Ponder, Scribble & Scrawl : Author Spotlight: Author Randy Turner- Devil's Messanger

I first would like to thank Randy for allowing little ol' me to spotlight him on my blog. Randy has six books available on Amazon.com. Just click on the book covers to read about the two books below. Click here to go to Randy's Author page on Amazon to learn about his other books. Below are a few questions he answered for me and enjoy getting to know author Randy Turner.

1. Where do you call home? Joplin, Missouri
2. What is the title of your most recent book? 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado
3.What is your genre? I have bounced back and forth. My first two books were mysteries with the second being in the horror/mystery category. My last three books have been non-fiction. I have another non-fiction book coming out next month and a mainstream novel in the works.
4.Plans for a next book? Is it part of a series? My next book, Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado, is a follow-up to 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado. I am also working on a novel, "No Child Left Alive" which I plan to have as the first in a series about a troubled high school campus.
5.Are you a self-published author? Yes
6. Who's your favorite author? On the non-fiction side, it is David Halberstam. Wih fiction, I enjoy Edna Buchanan and John Grisham.
7. Your favorite book? Robert Nathan's Portrait of Jennie for fiction, either Woodward and Bernstein's All the President's Men or Halberstam's The Children for non-fiction
8.What book are you currently reading? Edna Buchanan's A Dark Lonely Place and Ted Sorenson's Counselor
9. A book you would recommend? Any of Edna Buchanan's Britt Montero series or any non-fiction by David Halberstam.
10.How do you pick your books? Many of them I find through looking for materials for the classes I teach (eighth grade English). I also always pick up new books by old favorites, including Grisham and Buchanan.
11. Advice for other authors? Keep writing and find as many venues for your work as possible. I blog on a regular basis and contribute to Huffington Post (usually on educational issues) and Daily Kos, as well as writing a column for a local newspaper. All of those, (and some social networking) have helped provide a steady readership for my work.
12.Do you write under a pen name? No
13. Where do you write? Usually on the sofa or at the kitchen table in my apartment.
14.What do you wear when you write? Nothing special. It depends on whether I am writing in the morning before I go to school or after work.
15. Do you have a pet? No
16. Favorite Food? Sonic Oreo Blasts- yum!
17. If you were deserted on a desert island, who are three famous people you would want with you? Bill Clinton and whichever two people he decided to bring along. (They might not be famous, but I will bow to his judgment.)
18. Of your characters, which one would you say is the most like you and why? I would say Oscar Whittington in my novel, Devil's Messenger. He is a teacher, slightly crazy, and not particularly good in social situations.
19. What made you want to be a writer? I always liked creating stories and working with words since I was in elementary school. I spent 22 years as a newspaper reporter and editor and that reinforced my love of writing and gave me insight into people and why they do the things they do.
20. Any weird talent? Not a weird talent, but I am the lead singer in a band which has an unfortunate name considering I live in Joplin, Missouri- Natural Disaster (named after my voice, of course) -Too funny Randy!
21.A favorite quote- I think the world of you...and we all know what kind of shape the world's in nowadays.
22.What is the one thing you never go without? From my old newspaper training- inkpens, though my IPhone is a close second.
23. Your biggest influence? I would say the teachers who encouraged me during my junior high and high school years. They always encouraged me to keep writing.
24. Favorite TV Show? The original Law & Order
25. A great blog you would recommend for others to discover? Reporter Jerry Mitchell's blog at the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Journey to Justice. Mitchell is a true hero for our times since he was the investigative reporter whose ceaseless work helped bring many murderers from the civil rights era to justice.

Amazon.Author Page- Read his bio.
Huffington Post page
Randy's blog, The Turner Report

Thanks for dropping in to get to know Author Randy Turner!