Interview with Gary Kassay, Author of Murder in Silence!

I am very excited to welcome my fellow Sapphire Star Publishing author and thriller writer, Gary Kassay to my blog today.

Gary's crime thriller, Murder in Silence is available now!

Here is the synopsis:  

Two police officers have been brutally killed by having their throats ripped out, but the wound appears to have been done with surgical precision. With no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and two bizarre clues to follow, the case falls to Inspector Duke Becker, head of the high profile Special Investigations Unit, Homicide.


Becker and his squad must find the killer before more cops are murdered. The case will lead Becker on a wild chase through the streets of New York City, back over 15 years into the past and to a cover-up that will rock City Hall.


Along with his brash, wildly dressed young partner, Jimmy Nova, the beautiful Michelle Goldman, Augie “Doggie” Rivera, and the Mutt and Jeff team of Bobby Green and Joe Robinson, Becker will need to enlist his boyhood friend in charge of CSU, Manny Velez.


Add a ruthless newswoman known to the NYPD as “”Wicked Witch Wilson” and a new love interest for Becker in the gorgeous and brilliant Dr. Elizabeth Cunningham, Becker is about to embark on the most difficult and dangerous case in his 20 plus years. Will Becker and his squad be able to catch the killer before more cops die or will the killer have the last laugh? 


Before we get to the interview, here is Gary's bio:

Gary Kassay, author of the Duke Becker Series, is a former member of the NYPD Transit K-9 Unit.  Besides a career as a Police Officer, he has been the owner of a commercial photo company, an X-ray tech for humans and animals, and a TSA employee. He now resides in Casper, Wyoming with his wife Raella, three dogs, and one black cat.  

When Gary is not working on the next installment of his Duke Becker series, he enjoys spending quiet times with his wife, writing the Duke Becker series, reading, and when there isn't snow on the ground, a good round of golf.

And here is the interview:

How long have you been writing?  

I began thinking about my first novel, Murder in Silence in 1982 but didn’t put a word to paper till 2004.

What inspired the Duke Becker novels? 

I was in training in the K-9 unit for the New York Transit Police Department.  An event occurred that I cannot reveal, (It would spoil the book!)

Tell us a little bit about your writing process.  (Do you write every day?  Are you a plotter/outliner or do you fly by the seat of your pants?  How long does it take you to write a novel?) 

When I wrote the first book I had thought about it for 22 years, so when I began to write it, it just flowed.  I never use an outline, although I do write down character info so that I keep things straight.  The first book took me about 3 months to write and each sequel came a bit faster.

Who are your favorite writers? 

I read everything that Lee Child, Dean Koontz, Stephen King and James Rollins write.  I read many others and usually finish 3-4 books a week.

You used to be a police officer in New York and now you live in Wyoming? Was it difficult adjusting to a slower pace?  

After 47 years in the Big Apple I was ready for a slower pace.  I love living in Casper and the people here are fantastic. Our rush hour is from 5:00 PM till 5:02 PM!  The only thing I miss are some people back there and of course, the food!

What’s next for Duke Becker? 

Duke Becker returns in Murder by Prophecy, January 3, 2013.  He will face a killer who makes prophecies about murders in poems sent to the Chief of the NYPD. Book 3 and 4 are in editing.

I hope you'll check out Gary's book!


Also, I've been interviewed over at Falling For Fiction so if you're interested, head on over there and check it out.  Thank you, Hope and the lovely writers at FFF for interviewing me.  I'm quite flattered!