you write your books? Secondly, what are your feelings about the health of the speculative market?
Mike: First, I’d like to say the market doesn’t dictate how I write but the fact of the matter is that it does. Centralia is my first full-length novel with Tyndale and they just weren’t interested in anything supernatural. I saw this coming because I saw the same thing you saw in the market: speculative thrillers/mystery were dying a slow death.
So why? I’ve thought a lot about this. I love writing supernatural suspense. I feel it’s what comes most naturally to me as a writer. But the Christian market just isn’t interested in it. Though my books all received stellar reviews I saw my sales declining. And as you mentioned, others saw the same thing. When I began writing in 2008 there were several of us doing the same thing, following in the footsteps of Frank Peretti. But over the years I’ve seen all those authors fade away. Either they failed to get a new contract or they tossed in the towel, frustrated by low sales and disinterest from the market and publishers. This frustrates me because there are—or were—a lot of talented authors writing supernatural fiction. Good stuff, really. It deserves a bigger audience than it gets. I’m dumbfounded how the supernatural genre can be so popular in the general market and so ignored in the Christian market.
Also, I firmly believe that Christians are the most qualified to write about the supernatural. After all, we are supernatural beings serving a supernatural God who speaks His Word through a supernatural book. Shouldn’t we embrace the supernatural? And by the way, I think the same thing about horror and romance. Who should know about love more than a Christian? Who should know more about real darkness, where it comes from and how it can be defeated, than a Christian?
Melissa: Like a lot of authors, you a have full-time, pay the bills job in addition to your writing career. On Facebook, you’ve shared some pretty funny and wacky stories about your adventures/misadventures as an in-home health care provider. So, without violating HIPPA rules, what has been the funniest, most emotional and/or rewarding, and just plan weirdest moments of your day job?
Mike: Oh boy, I really can’t narrow it down to just one or even a dozen. While I would love to write and teach full-time I’m fortunate to have my day job. I’ll sum it up for you like this . . . I’ve seen grown men cry like three-year-olds; I’ve seen women so angry they can’t speak, sons and daughters literally beside themselves because they don’t know what to do with an ailing mom or dad; I’ve seen husbands give up everything to take care of a suffering wife; I’ve talked to people staring death in the face and full of regrets. I’ve been bitten by dogs, chased by drunks, scared into a near-panic by snakes. I’ve laughed with patients and cried with them. I’ve seen the real side of people, the side they don’t show anyone else, the side where all pretense and toughness is stripped away and it’s just them, raw, frightened, vulnerable. That’s a view of humanity that is both refreshing and disturbing.
But here’s a funny story. I was seeing this elderly lady for about a month, twice a week. She has some mild dementia but you wouldn’t really notice if you didn’t know. She’s what we call “pleasantly confused.” Well, one day I saw her and was getting ready to leave when she said, “You know, I never knew you were a therapist.”
I said, “What did you think I was?”
“I thought you were the guy at the grocery store who stocks the apples and oranges.”
I said, “Why would a produce clerk come to your home to give you physical therapy?”
She raised her eyebrows and responded, “Well that’s what I was always wondering!”
Melissa: I’ve read all but one of your books, though I plan to correct that issue this summer. I have Fearless on my Kindle and it is on my just for fun summer reading list. Of all your books though, my favorite is still Darkness Follows. I love that book. From the Gettysburg history to Eva’s love for her dad, that book worked for me from start to finish. What are a couple of books that you’ve read, where you’ve felt the same way? The book works for you and you can’t imagine anyone not loving it just as much as you do?
Mike: As a kid I loved anything by Jack London but especially Call of the Wild and White Fang. Both of those books did something to me, sparked a fire inside me and got me interested in fiction. More recently, Frank Peretti’s The Oath moved me in some powerful ways. Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas books are marvelous. But I think the one book that impacted me in ways no other book has is Athol Dickson’s River Rising. There is one line in that book that literally blew me away. I’ve recommended the book to many people, both for the great story and the deftness of Athol’s craft. Athol is one of those authors who is just tremendous but never got the attention or sales he deserved. The market is funny that way, and curious, and crazy.
Melissa: As a reviewer, I am free to express my opinion about an author’s work. However, authors do not always enjoy the same freedom. From my understanding it can be a little tricky for authors to express a dissenting opinion on a review. This question may fall under, “Careful what you ask”, but I’m going to anyway. Here’s a chance for you to critique us reviewers. What do you find most helpful in a review and what just drives you absolutely crazy?
Mike: It’s helpful for me when a reviewer points out specifics that worked or didn’t work for her in a book. Like you just did in your question regarding Darkness Follows. Specifics. If you don’t like a book I’ve written, that’s fine. I can appreciate that. But let me know why. I may agree or I may disagree but at least I know there was some thought put into it. We spend a ton of time writing these books and it’s nice for someone to take the time to let us know specifically what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy.
What drives me crazy? The fact that reviews are subjective. Writing is an art and any art form is subjective. The creation of it is and the criticism of it is. One reviewer may love a book, another may hate it. What gives? Take this new book of mine, Centralia. One reviewer may love that it has so many twists and turns and leaves the reader confused about what’s what up until the very end. Another reviewer may dislike the book for that very same reason: too confusing, too many twists, too hard to follow the plot. Reviews are based largely on opinion and preference and yet are given so much weight.
Melissa: While I love your books, they’ve always baffled me a bit. You tend to have more Christian content than most authors I read, but I’ve always been surprised that your books haven’t felt like a sermon. The Christian material is so integral to the overarching story, that if you remove the spiritual elements, the story would collapse. From my experience with Christian fiction, this is fairly unique. Most CBA books could have the spiritual content edited out and the story not suffer. How do you write your stories so that the book requires the Christian material, but it doesn’t become tiresome and a 350 page sermon?
Mike: Writing fiction is a lot like how we live our lives. If faith is an integral part of my life, if it is so meshed with every other part of my life that to remove it would collapse my whole purpose for being, than to an outsider or nonbeliever it appears natural, just part of who I am. But if I live the life of a hypocrite, if I live for myself, make selfish choices, give in to desires, and then try to tell you about Jesus or my faith . . . what are you going to think? I’m a phony, right? A fraud? My faith will feel forced, even unbelievable.
Now, I believe the supernatural genre is a perfect fit for sharing a faith message through fiction. And I wish others would see this as well. Think about it, we want to share a supernatural message about a supernatural God. What better way than through a supernatural story? The story is the message. The message isn’t something that’s tagged on or inserted or taped into place. It baffles me why the Christian fiction market doesn’t see this and embrace it. Instead, writers of supernatural fiction get criticized because the content of their stories isn’t believable or doesn’t sit well with someone’s theological framework. Humbug. Fact is, I’d go so far to say that if we’re going to have any chance of reaching a lost world through our fiction the supernatural genre has the best chance to do so because the message can be so seamlessly interwoven with the story. It is the story.
Can this be done outside the supernatural genre? Of course, but it has to be done through the authenticity of the characters. In a story, characters are everything. The reader wants to connect with the characters, wants to form a bond with them. And if the author does his job well and creates that bond, the message can come through the characters without feeling forced or preachy.
Melissa: Several of your books, including Centralia, have characters with strong family bonds. In some cases, there is a tragic event and a spouse or child has died, but that love for them is still there. I’m curious, why does this theme keep popping up in your books?
Mike: Plain and simple? I love my family. I am who I am today because of my family. There is no stronger bond on earth than that of a family. It’s such a great relationship to put into fiction, so full of tension and loyalty and love and conflict. All the great emotions that make for a really captivating story.
I try to write from a place that I know and understand. It makes the story all that more authentic for the reader. And I know the bond between a husband and wife or a father and child. A father would do anything for his wife and kids. And that “anything” can lead him down some pretty tumultuous paths, can’t it? Only the imagination knows.
Melissa: I think most Christians can testify to having learned some difficult life lessons through experience. I’m not sure we can really understand some spiritual truths until we’ve walked the path that takes us through them. Learning to trust that God is right even when I totally disagree with His actions or inactions is one of my lessons. To be able to praise Him and even thank God for the tough journeys is another one. You’ve talked openly about some of the challenges and difficulties you’ve faced. Would you share with us a few of the truths you’ve come to understand and accept, that maybe you wouldn’t have, had you not been forced to go through certain challenges?
Mike: Well, Melissa, you said exactly what I was thinking: learning to trust God is right even when we totally disagree with His actions or inactions. I love it. And yes, I’ve learned that and am continuously learning it over and over again. A lot has happened in my life that I have questioned. I’ve wondered why God didn’t intervene sooner, why He allowed me to grow up stuttering, why he allowed me to get colon cancer, why he allowed my brother-in-law and sister to go through an awful trial. And I’ve wondered why the wicked prosper, why some people get away with so much and others suffer so terribly. But I’ve learned not to try to figure God out. Just trust Him. His ways are not our ways. Not even close.
I’ve learned that trials allow us to see a side of God that most folks never get to see. We draw close to Him and experience Him as our Daddy. We feel His arms around us. We hear His voice in our ears. We don’t get that apart from trials. I think that’s a special side of God that He reserves for those who are hurting and need to experience Him in a very intimate way.
I’ve learned that trusting Him isn’t easy. I wish it was and for some I guess it is. But not for me. I’m an independent guy and I want to take the reins and do things my way. It’s very difficult for me to let go and give control to Him. I say, “Okay God, it’s yours, but you might want to . . .” Yes, I’m still a work in progress.
Melissa: A few days ago you posted a link to this video on your FB page. I agree with what he is saying—that it’s okay to not be okay. I also agree that people should be able to open up to others about the difficulties their facing. However, I think the problem is more than just pride. I don’t think the church is trustworthy (and in some cases wise) enough for people to have the freedom to express the challenges their facing and often times those listening aren’t comfortable with what they’re hearing. In your comments, you mentioned being part of the solution, so where do we start? How do we start to earn the trust of those hurting within the church and those outside as well? How do share our struggles without making others feel totally uncomfortable?
Mike: It’s like writing Christian themes into fiction. It has to be lived by the characters (you and me) and it has to be authentic. I think people are starved for authenticity. They want honesty, transparency. They long to be themselves, to take off the mask and show the world the real them. But they’re afraid of rejection, of being judged, of being ostracized. I think it starts with you and me. It’s a cliché but it applies: be the change you want to see happen. We need to start being honest, real, authentic. We need to not be afraid to say that we’re struggling, that we’re depressed, that we’re hurting or confused or questioning God’s presence. Will we be judged? By some. Will we be looked down on? Maybe by a few. But there will be so many more who will breathe a sigh of relief and want what we have.
Look, the world around us thinks Christians are a bunch of phonies. Why? Because maybe we are. Maybe we spend too much time trying to be someone we’re not and not enough time just being who we are. If we shed the façade and just be real it will attract people to us. I know it seems counterintuitive but it’s not. Believe me, people will accept flaws in us if we’re real with them. If we pretend we’re perfect they’ll expect perfection but they’ll know we’re lying. Nobody’s perfect. Even a lost world knows that. Authenticity makes us approachable and believable. And if they believe us they’ll believe our message.
Melissa: There is another Peter Ryan book in the works (Yay!). What is the estimated publication date for Kill Devil and what’s next after that?
Mike: Yes, Kill Devil picks up where Centralia left off. Jed and Karen and Lilly are enjoying their solitude in the mountains of Idaho when an event occurs that changes their life . . . again. And Jed is asked to do the unthinkable. It’s due to release June of 2016.
To Find out more about Mike Dellosso and his books, follow his FaceBook page (where he his very active) or visit his website.
Darlington Woods
Publishers Weekly.
257.11 (Mar. 15, 2010): p39.
COPYRIGHT 2010 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Darlington Woods
Mike Dellosso. Strang Communications/Realms, $13.99 paper (304p) ISBN 978-159979-918-6
No shortage of vampire books stock bookstore shelves today, but few combine Christian themes with ghoulish vampire villains like this headlong
rush of psycho-spiritual suspense. When the wife and son of Rob Shields go missing, Shields must find them and their abductor, but only by
facing his own darkest fears. In tow is essential female sidekick and moral voice, Juli: "You lost your wife and son. When did you lose your
faith?" She leads Rob to Darlington, a horrific village of dread-filled citizens and "darklings" who rule by treachery and pure evil. Even Juli has
demons of the past to exorcise. Never indulging in long boring tangents or fussy character descriptions, Dellosso's pacing is perfect and
passionate Even though the choice of setting and parts of the plot mirror the popular novel The Shack, readers familiar with that book will find
this new combo of Christian vampire fare a quick and breathless read and will scream for more. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Darlington Woods." Publishers Weekly, 15 Mar. 2010, p. 39. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA221601375&it=r&asid=c0132089e43bb0a4a657f4b496b1e7e5. Accessed 5 Feb.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A221601375
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Kill Devil
Publishers Weekly.
263.15 (Apr. 11, 2016): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Kill Devil
Mike Dellosso. Tyndale, $14.99 trade paper (425p) ISBN 978-1-4964-0822-8
Dellosso's cleverly plotted second Jed Patrick novel (after 2015's Centralia) finds the Afghan war vet hiding with his wife, Karen, and their eightyear-old
daughter, Lilly, in a cabin in the Idaho wilderness. Two months earlier, two CIA agents gave him a thumb drive containing "every
damaging piece of information about the Centralia Project," the exposure of which threatens to cause a "scandal that would be talked and read
about for decades to come." Then one day Jed returns to the cabin to find Karen in tears. She tells him that three armed men burst into the cabin
asking for the thumb drive, but she didn't know where it was. The men took Lilly, and vowed they would return for Karen. More shocks follow.
Meanwhile, CIA technician Tiffany Stickton discovers a plot to control Jed's mind in a sophisticated update of The Manchurian Candidate. Can
she stop him from becomes an unwilling assassin? Delloso expertly misdirects readers, but they should be prepared for only serviceable prose.
Agency: Leslie Stobbe Literary. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Kill Devil." Publishers Weekly, 11 Apr. 2016, p. 38. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA449662950&it=r&asid=2a38fc93bc92d47b7c6b83c1148afdd5. Accessed 5 Feb.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A449662950
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Centralia
Publishers Weekly.
262.15 (Apr. 13, 2015): p65.
COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Centralia
Mike Dellosso.Tyndale, $14.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-4143-9041-3
In Dellosso's (Scream) newest thriller, Peter Ryan believes himself to be a university lab researcher, but discovers he is a subject in a highly
secretive government experiment to train a new breed of supersoldiers. When things go wrong, military masterminds must reel Ryan in before he
exposes the abuses of the program. The story draws on the premise of The Bourne Identity, with a protagonist on a quest for the truth of his own
identity. For a readers of Christian fiction, the lost-identity concept parallels the main character's wrestling with God's identity and presence. A
search for Ryan's missing wife and young daughter runs concurrent with his quest for a seemingly hidden God, making Christian faith integral to
the action packed narrative. Dellosso, a creative writing professor, writes with punch and moves the story along briskly, but he relies on abrupt
transitions too often, such as with the main character falling asleep or awakening. There's so much waking, dreaming, "brain scrubbing," recalling
faint memories, and double-crossing that readers may be confused--though not unintentionally--until the very end. Agency: Leslie Stobbe
Literary Agency. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Centralia." Publishers Weekly, 13 Apr. 2015, p. 65. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA411471245&it=r&asid=fd192827c075686939d5aab148224c56. Accessed 5 Feb.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A411471245
Scream by Mike Dellosso
Reviewed by Cory Clubb
"Dellosso packs real to life characters in haunting situations with detailed form, and at a pulse pounding pace that doesn’t quit."
Get ready for a hair raiser of a story. From eerie cries of agony from another world, to a cold calculating psychopath who will do whatever it takes to complete his vision. Author Mike Dellosso crafts a twisty thriller that’s on par with the best on shelves today. Scream tells the story of Mark Stone, a regular guy who hears agonizing whaling and gnashing of teeth through his cell phone. Moments later the person on the other end dies a gruesome death. Without a clue as to where the demonic screams are originating from, Mark does his best to figure them out all the while battling his own inner demons.
On the other side of town, a villain is collecting young women to fulfill a retribution that is as disturbing as the screams themselves. Racing to stop the next death from happening, Mark is traumatized when the next victim is his wife.
Dellosso packs real to life characters in haunting situations with detailed form, and at a pulse pounding pace that doesn’t quit. He makes you feel for the characters involved in a number of dramatic situations, whether it’s young woman trying to escape from the rural imprisonment of a barn, or a wife with a difficult decision to make. With his second novel, the author raises the bar and deals with some very difficult spiritual questions that beg the reader to contemplate even after the last page. With this kind of strong writing Dellosso has the staying power to become a real literary force to be reckoned with in future releases.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Kill Devil by Mike Dellosso (Tyndale Fiction)
Before we get to my review, there are a couple of questions and answers from Mike Dellosso that give us some insight into him as an author and into the premise of this book....
How did you come up with the concept for the Jed Patrick series?
It started with my obsession with the Jason Bourne series and character. I love the whole concept. I’ve also been interested in government conspiracy theories, coverups, black-ops, that whole sort of “underworld” that exists in the shadows. I’m also quite a family man. So that got me thinking about what it could look like if those two worlds collided. What if a family man discovers that he has a past he has no memory of and that the mysterious past involved conspiracy, cover-ups, black-ops and him being a super soldier? Then to top it off I wanted to put a unique spin on it and infuse elements of faith into the story. That alone set the concept apart and opened a whole new world of possibilities for the storyline.
You don’t shy away from violence in your novels. How do you handle writing those situations as a Christian author?
I handle them carefully. I know it may not seem like it to some readers but I do put a lot of thought into how I handle violence in my books. I want the reader to feel the gravity of the situation, the intensity of the moment, but I need to draw the line on how much I describe and finding where that line should be is a challenge at times. I’m sure I’ve crossed the line at times for some readers but for me, I’m careful to stay on the side that gives the reader the information he or she needs without glorifying the violence or glamorizing it.
My thoughts: A story with as much intrigue, danger, corruption, and violence as well as a high element of surreal scenes is usually thought to be the domain of the male reader. I had seen the first book in this series, Centralia, and for some reason - perhaps a bit of squeamishness - I didn't choose to read it (it now resides on my to-be-read shelf). With the opening of Kill Devil the reader is immediately immersed into scary drama as it unfolds for Karen, sweet Lilly, and Jed. They've been found and it is not good.
Mike Dellosso captured my attention right away and I read on. And on. And on. This is a read that will virtually have the reader - male and female alike, literally holding their breath. And it would have been better to have read Centralia first, but it is not a do-or-die miss.
The surreal scenes are caused by mind manipulation and this makes one wonder just how far today's scientists or those of the future will go to manipulate people and create super warriors.
You've gotta love sweet little Lilly as she voices her strong faith in God. She is a true inspiration to the reader just like she is to her Mom and Dad. This is a faith infused story but it is not overwhelmingly so. These are simply folks who love God and place their trust in Him even in the most trying situations.
I liked the book and wonder is Mike Dellosso is going to give us a sequel?
Want to read an excerpt? Click Here
About the book: Jed Patrick is convinced he’s doing all it takes to keep his family safe—new names, new location, new identity. But just when he thinks he finally has his life back, trained men claiming to be CIA agents break in and threaten his wife and daughter, proving once and for all his family will never truly be safe until he eliminates the agency dead set on hunting him down.
Not knowing if Karen and Lilly are better off by his side or in hiding, Jed is determined to protect them while finding a way to use the classified information that he possesses to dismantle the Centralia Project. But he soon learns that eliminating Centralia may require compromising his own values. As danger escalates, Jed isn’t sure whether there’s anyone or anything he can trust—including his own senses.
SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016
Kill Devil by Mike Dellosso
This novel is a continuation of the story begun in Centralia. If you have not read that book, I do recommend you do so before reading this one. Jed thinks he and his family are free from the secret government operation, living in seclusion in the mountains. He soon faces the truth that his location is known. His daughter is abducted and used as leverage to make him use his assassination skills.
Dellosso's writing expertise lies in creating a virtual reality that is so realistic we are not sure if what we are reading is supposed to be actual events happening or only the impression of them. We are swept up with Jed in trying to separate the real from the created. This links with the purpose of the Centralia project of mind control.
I have liked Dellosso's books. Unfortunately, this is my least liked so far. I found the action repetitive. Jed is made to go to this place to get directions to go to that place to finally end up in another place. Each stop finds action similar to the one before. Battered and bruised, Jed yet again outwits and outfights another enemy. The action and facilities at Alcatraz were just beyond reasonable belief.
There were other scenes I found beyond belief. The worst was the assassination location with the assassin inside left approachable. You mean with all the resources Centralia had they would leave such a crucial location unguarded? I don't think so. There was also a scene just for effect that was not tidied up – Karen being stopped by the state patrol.
I appreciate Dellosso's writing and I will continue to read his novels, trusting that future ones will have tighter action and scenes that adhere to a greater sense of possibility (the scenes representing actual reality, not virtual reality).
My rating: 3/5 stars.
Tyndale House Publishers, 416 pages.