Hey everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a blog post. It seems like we all get so incredibly busy and it’s so hard to find the time to do everything. Between writing books, editing a novel, promotion, working full time, and training for triathlons, doing the promotion and social media for all the books seems to fall to the wayside.
So without further ado, I thought I’d update you! I am back to doing book events and if you live on Long Island and would like to come on over and get a signed copy of one of my novels, please check below where I’ll be. Love to see you.
What have I been up to? Well, my newest thriller NOWHERE TO RUN is out!
When survival comes at a cost…
In the center of the ocean lies a dark secret. Ten strangers, each with a unique gift waiting to be unleashed, find themselves stranded on a remote island.
But their arrival is no accident. Kidnapped and brought there by a shadowy organization, they are pawns in a deadly game of experimentation and manipulation. Their captors believe they possess abilities unlike any seen before, powers that could change the course of humanity and ones they can harness for their own evil purposes.
In this supernatural thriller, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the ten must confront their fears and fight for their lives. For on this island, nothing is as it seems, and the true enemy may be closer than they think.
If you’re interested in checking it out, it’s available here:
Launch days are always so exciting… and so scary. My stomach hasn’t stopped jumping since it went live. As writers, when you put yourself and your work out to the world, it feels immediately like you’ve entered a gladiator pit and you’re fighting to the death! You feel so vulnerable but yet at the same time, so exhilarated that you’ve written a new book and want to get it out to the world. But, at the same time, you just don’t know how the novel will be judged.
NOWHERE TO RUN has a lot of dark moments, discussions about race, and while it is a supernatural thriller, it’s also about how far someone will go to save the one they love. I am always so nervous about anything that may be considered controversial and tried so hard to make sure I was writing this book properly. I vetted different editors, beta readers and queried people, so I think it’s sound. Just dark. And sexy. And violent – but hey, that’s how I roll. And really, the novel and the characters write themselves so you just have to let the process do its thing.
What’s it about?
“In the center of the ocean lies a dark secret. Ten strangers, each with a unique gift waiting to be unleashed, find themselves stranded on a remote island. But their arrival is no accident.
Kidnapped and brought there by a shadowy organization, they are pawns in a deadly game of experimentation and manipulation. Their captors believe they possess abilities unlike any seen before, powers that could change the course of humanity and ones they can harness for their own evil purposes.
In this supernatural thriller, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the ten must confront their fears and fight for their lives. For on this island, nothing is as it seems, and the true enemy may be closer than they think.”
You can also read about me on Best Selling Reads here. And it’s available on Amazon in print and ebook globally here: amzn.to/3VJURy1. Love to see what you think of it and an honest review would be so appreciated. Enjoy!
I’ve got a fun announcement. My newest supernatural thriller, NOWHERE TO RUN, is up for Pre-order on Amazon e-book! This is the very first time I’ve ever done a book on pre-order, but if folks are planning on ordering, by doing this it will all hit on launch day and will help me in the rankings incredibly.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I actually started writing this novel well over 20 years ago. It’s been with an agent, was picked up by a publishing house that closed down before launch, then was with 2 different editors where I changed the bad guys at one point. I struggled with some of the concepts of the story and how it would be received. Well, I finally just decided to get it out to the world. It’s typical me and my style. Easy prose, fast paced, a little sexy, a little violent and off the wall ideas. The Official Launch Date is July 1st but if you’re interested, I’d love it if you were planning on grabbing it to possibly consider doing the pre-order. Just $2.99 and I’d love to share it with you. As always, when you’re finished, I’d love an honest review.
In the center of the ocean lies a dark secret. Ten strangers, each with a unique gift waiting to be unleashed, find themselves stranded on a remote island.
But their arrival is no accident. Kidnapped and brought there by a shadowy organization, they are pawns in a deadly game of experimentation and manipulation. Their captors believe they possess abilities unlike any seen before, powers that could change the course of humanity and ones they can harness for their own evil purposes.
In this supernatural thriller, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the ten must confront their fears and fight for their lives. For on this island, nothing is as it seems, and the true enemy may be closer than they think.
NOWHERE TO RUN is a gripping tale of suspense, romance, and superhuman abilities, where survival is the ultimate test of strength.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for your support.
I wrote a young adult, dystopian, science fiction thriller called THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT. It’s the year 2176 and is about 13 orphans who live isolated in a building called Harlan House, which resides in the middle of a bustling city. They are the only people on the planet who don’t have an immunity to fight against a disease that has been raging the planet for a hundred years. So, to keep them safe, they live together, only seeing the city below through the 8th floor roofdeck.
I took this unique idea to do a series of posts on social media introducing the characters in the books. I’d love to know if any of you think this is interesting or effective? I think it was pretty cool.
I had a lot of fun creating these. There’s this fine line of saying too much or too little, so love to hear what you think. If you’d like to check out the novel, you can get it here on Amazon.amazon.com/dp/B0BPF67XC1/
I’m really excited to interview David C. Cassidy on my blog this week. Authors that gear their writing towards Horror and Suspense have a special place in my heart. Scare me and keep me on my toes, pretty please! So without further ado…
David, can you describe your writing process? Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I’m a deep, deep planner. My outlines look like movie scripts but contain much more detail. I always begin with a seed idea for the story, and then I spend weeks or months developing my character profiles—their past, present, and future. By the time I’m finished, I know them inside and out; they become as real to me as family.
My books read like movies. One of the most important things I do is select actors for each character in the book and include a photo of them in each profile—actors who I think would be perfect for the role. In my time-travel thriller Velvet Rain, I chose Hugh Jackman for Kain Richards. In the supernatural horror novel Gateway, Joaquin Phoenix would play Jared Cole. Having these images ingrained in my mind allows me to picture them and their reactions in every scene that I write. They come alive on the page.
As I’m developing my characters, quotes, scenes, and plot points leap out at me. Things they need to say and do. How the story progresses from start to finish. Only then, usually after several months, do I start to write.
This is fascinating, David. I usually have an idea of the beginning, middle and end of my own novels, but besides that, I’m just a big panster I think! Though when I wrote my Kelsey Porter series, I did what you did and I created a 20 page character document with photos and descriptions of each character. Kelsey had 4 full pages just dedicated to her. I know that girl now inside and out!
I want to hear more about your book Gateway. Can you describe it in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it?
A troubled man with miraculous power. Crazies and killers. Evil unleashed.
Okay … that’s 11 words. But I’m used to breaking so-called “writing rules” all the time. For me, there are no rules.
Shameless plug: The reviewer at TaleFlick.com—a company that pitches books and scripts to major movie studios—awarded Gateway with a “TaleFlick Pick” badge, highlighting it for producers and directors. The reviewer’s summary stated it would make a good film or mini-series and could win awards in the horror and thriller categories.
That is incredible and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Having your baby on the big screen is something that would be amazing.
Curious, do you have any odd writing habits?
I do. Whenever I sit down to write, I tap four keys first: L. U. C. K.
Ok, this is SO COOL. It’s like you put your feelings out to the universe. I’m a firm believer in positive thinking. Though with your talent, luck isn’t necessarily needed.
What do you enjoy most about writing horror?
My stories are character-driven, never plot-driven. It’s all about the characters and their overwhelming struggle to carry on. The story—their story—comes from them. From where they’ve been and where they’re going. So for me, writing about real characters—in my mind—that’s gold. I need to feel their purpose and pain. And I do. Many readers have told me the same after reading my books.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Photography—film and digital. I’m very visual, whether it’s in words or images. I love to create art with keyboard and camera.
That’s fantastic, David. Tell me, where can readers find your books?
All my books can be purchased from my online store at www.davidccassidy.com/store. The books are much cheaper there than at the major retailers. I also offer special deals and exclusive bundles at great prices.
Of course, my books can also be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Smashwords, and Kobo.
About Gateway
Sometimes, good people do bad things. And sometimes … really nasty things.
Jared Cole has it all. Talent. Fame. Success. But this best-selling horror novelist also has an astonishing power: he can see souls. Returning to his sleepy hometown of Torch Falls, Montana after seven years in the grind of New York City, it seems the perfect plan to keep his secret safe and to jump-start his sagging career. But when he unwittingly opens a window—a gateway—into the soul of an epileptic child, his dream of a fresh start becomes a nightmare. A relentless and sinister evil is unleashed, twisting peaceful townsfolk into psychotic crazies and cold-blooded killers. Can Jared close the gateway before the town becomes a graveyard?
Author BIO David C. Cassidy is an award-winning author, the twisted mind behind several chilling books of horror and suspense.
His supernatural thriller, The Dark, won the Independent Book Publishers Award and ReadersFavorite.com Award in horror fiction.
If you love horror with unforgettable characters in epic stories that draw you in and won’t let go—stories that haunt you long after the final page—then check out his incredibly rich storytelling.
For nearly 20 years I worked for Gannett at a magazine called USA WEEKEND. We were a sunday magazine that was filled with entertainment and food and all sorts of fun things. Eventually it got sold and I moved on to the digital world, but my family has always supported newspapers.
We used to have four of them delivered to the house and now we’re down to just two. But we read them every morning at breakfast, and the funnies and puzzles seem to stay out all week as we all work on them. I think it’s so important to support our local papers. Newspapers are struggling so much, so getting that yearly delivery to keep the “local” in newspapers is so important.
I’ve been fortunate quite a few times to be featured in the local papers for my novels, including Newsday and The Roslyn News!
I have a few books readers may be interested in picking up. Do you like? SciFi? Try THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT, like horror? Try RICKET ROW and THE MANNEQUINS and if you love adult thrillers my Kelsey Porter series is the go to. THE HUNT FOR XANADU is book #1 and it’s just 99 cents on Amazon ebook. Here’s my author link to amazon if you’d like to give any a try. amzn.to/40CMkNG If you can find it in your schedule to do a review, I can’t tell you how appreciated it would be.
AND DON’T FORGET, you can call your local library and ASK them to buy/get any of my books. Each library has an acquisition manager, so that is always an option. Right now the Nassau County LI system has nearly 7 of my novels, shared through different libraries. Enjoy!
When I was in college at Stony Brook University, I took American Sign Language, for two years. It was just something that always fascinated me and I thought the language was beautiful.
Many years later, I had the idea to write a book with a young deaf boy as the main lead. That is how FLYING TO THE LIGHT was born. It is about a deaf child who knows a secret so big that everyone in the country is after him. I then began to do school talks about the novel and had the good fortune to be able to sit with students at a few different deaf schools. But, I didn’t want to just go into the school and have an interpreter. I wanted to be able to speak to the students myself. So I started classes at The Sign Language Center in NYC to refresh what I had learned so many years ago.
I did a few talks, some at Millneck Manor and St Joseph’s School for the Deaf. I did have an interpreter at
Me and my wonderful interpreter at St Joseph’s School for the Deaf
both events, but I did try my best to use my skills when I could. Both of those visits were eye opening for me. While in my novel the young boy, named Danny, is deaf and does not speak, I have his entire family using sign language to communicate with him. It didn’t occur to me that a parent would not learn sign language to speak to their child. Unfortunately, I heard from the students that most families DO NOT learn sign language to speak to their deaf children. We spoke about a lot of other things, but this really hit home. The conversations really helped me in writing the sequel called, FLYING TO THE FIRE. I changed some content of that novel specifically because of my conversations with the students at these schools.
FLYING – Young Adult Series
But what is really interesting is now my children are interested in ASL and both took the language for four years in high school. And now my son is continuing his education in Deaf Studies with the hope to either be an ASL Interpreter one day or perhaps work in a Deaf School.
I’ve been written up by so many different deaf websites and I thought it might be nice to list some here so you can learn about them. Please click on each one and it will take you right to the articles.
Oh, I’m so excited I can barely speak (or write!). Six years ago I started a journey to write a thriller series and now flash forward to the present. On October 1st I’m going to be launching Book #5 in the series, THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT.
The entire saga follows Kelsey Porter, a young girl who suffered tragedy in her young life. While in Tibet with her family, drug lords murdered her parents. Kelsey has dedicated her life to finding her parents’ killers but along the way discovers things about herself and her family that she never thought possible. I’ve steeped the novels in rich Buddhist lore and did so much research to follow the doctrines (though truth be told, I have twisted some of the lore to my own fictional literary devices for the sake of the stories)
Are you a fan of the series? Want to get some inside scoop? Then come over to my Facebook launch party on October 1st. It’s free and it’s all online. I’ll be answering questions, sharing deleted chapters, giving inside scoop and there will be prizes. Please RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2110445339273473/
As always – if you have enjoyed the books in the series, reviews help so very much to get others to try it out. I’d appreciate it greatly if you could just do a quick little honest review to any of the novels you may have read. I’ll make it easy – here’s the link to my author page… click HERE! THANK YOU and see you October 1st!
Hi, everyone! My five-year journey is finally coming to an end. I am officially launching Book #5 in the Kelsey Porter thriller series on October 1, 2018. This book will sum up everything that has happened in the series thus far and answer all those questions everyone has been asking over the past four novels. I think fans of the series will love it and be really satisfied with the ending.
I spoke a few times about why I started this series. It was because I wanted to write a book that I thought my favorite authors, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, would personally love. I wanted it to be smart and thoughtful and require a lot of research. I actually got up the nerve to ask one of them if they’d like to read THE HUNT FOR XANADU and Douglas told me that this was right up his alley. He gave me a glowing review for THE HUNT FOR XANADU below and you can read it under editorial reviews on Amazon here.
The Hunt for Xanadu by Elyse Salpeter is a remarkable novel, a fascinating and fantastical journey in time and space, and one of the most gripping novels I’ve read in a long time. It flies along at the pace of a thriller, with plenty of murder and mayhem along the way. But behind the thrill-ride is a spiritual story, an archetypal tale of mystery and darkness, riddled with fascinating and esoteric concepts in Tibetan Buddhism. Vivid characters, a truly appealing protagonist, unexpected twists, and crisp writing complete this unforgettable book. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
–Douglas Preston, #1 best selling author and co-creator, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast series
Book #5 in the Kelsey Porter thriller series
The cover for Book #5, THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT, came out great. In fact, I went ahead with my cover artist and we changed all the covers to have more of a thriller feel. Love to hear what you think of the entire series now.
For all those folks that want to catch up on the series… I’m going to drop the price of THE HUNT FOR XANADU to 99 cents until the end of October to give everyone a chance to catch up on the series. You can purchase it here.
As always, if you’re able to leave a review, I’d appreciate it so much. I hope you enjoy reading this series as much as I loved writing it!
I’m so excited to announce that Book #4 in my Kelsey Porter thriller series is now live! I wanted to do something a little different with this novel. In the past three books, I have my characters constantly moving all around the globe, and this time I wanted them to simply “stay put” someplace. So much has happened to them over the past year, I just wanted to give them a little peace and quiet. I thought they deserved it after the last novel! So I plopped Kelsey and Desmond in a luxurious, secluded mountain resort for a little weekend get-away. But, of course, the universe does not let Kelsey ever rest… ever.
All she wanted was a weekend away…
“Kelsey and Desmond escape to a Gothic Victorian mountain resort for the weekend, but when they arrive, their idyllic plans begin to unravel fast. Kelsey feels a sinister, dark presence pervading the hotel, and with a snowstorm raging, they are stranded with an evil she cannot name. A fleeting figure screaming down the hallway, staff with missing body parts, and then Desmond disappears, leaving behind a trail of blood. Kelsey soon discovers she’s fighting a deep magic she hasn’t seen in eons and she must figure out what is happening at Cragg Hill House… before it is too late.”
While keeping the book steeped in the Buddhist thriller theme, I wanted to also add a little twist to this. I love horror and all things creepy, so I interweaved a little of that into this novel as well. If you liked my horror anthology, RICKET ROW, you’ll be sure to like the surprises I added to this particular tale.
If you’re interested in picking it up, or any in the series, please see below:
Elyse Salpeter 
