There is a darkness far worse than the night.
Bumper City
Detective Alton Cold Mystery Series Book 1
by Alan McGill
Genre: Futuristic Mystery Thriller
In the future, Las Vegas is nearly destroyed. Rebuilt under a dark cloud that blocks all sunlight, Sin City takes on a whole new meaning.
Beneath the neon, The Pagliacci Serial Killers are on the loose and a new drug called “Colors”, infused with nanotechnology, is killing thousands. Violence erupts as the mutant population take to the streets to protest working conditions and the disappearance of their loved ones.
Big Tech, the wealthy elite, and corrupt politicians attempt to cover it up. They can’t allow anything to interfere with the elections, profits, or their plans.
Can hard-nosed detective Alton Cold and his A.I. car Bessimer catch the killers, stop the cabal, and expose the truth? Or will the appearance of a mysterious woman cloud his judgement as the unnatural cloud darkens the sky?
To save the people he cares about, he’ll put everything on the line to confront a darkness far worse than the night.
About the Author Alan McGill is an American author who lives in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a clowder of cats. Alan was close to his grandparents who grew up in the Great Depression. They were married young and remained together until his grandmother’s passing. His grandfather served in the Navy during WWII and was a gifted storyteller who weaved humorous tales about tough events. Alan grew up with these stories of right and wrong along with watching fictional heroes such as The Lone Ranger, Adam West’s Batman and Captain America. Heroes who stood up to bullies and protected those who could not protect themselves. This made an impression on the author to always do what was right in his own life and shaped his love for storytelling. He is a multi-genre author with his debut novel being A Cry in the
Author Interview
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
- The Gunslinger – King
- Wizard and Glass – King
- The Princess of Mars – Burrows
- The Warlord of Mars – Burrows
- Canary Row – Steinbeck
- Haxfuri – Hemfry
- The Pit and the Pendulum – Poe
- Dr Syn alias The Scarecrow – Thorndike
- From a Buick 8 – King
- The Regulators – King
What book do you think everyone should read? The Gunslinger
How long have you been writing? I completed my first novel in 1994 but wasn’t published. I’ve written things off and on since then, but I’d have to say 2020 would be the official start.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? Bit of both. Some are inspired along the way. Something I am working through the story and believe needs a new element to propel it further. That’s when I come up with new characters and places.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? Not a lot. I usually research as I go. Although I have a story idea now and it will require some research.
Do you see writing as a career? No. It’s an expensive hobby at this point. But I’m okay with that.
What do you think about the current publishing market? I think Amazon is a doubled edged sword. They make it possible for indie’s like me to self-publish and tell our stories, but they screw the creatives by gobbling up the profits. They have us. We can’t really do it without them, so we have to eat the gianormous royalties they take. It’s just a bit disheartening because they really don’t do much. They have their thumb on the scale and there isn’t much we can do about it.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? Not much. No particular favorite genre. It just has to be interesting to me.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? I write in silence. I see the story and hear the words and prefer not to have any interference. I am the same way about reading.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? I have several projects going at once. Since I narrate and produce my own audiobooks, I have those plates in the air too. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep it all together. And I have write and narrate around my work schedule.
Pen or type writer or computer? Computer. I’m an old guy and grew up without a cell phone or computer. But I can’t imagine writing without a computer. The editing would be a nightmare.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book. I like Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series. He’s magnificently written by King. All the characters are, but Roland is my favorite.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? I was inspired by others to narrate books because of my voice. People seem to like it. So, I thought why not and dusted off A Cry in the Moon’s Light turning it into an audio drama as a podcast. It did very well reaching the Top 10 in Fiction Drama on Podbean in 2021. That inspired me to keep going.
Advice you would give new authors? Don’t write defensively. Don’t let critics or bad reviews get to you. Everyone has an opinion, some will like it, others won’t. If you try to write with a critique in mind you’ll lose the story you want to tell. Hire a good editor, then formatter, then cover designer, and put it out there. Don’t spend a lot of money. And enjoy the story because you will edit it over and over and over and over again.
Describe your writing style. All in. It’s all on me. Like it or not.
What makes a good story? No idea. Whatever someone likes. Everyone is different and people enjoy different things.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? I usually do an basic outline with a goal for the end. Then I do a short chapter by chapter outline. I pick off the topics in the outline as I go.
What are common traps for aspiring writers? Self-publishing isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Beware of the “marketing experts.” Social media is great networking but if you rely on your number of followers as customers, you’re bound to be disappointed. Hire a good editor.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? For me it’s all about being original. I write stories that I like. I create worlds that are interesting for me to be in with the characters I write. I know everyone is not going to like what I like, but if I write what I enjoy, I’ll put the passion into the writing which better serves the audience.
If you could tell your younger writing self-anything, what would it be? Learn audio engineering faster so you don’t have to spend as much money to have it done. Find a book formatter on your own, hire an editor on your own. You’ll save 50% or more and be able to put out more content.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex? I don’t find it difficult. I am inspired by those around me and pour that experience into those characters.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? Three or four months if I’m not interrupted by life. So, the answer is about a year for me.
Do you believe in writer’s block? Yes. I have it in one of my short stories. For me it’s a puzzle to be solved. I don’t lack inspiration, but I get stalled in the story and can’t see the way forward yet. I can’t figure out the why’s, but it always comes. Sometimes it just takes a little while to work it out.
World of Stories 
I enjoyed the post. Sounds like a good read.
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