Mike Dellosso Interview

Q: How long have you been writing and what other careers or jobs have you had? 

A. I started writing in 1998 as a way of dealing with the emotional turmoil surrounding a family tragedy. Before then I wanted nothing to do with writing, avoided it, disliked it, was never interested. But through writing I found a freedom I’d never known before. I’ve stuttered my whole life and didn’t enjoy talking, in fact, I usually avoided it. But through writing I found my voice. I could express myself without the blocks and tension and facial gymnastics associated with stuttering.

As for jobs, I still work a full-time job doing homecare physical therapy. I enjoy it because I get to work with patients individually in their own environment. And being an observer of people all my life, this is right up my alley. I do my writing in the early morning hours and treat it as a part-time job. I tell people I get up at 4:30, go to my part-time job, then get ready for my full-time job at 7:00.

Q: Do you write in only one genre and if so which one and why? If not, which ones and why?

A: As of now, yes, only one genre: Suspense. But a change is coming, a new direction in my writing. I can’t say a lot about it right now but will be breaking the news shortly. My book releasing in October, A Thousand Sleepless Nights, will open a new chapter in my writing career. Stay tuned to www.mikedellosso.com or www.facebook.com/mikedellosso for more information coming soon.

Q: How does your faith play into your writing? 

A. It guides it, infuses it, envelopes it. I couldn’t and wouldn’t write without it. My faith is an integral part in all I do—it’s who I am—and writing is no different. I pay careful attention to the faith message in all my books. Unfortunately, because of the nature of my stories and the thrills and chills involved I fear the suspense overshadows the message too many times. It’s something I struggle to accept. I know some readers “get it” in regards to the message behind a story and others don’t. I try to work the message seamlessly into the story by revealing it through the lives of the characters rather as some separate strand of the story that I later insert.

Q: How do you choose your settings for your books?

A. Most of my books until now have been set in the northern Maryland/southern Pennsylvania area because that’s where I live and what I’m familiar with. But for Frantic I did something different. My wife spent some years of her childhood in Maine and we’ve vacationed there a few times. I’ve fallen in love with that north country. Absolutely love it. So I thought Maine would be a perfect setting for Frantic and it turns out I was right. It really worked well with the story. It’s such a beautiful state with stark contrasts and geography that was made for storytelling.

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?

A: Most of the time they are made up (to a point). All my characters have a little of myself in them. I draw a lot upon my own experiences and emotional blueprint when creating characters. Occasionally, I’ll meet someone who so impacts or inspires me or strikes me as so unusual or unique that I have to base a character on him or her.

A few years back I worked with a boy stricken with cerebral palsy. Despite his numerous challenges and struggles he never once complained, never used a harsh word, never showed anger or even frustration. He was the most kind, loving, gentle person I think I’ve met. He really blessed and impacted me. I had to create a character for him and so William in Frantic was born. William is a boy with cerebral palsy and a special gift, a boy on the run from the very essence of evil.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release? 

A: Frantic is the story of a trio of characters on a harried and dangerous journey to discover what it means to really trust. Marny Toogood has lived under a “curse” his entire life and has therefore avoided much contact with people. That is, until he receives a desperate plea for help from Esther Rose, the over-protective sister of William, a boy with cerebral palsy and a very special gift. All three find themselves on the run from Esther and William’s maniacal and possessive “uncle” and wind up somewhere much more dangerous.

Here’s the back cover copy:

 Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it s too late?

For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it s just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ.

As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Frantic?

A: From the boy I had as a patient. He inspired the character and from there the story grew and evolved. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer but always stay a couple chapters ahead of myself. I spend a lot of brain time mulling over plot options and trails and character development issues. I like to say I plot on the go.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: I hope readers are challenged to step out in faith, a simple faith, like that of a child. There’s so much talk about great faith and having enough faith or not enough faith . . . I don’t think it’s so much an issue of the amount of faith one has but rather the object of the faith: Jesus. If we could all just grasp that it’s not about us (that goes back to that betrayal and lies thing, doesn’t it?) and our faith; it’s about him and his power, his love, his grace, his will.

Q: Tell us what you like about the main characters of this book.

A: They’re genuine, real people with struggles and flaws like the rest of us. I work hard to make my characters as real as I can, people just like the folks all of us know and come into contact with every day.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?  

A. A couple things. One is an anthology of novellas I’m working on with six other authors called 7 Hours. I’ve teamed with Rene Gutteridge, Veronic Kendig, Robin Parrish, Tom Pawlik, Travis Thrasher, and James Wilson to explore the element of time in a very unique way. I can’t say a lot about it right now because things are being kept under tight wraps but the project was picked up by Tyndale and will release in May. You can find out more and keep up to speed with things by liking the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/7-Hours/218628601550788.

Also, I’m in the midst of the editing phase of A Thousand Sleepless Nights, a story that is very near to my heart and will point my writing in a new direction.

Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why?  

A. I would love to visit New Zealand or take a tour of Europe and see Rome and Venice, Paris, London, the Irish countryside. No cruises, though. I don’t do well with big boats and lots of water.

Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done?  

A. I’ve done so many silly things. Growing up I was a clown, always trying to make people laugh and usually getting in trouble for it. And at home my kids are constantly rolling their eyes at me and saying “you’re so weird.”

But probably the silliest (and maybe one of the dumbest) things I ever did was dress up like a killer and try to crash my sister’s party. I was in college at the time and she was in high school. She threw a birthday party at our house that lasted until after dark. After the sun had set they were all on the back patio talking and laughing and I got the great idea that I’d dress up and scare them. I put on an old man mask we had, an oversized flannel shirt, baggy jeans, and stood at the end of the yard so I’d be silhouetted by the darkening sky. Sooner or later someone would notice me there and start screaming. Well, the someone who noticed me was our dog and he didn’t take too kindly to some stranger trespassing on his property. He chased me up into a tree.

Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done? 

A. Battle colon cancer. In March of 2008 I was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer and spent nine months going through surgeries and chemo to fight it. It was a challenging time for all of us and changed who I am on some very deep levels. I experienced God in a whole new way and will never forget what he brought me through.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?  

A. To keep up with my writing and what exciting changes are coming, please follow my blog at www.mikedellosso.wordpress.com and like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mikedellosso.  Check out Mike’s bio for a complete list of his books.