This is the text of an interview that was recently conducted with Dr. Glenn Shephard, just a
few weeks before his first book came out. Here is the complete text of the interview. Enjoy.
An Interview with Author Glenn Shepard
a.) How did you get into
writing?
Writing has become a form of
relaxation for me. My busy and mostly solo plastic surgery practice was
very demanding, keeping me up late every night. During the day, I found
it relaxing to create fictitious scenarios that could be solved. It was
an outreach of my medical research, where I'd invest time and money in a
hypothesis that could not always be proven by the scientific method.
Rather than seeking a "journal of negative results" in which to
publish, I found it relaxing and therapeutic to write fiction, where any story
line could be altered to fit any conclusion.
b.) How long have you been
writing?
I started writing in
1986, completing a 1000 page action thriller entitled, The Hart Virus. It told of the beginnings of the AIDS problem and
offered insight into the nature of the virus, its mutations which made it
difficult to cure, and the social stigma associated with the disease. I thought
it was a novel "ahead of its time" and it did project the direction
AIDS eventually took as well as the method necessary for a successful vaccine.
However, the burdens
of a busy plastic surgery practice did not allow the time to pursue
publication, and as the years passed, the concept of the book became outdated.
Yet, I had caught the writing bug and kept at it. I continued exploring fiction
and completed six mystery novels of the next twenty years, and again, made no
attempt to publish any of them until four years ago when I started my
current novel, Not For Profit.
c.) What's your novel about?
Not For Profit is a thriller about a
conscientious plastic surgeon, Dr. Scott James, who tangles with an ambitious
hospital administrator, Herb Waters, who siphons large sums of money from a
non-profit hospital into his own pockets. Two men are murdered in James's
surgery center and the doctor is charged with the crimes. In trying to prove
his innocence, Dr. James discovers a terrorist attack planned against a
mysterious drone operator who moves his base of operations from the Middle East
to the doctor's home town. A beautiful computer genius, Ethel Keyes, comes to
assist him as he tries to free himself from the capital murder charges.
d.) Is it the first book in a series?
Yes, Not For Profit is the first book in an action
thriller series involving Dr. Scott James, the terrorist, and the beautiful
computer geek. In the second novel,
Relief Aid Haiti, the good doctor, Scott James, goes to Haiti to assist an
old surgical colleague with a backlog of surgery caused by the Haitian
earthquake. Terrorists have seized the $5 billion Relief Aid Fund given
by a multitude of foreign nations. The hospital ship James works on is hijacked
and the terrorists seek not only destruction of major cities in the US, but
want revenge for the blow James gave to the terrorists in Not For Profit.
Book Three, A Funeral In Texas, again uses the
special talents of Dr. James in tracking down a Nazi physician who committed
crimes in WWII and is now seemingly immortal and practicing in Texas.
e.) Where can people buy
your books?
In the next few weeks, the
first book, NFP, will be available
both as a softcover and an e-book on Kindle from Amazon.com.
f.) How do you compare being
a writer to being a doctor?
Nothing compares to the
thrill of surgery. I loved every minute of my surgical practice, and as
excited as I get about creating situations and solutions in books, I'd go back
to operating in a heartbeat if I had the physical stamina that I had in my
younger year… Ahh, to be young again…
g.) What parts of your new
book are based upon real life events?
The events that
inspired Not For Profit occurred on a
distant planet, far away, and in the distant future. Throughout the
novel, I became involved, as a participant in the action, and realized that
revenge from a rich and powerful hospital can cripple an individual with
average means, as happened with Dr. James. It would take another powerful
corporation to stand toe to toe with the hospital giants. Let somebody
else blow whistles. I just want to write my novels and enjoy the good life that
brings.
All fiction is real
life and all real life is fiction. I could not be a novelist without the
life experiences that show weaknesses in our great, but tainted network of
health care delivery.
h.) Tell me about your hero?
Dr. Scott James is
part me, part colleagues I have known and worked with, and part total make-believe.
However, over the course of the writing, James became a real person, at least
to me. So real, I lived his trials and triumphs. When he was hurt, I
suffered from agitation and sleep loss, just as he did. The depression he
endured to the point of suicide, I endured as well. From his experiences,
I know what it's like to be suicidal. I know what it's like to experience
depression. And, I know the joys of surviving. The love Ethel Keyes
gave to him, she gave to me. That love made me strong. The long nights I
spent writing the book gave me strength, just as they were also a source of strength
for Dr. James.
i.) Tell me about the next
book in the series?
The trauma of divorce
and the loss of Dr. James' surgical practice in Not For Profit have depressed him so that he begins to use tobacco
and alcohol as crutches. He is looking for an escape, so he interrupts his job
as a hospital administrator to go to Haiti to operate. And recover.
Only once there, he becomes involved in terrorist activities even more
dangerous and deadly than the ones he faced in Not For Profit. The odds are stacked against him. Is he strong
enough to survive?
