Where the lines of right and wrong blur…
The Life and Times of Dinah Marton is a gritty, fast-paced crime drama thriller about Dr. Dinah Marton, a criminal psychologist, who moonlights as a serial killer. Told from the confines of the electric chair, Dinah recounts her life story: her own childhood tragedy, the attack on her best friend, Lorie, and her journey into the criminal underworld of downtown Boston where she learns the lucrative trade of murder for hire from the best hitman in town.
From short story to novel…
Dinah had been in my head for years whispering her secrets like a dark passenger. I originally wrote it as a short story for a college writing assignment in my creative writing class. There were several influences like Dexter, the Professional, and Sling Blade, but the story really took on a life of its own when pen hit paper. It was as if Dinah was writing her own story. In fact, I often described the experience of writing this story as a sort of free-associative writing experience. There were times that I’d come away from a long writing session and be surprised by the wrong face staring back at me in the mirror. It was rather surreal.
The short story I originally wrote was only about 3 pages long and very graphic. It centered on Dinah’s run-in with Billy, the main protagonist of the first act, and I remember writing a letter of apology to my creative writing professor for how graphic it was. He wrote back, “Don’t worry, it might make a good book someday.” But it wasn’t until about 4 years later that I started working on the novel. I had been focused on the Guardians: Path of Ascension for so long and I got stuck with writer’s block. I needed another project to focus on, and in that time, I could feel Dinah clawing her way back to the surface.
One night I turned on the computer and started writing the first chapter, and I was hooked. For nearly 6 straight months, I wrote. I wrote anywhere on anything. I started carrying around a pocket notebook because a scene would pop into my head, and I didn’t want to miss anything. A good portion of the story was written on receipt paper when I worked as a busser, and I would transcribe the notes later in the evening. It was a thrill to write and I hope you have as good of a time reading it.
Recommended for ages 17 to 25…
My target audience is 17 to 25. The story contains explicit scenes of violence, harsh language, nudity, and romantic situations. I often tell readers that it’s a hard R on the edge of NC17. It is brutal and unapologetic at times, but if you love being at the edge of your seat and exploring the deeper inner workings of the human mind, pick up a copy on Amazon.
Movies in the future?
I would love to see The Life and Times of Dinah Marton on the big screen or even as a TV series. So far, I have written two screenplays, one of which made it into the semifinals of the 2023 Page Awards. It is exciting to see the story gain legs. I am hopeful that someone will pick it up.
About me? I have a 20-year-old cat named Misty.
I started writing in my teens, but it was actually my love of story-based games that drew my pen. The Legacy of Kain series, in particular, has claimed many hours of my life and some of its influences are in my stories. I also dabble in other things: I teach video game design, I have several YouTube channels, and I write scripts that I hope one day will lead into something big. On a more personal level, I live a very simple life with my wife, Nadia, and my 20 year-old cat, Misty.
