Anna N. is Now Available at Amazon

It's official. Anna N. is officially being offered on Amazon.com. Now don't crush each other rushing to buy the book ... there are plenty of Kindle copies on the shelf. I do encourage all of you to drop by the Amazon book page (search under C. Curtis Dillon) and read a few snippets. It's a good book. It'll keep you up reading all night. And the price is right.

The Beginning of "The Asylum"

It's excerpt Wednesday on my blog so here's this week's contribution:

Was sitting in front of the boob tube late last night when the itch hit me ... a new beginning for my second novel in the Viktor Orlov series: The Asylum. I'm introducing a new character that gets repeat performances and maybe even a series of her own. She's an integral part of the second book which takes place in Kiev, Ukraine and Grozny, Chechnya, Russian Federation. My first attempt was too violent and hard for a typical reader to connect with the character. She's dark but not that dark ...

Anyway, the juices started flowing so I went to retrieve the old MacBook and started pounding. An hour later I finished what you can read below. This is pretty raw with just a few passes to rub out the rough spots but I'm already smitten with it. This is how I wanted to introduce her ... in action and loving life. How much it changes before the story ends.

* * * * *

The young woman squeezed her knees against the gas tank as she slalomed the small dirt bike along the pothole-strewn street that angled toward the city's center. She was in a hurry and way behind schedule. The sun was already past its zenith and she had too many deliveries to make before the day's end.

Approaching a busy cross street, she slowed her momentum slightly, timing her entry to take advantage of a small opening between careening cars. She was an impatient type, unwilling to wait even a few moments for a favorable advantage. There was another reason not to wait; she was afraid of being overtaken or driven off the road by someone bent on inflicting harm. There were those who didn't agree with her chosen profession or her loose allegiances.

The little Kawasaki KX100 screamed as she pushed the engine to its redline, weaving in and out of the chaotic traffic approaching the center of Grozny. Her head swiveled left and right as she neared each cross street where she repeated the deft maneuvering to take advantage of breaks in the incessant flow of traffic. Only a sure hand and vast experience made these insane moves possible.

She thought lovingly about the little lime green motorcycle, her one remaining connection to her murdered father. She remembered squeezing the little gas tank between her outstretched arms as he sliced the tall grass at top speed. She'd scream with joy as they careened over the loose dirt and mud, the knobby tires throwing small missiles that stung her tiny face and exposed arms. He'd laugh and scream with her; a shared connection only a father and daughter could understand.

Deep melancholy sweep her body as she once again though about the powerful presence that had been ripped so violently from her life. She could still smell his foul Russian cigarettes, the cheap cologne and pungent sausage that permeated his clothes and skin. She'd grown so accustomed to his lingering scent that it had taken years for the odors to fade from her memory. Now they were just faint whispers that tickled her emotions whenever she thought about what had been lost.

There wasn't time for her to give into the welling emotions, as another frantic driver cut her off from her preferred line. She fought the fishtailing cycle while simultaneously planting her heavy, booted foot firmly into the soft sheet metal of the offending car, leaving a noticeable dent where once smooth paint had shown brightly. The driver slammed on his brakes, ready for a confrontation but she didn't falter in her drive to build distance from the showdown. Before he could exit the front seat she was gone, a cloud of blue smoke all that remained of her little conveyance.

She punched the air and let out a loud "Whoop" as the adrenalin rush pushed her body to the extreme. She loved the wind in her face and the high-speed vibration of the tiny engine pounding between her thighs. Flying through town on her little rocket was better than sex, better than almost anything. It was freedom with a capital "F" and she wouldn't give it up for the world. Those who'd tried in the past had thought better of their intentions after she finished with them. There was something about a baseball bat and soft tissue that left a lasting impression. She'd learned that from her father too.

As she approached the city's center she could see the changes wrought by the Russians and their Chechen puppet, Ramzan Kadyrov. Putin had spent billions remaking the ruined capital into a showplace. Bombed out buildings and destroyed streets were transformed into shiny edifices, broad boulevards and even a world-class mosque. But it was all a cheap facade, unable to cover the real rot eating at the population. The revolution had been crushed but the war was not over. The defeated warriors simply retreated to the high, inaccessible mountains where they waged a low-level but still deadly gorilla campaign. Nothing had really changed since the war's end in 2000.

The Sociopath Next Door

       

 Have you ever wondered how they do it? How a politician, without batting an eyelash or breaking a sweat, votes to push millions of disadvantaged citizens under the proverbial bus simply to enhance his power and prestige? How a businessman, with the stroke of a pen, closes a factory that's been a community mainstay for generations, furloughing hundreds or even thousands of lifelong employees and moves the factory overseas so he can save a few bucks on labor costs? Do you wonder how they sleep at night?

I can assure you they sleep very well. They're sociopaths. You'd be surprised how often this species of crazy occurs in the world. I read here that up to 4% of all people (mostly men) are sociopaths. This figure amazed me the first time I read it because, like many, I though sociopaths/psychopaths were automatically violent and/or serial murderers and a rare breed. That's absolutely not true. The vast majority of sociopaths never kill or even physically molest those they come in contact with. However, the opposite is almost always true … serial sexual killers tend to be sociopaths.

What identifies a sociopath? There are many characteristics one finds in sociopathic personalities (now called antisocial personality disorder or APD) but the most prevalent (and disturbing) are:

1) narcissistic behavior - it's all about 'me',

2) a complete lack of empathy - the suffering of others rarely concerns them,

3) lying, even pathological at times - they can get caught in the lie and just lie their way out of it,

4) risk taker and sexually deviant,

5) challenge authority - they actually seek out confrontation with authority figures to validate their superiority,

6) highly intelligent.

You've probably worked for a sociopath (they tend to be in positions of power) or known one. The vast majority of politicians have this problem. Let's face it, you have to be either a masochist or crazy to take the constant abuse they experience and to ignore all forms of acceptable behavior. A sociopath has no problem with criticism because they don't normally even see it as such. Look at the number of sexual excapades we've seen in Washington lately and tell me these guys are firing on all cylinders. Similarly, most senior business leaders are adherents to this illness. They have no limits, no little voices telling them they can't do something. Normal people have barriers they won't cross … not so with a sociopath. They only think about themselves and don't let the potential impact of their decisions dissuade them from going forward. Certainly those ruthless bankers on Wall Street and London didn't feel remorse after pushing the entire world over the edge. That's the certainty that divides a sociopath from the rest of us. They have no constraints on their actions.

When researching Anna N. I spent a great deal of time studying these special humans. I wanted to understand how they worked, how they interacted with normal people. As my studies progressed, I developed an idea based around a sociopath whose illness was nurtured by others to accentuate his insanity for their own nefarious purposes. The deranged sexual serial murder, the Avenging Angel, is the result. You see sociopathic tendencies in all of his actions.

For more on these interesting personalities, I suggest this research paper, and this website or search for "sociopath" on Google. Ignore the chaff about sociopaths/psychopaths and the APD designation which seems to be an argument raging within the community about just what to call them. See how many sociopaths you've known in your life. I suspect you'll be amazed how often one of these creatures has crossed your path.

What shall we talk about?

I've been thinking about this blog for the last few days, pondering the best way to use this platform. If you had asked me a week ago my intentions, I would have said "writing of course". Most authors talk about themselves, their craft and about their product. I'm reasonably sure I couldn't add anything they haven't addressed a million times so what could I say that hasn't already been said? I was reading Kristen Lamb's excellent blog about writing and social media, and liked very much her ideas. Following her suggestions, I've decided I don't want to just write about "writing" but about what the title of this blog says - "Explore the Dark Side". This is the subject I find compelling and worth talking about. So this blog will spend a great deal of time and energy exploring the dark side of human behavior. There will be no limits. Whatever topic tickles my fancy (or yours if you ask) will appear here. From politics (such a juicy subject) to business, war, crime and insanity - all will be covered. We'll explore the forces that drive our darkest desires and actions. We'll meet the most interesting characters here. Serial killers, mad rapists, evil dictators - they will each get their exposure. We'll argue about what makes them unique and so frightening. If possible, I'll invite experts to add their contributions to the discussion. I'm also planning to add links to the research material I use when plotting my stories. I encourage you to add links you find that may help. We'll write stories about characters you're interested in. We'll span the world looking for stories that horrify and entertain you. My characters know no national or ethnic boundaries.

So, welcome to the dark side. It should be a wild and scary ride. Are you strong enough to stand the pain?

The new age of publishing

For the last week I've been developing a web presence and getting Anna N. ready for publication. I've decided that, at least to start, I'll distribute this novel through Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook. I know this is a controversial decision that many will find difficult to understand. I've been reading a lot lately about the turbulence in the publishing industry and about the almost impossible hill a new author has to climb to be "traditionally published". Even if I start sending out letters and partials today, it will be at least 18 months before my book is released. Can you imagine the frustration an author feels when he has to wait that long for his work to see daylight? And, quite frankly, the compensation model for a new author is abysmal. He's lucky to see 20% of the paper book's list price and even less for an e-book. It's a hard way to make a living. So I've chosen to get the book ready myself and to put it up very soon. With any luck I'll see readers before the summer's end and that's very gratifying. Writers need feedback and support to continue what is a very lonely existence. I've spend well over a year writing Anna N. and would be devastated if I had to wait another 18 months to see it on a bookstore's shelves. Add to that the reality of publishing today and the fact that only top tier authors get any real support from the traditional publishers and you can see why more and more authors are making the switch to self-publishing. It just makes a whole lot of sense.

I'm also slogging through the battle to get my manuscript properly formatted for these electronic readers. You'd be surprised how basic the formatting is in these electronic 'marvels'. Much of the beauty one gets from a Word document is lost in translation. My first pass at a Kindle was a disaster ... almost unreadable. After I went through and replaced all the automatically generated 'fluff' that Word puts in, it got much better. And today, after going through and finding all the extra carriage returns and page breaks I'd accidentally put in, I got a very clean read. So we're close ... very close. Just waiting for the final corrections from my editors and we'll be ready to go.

I'm sure a few readers (especially other authors) wonder why I'm doing my own formatting and cover art. Reasonable questions. First, I'm a very 'hands on' guy and want to know how the process works. Honestly, it was and continues to be very eye opening. Second, I wanted to know what I could do to make the process easier in the future. Now that I've run through all the autoformatting issues with Word, I'll know what not to do with the next book (in early development as I type this ... a real thriller from the dark side). If nothing else, I'll make life easier for someone in the future and that's not all bad. Finally, with the cover, I wanted to establish a very specific image that carries through the series. I wanted an intense, photo-realistic impression that conveys the confusion and terror saturating the story. I think I was very successful in this case.

So, the process continues. I suspect the manuscript will be ready in a few weeks and then it appears at Amazon and B&N. I'll announce here and on Facebook when that's going to happen. Other formats will follow and I might even consider a publish on demand (POD) edition if enough demand materializes. What I do is up to you guys, my readers. Let me know what you want.

In the Beginning ...

Anna N. is coming! It seems only appropriate that I open my blog's first post by announcing that my new book, my first novel, is being readied for publication. As you can see, the cover art is finished and I'm thrilled with how it came out. I'm also thrilled because I did the whole thing. From designing the concept through creating the graphic and the overall visual, I did 100% of the work. But I wasn't completely alone on this. I have to give kudos to "Blender" (www.blender.org) a first-rate, open-source 3D rendering and animation package that I used to create the chessboard image and the gorgeous rendering plus to "Gimp" (www.gimp.org), another first-rate, open-source 2D graphic design package I used to finish the presentation. They are spectacular in every way as you can see.

I'll get to the plot for Anna N. in a moment. I'm sure you're wondering who the hell 'C. Curtis Dillon' is. Where did this guy come from and why should I give him a second thought? Those are fair questions I think and you deserve some answers. Although I've never been professionally published before, I'm a damn good writer. For years everyone told me I should give up my 'day job' and put my ideas on paper. I've always had a gift for writing but just never got around to doing it for a living. There was always that 'you have to feed the family' voice whispering in my head. There was always that pile of bills screaming for payment and 'life' demanding that I do something more immediate to keep the cash flowing and the bill collectors at bay. So I kept telling myself 'later'. Well, later finally arrived a year ago when all the excuses had been brushed aside and I was able to think about doing what I really wanted to do all along. And at this time, in this place, there's no lack of things to write about. Not when I'm sitting in the middle of the 'Evil Empire', in the ruins of the failed revolution with its rampant corruption and deprivation. If ever there was a perfect place for exploring human cruelty and stupidity, it has to be here. Among the ruins is where I discovered my first subject.

Have you ever wondered about 'them'? Those truly unique creatures that inhabit the dark edges of humanity? You know who I'm talking about. Their names are legend: Manson, Dahmer, Gacy, Bundy. Psychiatrists call them 'Serial Sexual Murderers' but we just call them monsters. I'd like to introduce you to another of these unique creatures. I doubt most of you have heard the name Andrei Chikatilo. Ring any bells? Maybe you've heard his 'professional' name ... the Rostov Ripper. Andrei's special talent lay in his ability to obliterate sexual identity. Over a 15 year period he butchered at least 56 women and small children. He'd lurk around train stations in the Rostov-on-Don region of the Soviet Union and lure vulnerable victims into the woods where he worked his 'magic'. The carnage was unimaginable. And yet, Andrei wasn't your usual sociopath gone beyond the norm. He wasn't your 'usual' monster. Andrei was a family man with two children. He was a teacher. He was the antithesis of a serial sexual murderer. And he was the most prolific serial murderer in Soviet history.

I discovered Andrei while researching serial killers for my new book. I found his story intriguing not only for his deeds but also for the unbelievable difficulty the police had in bringing him to justice. The principal investigator fought every form of bureaucratic ineptitude and political backstabbing imaginable. He was frustrated by poor forensics and greedy superiors. It's amazing that Andrei was discovered let alone apprehended. And then, when they had perhaps the most unique serial killer in history in their grasp, the Soviet state couldn't wait even a few months before marching him into a small, soundproof room and putting a bullet behind his left ear. Almost nothing was learned about this unique and frightening monster.

I know this system very well. I deal with it all the time. Eastern Europe is a cesspool of greed and corruption. Nothing works here without bribery and gifts under the table. The police, known as militia in this part of the world, are not inclined to investigate anything without grease from the family. A person like Andrei would be hard to find in this environment.

Anna N. finds its basis in the insanity of Andrei Chikatilo. Angel, the mad killer in this book, is loosely based on Andrei. Mostly in the way he butchered his victims. The rest comes from my overly vivid imagination. My wife thinks I'm demented and deserving of commitment. My editor loves every word. Me ... I have no idea who's right. I'll let you decide.

I leave you with the official blurb for the book. I hope you find it as intriguing to read as I did to write. Let me know what you think ...

* * * * *

“Detective, there are many curses in this world but exquisite beauty is, by far, the most dangerous.  It attracts the most vicious of characters, men of power, greed and unbridled lust.”

                                                            From Anna N.                                                                                                                                                                                             
Five days…  That’s all the time Anna Natolovna has left.  The clock ticks.  The chess game begins.

Will Detective Viktor Orlov save Anna before the demented monster Angel avenges his demons on her?

Anna's exquisite beauty evokes demons that plague serial killer and detective alike in a wrenching tale of murder, revenge, and deep, abiding friendship. This riveting, intelligently plotted mystery by a bold new writing voice claws into your consciousness and will not let you go.

Viktor and Angel clash in a computer chess game and over Anna’s life.  Who will win this confrontation with evil?

Set in the icy grip of a Ukrainian winter, this unpredictable, insightful novel leaves you emotionally drained.    Unsettling psychological trauma forces you to believe nothing is safe or sacred.

This is a shockingly detailed view of a serial killer’s mental descent into his personal hell.  Angel’s passions are inflamed by Anna’s sexual taunting and enraged by jealousy over Viktor’s abilities and power.

Viktor’s own demons torment him for his continued participation in a corrupt system that deadens his psyche and visits constant pain on him over his wife’s unsolved murder.  His strong need to protect others is challenged to the max.

Anna N. is a must read for anyone brave enough to explore the darkest recesses of human nature. Are you ready to face the evil?