At author readings and at sales and signing events, I am asked some of the same questions over and over. Do I ever use real people as my characters? The things I write about, did they really happen? And there are memes on Facebook and other social media such as, Beware! What you say can be used in the book I’m writing!
Most of the time, my answer is, “Yes, sometimes.” For instance, Detectives Pat O’Connor and Paul Eiselmann who have appeared in most of my books are named after two childhood friends. I have lost contact with them and have no idea what they might be doing now. Detective Jamie Graff is in reality, a Police Chief in a small Wisconsin town. I met him when I was principal at a high school and where he was the SRO- one of the best I’ve ever worked with. I bounce ideas off him. Things like police tactics, action, language. That sort of thing.
Earl Coffey is a local sheriff, who was another SRO back in the day. James “Skip” Dahlke is a former student who is now a forensic scientist. You can guess the questions I might ask him from time to time. Then I had fun characters. Nick Roman and Bob Freeman were principal colleagues and friends of mine. It was Nick who provided the information on hunting for my book Blaze In, Blaze Out. Nick and Bob became despicable characters in Blaze, which is quite the opposite of their real life character and persona. Both are respected leaders in the community. Amy Ivory and Alexa White both appeared in Blaze in bit parts along with their dogs. There have been other instances where people from my life appeared in my books. Of course, I change their names (most of the time) and their personalities to fit my books and in no way should anyone think ill of them.
In one instance, however, I used a conversation I had with a dad of one of the kids in one of my schools that was central to my book, Caught in a Web, and that conversation is central to my newest book, Black Yéʼii (The Evil One), which is a sequel of sorts to Web.
Many years ago when I was a principal at one of the schools I worked in, a distraught and nervous father came to me seeking advice. It was clear at the outset I needed to change hats from principal to counselor, something I was comfortable doing.
He told me he and his wife were worried about his son, a star athlete and honor roll student. They found drugs in his bedroom and in the car he used. There had been no signs of his drug use, none they recognized and none I had recognized. The young man never popped up on our radar. Yet, when pressed by his dad, the boy admitted to his use, and the tale he told scared both of this parents, and upon his dad sharing it with me, scared me.
The conversation is largely captured in a chapter from Caught in a Web, but its theme is carried over in Black Yéʼii (The Evil One). Of course, I changed location and names to fit the story I wrote. After all, as a counselor and educator, I am bound by confidentiality. There is nothing in the chapter that will lead back to the boy, his parents, or the school in which I worked. Honestly, it could have been any number of parents and kids I’ve worked with and listened to over the years, and parts have been changed to incorporate these conversations, and added to the original conversation with this well-meaning and sincere father.
Here is the chapter as it was written for Caught in a Web.
CHAPTER 6
“Sit your ass back down on that couch! You’re not going anywhere!”
Gary Adair was seething. More than that, he and his wife, Pam, were scared. He tried to calm himself down by shutting his eyes and breathing deeply.
“Zak, we found this in your bedroom. I want to know where you got it.”
Zak folded his arms and glared at his parents. He had already stonewalled them for an hour and he could keep it up the rest of the afternoon and all night if he had to. There was no way in hell he was going to talk to them. He had threatened to leave, but in all honesty, he had nowhere to go. At least, nowhere he could go.
“Zak, your mom and I want to help you. This isn’t like you. You’re an athlete. You’re a good student. You’re popular.” Gary stopped and shook his head. As much as he was angry, he was utterly disappointed. Destroyed.
“Zak, we love you,” Pam pleaded with him. “Please help us understand.”
Zak looked away. He couldn’t bear to look at either his mom or dad. He loved them too much and he knew how much he had hurt them. Somehow, he had to come up with something that would give him an out.
His dad composed himself, though his hands shook as he held out the three baggies of weed, the pipe, and the sheet of paper containing cartoon characters in small squares.
“Your mom did your laundry and she folded your underwear. When she went to put it away, she found the pot and your pipe. Your mom checked your sock drawer and found LSD.”
Zak glared first at his mom, then at his dad and said, “I told you I can do my own laundry.”
Ignoring him and with his voice shaking, Gary said, “She was putting away your laundry when she found this.”
“You searched my room! It’s my room! My room!”
“It’s our house!” his father shouted. “You live in our house. We put the food on the table and clothes on your back. You drive a car that we paid for, so we make the rules! Our house, our rules!”
“Zak, please,” Pam pleaded. “Where did you get this and how can we help you?”
“It’s not mine, okay? It’s not mine.”
“Well good! That’s a relief! So when your mom and I take you to the hospital for a urine and blood test, everything should come back negative.”
Zak’s tongue flicked over his lips, his eyes wide. Every instinct told him to get up and run. Somewhere. Anywhere.
He ran a hand through his hair and over his face and said, “I . . . I don’t need a drug screen. That stuff isn’t mine.”
“Then you don’t have anything to worry about. We’ll go to the hospital, they run the tests and we come back home,” Gary said, though he wasn’t buying any of it.
“We don’t need to do that. God! Didn’t you hear me? It’s not mine.”
“Tell us where you got it. If it isn’t yours, tell us who this stuff belongs to,” Gary said.
“I’m not going to the hospital! I’m not taking any tests! I have rights! You can’t make me!”
Gary and Pam exchanged a look and Pam sank back in her chair. This was going nowhere.
“You’re seventeen-years-old. You’re a minor and we’re your parents. You don’t have any rights as far as we’re concerned. Especially after finding this in your room.”
Zak began to cry. He was caught and he knew it and he knew that his parents knew. Worse, he was scared because if anyone found out, he was screwed.
“Zak, we love you. You know that don’t you?” Pam asked.
“Tell us about this stuff. How long have you been using? How did you start? Why? Where did you get this?” Gary knew he had asked too many questions, but he needed to know the answers.
Zak sobbed. “I can’t tell you anything, all right? I can’t say anything. If I do, I’m a narc, and if they find out . . .” his voice trailed off.
Gary stared at his son determined to do something. There had to be a way to tell someone without getting Zak in trouble.
“Zak, how can we help you?” Pam asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you! You can’t! No one can! If you tell anyone, I’m . . . screwed!”
Gary and Pam stared at their son and then at each other.
Gary stood up and said, “We don’t go to the police directly. If we do, we do it anonymously. You give us the names of the kids who gave you this stuff. We can use the tip line. There’s no way to trace it to us.”
“You don’t get it. These guys are smart. If you say anything to anybody and if it gets back to them that I was the narc, they will kill me!”
“They won’t kill you,” Gary said. His son wasn’t given to drama, but still.
“Oh my God! Dad, you don’t understand!”
Pam was worried before, but now she was flat out scared. She bit her lip and stared at Gary.
“Who is your counselor?” Gary asked.
“Beatleman? She doesn’t know shit!”
“What about Mr. Evans? We could go to him. You ran cross country with George.”
“We can’t say anything to anyone! We can’t tell anyone at school!”
Gary spoke in a quiet voice. “Zak, you have to trust us. Okay? We love you and we’ll take care of you. We have to tell someone.”
Zak sobbed. He rocked back and forth in the chair. Other than that, he said nothing.
Gary sat back down and stared at his son.
Zak, their only child, was a handsome, bright boy. He ran cross country and track for three years since his freshman year. He had a wide circle of friends, all good kids. Happy, laughing, bright futures- all of them. He couldn’t understand what had happened. Mostly, he couldn’t understand why. Why his son, their only child, would use this shit when he had so much to look forward to.
There had to be a way to help Zak. There just had to be.
—
That chapter was as close to reality and life as I could make it. I believe I was able to capture the anguish of dad, mom and son, and especially the boy’s fear.
I think it’s the writer’s job to capture bits and pieces of life and position them into stories like fitting pieces of a puzzle together. I think it would be difficult to write any story without doing so, especially in my genre of thriller-crime-mystery. So my answer to those questions posed to me at book signings and author events is, “Yes, in part.” There are people, situations, conversations, and events that have taken place or are taking place that are in my books. Well disguised, perhaps, but they are there.
I’d love to know your thoughts, so please use the comment section below. Also, I want to share some upcoming events where I will be selling and signing my books if you are in the Fredericksburg, VA area.
Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Riverside Park, 701 Sophia St, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Porter Branch Library on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at 2001 Parkway Blvd. Stafford, Virginia.
Salem Church Library on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at 2607 Salem Church Rd. Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Howell Branch Library on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at 806 Lyons Blvd. Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Or, simply message me and I will get a signed copy to you.
Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) is available for preorder NOW and ONLY at https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/blackyeii If you purchase Black Yéʼii (The Evil One) prior to the publication date of January 2, 2025, use the promo code: PREORDER2024 to receive a 15% discount.
Sublime line: “A dark secret from the past resurfaces, unleashing a wave of violence as a ruthless gang seeks revenge in this fast-paced thriller.”
“The author masterfully weaves together a complex plot filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. Characters are well-developed and believable. Tension builds steadily throughout the book, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the detectives race against time to prevent further bloodshed. Black Yé’ii explores both the darker side of human nature and the positive theme of family and friendship. The author’s vivid descriptions of the brutal nature of gang violence create a truly immersive reading experience. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers with a twist, this novel is a must-read. It’s a captivating story that will keep you guessing until the very end.” Sublime Book Reviews
“I finished Black Yéʼii (The Evil One)! Could not put it down! As always, you left me wanting more of that family’s story. I will be impatiently waiting for your next book!” Melanie Kabban, Book Reviewer
Thanks for following along on my writing journey. I sincerely appreciate it. Until next time …
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