Joseph
Spencer began writing non-fiction for regional daily newspapers in Peoria, Il.,
Burlington, Iowa, and Grand Junction, Colo., shortly after graduating from
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2000. After an award-winning
ten-year career as a print journalist, he switched careers to work in public
safety at a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center in Peoria, Il.
He
missed writing four years ago when he switched professions and began developing
and writing his first fiction project, his debut novel Grim, released by Damnation Books in Sept. 2012. Grim is the first book in the planned Sons of Darkness series of paranormal
crime thrillers set in the corrupt fictional town of Prairieville. His sequel, Wrage, is finished and moving to editing
stage with a planned release in late 2013.
From
the author
My
stories attempt to blur the line between crime fiction, horror and paranormal
genres. In Grim, the title character
Heath Grim is written with more of a suspenseful horror slant. He’s possessed
by a supernatural entity bent on hunting down and executing killers for their
crimes against the souls of innocent victims stuck in spiritual limbo.
The
detective character Adam White is written with a traditional crime angle. He’s
a paragon of justice in a town which is rotten to its core. He battles an
organized crime boss who uses a casino as a front to launder his dirty money,
corrupt politicians and the guilt he feels for being unable to solve his wife’s
murder.
Grim
and White soon find out they’ve got more in common than they could’ve imagined.
As White investigates a series of murders leading him to Grim, he’s got to
choose between his humanity and his obsession for avenging his wife. Grim, who
has made his choice long ago, forces White into an ultimatum which will change
his life forever.
People
often ask me about my inspiration for my work. I write dark and gory fiction
because I assist emergency responders every day in my public safety job which
exposes me to an up close and personal look at the criminal element. I try to
make the personalities of my police characters similar to officers I work with
on a daily basis.
I
believe the choices people make have a tremendous impact and often shape their
lives. When I write a story, I try to reflect my belief. I present characters
with a choice in how they’ll react to a situation, and their decision sets in
motion a chain reaction of events which dramatically alters them and their
environment.
Grim will always hold a special place in my heart
because I wrote it with no expectation. It started as a challenge. I’d always
told myself I’d write a novel some day,
but kept putting it off. I worked extremely hard, a couple pages a day, for a
few years in the writing and publishing process and made it happen. Damnation
Books accepted the manuscript the day after I got married in March of 2012.
I’ll never forget the feeling.
I’d
encourage anyone with a story in their heart to hammer away at their keyboard.
The creative process provides a thrill you can’t simulate doing anything else.
Title: Grim
Series:
Sons of Darkness Series, Book 1
Author:
Joseph Spencer
Genre:
Crime, Dark, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller,
Publisher:
Damnation Books
Paperback/Ebook
Words:
93,000
Purchase: Damnation
Books | Amazon
(Kindle) | Amazon
(Print) | B&N
|
Book Description:
When everything is taken
from him, Detective Adam White must choose what's most important. Does he stick
to the heroic ideals which made him a famed paragon of justice and take down a
murderous madman? Or does he give in to his vigilante impulses, avenge his
wife's murder, and become the type of killer he's hunted for so many years?
Excerpt:
Adam heard a few sounds of
Velcro peeling from its straps. Suddenly, Black Mask shed the mystery and
ambiguity of his head gear. He became another mystery altogether. What happened to this guy? He looked
like he’d seen hell, escaped, and doctored his face to give everyone else on
Earth a preview.
Black Mask obviously
suffered from rosacea because his skin was inflamed, swollen, and the angriest
shade of red Adam had ever seen. A jagged circular scar similar to a clock face
ran from Black Mask’s forehead down his cheeks to his chin. A vertical scar ran
straight down the middle of his forehead and along the bridge of his nose. Two
horizontal scars extended from the side of his nose and curved upward toward
the temples. Two additional scars extended outward at angles from just under
his nose, across his lips and ended on either side of his chin. All of the
scars connected to the outer circular one like spokes to resemble a starfish
shape. Adam struggled not to have any reaction, but failed to keep the corner
of his mouth from inching up into a grimace.
Black Mask smirked and put
his right hand up to his face. He pretended to be admiring himself in the
mirror. “It’s okay, Detective. Your reaction is fairly common and a lot more
subdued than most. Of course, I bet you’ve seen a lot of horrors in your line
of work.
“So, you want to know the
tale of Heath Grim, do you?”
About the Author:
INTRO
Joseph Spencer is the author
of the Sons of Darkness series launched by his debut novel, Grim, on September 1, 2012 . Work on his second book of the series, Wrage, is
already underway and is expected to be released some time in 2013.
THE ROAD HERE
The Sons of Darkness is a series of paranormal crime thrillers following investigations into mysterious deaths in the centralIllinois Prairieville Marino State Hospital
The Sons of Darkness is a series of paranormal crime thrillers following investigations into mysterious deaths in the central
THE STORYTELLER’S STORY
As a boy, Joseph Spencer
immersed himself in the deductive logic of Sherlock Holmes, the heroic crime
fighting of Batman and Spider-Man, and a taste for the tragic with dramas from
poets like Shakespeare and Homer.
Before Joseph took to
spinning his own tales, he pursued a career in print sports journalism,
graduating with honors from Clinton (IL) High School in 1996 and summa cum
laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2000. He covered such
events as NASCAR’s Subway 500 race in Martinsville Midwest . Now, he works as an emergency telecommunications
specialist with an Illinois
Joseph was married Dr. Amy
(Waggoner) Spencer, an accomplished veterinary doctor, on March 14, 2012 . He received word his debut novel was accepted by
his publisher, Damnation Books, the next day. Joseph and Amy look forward to
their honeymoon in Paris
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