Richard Guidice: The IAN Interview

    Richard Guidice is a New York City native. His first book featuring Detective John Napoli, Romance is Dead, was a Finalist in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards. Writer's Digest Book Awards said, "Richard Guidice has written a well crafted murder mystery. The writing is quick and easy and makes for a fast, enjoyable read. A good book to read at night to wind down from the day." Secret Desires is the eighth novel in the Napoli series. The romance stories, Wrong Impression and Stolen Glances are also available as well as the suspenseful, Higher Education. The next Napoli book, Captured, is scheduled for a May release. Richard is also currently working on a horror story, a crime caper, and the next Napoli installment.

Visit www.suspensetales.com or e-mail at richmg711@gmail.com.

Richard Guidice is a New York City native. His first book featuring Detective John Napoli, Romance is Dead, was a Finalist in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards. Writer's Digest Book Awards said, "Richard Guidice has written a well crafted murder mystery. The writing is quick and easy and makes for a fast, enjoyable read. A good book to read at night to wind down from the day." Six novels in the Napoli series have been released. In addition, the romance stories, Wrong Impression and Stolen Glances are also available as well as the suspenseful, Higher Education. The next Napoli book, Secret Desires, is scheduled for a March release. Richard is also currently working on a horror story and the next Napoli installment.

Visit www.suspensetales.com or e-mail at richmg711@gmail.com.

Print this

IAN. Please tell us about your latest book.

RG. High school teacher Laura Gilbert begins a crusade against men who like young girls. She enters chat-rooms and engages in steamy conversations before meeting the perverts. Using the name Britney, a sixteen-year-old beauty, she lures unsuspecting older men to their demise. A victim of abuse as a young girl, Laura remains enraged at those who prey on innocent kids. When she encounters them, she metes out her own form of justice.

As the murders continue, Detectives John Napoli and Terry Franklin investigate the crimes. All of the badly mutilated bodies share a common feature, the letter P written in blood on their foreheads. Unfortunately, no common bonds between the victims are established. The detectives continue to work on the frustrating case as more men are killed.

Can Napoli and Franklin stop the killer, or will she keep claiming victims who deserve punishment?

Secret Desires is a psychological thriller that will have readers racing toward the dramatic conclusion.

IAN. Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?

R.G. I write my ideas on post-it notes. From them I write each chapter in longhand in notebooks. When the novel is completed I type it up and then edit it many times. Some might think it’s a longer process, but it’s how I like to do it.

IAN. How long did it take to write Secret Desires?

R.G. Secret Desires took about 4 months. Some have taken longer and others have been quicker. It depends on the length of the book and if the writing flows continuously. I try to write a chapter every day in order to keep the story fresh in my mind.

IAN. Who designed the cover?

R.G. Most of my covers, including Secret Desires, were done by my cousin, Jerry Parrino. He did a terrific job with all of them and I’m looking forward to his future creations.

IAN. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

R.G. I would pick Ed McBain because he was a master with the police procedural. I’ve read all of the 87^th Precinct novels as well as his other works. I think I learned from his way of introducing characters in a series and having the reader relate to them. He wrote many short novels, which is something I also do.

IAN. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

R.G. Independent Author Network is a great support group for new writers. It helps them make contacts and receive exposure through social media. Knowing others in the industry is vital and IAN is a strong, growing community. I have also read many of the fine authors that belong to it, including John Betcher, Larry Enright, and William Potter.

IAN. Do you see writing as a career?

R.G. I would love to make writing my full-time career. Unfortunately, selling enough books to make a living is a difficult task. I think only a few independent writers have achieved high sales and made big money. The market is crowded and most writers realize making enough money to pay the bills is daunting. However, I believe success is measured not only in sales. If I reach only a few people who enjoy my books, I am happy because I have done my job to entertain others.

IAN. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

R.G. I used to write song lyrics when I was younger. Since I couldn’t write music and had no talent playing any instruments, nothing further came of it. Record companies want a complete song: lyrics and music, while singers who don’t write their own material won’t accept lyrics from individuals outside of the industry. As a result, I stopped writing song lyrics. Still, I felt the need to write creatively.

One night I thought of a story and wrote the first chapter in a notebook. I continued it for about a week then stopped. Writing a novel seemed too difficult and time consuming. I kept the notebook in a drawer and didn’t think much about it. A year later I moved and when I packed up my stuff I brought the notebook with me. I read what I had written and decided to continue the story. After 6 months I finished writing the book which became my debut, Romance is Dead.

IAN. Do you have any advice for other writers?

R.G. The best advice I could give other writers is to have perseverance. Never give up hope and always write the story you want to. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Whether you sell 2 copies of your book or 2 million, be proud of what you have achieved and consider yourself a success.

IAN. Is Secret Desires published in print, e-book or both?

R.G. My first 3 novels are available in print and e-book format. The last 8 have been e-book only.

IAN. Where can we go to buy your books?

R.G. They are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and the print books are also available at Author House.

IAN. Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand alone?

RG. My next book is also a Detective Napoli thriller, but this time it’s Maria Napoli who is the main character, not her husband, John. The title of it is Captured. It’s about a man who kidnaps young women because he wants a special angel. When they disobey him, he kills them and searches for the next woman. Detective Napoli and her partner investigate the crimes and search for the madman before he strikes again.