Why do readers trust narrators who may be hiding the truth, distorting reality, or manipulating everything they see? In this BookTrib article, author Dan Uselton explores the psychology of unreliable narrators and how writers use uncertainty, deception, and shifting perspectives to keep readers questioning what they believe. Read the full article on BookTrib:
What goes through the mind of a serial killer—and how does an author create such a disturbing character without losing sight of the psychology behind his actions? In this BookTrib article, author Dan Uselton explores the challenges of writing from a killer’s perspective, examining obsession, rationalization, and the unsettling ways dangerous characters justify their behavior. Read the full article on BookTrib:
What happens when someone you love returns home looking exactly the same—but something about them feels different? In this BookTrib article, author Dan Uselton explores the unsettling possibilities behind changed identities, fractured memories, and the fear that the person you know may no longer be the person standing in front of you. Read the full article on BookTrib:
Why are readers drawn to disturbing characters, morally questionable decisions, and stories that make them uncomfortable? In this BookTrib article, author Dan Uselton explores the psychology behind our fascination with dark fiction—and why some of the most unsettling stories are also the hardest to put down. Read the full article on BookTrib:
The true story behind Chasing the Ambulance Driver—and how a search to say thank you became an unexpected friendship. In 1968, my brother Mike was five years old when he ran into the street and was struck by a drunk driver. He was dragged beneath the car. His injuries were severe, particularly to his foot. In the confusion that followed, a young ambulance driver from Buck Ambulance—an Oregon ambulance service that no longer exists under that name—arrived and helped keep Mike alive. His name was Jack. He was twenty-four years old. To our family, what happened that day became part of our history. My mother remembered the ambulance driver who remained calm while her little boy lay badly injured. Mike remembered much less. He was five, drifting in and out of consciousness, surrounded by adults trying to save his life. Jack eventually disappeared into the past. But Mike never completely forgot about him. Nearly sixty years later, he decided to find him. Searching for Jack This wasn’t a world where Mike could type a name into Google and immediately get an answer. He didn’t even have the driver’s name at first. He had the name of an ambulance company that
Behind the Microphone, one of the most rewarding parts of being an author has been the opportunity to talk with readers through radio interviews, podcasts, television appearances, and online features. Writing is often a solitary experience. I spend countless hours alone with my characters, trying to understand what motivates them, what frightens them, and what gives them hope. Interviews offer something completely different—they’re a chance to step away from the manuscript and share the ideas that inspired the stories in the first place. People often ask where my ideas come from, why memory and identity appear so frequently in my novels, or why I prefer psychological suspense over nonstop action. Those conversations have reminded me that readers aren’t only interested in what happens inside a book—they’re also curious about the journey that led to it. Another lesson I’ve learned is that media exposure can make a meaningful difference for authors. Every interview introduces your books to readers who may never have discovered them otherwise. A reader might hear a podcast today, listen to a radio interview next week, and only months later decide to pick up one of your books. Success rarely comes from a single interview. It comes
How much can a person change before a relationship changes with them? That was the question that eventually became My Twelve-Year-Old Wife. People often assume the novel began with a time-travel idea. It didn’t. It began with wondering what happens when the person you love changes so completely that your relationship can never be the same again. Life asks versions of that question every day. A spouse suffers an injury. A serious illness changes the future. A psychological crisis alters someone’s behavior. Memory fades. Priorities shift. The person you love is still there, but the relationship itself is no longer what it once was. Most of us would like to believe we would stay. Many people do. But even when love remains, everything else can change. The routines change. The future changes. The roles change. The expectations change. Love survives. The relationship adapts. That led me to wonder where love actually lives. Is it in shared experiences, memories, physical attraction, or daily routines? Or is it something deeper that survives even when everything familiar disappears? That question eventually led me to the premise of My Twelve-Year-Old Wife. A man loses his wife. Then one morning, a twelve-year-old girl appears on