Location: United States
Member Since: July 26, 2013

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J. David Core

Biography

With a profound interest in religion, liberal politics and humor, Dave began writing in High School and has not given up on it since. His first professional writing jobs came while attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh when he was hired to create political cartoons for The Pitt News and to write humor pieces for Smile Magazine. Dave has worked in the newspaper industry as a photographer, in the online publishing industry as a weekly contributor to Streetmail.com, and was a contributing writer to the Buzz On series of informational books and his story, The Bet in Red Dust, was published at the Western online anthology, Elbow Creek.
Dave’s science fiction novel, Synthetic Blood and Mixed Emotions, is available from its publisher, writewordsinc.com.
Dave currently resides in his childhood home in Toronto, OH with his beautiful girlfriend and his teenage daughter. He enjoys participating in local community events and visiting with his two adult children and his grandson.

Smashwords Interview

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town in Ohio. My father was a carpenter and an avid reader of mysteries and thrillers. I was never a fan of sports (other than fishing) and as a result I spent a great deal of time watching television and pretending I was a super hero, or a Starfleet captain, or Tarzan, or (believe it or not) a con man? But then one day I read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, and I recognized so much about myself in the characters.

Soon I was reading more and more; A Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird... I began to realize that as I had been escaping with television, it was even more satisfying when my escape was in my own head. The writers became my heroes, and the writing became something I could appreciate as a process. I wanted to recreate that in my own life.

I also noticed that I liked and remembered a book better when the ending was special. The story could have been great, but an unmemorable conclusion made for a forgettable story. And the best of the good endings were the ones I couldn't see coming or where the script was somehow flipped. Eventually I noticed that those kinds of endings could be found in many genres, but they were not so significant in every genre. A dramatic story can survive a so-so ending. A sci-fi tale can end simply with the good guy surviving. But a thriller or a mystery HAS to have a twist. So that's what I now prefer to read. And to write.
When did you first start writing?
I began writing in High School; playlets, poems, short stories, eventually I had graduated to novels by the time I graduated to college.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find J. David Core online

Twitter: @gamutman
Facebook: Facebook profile
Blog: http://lupamysteries.blogspot.com/

Series

The Lupa Schwartz Mysteries by
Extreme Unction: A Lupa Schwartz Mystery
Price: Free!
Common Sense: A Lupa Schwartz Mystery
Price: $3.99 USD.

Books

Magnified and Sanctified by
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 56,300. Language: English. Published: April 1, 2022 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Apocalyptic, Fiction » Horror » Undead
In the first year since the zombie apocalypse began, Andrew Moore and his young daughter have struggled to survive. Meanwhile, Mark Bell's been stranded alone in the relative safety of a state park surviving despite the constant threat from the menacing masses of wandering undead. Can they survive long enough to reach their goal, or will a peculiar stranger put their chances of survival at risk?
Testify: A Lupa Schwartz Novella by
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 18,510. Language: English. Published: May 30, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Courtroom
A legal loophole may be George Bond's ticket out of jail, unless a motive can be established in the execution-style murder of Bugler Slew councilman, Ed Soigne. Soigne has made more than a few political enemies, but would any wish him dead? If you enjoyed My Cousin Vinny and Runaway Jury, you'll love this exciting genre-bender.
On the Side of the Angel by
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 56,980. Language: English. Published: September 4, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
2005. Lina Forman has an assumed name, a vendetta, a résumé of varied skills, and the knowledge to make her a force to fear. Known in criminal circles as "Bartering Angel," a mysterious “fixer” who keeps bad guys out of trouble, she assumes the name Lina when she arrives in Pittsburgh.Can Lina preserve her reputation and make good on her promises? Or will a careless oversight expose her secrets?
Bite-Sized Stories: A Multi-Genre Flash Fiction Anthology by , , , , , &
Price: Free! Words: 38,660. Language: English. Published: September 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Flash fiction, Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
Looking for some short but high-quality entertainment over coffee or a snack? Grab Bite-Sized Stories and fill your stolen moments with 33 indie flash fiction tales. Just 5 minutes per engaging story.
Twice Told: A Lupa Schwartz Box Set by
Price: $7.99 USD. Words: 237,810. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
All of the Lupa Schwartz novels and novellas which have been released since the first. The series tells the story of Cattleya Hoskin, journalist for Gamut Magazine who moves from Ohio to Pittsburgh to chronicle the investigative cases of Lupa Schwartz, the outspoken PI with a love for women, classic cars, comedy movies, and good meat; and a strong disdain for religion, bad parking, and wasted time
8 Tales of Noir: As Heard on the Thrills and Mystery Podcast by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 51,280. Language: English. Published: November 2, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Short Stories, Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author
8 tales of Noir is just what the title would lead you to expect, eight stories about the darker side of the human condition. Six short stories lead in to two novella length tales. Each of the six shorts was also a featured episode on the Thrills and Mystery Podcast.
Five Secrets by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 62,530. Language: English. Published: July 18, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller
Magazine reporter Cattleya Hoskin learns that her ex-boyfriend, Ulric, is missing. He left a coded message the police cannot decipher. Digging deeper, she learns Ulric was working with Pittsburgh PI Lupa Schwartz to covertly unravel a centuries-old scheme. She and Schwartz must work together to expose an ancient secret before being thwarted by the agents of a shadow government.
Shared Disbelief: A Lupa Schwartz Mystery by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 53,070. Language: English. Published: February 20, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
A serial killer stalks Pittsburgh, re-enacting the history of human sacrifice and martyrdom, attacking religion by attacking the religious. The baffled police department turns to local PI Lupa Schwartz and his journalist partner Cattleya Hoskin, hoping the former can use his connections in the atheist community to find a killer with a vendetta against faith.
Fair Play: A Lupa Schwartz Trilogy by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 72,000. Language: English. Published: December 1, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
Fair Play features three full length novellas, Overlord, Counterfeit, and Confessions of the Cuckold, each a stand-alone story in the Lupa Schwartz universe. This 3rd installment in the LS canon has something for fans of traditional whodunnits,as well as fans of classic noir and the contemporary trend toward female protagonists. It's Nero Wolf meets Stephanie Plum and a hint of Easy Rawlins.
Believe It, You Know an Atheist by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 40,290. Language: English. Published: March 17, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Atheism/Agnosticism, Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Religious philosophy
Without ever insisting that atheism is the correct conclusion, Believe It strives to bridge the disconnect between the devout and the debunkers. Featuring quotes and arguments found throughout the history of skepticism from Epicurus to Sam Harris and beyond, Believe It lays out a line of reasoning and analysis designed to illuminate the thinking that inspires a godless worldview.
Confessions of the Cuckold by
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 14,120. Language: English. Published: March 9, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General
The last person Eric Dadjov would expect to confide in was the bounty hunter sent to take him to court, but his wife has betrayed him leaving his life is in shambles. A careless moment purging his anger has led to formal charges. Gradually, the details of Dadjov’s story begin to suggest that he has a sinister plan for revenge brewing. Is the bounty hunter complicit, a dupe, or the next victim?
Common Sense: A Lupa Schwartz Mystery by
Series: The Lupa Schwartz Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 55,630. Language: English. Published: January 2, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
Common sense tells Cattleya Hoskin that her drowned reporter ex-husband wouldn't have gone out night-fishing by himself in the middle of an investigation. The unaccommodating local authorities see it differently. In an effort to prove them wrong, Cattleya enlists the help of her private investigator friend, Schwartz, to follow through with Dave’s investigation...
Extreme Unction: A Lupa Schwartz Mystery by
Series: The Lupa Schwartz Mysteries, Book 1. Price: Free! Words: 82,290. Language: English. Published: December 30, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
(4.00 from 1 review)
When an autopsy finds traces of the banned insecticide Chlordane in the anointing oil on the corpse of a local big-wig, Pittsburgh police bring Lupa Schwartz, an outspoken non-believer, into an investigation focused on a well-liked local clergyman. Worried that the police are planning to use him as a political fall-guy...

J. David Core's tag cloud

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