Today’s Author Spotlight is on G.K. Parks, who wrote Cross Your Heart in the thriller anthology, Make Them Pay!
G.K. is the author of over thirty mysteries and thrillers, spanning four different series. From a young age, G.K. always loved reading and mysteries but never dreamed of a career as an author. Instead, G.K. spent some time in law school before switching paths and earning an MA in Criminal Justice and Criminology, which has proved to be a useful component for storytelling. G.K. has tackled everything from private investigators to police procedurals to vigilante justice thrillers. Whether the main characters are feisty female detectives or a team of rogue mercenaries, each story contains tons of action, plenty of humor, and a lot of heart.
Take it away G.K.!
Q: Tell us a little about your story in Make Them Pay!?
A: In Cross Your Heart, private investigator Lucien Cross ends up on a collision course with a Russian gangster. One of Cross’s clients owes a debt to the Russians, and now they’re coming to collect. Cross will do whatever it takes to save his client, but it won’t be easy. The Russians don’t play fair, and one misstep could lead Cross down a dark path, land him behind bars, or result in his untimely demise.
Q: What was the inspiration for your story?
A: I just wanted to play around in Lucien Cross’s world and explore more of his background and history. He’s one of my newer characters, who runs a prestigious security firm. He always has an agenda. But I wanted to know what made him become the man he is, so I gave him his own book. But that wasn’t enough. So Cross Your Heart is just another piece of the Lucien Cross puzzle, with more on the way.
Q: When did you start writing and/or publishing?
A: I began writing in 2012, two months after I graduated. I finished my first book a few months later and wrote another three before the first one was published. And never stopped writing.
Q: Why thrillers?
A: I’ve always been an avid mystery and thriller reader, even at a young age, and most of the shows and movies I watch are crime and police related. I suppose my dad had a lot of influence over me since he had been a NYC cop and always told the most exciting stories.
Q: Who are your favorite thriller authors to read?
A: Robert B. Parker, Stephen J. Cannell, Vince Flynn, J.A. Konrath, and Kathy Reichs.
Q: Were your friends or family members nervous hanging around you once they read one of your books?
A: That would require them to actually have read my books. I suppose, in this instance, ignorance is bliss.
Q: What’s your favorite non-reading, non-writing activity?
A: When I’m not working on my next story (which is rare), you can find me putting together a jigsaw puzzle, puttering around the kitchen, or watching some crime or action thriller on TV.
If you want to check out Park’s story along with the other 21 top thriller authors, here’s where you can grab your copy of Make Them Pay!
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