I’ve received a lot of emails from readers regarding PROTECTOR. A lot of the questions are identical and so I thought I’d select the most frequently asked questions regarding the book and answer them in one place.

 

Q: How long did it take you to write PROTECTOR?

A: 14 months.

Q: Is JANE PERRY based on a real detective working in Denver, Colorado?

A: No. She is completely made up and any similarities to anyone who works as a homicide cop in Denver is coincidental. (Please do not call Denver Homicide and ask for Detective Perry in the Homicide Department. I guess some people have actually done that…Talk about creating a real life character!)

Q: Is Sergeant Weyler based on a real person?

A: No. However, I named him after a homicide Detective who I met during my research phase. He was so helpful to me that I decided to name my Sergeant after him. The irony? After I wrote PROTECTOR, the Detective who helped me was promoted….to Sergeant….Sergeant Weyler.

Q: Did you visit actual crime scenes during your research?

A: No. There was no way I would be allowed to enter a crime scene and risk contaminating evidence of a homicide. I did however view a tremendous amount of photos of homicides and suicides as well as study what occurs when a bullet or knife enters the body and what it looks like in order to write about it in a realistic manner.

 

Q: Have you experienced paranormal events in your own life?

A: Yes. I’ve had four separate experiences with what I’d describe as “breaking through the veil” between worlds. One of those was extremely personal and I don’t talk about it. The other three had to do with either a “spirit” or “energy system” that was causing havoc around me. I was not trying to contact this spirit or energy system at the time because I am not one to encourage any dark forces my direction. The spirit or energy system simply found me and I was blown away by what happened. In one instance, I was physically pushed to my knees—a sensation I never want to feel again. Another time, I demanded that the spirit or energy system leave the place immediately and I was met with a fireplace glass panel cracking in half. When I repeated the demand, a glass sitting on a counter cracked down the side. I have no idea what that meant but it made me a believer.

And finally, one of the more unusual questions so far....

Q: When I was reading PROTECTOR, I got this eerie feeling at times. I can’t explain it. Sometimes I couldn’t read it at night because it would keep me awake. By any chance did you write this book at night?

A: Well...yes. The bulk of the book was written between 7pm and 3am. I found that that was when the muse hit me and so I went with it. The world was quiet around me and there was a sense that I was tapping into a slice of consciousness that wasn’t available to me during the day. I guess I couldn’t help but transfer that essence to the page.

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