The Secret Dead Blog Q&A: Dave White

Award-winning crime novelist Dave White has been a friend of Secret Dead Blog for years now, though we're not sure why. The first time Secret Dead Blog met him, Dave made some crack expecting to see a fifty-five-year-old man. (At the time, Secret Dead Blog was 33.) But that was okay. Over the next two years, Secret Dead Blog left a series of increasingly absurd comments on Dave's blog under the pseudonym, "Abe Vigoda." At one point, "Abe Vigoda" even inspired a few copycat Abe Vigodas, which drove poor Dave out of his fool mind. Secret Dead Blog did not reveal the truth about Abe Vigoda until years (and we're talking years) later.

Anyway, Dave is out with an ass-kicking new novel called Witness to Death, so Secret Dead Blog thought it would be fun to ask him a few questions about it.

Secret Dead Blog: Witness to Death is your first stand-alone thriller. What inspired it? (Please tell me that it's totally autobiographical, because that will make my day.)

Dave White: Minus the explosions, vicious assassins, tasers, hand grenades, guns, knives, and running for your life, it was completely autobiographical. 

That's actually not a lie. The main character, John Brighton, is -- well was -- a lot like me. He was a teacher in his late 20s, getting over a break-up, wondering if he's good at his job, and just basically trying to figure out who he is. Sounds like someone in a Nick Hornby novel, in a way. Someone dealing with those guy insecurities we're never allowed to talk about. Then I wanted to take that guy and stick him in a James Bond novel. 


But the heart of the novel is autobiographical. There ya go, Duane. Day made.

SDB: You're bravely venturing into the e-book jungle. What's the best thing about it... and what's the worst?

DW: The best part is the control I have. I got to pick the cover, I got to have it formatted the way I wanted it. I put it up myself so I could choose when it went on sale. I love that. If the book succeeds it's because of me. If it fails, it's still because of me. There's a lot of freedom with that.

And, not to sound like a canned answer in a job interview, but the worst part is also having total control. I can check sales anytime I want and I can see when the book is moving and/or not moving. If it's not moving, I feel like I want to do something about it... I'm trying to implement some rules on myself (number of times I can check sales, how much I can post about the book and where)... but it's hard and it's really iPhone-like addictive. 

SDB: Why did you ignore my sage advice and not kill Jackson Donne at the end of his first appearance in your acclaimed debut, When One Man Dies?

DW: He is dead. He died at the end of the first book. You just have to read between the lines to see it.  And what's cool about that is... the second book, The Evil That Men Do is actually a really wild ghost story.

I took your advice, I just didn't want to tell you. How much credit can I give my mentor?

SDB: What's up next for you, novel or story-wise?

DW: There are a few things on the boiler. I have to write a few short stories that I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about yet. I'm revising a serial killer novel about a man who's not really a serial killer.  And I have an idea for a new PI and a new PI series that I want to work on. Lots of ideas, just gotta get 'em on paper.  Or computer screen...

SDB: How angry were you when I confessed to being your "Abe Vigoda" stalker after all those years?

DW: I'm not sure I was angry as much as stunned. When you told me, it felt like the end of The Usual Suspects... all the pieces began to fall into place. All the clues made sense... the little hints. Of course, "Abe" was a kind of martyr... the end of his era seemed to touch of a continuous stream of anonymous or half-hearted celebrities who wanted to comment on my blog and make fun of me. Once I got over the stunned feeling, I think I actually ended up a bit impressed. You know how to keep a secret. Well done, sir.

Witness to Death is available at Amazon (for the amazing low price of 99 cents!) and Barnes & Noble (also only 99 cents). Pick up a copy, keep the kid out of trouble.