Grave Girl by Dan Padavona

Please welcome Dan Padavona author of Grave Girl

Dan Padavona will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Grave Girl

by Dan Padavona

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

 

 “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss inspired me to write my first book. Ironically, I’ve written a few dozen novels since, while Rothfuss left readers hanging by never finishing the third book in his series. Regardless, Rothfuss’s first novel might be the best fantasy I’ve ever read.

 

How did you come up with the idea for your novel?

“Grave Girl” is a combination of true crime and my runaway imagination, which sometimes scares me. Once I had the idea of a kidnapped girl and a noted athlete blamed for her disappearance, the characters and their traits fell into place.

 

What expertise do you bring to your writing?

 

I have college degrees in communications and meteorology, and I worked 27 years as a NOAA scientist. Including weather and storms into my novels in a realistic manner helps bring my worlds to life.

 

What elements are necessary components for this genre?

 

Certainly an air of mystery is important, but I focus more on thrills and chills. I love to dial up the fear factor when appropriate and get my readers’ hearts pumping.

 

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

Every day, I strive to be a better person and get the most out of life. I spent too long feeling like a victim, but we all have the power to change our energy and become more positive.

 

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

 

The next twelve months will be a wild ride. I’m releasing 12 novels, each about 4 to 5 weeks apart, with 6 planned novels in the Thomas Shepherd mystery series, 5 in the Logan and Scarlett serial killer series, and 1 surprise story that readers won’t expect.

 

If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

Probably LeVar. First it would be awesome to be 19 again (lol). But mainly I love his attitude and his ability to overcome adversity. Plus, he’s always the life of the party.

 

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

 

I plan my books with story beats, which are short paragraphs devoted to each chapter. Story beats help me stay organized and keep the plot and story arcs straight. 

 

How do you maintain your creativity?

 

To write prolifically, you need to lead a prolific life. A diversity of experiences, including vacation time, keep my creative juices flowing. I’m always on the lookout for a story or character idea.

Are your plotting bunnies, angels or demons?

 

Both. They’re often demons during the meat of the story, which is when bad things tend to happen in my worlds. But the angels always win out. I love to finish stories on a positive, optimistic note, much as Dean Koontz does in many of his books.

BLURB:

 

Every mind holds a secret. Some are more deadly than others.

 

Nightshade County Sheriff Thomas Shepherd is a successful model for every law enforcement officer with autism. He leads an idyllic life in his uncle’s old home along Wolf Lake and is planning to marry private investigator Chelsey Byrd.

 

But when a star athlete’s girlfriend disappears while camping, everyone blames the boyfriend. He’s volatile and dangerous. Did he murder the girl and bury her in the woods?

 

The sheriff’s gut tells him there’s more to the story than the boyfriend is willing to admit. The more he digs into the case, the more he worries someone is hiding a dark secret.

 

Is the boy a killer? Or is he the next victim?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

McKenzie Ossman twirled a length of blond hair around her finger and took in the stars. Here, five miles beyond Kane Grove’s city lights, the sky was a frozen portrait of fireworks. She shivered against the chill and puffed out a condensation cloud, the cold already deep enough to penetrate her bones. By morning, frost would cover the landscape. 

 

She accepted the bottle of Jack Daniels from Marshall and sipped. This was a terrible idea. As much as she wanted to get him away from the pressures of Kane Grove University and the constant attention he received from being a future NFL draft selection, she didn’t like it when he drank. Hazel-skinned, strong, body painted with tattoos, he was a Greek god when he was sober. But lately he’d taken to drinking too often. He changed after the alcohol hit his bloodstream, turning angry and short-fused, a bomb ready to blow. 

 

Then there was the problem of getting back to campus on his motorcycle. She couldn’t trust him to drive buzzed. Sometimes he pushed the motorcycle past eighty in the dark, her arms wrapped around his waist, Marshall one wrong move from disaster. 

 

Marshall Prisco was the proverbial diamond in the rough. Few small college football players attracted professional scouts, yet dozens attended Kane Grove football games for the chance to see him play. A senior wide receiver, he was unstoppable on the field, too fast and strong for the poor fools tasked with covering him. 

 

McKenzie sipped from the bottle and winced when the alcohol burned her throat. Marshall held out his hand, and she wasn’t sure she should give the bottle back to him.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Dan Padavona is the author of The Wolf Lake series, The Logan and Scarlett series, Darkwater Cove, The Scarlett Bell thriller series, and The Thomas Shepherd Mysteries. Many of his novels rank in the top-10 in Amazon’s thriller and mystery categories. He is a husband, a parent, and proud member of the International Thriller Writers Organization.

 

When he’s not writing, Dan enjoys photography, biking, weightlifting, and storm chasing. Dan has videotaped tornadoes from New York to Oklahoma and Texas and was nearly swept up by a strong twister outside Sweetwater, Texas. A self-proclaimed ice cream and gelato lover, Dan admits to spending too much time in the gym, compensating for his questionable nutritional decisions.

 

Website: https://www.danpadavona.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djpadavona

Instagram: @dan_padavona

Twitter: @DanPadavona

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3ZHMKFD

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Dan Padavona will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4361