The following is an interview with Dan Walsh, the author of When Night Comes. Look out for a bonus giveaway at the end of the interview. |
When Night Comes
by Dan Walsh
One signed print copy (US only) or one digital copy to be won
Contest open to entrants WORLDWIDE.
Contest runs from 24 November - 5 December NZDT
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I’ve set When Night Comes in a small (fictitious) college town in Georgia. There are lots of little towns like this spread throughout the Southern US. My wife and I love visiting them. Cute little downtown areas, old-timey southern homes with big wraparound front porches, moss-covered live oaks. These places seem chock-full of character, and I imagine each one has a thousand stories to tell. I hope to write several other novels set in sleepy little Culpepper, Georgia.
Who are the main characters, and what is at stake for them in this story?
Starting off, we have Jack Turner. He comes back to Culpepper to give a series of lectures for his old history professor. Within days, he starts having bizarre experiences at night. Like he’s traveling back in time, experiencing the epic events in his lectures firsthand. He has no control over these experiences and can’t make them stop.
Joe Boyd thought he’d left big city crime back in Pittsburgh when he took a detective job in Culpepper. His peaceful life ends when two students turn up dead in two weeks. The coroner is saying natural causes, but something doesn’t add up.
Rachel Cook, a teaching assistant at Culpepper, can’t believe Jack is back in her life again. She’s had a crush on him since she was fourteen, but Jack never knew. He instantly seems attracted to her, but she can tell…something is deeply troubling him.
Watching all this from a distance is Nigel Avery. He’s certain this experiment’s about to unravel. It’ll be his job to tie up all the loose ends when it does.
In some ways, I guess it would have to be Nigel Avery, the bad guy. As the story progressed, he got a lot more interesting than I planned. I also enjoyed watching the romance grow between Jack and Rachel (even though this is not a romance novel). That also grew into more than I expected.
How did the writing of this story impact you as a person or as an author?
I’d have to say quite a bit differently than my other books. Most of my novels have a clear theme and a strong emotional punch. When Night Comes, while very much a suspense novel, is actually a lighter read. It doesn’t have a strong Christian message. It’s more of a suspense/thriller story (the kind you might expect in a secular book), except instead of following the exploits of a seriously flawed protagonist who sleeps around and swears a lot, we get to see how a decent guy, a credible Christian, might handle these same dangers and challenges. It was fun to write, the kind of book I like to read when I’m not in the mood for an intense emotional ride.
For one thing, When Night Comes is the first book I’ve ever written. In its earlier state (written during the mid-90s), it was over 600 pages long, moved way too slow, and the plot was overly complex. I’m glad it didn’t get published then. When my first novel, The Unfinished Gift, came out in 2009, it took my writing in a totally different direction. Most of my novels have been compared to Nicholas Sparks’ books. I’ve really enjoyed writing these kinds of novels and plan to keep writing them (working on one right now). But I also enjoy reading and writing books like When Night Comes. It’s fun to think the first book I ever wrote will finally be in print (in a much-improved state). I hope it does well enough to allow me to write both kinds of books in the future.
What would you like your readers to take away from this story?
I’m not sure what they’ll take away from the book, since this one doesn’t carry a strong spiritual theme (other than good vs evil, and good overcoming evil in the end). I guess I’m hoping the reader is thoroughly entertained, thinks about how much fun they had while reading the book, how hard it was to put down, and how much they want to go right out and get another book I’ve written. At the end of When Night Comes, I recommend 2 of my other books that are the closest to this one, in terms of suspense.
by Dan Walsh
- Bainbridge Press
- Contemporary
- November 2014
- ISBN: 9780692318164
[Kindle | Amazon | The Book Depository]
Jack Turner comes back to Culpepper to give a series of lectures for his old history professor. Within days, he starts having bizarre experiences at night. Like he's traveling back in time, experiencing the epic events in his lectures firsthand. He has no control over these experiences and can't make them stop.
Joe Boyd thought he'd left big city crime back in Pittsburgh when he took a detective job in Culpepper, Georgia, a sleepy southern college town. His peaceful life ends when two students turn up dead in two weeks. The coroner is saying natural causes, but something doesn't add up.
Rachel Cook, a teaching assistant at Culpepper, can't believe Jack is back in her life again. She's had a crush on him since she was fourteen, but Jack never knew. He instantly seems attracted to her, but she can tell...something is deeply troubling him.
Watching all this from a distance is Nigel Avery. He's certain this experiment's about to unravel. It'll be his job to tie up all the loose ends when it does.
Bestselling author Dan Walsh is known for page-turning storylines. Fans of his novels The Discovery and What Follows After will especially love...When Night Comes.
Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of several books, including The Discovery and The Reunion. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. Dan writes contemporary and historical novels, mostly love stories and family-life dramas. He's been called “the Nicholas Sparks of Christian Fiction,” and often compared to Richard Paul Evans. His goal, whether writing historical or contemporary novels, is to create an entertaining and inspirational experience for his readers. He wants them to thoroughly enjoy themselves, while exploring together some of the themes in life that matter most. In addition to his writing, Dan also enjoys public speaking and is frequently invited to speak at writer’s conferences, either as a keynote speaker, or teaching workshops and seminars on a variety of writing topics. Dan lives with his wife Cindi in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. |
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Be in to win a copy of When Night Comes by Dan Walsh One signed print copy (US only) or one digital copy to be won Contest open to entrants WORLDWIDE. Contest runs from 24 November - 5 December NZDT Please comment about the novel or leave a message for Dan Walsh in the blog comments below, then enter the Rafflecopter draw. All entries must be made using the Rafflecopter contest to be eligible for drawing. Winning entries drawn will have their entry options validated before being accepted - if incomplete another entry will be drawn. |
Spotlight Author Chat
with Dan Walsh
We'll be giving away spot prizes, including copies of the author's new novel,
WHEN NIGHT COMES, to those who participate. Hope to see you there!