Darren J. Blake

People sometimes ask me what I like best about writing novels. I think what makes it fun for me is the ability I have to become somebody else for just a little while. In The Nonpareil Nine, I get to be a super athlete. In The Warhost, I'm a musician. And in Sphere of Effect, I get to be a practical joker and artist. None of these things apply to me in real life...but then, reading a good novel is a great way to escape from real life for a time, isn't it?

My family and I have moved all over the nation in the last three decades, and my stories tend to occur in places where I've lived. So here's a quick tour: Idaho Falls, Idaho; Provo, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; Atlanta, Georgia; Augusta, Georgia; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Ruston, Louisiana; and Benton, Arkansas.

My novels are all stand-alone stories. Sometimes I'll hear from readers who would like to read a sequel to one of these books, but since I like to write books that have a fun or interesting twist at the end, I don't expect to write any sequels. The way I see it, a sequel would only serve to negate the cool ending of the original.

My novels avoid profanity and passages of sex or violence that I believe would detract from the story line and make the book unsuitable for youth or right-thinking adults. That was a challenge in The Warhost where I had characters that would normally have spouted a lot of profanity. Hopefully, you'll see I found a creative and entertaining way around that little obstacle.

If you have any comment or thoughts on my novels, feel free to email me at citimaker@yahoo.com

I'd love to hear from you.