HELPLESS, by Daniel Palmer AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Mister Daniel Palmer, son of bestselling author, Michael Palmer, is here with me today. I had the honor discovering his amazing writing when I won a copy of his novel, Delirious. He has new novel out, Helpless, which we will be discussing.


I read Delirious, and I have to say, it really scared me. In a good way of course. Tell me, what inspired you to write this story?

I wanted my novel to take place in a high-tech environment because that was my background and area of expertise. I've since learned you don't have to write exactly what you know to craft a fine thriller, but for a first novel I thought the story should be rooted in a familiar world to me.

The character of Charlie, my protagonist, is a mash up of people I knew, worked with, and my own imagination. He comes from a start up culture, much like myself, so I was able to draw on a lot from my own personal experiences. I don't have a reoccurring character, but I decided early on that I would thematically link all my novels by having each explore the hidden dangers of commonly used technologies. I've written about sexting, identity theft, and Internet privacy.

With DELIRIOUS I wanted to explore how technology could be used to manipulate our perceptions of reality. It was then I asked myself: “What if somebody who wasn’t delusional, suddenly thought that they were?” The novel is essentially the answer to that question.


I enjoy how you use technology in your stories as a character in of itself. Share with us your technological background.

My career really started when I joined the founding team tasked with building Barnes & Noble's e-commerce Web site. This was Web 1.0 territory, at a time when Amazon was just a fledgling business. My role was to oversee the design, production, and user experience of the web site. Though I never wrote code for a living, I had to learn how to translate between the tech team and the business folks.

I've since brought that skill into my writing. I strive to write books that will appeal to geeks and techno-phobes alike. I want to go under the covers a bit and show the reader HOW I could steal their identity, or track a digital image back to the original source. However, even though technology plays the role of a character in my books, I focus mostly on the stuff of thrillers--character, tension, conflict and stakes. People don't turn the pages to find out how stuff works!

I love seeing a family of writers, what was it like having a bestselling author for a dad?

It was always "cool" to have a dad who was a brand name writer, but I never really thought about it until I became a writer myself. Now, I think it's the best! My father and I have had books come out around the same time, so we've done a few book tours together. It's really special to be able to share that quality time together.

We also perform parody songs about writing each year at the ThrillerFest awards banquet. This year's song should be a hoot. I can't reveal the title, but I promise it'll be a fun one. He's also been a great mentor for me. Whenever I have a question or a plot issue it doesn't hurt to be able to ask advice from a master craftsman. I've also been fortunate enough to have collaborated with my dad on a couple short stories. Our story DISFIGURED appeared in ITW's first ever anthology, Thriller, edited by James Patterson. Our second story, THE DEAD CLUB, was shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award.

I look forward to reading your new novel, Helpless, so what inspired you to write this one?

I wrote about this in the acknowledgments for HELPLESS, but I think it's worth repeating here. It was my editor, John, who suggested that I write about sexting. The idea immediately intrigued me as I’m attracted to stories that explore the hidden dangers of commonly used technologies. However, I didn’t want the story to center on what happens in the hallways of a high school when a teenage girl’s compromising pictures are shared among her peers. That’s a scary premise for sure, but not scary enough. Still, I knew as soon as John said “sexting” that I had a story here. I just needed to find it.

Then one day, while doing research, I found my story.

Here's the scenario I discovered that is in fact quite commonplace: It’s dinner time. You receive a knock on the door. You open the door and standing before you is a federal agent. The agent his holding nude photographs of your daughter. She explains that the FBI arrested a child pornographer who was in possession of these images. The agent requests to see your daughter, then asks to verify that she is, in fact, the girl depicted in the lurid photographs. Your daughter, who had sent these pictures to her boyfriend, is asked to sign and date the back of them. Your daughter is utterly mortified and frightened. She will be given the opportunity to write a victim impact statement. This statement will be read aloud at the time of sentencing should the accused be convicted. Not only will your daughter’s statement be read at this particular trial, but it will be put on file and read at the sentencing for any trial where your daughter’s image gets included as evidence.

And this will go on in perpetuity.

When your daughter is in college.

After she gets married.

Long after she has children of her own.

Now this, I thought, was very scary.

That scenario is at that heart of HELPLESS.


What authors inspire you?

I’m hands down a thriller reader. Greg Iles, Joe Finder, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane to name just a few of the greats I follow closely. Some other authors who may not be household names yet, but whose books I’ve really enjoyed are: Joe Hill, Kelly Link, Michael Robotham, and Olen Steinhauer. In terms of thrillers, here's a list of my top 5, which I fully reserve the right to change at any time.

1. The Stand, Stephen King (yeah, it crosses genres, but still . . .)
2. Marathon Man , William Goldman
3. Secret History, Donna Tartt
4. Jaws, Peter Benchley
5. Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy

Of course, I follow perennial bestseller himself, Michael Palmer, aka Dad.


Do you have any other projects coming up in the near future?

My third novel for Kensington is called STOLEN. It's about identity theft and asks the question: What if a husband commits identity theft to obtain health insurance for his cancer stricken wife and unwittingly steals the worst identity imaginable? It's my first book written entirely in the first person. It's given me a chance to showcase my voice in a bit more personal way. I think folks are really going to enjoy this one!


It was a pleasure to have you here, thank you so much!

Nine years after he left Shilo, New Hampshire, former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins has returned to raise his teenage daughter, Jill, following the murder of his ex-wife, Kelly. Despite Tom's efforts to stay close to Jill by coaching her high school soccer team, Kelly's bitterness fractured their relationship. But life in Shilo is gradually shaping up into something approaching normal.

Normal doesn't last long. Shilo's police sergeant makes it clear that Tom is his chief suspect in Kelly's death. Then an anonymous blog post alleges that Coach Hawkins is sleeping with one of his players. Internet rumours escalate, and incriminating evidence surfaces on Tom's own computer and mobile phone. To prove his innocence, Tom must unravel a tangle of lies about his past. For deep amid the secrets he's been keeping - from a troubled tour of duty to the reason for his ex-wife's death - is the truth that someone will gladly kill to protect...

One day, Charlie Giles is an up-and-coming electronics superstar. The next, he's a prime homicide suspect as his former employers are picked off one by one. Charlie watches his life unravel as his company and inventions are wrenched from his control, and his family is decimated.

With nowhere else to turn, he enlists his schizophrenic brother to uncover the dark family secrets that lie at the heart of the unfolding terror. "Delirious" is a mind-bending story where the line between what is real and what is imagined twists and turns...an addictive literary puzzle that every reader will want to solve.

BUY STOLEN HERE!

BUY HELPLESS HERE!
 
BUY DELIRIOUS HERE!
 
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