Book Blurb
San Diego Detective Frank Dugan has
just become a victim of ruthless criminals who have passed in and out of
prison, and continue to perform their grisly acts in free society. Dugan wants
them put someplace where they can never return and never harm innocents again,
and presents an innovative solution to this revolving door crime dilemma to the
government. The result is Resort Isle, a lonely tropical dot in the Pacific
Ocean, surrounded by the most vicious sharks known to man, a place from which
there is no escape and virtually no supervision. This resort is the last
vacation the baddest of the bad will ever get. But Detective Dugan never
figured that one day he'd be the guest of his own invention, a permanent
resident at this island, where many that he sent there can't wait to kill him.
Author Interview
What inspired you to write the book?
The alarming rate of criminal
recidivism in the U.S. I wanted to begin my detective series with Resort
Isle and I work in a innovative prison system angle aimed at cutting
recidivist crime in America.
When did you realise that you want to write a book?
I was a screenwriter in Hollywood, but
I always wanted to write novels, especially those dealing in suspense, mystery,
crime, and action-adventure. I’ve been a storyteller most of my life. Finally,
in 2012, I began my first novel. I currently have three thriller novels
finished and a fourth in progress.
Who helped you in writing the book and please say
about their contributions?
Jessica Page Morrell, by her outstanding editing and the
teaching I discovered in her books on fiction writing. Stephen King’s terrific
book On
Writing. Elmore Leonard, for his engaging stories and spot-on dialogue,
James Patterson, Dan Brown, Vince Flynn, for their great thrillers; John
Steinbeck, Garrison Keillor, and Harper Lee for their incredible
characterizations and sense of story; Philip Wylie, for his imaginative
scenarios; Erma Bombeck, Susan Isaacs, for their storytelling ability and phenomenal
sense of humor; J. K. Rowling for perhaps being the most imaginative writer of
the century who got youth back to reading books. She's a wizard herself.
Not a definitive list; just to name a few.
How is your book going to inspire the readers?
I don’t know about its inspiration,
but I hope all my books entertain readers from line one to the end, take them
to other worlds, and introduce them to captivating characters.
If you are given the chance to change one thing in
your book what would it be?
I have already changed everything I
deemed necessary to improve the novel. Right now I’m pleased with the book, but
that doesn’t mean I might find something later that I’ll want to edit.
Rewriting never fully ends, but we writers need to stop editing when we get in
a quandary over using “and” for “but.”
How do you find time to write and which part of the
day is best for writing for you?
I set aside two to three days a week
for writing, rewriting, and editing my work. Mornings with coffee are usually very
productive hours, but don’t forget, we writers are working when we’re staring
out a plane window or listening to a conversation in a restaurant. The creative
mind never dismisses anything it may later find useful.
Which books have inspired you the most, in the
journey of writing this book?
So many. See the short list below:
Fiction:
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
The Iliad
by
Homer
Moby Dick
by
Herman Melville
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
Of Mice and Men
by
John Steinbeck
The Old Man and the Sea
by
Ernest Hemingway
Non-fiction -
The Shadow Divers
by
Robert Kurson
Unbroken
by
Laura Hillenbrand
In Cold Blood
by Truman Capote
Helter Skelter
by
Vincent Bugliosi
Papillon
by
Henri Cherriére
In Search of Excellence
by Tom Peters
What is the best advice, you would give for writers
who are trying to write a book?
Read lots of books in the genre they
aspire to. Read numerous books on their type of writing. Review and select a
great editor for your first drafts. Set realistic goals for writing, such as
three to five pages per day. Join a writers group with constructive critics for
the work in progress. Never quit, never give up.
What are your hobbies?
I make custom furniture in my wood
shop. I find it therapeutic, and also profitable. I fly model airplanes. I
produce video movies and act in them as well. I am professional actor with a
degree in Theatre, which has helped me immensely to write characters for my
books. I also teach screenwriting and self-publishing at several colleges.
What can we expect from you in the future?
More thriller novels. Then novels of
mine made into motion pictures. My books will always read like a movie. Resort
Isle would be a good one for movie producers to think about.
About the Author
Paul Sekulich is a
thoroughly traveled writer who has lived in New York, Detroit, Chicago;
Stuart and Palm Beach, Florida; Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles and
Hollywood, California. He holds a B.A. degree in Theatre from the
University of Maryland and Masters of Fine Arts credits from Towson
University and the University of Southern California.
He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, The American
Federation of Television & Radio Artists (now SAG-AFTRA) and the
Actors Equity Association. As a former adjunct professor of theatre he has
directed numerous college productions and has taught acting, directing,
and screenwriting.
In Hollywood, he worked as a script doctor and contributor
for two, prime time television sitcoms.
He has completed his first three thriller novels, The Omega Formula, A
Killer Season and
his third book, a Detective Frank Dugan thriller, Last Resort, is
complete and available now. In the summer of 2016, he plans to debut Deep Death, another
in the Frank Dugan detective series.
He has written, acted in, produced and directed films,
commercials and stage productions since he was eighteen and has won awards
for his work. He owned and operated The Limestone Dinner Theatre for
several years and now teaches college seminars on novel
writing, self-publishing, and scriptwriting for television and the movies.
