David
Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young
age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen
years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern
Heat is his first mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s
Island for five
years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their
dog call South Carolina home.
His
latest book is the southern noir/mystery, Southern
Heat.
Visit his website at www.davidburnsworthbooks.com.
Gunshots
echo down an antebellum Charleston alley. Brack
Pelton, an ex-racecar driver and Afghanistan War veteran, witnesses the murder
of his uncle, Reggie Sails. Darcy Wells, the pretty Palmetto Pulse reporter,
investigates Reggie's murder and targets Brack.
The
sole heir of his uncle's estate, Brack receives a rundown bar called the
Pirate's Cove, a rotting beach house, and one hundred acres of preserved and
valuable wetland along the Ashley River. A member of Charleston's wealthiest
and oldest families offers Brack four million dollars for the land. All Brack
wants is his uncle's killer.
From
the sandy beaches of Isle of Palms, through the nineteenth-century mansions
lining the historic Battery, to the
marshlands surrounding the county, Southern Heat is drenched in the humidity of
the lowcountry.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON
Can you tell us what your book
is about?
Sure.
An emotionally wounded Afghanistan War veteran and ex-racecar driver
investigates the murder of his uncle, his only real family. Set in modern day Charleston, S.C. and its surrounding islands, Southern Heat takes in the mixed culture of the lowcountry.
Why
did you write your book?
This
question is a good one. I guess I wrote
down what came out. It didn’t start out
the way it ended up, but I’m very happy with the cast of characters and the
setting.
Can
you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?
Brack
Pelton, the protagonist, wears his heart on his sleeve. His wife died of cancer six months after she
was diagnosed and his way of coping was to retire from racing and sign up for
the Marines and be shipped off to Afghanistan. Not
only didn’t he die, which he half expected to, but his decision led him to do a
lot of things he regretted, the memories of which he has to live with.
Darcy
Wells is the pretty reporter who is charged with finding the story behind the
murder of Brack’s uncle. She has a
resemblance to Brack’s late wife in her blue-green eyes and blond curls and is
a member of one of Charleston’s wealthiest families. She uses her wealth, her wiles, and her drive
to get the story.
Patricia
Voyels is the owner of the newspaper and news network. She sent Darcy to take on the story. She also happens to the ex-wife of Brack’s
uncle.
Brother
Thomas Brown pastors the Church of Redemption in the projects of Charleston. He
become’s Brack’s moral compass when he’s willing to listen.
Altogether,
they help Brack find the killer, and the real reason his uncle had to die.
Are
you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel or do you discover
it as you write?
For
Southern Heat, it was a journey of
discovery. Because it was my first book,
I spent a lot of time on the characters and they framed the story for me.
Your
book is set in Charleston, S.C. Can you tell us why you
chose this city in particular?
I
lived there on Sullivan’s Island for five years. There is no city on earth like it and it is a
part of my life that I will treasure forever.
Getting the chance to put it on paper was just a bonus.
Is
it hard to get a mystery published?
I’m
not sure I can answer the question. For
me, it was a lifestyle change to decide to write and follow through with
it. I started with minimal writing
skills because my background is in engineering and spent the first two years
finding my voice. Once I had that, then
I spent another couple learning the craft, which I’m still learning. I believe the trick to getting published is
to make sure you are at the right place and at the right time, both for
yourself and your work.
Have
you suffered from writer’s block and what do you do to get back on track?
If
I’m having trouble with a scene, I mark it and move on. Sometimes this ends up burning me because the
next scene I jump to may or may not be the right one once I flesh out the one I
skipped. But for me, the secret is to
always be writing or editing. Even if it
is total crap. I once wrote a hundred
pages, only to use two. But those two pages
helped me finish.
What
would you do with an extra hour today if you could do anything you wanted?
I’d
spend it with my wife. We both work a
lot.
Which
holiday is your favorite and why?
Christmas,
because I’m reminded how blessed I am and from whom.
If
we were to meet for lunch to talk books, where would we go?
A
place with a nice view. My wife got me
in the habit of enjoying my surroundings.
I like being close to bodies of water.
What
do you like to do for fun?
My
addiction is magazines about automobiles.
I get like twelve a month and struggle finding time to read them
all. With my wife, we like to travel and
vacation which is not nearly frequent enough.
What kind of advice would you
give other fiction authors?
If
you want to publish, learn the business because it is a business. I’m a novice, but I’m learning every
day. If you just want to write because
it makes you happy and don’t care if it ever gets printed, then by all means write. Writing and publishing are not mutually
exclusive, but they are different entities.