with George Bernstein
We are delighted to welcome novelist George Bernstein to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Worldwind Virtual Book Tours. We encourage you to visit all of the host sites on this tour; you can find a schedule of events here.
George's debut novel of parapsychological suspense is Trapped (TAG Publishing; November 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats).
We recently had a chance to talk to him about his new book.
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Omnimystery News: Trapped is your first published novel, but we understand you have several more ready to go. Tell us a little more about them.
Photo provided courtesy of
George Bernstein
George Bernstein: Trapped is a stand-alone novel of suspense. My second novel, A 3rd Time to Die, that will be published later this year, is also a stand-alone novel (also suspense but with a strong romantic theme) … although I left room at the end for a possible sequel.
Then I have two other novels, Death's Angel and Officially Inactive, that are part of my Detective Al Warner thriller series, and I've got two more of his in the works. These will be published after A 3rd Time to Die. But right now my main efforts are on getting Trapped the recognition almost everyone who have read it feels it deserves.
OMN: How do you go about writing your books?
GB: After I imagine the story and its outcome, I develop a brief chapter by chapter outline. Then I use 4x6 index cards for each character, first for physical descriptions and their interpersonal connections with others in the story (son, boss, husband, etc.), then basic personality traits, and finally for their predilections … tastes, if you will. As things develops during the writing, I add it to their card. There's a recent review for Trapped where he/she points out I describe Phil's eyes as Ocean Blue, and then later as Violet. I don't think it was a reason to put the book down, but it was an error. It's necessary to avoid those, if possible.
Anyhow, once I begin writing, the outline takes on flexibility, and the characters take charge, often drawing me in directions I never originally imagined. The story line often develops on its own, and I embrace those changes. They always make for a better plot.
Also, there's feedback from others. While trying to find an agent for Trapped, two top editors suggested I remove a side plot I'd developed, in an effort to create some action. I did, and after a lot of work, the story was much stronger without it.
OMN: Where does the action in Trapped take place?
GB: Trapped takes place in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, where I lived for over 20 years. Many of the places mentioned are real and still there, but I will freely invent a location that fits with the story. Everything in Trapped is real, although some descriptions of areas, like parts of Channel Lake, were done to fit the story. This is, after all, fiction, and we're allowed to take license. I don't worry about accurate details on things like places.
OMN: Suppose Trapped was optioned for film. Any ideas on who you'd like to see play the key roles?
GB: This seems like a popular question, and I'm sure most authors dream of their masterpieces converted to the Silver Screen. Odds are vastly in favor of it never getting beyond a dream, however. Still, after some thought, these would be my picks:
Jackee: Katherine Heigl. She's blonde, beautiful, and could "kill" in the role
Kevin: Greg Grunberg, who was in the series Alias & Heroes. He's a good physical match, and I think he'd be good as the caring ex-heavyweight therapist.
Rhonda: Amy Adams, who can play a manipulative beauty very well, and she's a beautiful redhead, although not as voluptuous as Rhonda. Another choice could be Deborah Ann Woll, possibly a better physical match.
Phil: My daughter likes Ryan Gosling for this role, and she's more into movies and the stars then I am, so I'll go with her choice. He's got to be arrogant and amoral.
OMN: What kind of books did you read as a child, and did those genres influence your decision to become an author of the kinds of books you write today?
GB: As a pre-teen, I loved all the dog novels by Albert Payson Terhune: Buff, a Collie, Ladd of Sunnybrook Farm, etc. My first dogs were all named Buff. As a teenager, I gravitated to adventure (Edison Marshall's The Viking) and sailing ship warfare from our revolution and the War of 1812. In my 20s, it was a lot of Si-Fi: Asimov, Heinlein, etc. I always had a great imagination and love to tell stories (sometimes to stay out of trouble with my parents!). I would say that my early reading only influences my writing today in that I love a good suspense and well-told story, and learned, from reading all those great old books, how important a good story, filled with tension, really is.
OMN: We're guessing that, based on your author photo, you enjoy fishing.
GB: There's fishing … and then there's fishing. And then fly-fishing. Fishing has filled my life since the age of 10. I'm totally self-taught, but have become, by most standards, a World-Class fisherman. I've held a dozen International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world records, mostly on fly-rods. I've also written Toothy Critters Love Flies, which has become quite popular. One of the greatest thrills of my life was fly-fishing for pike with baseball great Ted Williams back in the 1970s. And yes, I've incorporated an exciting fishing scene that was important to character development in Trapped.
OMN: Any other hobbies?
GB: I also build fine wood cabinetry in my garage/cabinet shop, where I've built every door (raised panel and French) and many pieces of furniture for my house. I strive for the same excellence there as I do with my writing.
And I play golf … when I feel the need to be punished! A synonym for golf is masochism. There'll be some scenes with golf in my next Al Warner novel.
OMN: What's next for you?
GB: A final, professional edit of A 3rd Time to Die, and then preparing it for publication. Hopefully, I'll have attracted some fans eager to see my next novel. I've had several comments by readers, looking for the next book, which is very validating. I've worked hard on developing my craft, not just by writing, but by attending many classes at writers' conferences. These usually have more than one can absorb, on every facet of writing, publishing and promotion.
The one thing I've learned is that talent alone is rarely enough. There are a lot of things that make for good, publishable writing, and few of us know these things intuitively. Especially in this electronic era, when anyone can publish anything, no matter how poorly written, a serious author has to do what he can to set himself apart from the masses.
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George Bernstein was born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs, living there until the age of 39. He's now a retired corporate president, life-long fishing enthusiast, and a dedicated author.
He now lives in sunny Florida, splitting his time between writing, fishing and fine cabinet making.
To learn more about the author and his work, please visit his website at SuspenseGuy.com.
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Trapped
A Novel of Parapsychological Suspense
by George Bernstein
The darkness is still, silent. Jackee Maren's heart pounds reverberating through her body as fear sears her veins. Someone's coming. No way out. This time they will kill me. Her breath is short, her chest burns. Must run. Faster. Faster! Her eyes fly open, her heart still racing with blinding fear. Jackee breathes deeply with relief and stares at the ceiling desperately trying to calm herself. The same dream. Something, someone is watching … and waiting.
A tragic car accident leaves beautiful, vibrant Jackee Maren completely paralyzed, able to move only her eyes. Jackee's husband, Phil, is devastated and her two young boys left with nothing but a shell for a mother, but still, Jackee senses the foreboding of an evil presence and knows time is short. Slowly, Jackee learns to communicate with her physical therapist, Kevin, by blinking her eyes. As evidence comes to light that her car accident was no accident, Jackee knows she must expose the person who wants her dead before they get a second chance.
While Jackee works to put all the clues together, she discovers she has the ability to sense the thoughts of others, but she hides this talent from everyone but her sons, not knowing who she can trust. By actively exercising her new psychic ability, Jackee finally learns who masterminded the accident but feels helpless to stop them from trying to kill her again. Slowly a plan forms to not only ensure her boys are safe forever, but to exact revenge on her would-be murderer. Jackee vows not to rest until this killer understands what it is to be trapped!
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