You are a medical doctor. The move from hard science to a creative pursuit such as writing fiction represents a significant shift. Share the background leading up to this decision and the ways this work shift has affected you on the personal level.
I was always interested in writing - even as a youngster. I wrote plays and poetry from grade school through high school including several musicals produced at summer camp. The recognition I received from teachers and classmates was certainly a great motivator. However, I also loved science and wanted to be a physician like my father. He told me that I could always be a writer after becoming a doctor, that there were many well-known writers who were also MDs. Unfortunately, medicine is a strict taskmaster, requiring one’s total attention and passion. So, while I wrote scientific articles and chapters in non-fiction medical texts while practicing medicine, it was only after I left full-time practice for administration that I found the time to write my first novel. All of the six novels I've written so far have medical themes.
Why mysteries like Wednesday’s Child and Double Illusion? What makes them so compelling for you to write?
The mystery genre requires a certain discipline in terms of how you tell your story i.e. how and when you reveal clues to solve whatever puzzle you’ve created for the reader and/or your characters to solve. At the same time, a good mystery should have interesting characters that are every bit as compelling as those you might find in a more “literary” novel.
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