Patricia Gligor's David Kern

This is the last day of the Murder We Write Blog Tour except for the wrap up post tomorrow with the winners of the books so make sure you leave a comment today! Today I, Mitch Malone, reporter extraordinaire, am going to do the interview a bit differently. I usually don’t write features for the Grand River Journal but this one could be a great one. Might even keep some kids from taking their first drink. A public service piece. It may get a bit confusing because my guest today is from the Malone Mystery Series, not to be confused with the Mitch Malone Mystery Series which I am a main character in. David Kern from UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Patricia Gligor joins us to talk about his priorities. David, may I call you Dave?

Dave: That’s fine, Wendy. Most people call me David but some of the guys in the office call me Dave so you can too.

You have had your battles with alcohol but have turned them around. Can you tell us how you have done that?

Dave: Sorry to disappoint you but my battle with alcohol is far from over. Yes, I’ve been sober now since the end of October when my drinking almost cost me my family. But I struggle with the desire to drink every single day. I don’t know what I’d do without AA.

Alcoholic Anonymous is a great organization that has helped millions of alcoholics. How often do you attend meetings?

Dave: I go to a meeting at least once a day. AA recommends ninety meetings in ninety days and I’m getting close to that. As my recovery progresses, I’ll adjust the number of meetings I attend accordingly. My sponsor will help me with that. I can’t ever stop going though. I never want to go back to being the person I was before I got sober.

You have a wife and kids right? Isn’t it hard to make time for those meetings with a job and family responsibilities?

Dave: Actually, Mitch, I have to make time. My sobriety has to be my number one priority. Next, comes Ann and our children and my job is third. The reason? If I don’t maintain my sobriety, I will lose my family and my job. I’ve come so close to that; it gives me the chills just thinking about it.

In MIXED MESSAGES (Book 1 of the series), you ran into some trouble. Can you tell us about it and how that shaped your recovery?

Dave: Yes. On Halloween night, when a man forced his way into our apartment and attacked Ann, I was sitting in a jail cell, powerless to help her. Why was I in jail? Because I was picked up for driving under the influence. By the grace of God, I’ve been given a second chance and I’m doing my best to make sure I’m there for Ann and the kids. Without them, I have nothing.

I hear there is a bit of mystery that surrounds your father. Maybe an investigative reporter like Mitch Malone could help you uncover some information. What do you know so far?

Dave: My father left my mother and me when I was seven years old. One day he was there and the next day he wasn’t. For years, I asked my mother why Dad left but all she would ever say was, “Your father chose to leave us.” She would never tell me why. In AA, we have something called The Twelve Steps to Recovery. Step four is “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” There’s a lot involved. One of things I need to do is to deal with any unfinished business. That’s all about revisiting the past long enough to discover any unresolved issues so I can deal with them and then let them go. That’s the only way I can move forward. I’m going to find the answers I need one way or the other. I thank you for the offer. I’d love to hire you Mitch but I’m afraid money is an issue and I seriously doubt that you work for free. J

Thanks Dave for being honest about your disease that affects many.  Maybe if your luck improves and you win the lottery, you will remember my offer. For more information on Dave and his recovery check out this website: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

A note from Pat: Wendy, thank you for letting Dave talk! You know, alcoholism is a cunning and baffling disease. People need to learn about it and also about AA and Alanon, which is a wonderful organization for the friends and families of alcoholics, the people who have been affected by someone they love who suffers from the disease.

At the end of the blog tour, I will be giving away one copy of Unfinished Business, the second novel in my Malone mystery series. Leave a comment and you’re automatically entered to win. Please include your email address with your comment so that, if your name is selected, I may contact you to get your mailing address. The winner will be announced on my blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/ on December 11. Best of luck!

Links:

Blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

Patricia Gligor’s Amazon page:  http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4

 

Blurb:

The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or so everyone believes. Ann Kern is busy preparing for her favorite holiday. She’s especially looking forward to her sister’s annual Christmas visit. But, several things threaten to ruin her festive mood. The National Weather Service issues a severe winter storm warning for the Cincinnati area, predicting blizzard conditions, and Ann worries that her sister and her new boyfriend won’t be able to make the drive from South Carolina.Then, a woman is found strangled in Ann’s neighborhood and everyone, including the police, assumes it’s the work of a copycat killer. However, when two more women are murdered in their homes, the police announce their conviction that the Westwood Strangler is responsible.

When Ann hears the news, the sense of safety and security she’s worked so hard to recapture since her attack on Halloween night, shatters. If the intruder who died in her apartment wasn’t the Westwood Strangler, who is? And, who will be the next victim?

Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling, especially to the ocean. Mixed Messages, the first novel in her Malone Mystery Series, was published in April 2012 by Post Mortem Press. Unfinished Business is the second novel in the series.