The Creative Muses are very happy to welcome mystery/thriller Author, Mr. Steven Freeman to our blog...
A little about today's Author:
Author Steve Freeman is former member of the US Army's Signal Corps, a
twenty-six year employee of a large American technology company, and an avid
traveler who has visited five continents. The novels of The Blackwell
Files draw from his firsthand knowledge of military service, the tech
industry, and the diverse cultures of our world.
He currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and daughter.
Steven's Website
Books and Purchase Information
TCM: What inspired you to become a writer? Why do you write your
particular genre?
SF: I only started writing a little over a year and a half ago. A few
family members encouraged (read bugged) me for several years
to put pen to paper, but my personal schedule only recently evolved
in a way that freed up enough time to begin writing. I have had a
wonderful time embarking on this career. Once I started, I realized
how much I enjoyed it, and I haven’t looked back. I’ve finished
two books, have a third complete except for a few edits, and I’m
working on a fourth. All my books complete a series entitled The
Blackwell Files.
I write in the romantic mystery/thriller genre: romantic because it’s a great way to engage the reader on an emotional level, and mystery/thriller because it’s a great way to engage the reader with an interesting plot. So my hope is that readers get double the fun.
Nefarious
When Army
Communications Captain Alton Blackwell takes a hit to the leg while on active
duty in Afghanistan, his self-confidence and leg are equally shattered in the
explosion. Assigned to a desk job while recovering, Blackwell nonetheless
manages to prove his resourcefulness as he matches wits with Al-Qaeda operatives
in the dangerous regions of Kabul. Unable to fully heal, he resigns himself to
the abrupt end of his military career as well as any hope to win the affections
of the beautiful and intelligent Lieutenant Mallory Wilson.
Upon returning
state-side, the quiet civilian life is quickly left far behind when Blackwell’s
colleague Zach Lambert calls him from a weekend camping trip in the throes of a
devastating illness with forbidding implications.
In a story out
of today’s headlines, Blackwell and now-FBI Agent Wilson explore the possible
diversion of a biotech’s project to develop an improved vaccine, scouring leads
at the CDC and biotec company, putting their Army and professional skills to the
test, and narrowly escaping agents with a murderous agenda at every turn. The
closer they come to the truth, the quicker the bodies pile up, along with the
suspects. To get to the bottom of the sinister scheme, can Blackwell still use
wits when his body has failed him? And will he survive long enough to tell his
colleague of the feelings for her he has long kept secret?
TCM: What’s your strongest point as a writer?
SF: I believe one of my greatest strengths as a writer is crafting
characters about which the reader cares deeply. My characters aren’t
perfect, but as they struggle against truly evil people and against
their own flawed natures, readers can’t help but cheer for them.
Ruthless
NOW AVAILABLE!
A
disabled ex-Army officer...a beautiful FGI agent...and a ruthless murderer on
the loose in Atlanta.
A heartless killer ambushes and guns down
ex-mobster Jay Mancini. Days later, the killer disposes of Mancini’s live-in
girlfriend in cold blood. Desperate to identify the culprit, Jay’s niece Chelsea
convinces work colleague and amateur detective Alton Blackwell to help
investigate the seemingly run-of-the-mill professional mob hits.
Alton and his girlfriend, FBI Agent Mallory Wilson,
race to sequester Chelsea away from wrathful mob gangsters intent on silencing
anyone with knowledge of “family activities.” But the investigation spirals out
of control as a series of new events with no apparent mob connection serves to
confound their efforts to identify the assassin. As Alton and Mallory struggle
to make sense of scant evidence, unseen danger marches inexorably closer to them
and Chelsea, who seems to lie in the vortex of the mayhem. Will Alton and
Mallory unravel the mystery in time to avoid becoming the killer’s next victims?
And will their growing relationship survive the presence of the beautiful
Chelsea Mancini?
Combining edge-of-your-seat psychological thrills
with a side of romance, RUTHLESS keeps readers guessing until the final clue is
revealed.
TCM: advice would you give new authors that have been newly
published?
SF: My biggest advice
would be to join a critique group so you can meet with other writers
with the goal of regularly reviewing each other’s work and giving
feedback. Obviously, receiving feedback on your own writing is
helpful, but even giving advice to other authors will help improve
your own abilities as a writer. I would also advise promoting your
work in social media, especially Goodreads and Facebook.
TCM: What new projects can we look forward to from you and where,
when will they be available?
SF: I’m currently wrapping up T Wave, a medical mystery/thriller and third book in The Blackwell Files series, which features many of the protagonists introduced in Nefarious, my first book. I’m also working on the first draft of the fourth book in the series, Havoc, a thriller set in Italy.
COMING
IN 2014!
T WAVE
When FBI
Forensic Accountant Mallory Wilson begins investigating the potential theft of
narcotics at a local hospice, the routine case quickly escalates as she and
boyfriend Alton Blackwell uncover a series of questionable patient
deaths.
The case takes
on even greater urgency as the investigators themselves fall under attack. For
their own safely as well as that of potential victims, they must race to get to
the bottom of the crime spree.
As they strive
to resolve the perplexing case, their struggle to maintain a long-distance
relationship faces a new challenge as Alton is forced to leave Georgia and
relocate to a new office.
Will
they unravel the mystery in time to prevent further homicides, and will their
relationship survive this latest challenge?
TCM: Where else cam we find you
Email: steve.freeman7@gmail.com
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5772384.Steven_F_Freeman
TCM: Is
there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
SF: Like
my main character, Alton Blackwell, I’m a
former member of the US Army's Signal Corps. I’m also a twenty-six
year employee of a large American technology company, and an avid
traveler who has visited five continents. My novels draw from my
firsthand knowledge of military service, the tech industry,
and the diverse cultures of our world. I currently
live near Atlanta, Georgia with my wife, daughter, and two dogs.
I
have incorporated a quick from background: One of my secondary
characters share my proclivity for telling groaner
jokes. I suppose almost all writers confer aspects of their own
personalities into their characters. I do, too, but this particular
characteristic is near and dear to my heart.
Excerpt from Nefarious
Alton awoke with a start, his heart
pounding almost as loudly as the battering ram crashing into the
front door. How had they found him so quickly? Why hadn’t the
diversion worked? Attempting to balance silence with speed, he rose
from the couch, glided through the connecting door into the
neighboring apartment, and approached the side window.
Thank
God Mallory’s place is on the ground floor.
He climbed through the window,
closed it with a quiet snick,
and—thankful for the cover provided by a dusk rapidly turning into
night—limped across the lot to his vehicle, a late-model Explorer
stashed behind a couple of low-rider pickups. As he slid into the
seat, he could see dark jackets and flashlights huddled around the
front door, which was beginning to buckle. Two more agents guarded
the back exit.
Patience…
patience.
Alton waited for the agents to
break through the door and storm the apartment. Only then did he
drive away with the headlights off.
Once he cleared the parking lot, he
called Mallory. “Don’t go home.”
Don't forget to visit Steven Freeman's website for more information about where you can get these amazing books!
Happy Reading!
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