Please welcome to The Reading Frenzy author Tom MacDonald and see why he says––"
Being an author wasn’t even a thought for me. In 1999 I went back to school for an MBA at Boston College, and while I was there I accidentally discovered writing...." about becoming an author.
- ISBN-13: 9781608090907
- Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
- Publication date: 8/6/2013
- Series: The Charlestown Connection: Dermot Sparhawk Thriller, #2
- Pages: 320
Tom's publisher Oceanview
is sponsoring this giveaway
of one Author signed copy of the novel
Beyond The Bridge
Enter below US ONLY
using the Rafflecopter widget
GOOD LUCK!!
Overview
Dermot Sparhawk, a former
all-American football star at Boston College, returns in Beyond the
Bridge, the prequel to Tom MacDonald's award-winning debut novel, The
Charlestown Connection. In Beyond the Bridge, Sparhawk, a struggling
alcoholic, agrees to help find the killer of an accused pedophile priest.
Reviews of Beyond The
Bridge:
Tom MacDonald's roaring good story, fueled by marvelous characters, hits the gas on page one and never lets up.
Tom MacDonald's roaring good story, fueled by marvelous characters, hits the gas on page one and never lets up.
This book
assures MacDonald a place in the top tier of New England suspense writers. Julia Spencer-Fleming
New York Times
bestselling author of THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS
Like the first
Sparhawk novel, this one is a solid mystery featuring a likable hero, a guy
with some serious personal issues…The author seems to be using this book to
transition Dermot from amateur sleuth to professional crime-solver, and that's
just fine, if it means we get to read more stories about him. -David Pitt
Booklist Magazine ForeWord Reviews
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Tom welcome to The Reading Frenzy.
Tell us a bit about your new novel Beyond The Bridge.
A deaf man from the projects asks the protagonist, Dermot Sparhawk, to
find out who killed his brother, an accused pedophile priest named Fr. Netto
Barboza. The deaf man also wants Dermot to prove his brother wasn’t a
pedophile, a tall order in Dermot’s eyes. To add to the complexity of the case,
Fr. Barboza was but one of a string of priests that have been murdered; hence,
there is a serial killer on the loose in Boston, and Dermot is determined o get
to the bottom of it.
This is your second novel and is in fact connected to The
Charlestown Connection starring Dermot Sparhawk.
Is this going to be a series?
Yes, this will be a series. My third novel, working title The Revenge
of Liam McGrew, also features Dermot Sparhawk as the protagonist.
Dermot Sparhawk is such an interesting and enigmatic
combination of genetics as part Irish part Native American.
Can you tell us how he came to be?
I work in Charlestown and my office is virtually under the Tobin Bridge. Charlestown is a legendary Irish neighborhood, and the Tobin Bridge was largely built by Native Americans, in particular, Micmac Indians. So an Irish-Micmac man living in Charlestown seemed believable to me. And it is not exactly a reach that an Irish-Micmac character might have a drinking problem. Add to the genetics the Charlestown environment and you have a potential wild man on your hands, which is exactly what I wanted Dermot to be, wild in the sense that he relies solely on his instincts. He solves problems in unconventional ways.
Your debut novel The Charlestown Connection has received
some high awards including the Winner of Best First Novel of 2012 Indie Book
Awards, a finalist for American Librarians Association 2011 Book of the Year,
and nominated for both the 2012 Best Novel in the International Thriller Awards
and Readers Choice Award by the Salt Lake City Utah Library Association.
Congratulations!! That’s quite a coup for any author and
particularly for a debut author.
Did you always want to be an author? Can you share your
personal journey with us?
Being an author wasn’t even a thought for me. In 1999 I went back to school for an MBA at Boston College, and while I was there I accidentally discovered writing. I learned an important lesson in the MBA program: I had neither the aptitude nor the interest to do well in business. But I also learned I had a talent for writing, and I went after it. After I graduated from BC, I was accepted into the MFA creative writing program at the Stonecoast Writing Seminars at the University of Southern Maine. The moment I got there I knew I was in my element. I have come full circle. I am now teaching creative writing at Boston College in the evening.
On your blog
post from May you talked about the Hardboiled Crime story
being an American Original and you mentioned two early mavericks of the genre
Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
What about the genre appeals the most to the writer in you?
The pureness of the protagonist is what appeals to me. It’s an American
archetype, a hero beyond corruption. This doesn’t mean the hero is perfect or
moral or ethical in all areas of his life, but that he is a man of his word. He
can’t be bought off. Money isn’t his yardstick. This type of hero focuses on
the means, not the ends. It is how he accomplishes things, not what he
accomplishes. His quest is personal, a test of character, and it’s the test he
obsesses on until it’s done. The case is merely a prop, an obstacle he must
overcome. These stories are highly individualistic, one man against the system.
I think readers live vicariously through the hero - I always did.
Your bio mentions you had a long career in business before
becoming an author.
Do you now or do you ever intend to write full time?
Someday I would love to write full time.
Some authors find it beneficial to belong to a
critique/writers group.
Do you?
I don’t belong to a writing group; though in the past I participated in
many writing workshops. I am lucky; my wife is an excellent first reader and
editor. I also have a few close friends who read my stuff, and they give me
frank criticism. It’s a gift, they are generous people.
Tom will there be any signing events celebrating the new
release?
I will be signing books at libraries and bookstores my calendar can be
found on my website:, www.tommadonaldbooks.com
Thanks for the visit and good luck with the new novel!
Connect with Tom - Website
The case sounds interests as does protagonist Dermont Sparhawk..love the name! Thanks for sharing this one Debbie:)
ReplyDeleteI know doesn't it, Yes my huge pile just got bigger :)
Deletethe premise sounds interesting
ReplyDeleteit does bn doesn't it and the fact that the protagonist is part Irish part Native American adds to the allure I think
DeleteI like how the author discovered later his true passion in writing. I want to find out the unconventional ways to solve problems. If I win this one, I'll be sharing it with my husband. He's not a big fan of reading but this one might do the trick. Thanks for the chance, Debbie!
ReplyDeleteOh Lorelei I would do anything to get my husband to read fiction or heck non-fiction too. He'll read the paper cover to cover and his gardening and conservation magazines but I've never seen him open a book unless it's the Medical Dictionary so he can self diagnose his latest ache or pain
DeleteThanks for the comment my fingers are crossed for you :)