Primarily a writer of southern fiction, Byron’s first novel, “Rockapocalypse: Disharmony of Justice”, is a tale of youthful dreams, adult peril, and Divine intervention by a few deceased rock icons. His second novel, Cold Currents, a southern literary mystery/thriller, is in the hands of his agent. He is currently working on his third novel, Bone Whispers,(a follow-up to Cold Currents), and a collection of short stories for future publication.

His short works of fiction have appeared in publications such as Aries: A Journal of Arts and Literature and Black Heart Magazine (e-zine).

A child of the sixties, his first viewing of The Wizard of Oz shaped his outlook of the world and erased any boundaries that could have stunted his imagination. He believes that a good tale should take you on an exhilarating adventure and leave you a bit more enchanted after you turn the last page.

*Byron is represented by D4EO Literary.

Now, on to the fun part…meeting the real Byron Suggs.

Is there a story behind your novel, Rockapocalypse?

Only my childhood (and six million other things.) I had a wonderful, middle-class childhood that spanned the cultural revolution of the Sixties, and part of the Seventies. The music of that era had a profound impact on me. All of my childhood memories have a certain song associated with them. But as with any child, I was not immune to social and political issues at the time: integration in the schools, war protest, Vietnam splashed into our living rooms on the evening news. Yet, amid all the turmoil, there just seemed to be something “hopeful” about all the change.

When I started writing RockapocalypseRockapocalypse, I had just entered my 50’s and felt compelled to take all of that and write a book. I wanted to write something that would allow me to create in abstracts versus cold, hard facts, and still give a sense of that time and place. I also wanted to go along for the ride and Pete provided that vehicle for me. Over a two year span, I wrote RockapocalypseRockapocalypse and revised it twice. I captured a lot of what I intended to, but when it was obvious my story wasn’t attractive enough for the literary agencies, I had all but resigned to put it in a bottom drawer.

Then it happened.

I met my current publisher at a local writers conference. I was going over my schedule when a lady across the table asked another attendee where a certain session was being held that my publisher was leading. I volunteered that information because I was attending that session. Fifteen minutes before the start, she wandered over and struck up a conversation with me. Finally, she asked to see a sample chapter. She loved it. This led to that, and in June 2011, I submitted a proposal to her publishing board. But the book was shot down.

Determined to tell my tale, I took a long hard look at what I had and sat down once again to breathe new life into it. I pushed into the future and wrote a present-day parallel story that wove through the core of the original book. What I ended up with was a compelling, action-filled story of faith, hope and love. Several months passed, I received an e-mail from her. She still wanted to publish RockapocalypseRockapocalypse! Nine months later my book was released and here we are.

What kind of books do you enjoy reading? (Book recommendations very welcome!)

I read a variety of things. It’s hard to list them all here, but there are some that hold no interest in me: pure romance, Sci-Fi (unless it has a more humanist storyline), books that get so deep in relationships that I’m grateful I’ve never had to deal with them at that level, books about “fads” in our culture, and current vampire themes. I say that because the most interesting vampires I read about or watched in movies were just that, vampires. Not the kind in books and film today. I don’t begrudge those that find those interesting. I simply don’t. But I won’t leave you high and dry. In the last year I’ve read the following authors: John Hart, Mitch Albom, Joe Lansdale, Lee Child, Stephen King, Preston/Child, James Lee Burke, and James Rollins just to name a few.

 Have you read Travis Thrasher or Robert LiParulo? Great stuff!

Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote? Why?

That’s a tough one. Peter Travers was at the core of this book, but at the end of the day I knew Pete too well, if that makes sense. He was too familiar to me. If I had to name one I’d have to choose between Margie McMillan and Arlo Hankshaw. Both evolved in totally different ways, but in ways that made sense when the end arrived.

What is your favorite season of the year?

I have several. Late Spring, early Summer and early Fall. The muggy “dog days of August”, and winter in general, do not rate very high on my list.

I’m with you there!

Are there spiritual themes you like to write about?

Good over evil. There are many paths to get there, but the end is the same.    

Ooh and underdogs, right? Go Underdogs!

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?

My second novel, Cold Currents, is in the hands of my literary agent. It’s a mystery/thriller set in the piedmont of North Carolina.

“Thirty years after the shocking murder of Jenny Franklin, followed by the arrest and conviction of his brother Terry, Knoxville Detective Bobby Taylor returns to his North Carolina hometown of Clayton at his aging mother’s request. Reluctant to face his estranged father and make amends after blaming him for not doing more to save his brother, Bobby arrives to discover the head of another young girl has washed up on the banks of the wild Neuse River. Disgusted at the brutality and familiarity of the crime, he realizes the murderous, sadistic monster from his past has returned with a vengeance. His brother’s blood is now on the hands of those who failed to catch the real killer the first time around. Fueled by retribution, and eager to heal his past, Bobby’s determined to bring the true murderer to justice.

Armed with equal parts instinct and desperation, Bobby confronts his broken relationships while chasing a mysterious trail of death that spans thirty years and two continents. Obstacles, lies, and deception face him at every turn as he partners with a tough-as-nails female reporter and a reluctant Chief of Detectives to catch a resurrected killer and vindicate his family’s name. In the end, Bobby finds redemption in a way he could never imagine as the whispers of the river reveal the horrible secrets beneath her swift, cold currents.”

I’m currently working on my third novel, Bone Whispers, which I hope to complete by Spring 2013. It’s a follow-up to Cold Currents.

If you’d like to connect with Byron, you can find him here:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Byron_Suggs

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/byronsuggsauthor

WordPress: http://byronsuggs.wordpress.com/

Thanks Byron and best wishes for an awesome release! Now, I’ll leave you with this…