Hey there word nerds!
Today I am so excited to have author D.P. Lyle on the show!
In his writing career, Doug has received a Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award and has been nominated for a gazillion others including, but nowhere near limited to, the Edgar, Agatha, and Silver Falchion. He is the author of 17 books, including the thriller series of Samantha Cody, Dub Walker, and Jake Longly (which is the one highlighted on the show!). He has also worked with writers of numerous popular T.V. shows like, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, and the list goes on.
As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, Doug is also the VP of Education for International Thriller Writers. This means he is in charge of CraftFest, Master CraftFest, and ITW’s online Thriller School.
Listen in as we discuss his latest Jake Longly thriller, and the art of crafting a thriller series to keep all your readers, both new and super fans, coming back for more.
In this episode Doug and I discuss:
- The importance of settings, and how to use them right.
- Writing the epic vs. episodic series.
- Tips to overcome the challenges of the thriller series character.
- Less is more, knowing what to leave in and what to leave out.
- An inside look at ITW’s educational programs, and ThrillerFest 2018.
Plus, Doug’s #1 tip for writers.
About D.P. Lyle
Doug P. Lyle is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Shamus, Scribe, Silver Falchion, and USA Today Best Book Award nominated author of 17 books, both nonfiction and fiction, including the Samantha Cody, Dub Walker, and Jake Longly thriller series as well as the Royal Pains media tie-in novels. His essay on Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island appears in Thrillers: 100 Must Reads, and his short story “Even Steven” in ITW’s anthology Thriller 3: Love is Murder. He served as editor for and contributed the short story “Splash” to SCWA’s anthology It’s All in the Story.
He is the International Thriller Writer’s VP for Education, and runs CraftFest, Master CraftFest, and ITW’s online Thriller School. Along with Jan Burke, he was co-host of Crime and Science Radio. He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Judging Amy, Peacemakers, Cold Case, House, Medium, Women’s Murder Club, 1-800-Missing, The Glades, and Pretty Little Liars.
His new novel A-List, the latest in the Jake Longly series, is available now.
To connect with Doug check out his website at www.dplylemd.com.
A-List: A Jake Longly Thriller
Jake Longly and girlfriend Nicole Jemison are still recovering from their ordeal with Ukrainian underworld boss Victor Borkov and life on the Gulf Coast is returning to normal. Then Nicole’s producer uncle Charles Balfour calls asking them to head to New Orleans where his mega-star, A-list actor Kirk Ford, has awakened with the corpse of a college co-ed in his hotel bed. Ford, in the Big Easy for a location shoot, remembers little of the evening and nothing of the murder. As if things couldn’t get worse, the girl is the niece of local mafioso-type Tony Guidry who will do what is necessary to avenge his niece’s death.
As Jake and Nicole attempt to put the pieces together, they butt heads with Tony’s muscle, his near-do-well yet aggressive nephews (the dead girl’s brothers), as well as drug dealers Ju Ju and Ragman. Of course, Ray and Pancake arrive to help sort things out with the help of Ford’s beautiful co-stars in the multi-billion dollar Space Quest franchise, Tegan and Tara James (aka The Twins), who vehemently support and defend Ford.
But something isn’t right. The facts don’t fit. Who would want Kristi Guidry dead, or Kirk framed for murder? And why? Everyone has an opinion, including Kristi’s friends, her ex-boyfriend, homicide detective Troy Doucet, and even local fortuneteller Madam Theresa. It’s up to Jake and Nicole to decipher who’s lying, who’s telling the truth, and exactly who schemed to murder Kristi Guidry.
Nothing is easy in the Big Easy.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
Link to Episode 180
(Right-click to download.)
If you liked this episode…
Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.
Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.
Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
