Do the wrong thing–you’re dead
Do the right thing–the life you know is destroyed
Do nothing at all and you will have a hand in the biggest global war America has seen since World War II
These were the only options given to burnt out homicide detective, Jake Penny, after mistakenly exposing the American government’s biggest secret that never existed. Now an investigative reporter is digging too deep into his life, the NSA is hawking his every move, a shadow society is on the verge dimming his future, all while his demons are dragging him back to his dark past.
Detective Penny is forced to take action and stop the government’s adversaries from retrieving their secrets at all costs without bringing any light to what’s going on. But the biggest challenge for him will he be able to face the unexpected person standing in his way… himself.
Hello book lovers! Today is a day where I will be writing another author spotlight for a well-accomplished author whose work I have loved. As you know book lovers I love learning about authors and the inspiration behind their work, it fascinates me and adds to the depth of the book because the reader will be able to better understand it. That is how the author spotlights were created because I soon discovered that you lovely readers ALSO love learning about author’s, so I am excited to tell you a little bit more about author Ty Mitchell whose book V.E.N.O.M thrilled me from beginning to end. I personally would recommend this book to all of those that love thrillers but really the book can be read by anybody as it is flawlessly written and highly enjoyable. With today’s author spotlight, a biography of the author and an interview between me and Ty Mitchell will be shared, and I hope that you book lovers enjoy reading it! To kick this off here is an author bio about the wonderful Ty Mitchell!
Ty Mitchell is devoted to giving his readers fast-paced, high-stakes thrillers with complex storylines and deep-rooted characters. This is his debut thriller novel to a compelling series. He lives with his wife, two small children, and loveable beagle. Ty loves to hear from readers and reads all your awesome Amazon reviews to know what you think. Visit him at tymitchellbook.com
Now, how wonderful does Ty Mitchell sound?! Ty Mitchell is a truly exceptional writer and I hope that you lovely readers have a read of the author’s work because you will not regret it! Please see below an interview between me and the author and I hope that you enjoy Ty Mitchell’s answers to my questions, they are incredible and provide some great advice too!
Thank you for joining us today at Red Headed Book Lover! Please tell us more about yourself
Thank you for having me, and it’s an honor to be here. I’m a person who LOVES to tell stories, and as a kid, I knew I was going to tell stories for a living, I just didn’t know in what capacity. The writing bug bit me in college, and here I am today. I’m also a husband, a father of two (soon to be three), and I’m active duty military.
Could you please tell us readers about your book and what inspired you to write your book?
V.E.N.O.M. is a story about redemption. Detective Jake Penny stumbles over some government secrets that were supposed to be buried forever, but instead, he opens the door for a range of bad guys to come looking for something that could put the United States’ national security at risk. What inspired me to write the book was a 1978 martial arts film called Five Deadly Venoms. It’s about these five kung-fu fighters with unique fighting styles coming to a central location once a huge secret was exposed. The cool part about the film is that the fighters hid their identities, so it’s a mystery trying to find out who you can trust. After seeing the movie, I thought to myself, “wow, this would be really cool if done in modern times with the American government.” Next thing you know, I was writing a screenplay for it, which eventually turned into the book we have today.
What would your advice be for aspiring writers?
a) Don’t get hung up on how successful someone in your genre is or how many words/books they’ve written. Everyone has their own journey. Enjoy yours no matter how long it takes to get to the finish line.
b) The most important thing you can do when started a project (whether it’s your first or fifteenth) is investing 110% of yourself into the project. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a life because some of us have a family. I’m saying devote yourself to the craft and try to create the greatest body of work you possibly can. It took me two years to write V.E.N.O.M. You don’t have to take such a long time on a WIP (in fact, it won’t take me that long to write books in the future), but you should feel mentally/emotionally drained when you type “the end.”
In your opinion, what is the most important thing about a book?
In my opinion, the plot is the most important thing about a book with characters coming in at a close second. I used to be hybrid between a pantser and plotter (with 80% on the pantser side), but after writing V.E.N.O.M., I have converted entirely to a plotter. It is the basic foundation of the story, and nothing moves without it.
What is your writing process like?
As I said, I’ve become a plotter over the past two years, so I need everything mapped out before I begin writing. First, I develop all of my main and supporting characters. Then I construct the plot from beginning to end. Then I layer the plot with sub-plots, twists, and easter eggs. Finally, I do my research on the intricacies of the story like locations, dialects, occupations, etc. Once I have all of that completed, then I actually start writing. I try to write at least two hours a day or 2,000 words a day. That’s almost a novel a month.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Like I alluded to before, research is a huge part of my writing process. I think I’m one of those weird people who actually enjoy doing research because it’s an ongoing process. I do research before, during, and after writing. The reason for this is because it helps mold the story in a way that gives it a certain authenticity. Doing research can control what a character wants, how they feel, what they say versus what they think. It’s really a big part of my writing.
Do you have a set schedule for writing, or do you only write when you feel inspired?
I try to set a schedule, but as with all things, life happens. I found out that I’m really motivated in the early mornings versus late at night. Sometimes the juices are flowing, and I can knock out 3,000 words. Sometimes I’m on YouTube too much and knock out 300 words.
Lastly, when can we readers expect to read more wonderful books from you?
By the fall of this year, I want to start releasing V.E.N.O.M. origin stories of the main characters in the first book. Parker, Zasha, Jake, and Do Shen will all get origin stories with each one giving sample chapters to the second book in the series: OPERATION NIGHTFALL.
Its official book lovers, I am obsessed with Ty Mitchell! If you have liked what you have read about the author and are interested in learning more, then please do have a browse of the links below and be sure to have a read of the preview too! You will not regret it.
Goodbye for now book lovers,
Amazon U.S. – Amazon U.K. – Goodreads
Author: Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Barnes & Noble
