Author: Rocky Leonard
Title: Secondhand Sight
Publisher: Each Voice Publishing
ISBN: 978-0615691114
Pages: 420, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Author Interview with Rocky Leonard
Interview Questions for Secondhand Sight
Author: John L. Leonard
Interviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert, Pacific Book Review
- PBR: How long have you been a writer?
A: I started writing professionally in late October 2006. Of course, I didn’t realize that was what had happened when I started writing. My first book, Divine Evolution, was a non-fiction title that was inspired by something someone said on a television show. After I produced about four hundred pages of notes from research, it occurred to me that if someone helped me edit the monster, there might be a book in there somewhere.
- PBR: What events in your life prompted you to start writing?
A: I’ve always loved to write and took every creative-writing elective I could while in school. When I first started at the University of Georgia years ago, my intended major was journalism. But my mom talked me into switching over to computer science. She said writers can’t make a living. Nevertheless, roaming around inside my head have always been stories to tell. A couple of career changes later, my wife encouraged me to turn storytelling into writing.
- Publishing a book can be daunting even in today’s digital age, how hard or easy was it for you to publish your Secondhand Sight?
A: I’ve been very lucky, or very blessed, depending on your perspective. Divine Evolution was first publishing by a small royalty-paying publisher that subsequently went out of business, which gave me full rights back to my book after it had been professionally edited. I am very fortunate to have a very talented wife who serves as editor-in-chief of a small publishing house called Each Voice Publishing.
- What is your favorite genre to read?
A: I am a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction, but my favorite genre is suspense/thriller. I love detective novels.
- Who is your favorite author and why?
A: Michael Connelly. His novels never disappoint, and he writes great characters with very realistic dialog. He’s the consummate professional.
- Are you a fan of the paranormal thriller genre?
A: When you read as much as I do, it’s hard to say that I don’t like a genre, but in truth, I don’t read as many paranormal novels as detective novels. I am fond of Dean Koontz.
- What factors influenced you to want to write a story using paranormal events and psychic abilities.
A: I grew up in Savannah, Georgia, which has a reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. One of my best friends lived in a house where I saw more than my fair share of paranormal activity, firsthand, up close and personal. So it’s not hard for me to believe in ghosts. Psychics are a different story. I was inspired by the story of Joseph Kozenczak, author ofThe Chicago Killer. Detective Kozenczak arrested John Wayne Gacy, and in his book he asserts that he worked with psychics who told him he was after a serial killer.
- Do you have any upcoming book projects that you are working on?
A: Oh, yes. Purgatory, the sequel to Coastal Empire, my first detective novel that featured private eye Robert Mercer, should come out sometime during the first quarter of next year. As soon as I complete the non-fiction project I’ve been developing, I plan to rewrite Purgatory and give it to my editors.
- Your book Secondhand Sight would make an interesting movie; do you have any plans for this book to be made into a movie?
A: First, I’d like to see the novel become a bestseller. One step at a time. That said, it is fun to daydream about which actor might fit the character. I haven’t gotten to the point where I have an actor in mind when I’m writing.
- Will the adventures of Dan Harper continue with another book?
A: Absolutely. I expect him to meet Robert Mercer one of these days.
