Christopher Null

Next up in the Introducing the Author series is a friend and colleague, John Dingle, whose new book Karma Never Sleeps is already making waves.

Who are you, and what do you write about?

I’m R. John Dingle. I go by my middle name as I was named after my father, Robert, and apparently after causing some confusion when I was a toddler they shifted gears. My wife and I have continued that tradition by naming our three children with family names first and using their middle names on a daily basis. I sometimes wonder if my parents comprehended what they set in motion. Having been an avid reader since my late teens, I longed to be a writer for many years and once the last child launched set my mind to it. I write what I like to read – fast-paced (hopefully!) mysteries and thrillers that often have a cat and mouse dynamic with the antagonist.

What is your favorite word?

No idea. But my least favorite is ‘aint.’

What is your least favorite word?

I saw that coming… aint. I’ve just never liked the sound of that.

What is the trait you most like about yourself?

My work ethic and I thank my depression-era father for that. That man worked his entire life for everything he – and by extension, his family – had. I can recall as a young child him getting laid-off from his job. He was a printer and this was the early ‘70’s when – in hindsight – the industry was going through automation. I watched him work three jobs for several years instead of taking unemployment benefits and recall him saying he just felt better with himself for working. I guess that stuck.

What is the trait you least like about yourself?

It’s been suggested that I can be, at times, somewhat, maybe, slightly, sort of in a tiny way, obsessive when I have a lot on my to-do list…

What is your greatest fear?

I’m laughing out loud now. One of the shows we watched with the kids when they were in high school was Archer. And one of the well-known traits of Archer is his 3 greatest fears (Season 2 episode “Pipeline Fever”): alligators, crocodiles (they’re smaller but armored), and aneurysms (because they can happen anywhere at any time without warning). This has become a common saying/joke in the family. So, no longer living in Australia where the crocs are as big as a bus and as fast as the roadrunner, I’d have to say an aneurysm. Archer was onto something.

How do other people describe you?

I’m super happy that I don’t know.

What talent would you most like to have?

To be a great writer. I know people who write phenomenally well and it seems effortless for them. I hammer away at the keyboard to get a rough first draft then beat it into submission with all the zest of a rugby player until it’s coherent enough for someone else to read.

If you weren’t working as a writer, what would you be doing?

Famous actor, Tom Cruise-level. I’ve acted once, a long time ago in a community theater production of Don’t Dress for Dinner and had an absolute blast. I also discovered just how much work goes into acting and have had a greater appreciation for those that pursue that career path ever since. It’s become a joke in the family that ‘I coulda been a contender’ if I’d just pursued it in Hollywood.

How would you like to die?

Instantly.

If you were to die and then come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Any dog my wife ever adopts.

When and where were you happiest?

I’m generally a very happy person so it’s difficult to find that one spot or point in time. Other than the typical times (i.e., getting married, birth of children, etc.), I’d say a few thoughts stand out. We lived in Australia for a few years when the children were pre-school age and that was a pretty amazing time. We were fortunate to be able to have my parents live with us beginning when our oldest was 1.5 years old for the remaining ~20 years of their lives (with the few year break while we were in Australia). It was pretty special to have our children grow up in a multi-generational home – an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. And, lastly, after our youngest got settled away at college my wife and I moved up to a 200-year old home we bought years ago and fully restored on a small island off the coast of Maine. So these past ~7 years or so have been fairly magical as well.

What is your greatest regret?

Quitting track in college. It was a small state school in the lowest division known to mankind so it’s not because I could’ve gone to the Olympics or anything significant. It’s just that I quit and I regret making that decision.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Nothing (he says, voice rising with uncertainty).

Who is your fictional hero?

Charlie Parker, hands down. If you’re not reading John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series you’re missing out on some of the best mystery/thriller stories and writing out there. Charlie has a very trauma-filled past but he keeps going and always does the right thing.

Who are your favorite writers?

My top (in no particular order):

• John Connolly – the worlds he creates and the flawed characters are simply awesome
• Thomas Harris – what he can convey with a single sentence or word is amazing
• Luke Jennings (Villanelle series) – his style is so smooth and enthralling
• Stieg Larsson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series) – incredible attention to detail and was an amazing story teller

What have you been working on lately?

Well, it’s been a tad bit hectic around here lately. My first book in the Gus Wheeler FBI series (and first book overall), Karma Never Sleeps, is due out on April 14. It’s a psychological thriller set in a small, quintessential New England country town that’s home to a group of women (‘The Posse’) who spent their adolescence at the top of the food chain. Their life trajectories were sharp and steep, full of promise. But now in their late 30s, the strain of living around a secret from their past has frayed the fragile dynamic of their tribe. So when one of them is found murdered they’re all-too-willing to believe it’s a random act of violence. But soon another turns up dead and when her murder is connected to a decades-old suicide, fissures in their delicate relationships are exposed. Kendalton soon becomes a hunting ground of psychological torture, and The Posse its prey. As the FBI closes in, loyalties are tested, vows are broken and long-held lies are shattered in the process. Who will persevere, those bound to a secret for the life they’ve created or one seeking it’s absolution?

And, after getting Karma Never Sleeps through editing, I turned back to a stand-alone thriller I wrote while seeking a publisher and made the final edits from my editor so it’s ready to shop. This one involves a group of geeky friends that stumble onto a string of disappearances and use social media to solve the crimes. I’m excited to get this one into the publishing process.

Also, I’ve got the first draft of the second book in the Gus Wheeler series with my editor at Tule Publishing and am awaiting edits on that. In this story, Gus and his younger, edgy partner Vanessa get a case in a small city in Massachusetts involving a string of murders of women last seen in a live music club area of the city, Music Row (think a smaller Quarter in NOLA and with crappy ‘80’s and ‘90’s cover bands). Unlike Karma Never Sleeps where the story unfolded in a small rural New England town, this story has a very urban vibe.

And, lastly, I’ve just finished the synopsis for the third book in the Gus Wheeler FBI series and am almost done with the research for the backstories of each of the primary characters. So I’ll be turning my attention to the outline for that shortly.

Check out Karma Never Sleeps at Amazon and find out more about John at rjohndingle.com.

Want to be the next thriller writer profiled on the blog? Email me here!