Today in my vitual lounge I have the fabulous Chris Lindberg. He was born and raised outside Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Northern Illinois University in the mid-1990s, he headed out to the west coast for a couple of years, where he began writing as a casual pastime.Some time after returning to Chicago he began attending writers workshops at StoryStudio Chicago, where he wrote two character studies, both of which have since been developed into key characters in Code of Darkness.
Chris now lives outside Chicago with his wife Jenny and their two children, Luke and Emma. Keep yopur eyes pealed, because you just might catch him working away on his second novel while commuting on his morning train into the city.
Hi Chris, a little birdie tells me that you have a book hot off the press. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
Morning Margaret. It's nice to be here in your virtual lounge.Code of Darkness is my first novel. It’s a dark thriller that also has elements of sci-fi and even a little horror. It centers around a mysterious vigilante only known as Rage, and Larry Parker, the Chicago Police officer who is hot on his tail. When Rage’s past catches up with him, a covert Black Ops division within the Pentagon is dispatched to find Rage, and eliminate Parker, who is seen as knowing too much. The deadly chase takes them cross-country to a top-secret military facility, where the greatest danger of all awaits.
That sounds like a brillient first book. So what’s next on your writing agenda?
I’m bouncing back and forth between two projects: a coming-of-age space opera, and an apocalyptic thriller. But I’m getting some welcome feedback from readers that I should be doing a sequel to Code of Darkness, so I suppose I’d better get working on that, too.
Ah yes, it's always wise to listen to your readers. Just for fun, pick your favourite character from your new release and tell us about them.
This is probably like choosing a favorite child, but I’ll do it anyway. One of the two main characters in Code of Darkness is a vigilante named Rage. I honestly can’t remember what inspired me to choose that name, but over time I found that it fit the character better than any other name I could’ve given him. Rage is a loner, an outsider who doesn’t know much about his mysterious past until it catches up with him. He’s the archetypical anti-hero: he doesn’t want to be a hero, but he ends up being one despite his best efforts not to. I chose to write about him because I always enjoyed stories about darker, misunderstood figures who in the end wound up being forces for good: you probably shouldn’t have been rooting for them, but you found yourself doing it anyway, and in the end you wound up being happy that you did.
When your charatcers get under your skin that much, you know they are good lol I know your new to the writing industry, but have you aquired any marketing advice that you can share today?
Be persistent. When you publish your own book it seems like the system is designed to make you fail. Even with e-books and Amazon, the barriers are still high. Keep at it, be shameless for a year and ask people for help. I’m still working at it, but if I’m lucky enough to make the big leagues in this industry, I’m going to remember who helped me out along the way, and make it a point to help others myself.
Thats a nice thought chris. I'll hold you to that lol We all love to hear a romance story, so where did you meet your partner?
On a beach in Mexico. No kidding. It was at a company retreat; we worked at the same company but had never met. We took one walk on the beach and I knew she was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Fifteen years and two kids later, we’re still together.
Aw, I can feel my readers turning to mush already lol Before you dash off, Where can your followers stalk...ahem... I mean, find you?
You can find me HERE and on Facebook by searching “code of darkness”. I also have a Twitter handle, Chrislindberg7. You can also email me at chris (at)codeofdarkness (dot)com – I’d love to hear from you!
Click here to buy Code of DarknessSneak peak.
When a routine bank robbery takes an unexpected turn, veteran Chicago police officer Larry Parker witnesses a heroic act by a mysterious intervener. But seconds later the Samaritan disappears, leaving Larry only with unanswered questions.
Suddenly, vigilante activity begins popping up all over the city – including several murders. Larry begins to gather the missing pieces of the puzzle, and finds evidence the Samaritan might be tied to them. When he learns the man’s identity – a loner known only by the name Rage – he prepares to move in for the arrest.
But there is much more to Rage than meets the eye: the case has also drawn the attention of a covert Black Ops division within the Pentagon. Their mission: find Rage, while keeping their operation out of the public eye. Seen as knowing too much, Larry suddenly finds himself in the crosshairs as well. After a deadly standoff, Rage is captured, forcing Larry to search for answers while on the run.
The deadly chase leads cross-country to a top-secret military facility in Virginia, where Rage and Larry uncover the greatest danger of all -- and only they can stop the unthinkable from happening.
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