In Episode 11, we interview Dean Koontz, one of the world’s bestselling masters of suspense, about his latest novel, Quicksilver, published by Thomas & Mercer. Dean Koontz has been a household name for as long as we can remember. With 79 NYT bestsellers, he’s one of the world’s most prolific writers, having written more than one hundred books and, at age 76, aiming to beat Henry James’ track record of 120. His books are published in 38 languages and have sold more than 500 million copies to date. In this very special episode, we discuss the pursuit of being a reckless optimist, fighting nihilism, quantum physics, and the mystery of being in the creative flow—where creativity is not coming from you but through you. Koontz’s creative output is almost superhuman, yet he’s one of the most lovable, down to earth and experienced authors you’ll ever get the pleasure of meeting. Please enjoy his bountiful wisdom on what it takes to become a master storyteller.
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Dean Koontz is the author of more than 100 books, 79 of which are New York Times bestsellers. He is one of twelve writers ever to have fourteen of these books rise to number one on the hardcover bestseller list and his books have also been major bestsellers in Japan and Sweden. He has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.” Dean is also a huge dog lover and is originally from Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, and their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Dean's early years
After graduating from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University), Koontz's first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where he was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. His first day on the job, he discovered that the previous occupier of his position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and Koontz was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer.
He wrote nights and weekends, which he continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: “I’ll support you for five years,” she said, “and if you can’t make it as a writer in that time, you’ll never make it.” By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband’s writing career.
Visit his website: https://deankoontz.com/
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby , a startup built to help authors succeed. Her debut novel, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. Her books have been published in eleven countries and translated into nine languages. Her most recent novel, Damascena:The Tale of Roses and Rumi, has been optioned for a film series. She's currently at work on her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her Labrador Retriever, Lady Gaia. To learn more about her writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com.
Submissions to Page One:
If you have a first page of fiction that you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a novel they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to educate, inspire, and celebrate the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.