Mark Gilroy

Bringing Books to Life!

What Inspired You to Create Kristen?

Mark Gilroy is author of Cold As Ice

In NYC at the BookExpo America Convention this past summer.

What inspired you to create Kristen Conner? That was the lead question by author, writer, columnist, and reviewer Kim Ford in a recent interview where I am on the cover of Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Click the link to read the entire interview that includes questions on starting a new publishing company, Sydney Lane Press, whether the Russian Mafia – one of the storylines in Cold As Ice – is a real menace in America, and the biggest changes I’ve seen in the publishing industry over the past 35 years. Thanks for a great interview Kim!

Kristen Conner – one of three daughters of a felled Chicago policeman who has contributed more than her fair share toward the elimination of crime in her city. Tell us how you were inspired to create this character.

I am such a fan of character-driven mystery series, I knew that’s what I wanted to create. First question, of course, was male or female? I considered flipping a coin. The decision was simple though. I looked at my own family. With three sons and three daughters, I’ll confess, my daughters provided more drama in my life! Now I’ve probably got myself in trouble again.

Let me mention one other inspiration as I created Kristen Conner. I started with the premise that I would not write a Christian series. I would do my best to write for the mystery genre. But just as Tony Hillerman, Fay Kellerman, and many others have written series with a very distinctly religious and reflective character, I would write Kristen as a Christian – a “church girl.” That may be a nuance but I think she has been very well received by readers who bought the books from the perspective of either genre. Read the full interview.

Is America at Its Best Ever?

 

Is America at its best ever?

Matt Goeller is a veteran broadcaster, freelance writer, and father of three. He admits he lost his jump shot years ago!

One of my high school friends, Matt Goeller, posted the following thoughts on Facebook. Like him, they are intelligent, articulate, thought-provoking, and maybe just a little contrarian! I appreciate him giving permission to share what he wrote through my blog. You might agree – or disagree – in all or part, but what a great reminder to think carefully about who determines our perceptions of what is happening in front of our very eyes.

So . . . is America at its best ever? Is that remotely possible?

I read a Facebook post from a friend who I know to be thoughtful and reasonably positive. But on this particular day he was questioning the values of our country and its people based on the fact that he had read more about Caitlyn Jenner winning a sports hero award than he had about servicemen being murdered on American soil. His closing comment was a sarcastic one about what a great time it is to be an American.

The-media-paints-aI feel it is a great time to be an American, but too many of us feel a sense of doom and gloom.

Is it possible that America is no different or even better than it ever was and that you may be using the wrong yardstick to pass judgement on your country and its citizens? Allowing yourself to perceive the values of our nation by what you read or hear about via social media and network news reports is a terrible idea. Both of those types of “reporting”  exist for a singular reason that has nothing to do with reporting news. It is there only to provide eyes and ears for advertisers. [Read more…]