Rich Zahradnik is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Coleridge Taylor Mystery series (Last Words, Drop Dead Punk, A Black Sail, Lights Out Summer).
The first two books in the series were shortlisted or won awards in the three major competitions for books from independent publishers. Drop Dead Punk won the gold medal for mystery eBook in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards. It was also named a finalist in the mystery category of the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Last Words won the bronze medal for mystery/thriller eBook in the 2015 IPPYs and honorable mention for mystery in the 2015 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards.
Zahradnik was a journalist for 30-plus years, working as a reporter and editor in all major news media, including online, newspaper, broadcast, magazine and wire services. He held editorial positions at CNN, Bloomberg News, Fox Business Network, AOL and The Hollywood Reporter.
Zahradnik was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and received his B.A. in journalism and political science from George Washington University. He lives with his wife Sheri and son Patrick in Pelham, New York, where he writes fiction and teaches kids around the New York area how to write news stories and publish newspapers.
For more information, go to richzahradnik.com.
The first two books in the series were shortlisted or won awards in the three major competitions for books from independent publishers. Drop Dead Punk won the gold medal for mystery eBook in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards. It was also named a finalist in the mystery category of the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Last Words won the bronze medal for mystery/thriller eBook in the 2015 IPPYs and honorable mention for mystery in the 2015 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards.
Zahradnik was a journalist for 30-plus years, working as a reporter and editor in all major news media, including online, newspaper, broadcast, magazine and wire services. He held editorial positions at CNN, Bloomberg News, Fox Business Network, AOL and The Hollywood Reporter.
Zahradnik was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and received his B.A. in journalism and political science from George Washington University. He lives with his wife Sheri and son Patrick in Pelham, New York, where he writes fiction and teaches kids around the New York area how to write news stories and publish newspapers.
For more information, go to richzahradnik.com.
Did you like mysteries and thrillers growing up?
Yes, Encyclopedia Brown followed by the Hardy Boys. As an adult, the late Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn series was the first I became obsessed with.
What is the first story in that genre you wrote, whether it is published or unpublished?
A private-eye short story written in the seventh grade. As an adult, an unpublished and several-times-rejected mystery that featured a reporter as the protagonist.What is your favorite part of writing in historical mystery or general mystery/suspense/thriller genres?
Discovery. A character does something you didn't expect. A direction to the story opens up that you had no plan for at all. I think this is true in all categories of writing. This is the fun of it.
Is there an author in these genres you most admire?
Michael Connelly.
What is up next for you?
I'm editing and revising a stand-alone thriller ISMAEL'S HAMMER. Then I'll work on finding a publishing home for it.
Do you have anything to add?
Thank you for having me on your blog.
Thank you for having me on Books Can Be Deadly for the interview. I'll be stopping by to see if your readers have questions or comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rich. It's great to have you here. I'm curious...has any of your reporting inspired novels you've written?
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl, Bits and pieces of my journalism career—and knowledge of journalism history—end up in the books. For example, in the first book, there's a nine-year-old heroin addict, a mirror of a kid who was the total invention of a real Washington Post reporter. Except in my book, LAST WORDS, the addict is real and plays a role in damaging Coleridge Taylor's career. The murders that are at the center of each book come from my imagination.
ReplyDelete