Monday, March 18, 2013

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Duncan Whitehead

Duncan Whitehead, author of the quirky dark satire The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club, answers questions about his novel. Visit his website, Follow him on Twitter, Follow him on Facebook, or Visit his Amazon page.



The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club is a drama/satire about a picturesque American town with residents who harbor dark secrets. What inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired by the notion that all of us have a secret, not all dark, that we really don't want to share, that these secrets could come back to haunt us when we least expect them to. I am also very inspired by the thought process that we are all possibly connected... either by events or by location.  For example, that guy sat next to you on the aircraft... have we met before? Have our paths crossed, do we have a mutual aquaintance who knows us both.  To turn those concepts into a mystery, with multiple characters and sub plots was my main inspiration.  The fact I lived at the time it what seems like an idlyic neighboorhood gives it that extra twist...what if in a small neighborhood paths had crossed before... or were about to...

Your book is difficult to stick in a genre. It’s part neighborhood drama, part thriller, and part satire. How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t read it?

A dark comedy murder mystery satire, with an abundance of quirky characters, that spans not only a small neighborhood but the globe. 

Your book contains a number of colorful and unique characters. Do you have any favorites? 

Heidi was fun to write.  She is respected, a stalwart of the community, people look up to her yet…deep down she is inherintly evil and harbors a grudge that spans time and oceans…and her motive is vengeance, not greed or jealousy. 

Your book contains several story lines that intertwine within the pretty neighborhood of Gordonston. Which story line did you enjoy writing the most? 

Kurtze and Elliott's interaction in Argentina was fun because I knew that Kurtze would come across as a nice old man, who wouldn't hurt a fly, building up this persona was fun, knowing that at the end of the chapter and the reveal, would leave the reader questioning the clues and his motives… 

Do you have a particular writing style? Why did you choose to write The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club in third person omniscient? 

I prefer writing in the first person, however this book, and indeed the following two books in the trilogy, have so many characters, sub-plots and it is important to understand motives, thoughts and actions I really had no choice but to write in third person omniscient. 

Of the characters in your book, if you had to marry one, hook up with another, and kill a third, which three characters would you choose, and why? 

If I had to marry one?  Well, they are all pretty flawed, but I guess Cindy, if we were the same age, she is a great cook you see! I guess I would hook up with Carla, though I would watch my step… if I had to kill one of the characters… well, maybe I am going to kill them all sooner or later… but in real life I think Billy would probably push me over the edge. 

The residents of Gordonston all seem to share a love of pooches. Do you have a dog? 

When I wrote this book I had a German Shepherd… his name was Bern. 

What has the publishing process been like for you? 

It was very time consuming.  Editing, worrying about things I missed, delays and frustration, but that is nothing compared to marketing, I have spent more time and energy having the book published and subsequent marketting than I ever did on writing it. 

Are you working on anything new? 

Yes, I am working on th follow up to The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club and my second novel, a comedy, set in Manhattan, entitled The Reluctant Jesus is at the final editing stage and I am hoping that this book will be released in July. 

The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club is available at: Amazon US (paperback), Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon UK (paperback), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book) 


1 comment:

  1. Fascinating interview. Good questions with interesting answers. I'm just now finishing this book and was very curious what the author had to say about his quirky characters!

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