Today, I have a surprise early debut of my interview with Douglas Dorow, author of The Ninth District. Dorow is a thriller writer from Minneapolis Minnesota, the home of many thriller/suspense writers. Is it something in the water or the long, cold winters?
His first book, The Ninth District, was released last June.
He is working on the second in the series featuring FBI Agent, Jack Miller. He has also started another stand alone.
Weston: Welcome, Douglas, and thanks for being here. With Halloween quickly approaching, I can't help but ask about a classic board game that is still controversial today. Have you ever tried to contact the dead by using a Ouija board?
Douglas: When I was a kid, my best friend's older sisters had us sit around a Ouija board, but nothing happened. I have had some weird ESP experiences.
Weston: That was the consensus with my friends and I too. The only time something happened, we knew someone was being a screwball and pushing it. Aside from that, nothing. I am curious about your other experiences though. What would you say is the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?
Douglas: The scariest thing I've ever done is walk across an iron beam 20 stories in the air on a construction project. An iron worker wanted to show me something. He walked across it without a problem. I scootched across it on my butt, scared for my life.
Weston: Oh, God! I hate heights. I'm not sure I'd have been able to do even that. Better you than me. I would have wound up a bloody pancake on the sidewalk below, a fitting costume if it were Halloween. But, I don't think I'm ready to go yet. How about you? Are you prepared for the end of the world? What if it came to zombies and vampires running rampant this Halloween?
Douglas: I'm not prepared, but I can hold my own. I've done a lot of camping and I was a Boy Scout as a kid :)
Weston: Good, so you're the guy I want around when the end of the world comes knocking, be it an atomic World War III or rampaging vampires and goblins. What if things like goblins and werewolves, the things we pretend to be on Halloween, actually were real? How would you cope with the world?
Douglas: I'd be a little more careful when I went out at night!
Weston: Wouldn't we all, at least those that were still living. I'm not sure whether an actual vampire would truly feel fear. Hmmm ... food for thought on another day. Speaking of fear, what is the scariest slasher weapon of all time?
Douglas: Tomahawks
Weston: Ding, ding, ding ... we have a winner. I hadn't even considered them before, but now that you mention it, tomahawks are incredibly gruesome and bloody. I'm reminded of the movie, Geronimo. It was a great movie, but had some seriously disturbing scenes when you consider what they did with a simple tomahawk. Speaking of gruesome and suspenseful movies and books, how does your book fit in with Halloween?
Douglas: The antagonist wears a mask when he robs banks. That's the biggest tie. There are some scenes where my hero needs to face his fears and go under ground into the tunnels and sewer under downtown Minneapolis in pursuit of the bank robber.
Weston: Ahhh, so yours ties in more with the suspense and a thrilling ride. That's certainly what a lot of people are going for. Reading of The Ninth District, it certainly does sound like it will deliver too. Thanks for joining us Douglas, and I'm sure everyone will appreciate the brief excerpt you've given us of your novel.
Synopsis: The Ninth District
The Federal Reserve has never been robbed.
FBI Special Agent Jack Miller, pulled into a high-profile case to mentor a new agent, finds himself in a clash with the toughest opponent of his career. The chase culminates in the bowels of the city, in the storm sewers and tunnels beneath The Ninth District Federal Reserve of Minneapolis.
Excerpt:
Jack Miller was in no mood for a pissing match with a new agent who had four months in the Minneapolis FBI office after graduating from Quantico. The Special Agent in Charge assigned Jack to help with this case so he could tell the media he had his most experienced agent looking into solving the string of bank robberies, especially the last one that had resulted in a murder.
Ross pointed the remote at the television and the video started again. “These bank videos suck. We’re bringing in video from the other cameras at the bank, the ATM, the highway traffic cameras, and gas stations within a two-mile radius. I know it’s the same guy.”
“OK, so what do we know about him?”
“He’s on a schedule. March, he hit a Wells Fargo branch in Duluth. April, he was at the Stillwater branch. I was looking for a May job and found one in Wisconsin after talking to the Milwaukee field office. This morning, as you see him here, he was at the TCF bank in Wayzata. That’s the June robbery.” Ross paused, inhaled, and audibly exhaled. “And no, that’s not who you think it is. It’s a guy, or a person, wearing a mask that kind of resembles a former Governor of the State of Minnesota.”
“OK, so we know what he’s done, but what do we know about him?”
“We don’t know anything about him other than he’s been robbing banks and wears a mask,” Ross said.
“Let’s call him the Governor. He hasn’t killed anybody before, has he?” Jack asked.
“Nobody has even been hurt, until now.”
“Play the video.” Jack Miller stared at the screen and watched the scene unfold a second time; he rested his chin in his hands, elbows on the table. He looked for details as he watched it again.
Remember everyone, if you'd like to win a copy of Douglas Dorow's novel, The Ninth District, hop on over to Angel Haze's Halloween Blog Hop Page and post three of your favorites from any of the interviews. She has them all up on her site and would love to hear from you. Some authors like myself are even giving away free signed copies. You don't even have to pay for shipping. Check it out and tune in on October 22nd when I interview Lisa McCourt Hollar about her Halloween views and stories.
Links:
Twitter @DougDorow
Douglas Dorow Facebook author page
Blog: Thrillers R Us
Goodreads author page
Independent Author Network page
The Ninth District : Kindle
The Ninth District : Nook
Weston Kincade ~ Author of Invisible Dawn and A Life of DeathLabels: Author Interviews
