Get To Know Author Leonard D. Hilley II

Let's give a warm welcome to Leonard D. Hilley II. Please check out his blog, and let me know what you think of it when you are done.


1. Please tell readers about your current book.
Predators of Darkness: Aftermath is the first book in my series. After working on the screenplay for this novel, I revised the novel and re-released it. The general synopsis is: "The desolate streets of downtown Pittsburgh are a constant reminder of the missile attack that forever changed the lives of the surviving scientists and students hidden inside the fallout shelter of Helmsby's Genetic Research Center. Believing themselves to be the only survivors, they reside inside the research center until their food supplies near depletion. Thinking the fallout has lessened, they emerge three years later to discover strange creatures patrolling the streets in search of human flesh and blood. The creatures possess the ability to shift their genomes and alter their appearances by realigning their genetic sequences. Although they have no conclusive evidence to prove the creatures’ origin, Dr. Helmsby—a renowned genetics genius—believes the shifters escaped from TransGenCorp, a scientific laboratory suspected of manufacturing clones and other genetic atrocities.
Daniel Hutchinson, their leader, teams with Lucas Ridale to comb the streets and search for provisions. To cover more area, they head out opposite directions and scavenge downtown Pittsburgh. They also hope to find other survivors. But Daniel uncovers mysteries more frightening than the shifters. He discovers the tip of Pittsburgh has been fenced off from the rest of the area. Low-flying helicopters observe the streets, making him ponder the question: Were the shifters released as simply part of a military experiment with humans being their prey?”



2. Who or what inspires your writing?
There are days when words just seem to drift into my mind with such urgency that I have no choice except to write them as quickly as they come. After I had written Predators of Darkness I never expected the book to become a series. However, my characters decided otherwise. More problems emerged and they had more to do. I believe this series will end with five books.



3. When did you know you would be a writer?
I knew at an early age. I have always loved books. I was reading by the age of three. I wrote my first novel at age 11. Around the same time, I created my own comics. My imagination has always been vivid.



4. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
About three years.



5. What is the hardest part of writing for you?
My writing comes to me differently than what most writers experience. I see the scenes just as if I was watching a movie. It is almost like I’m sitting there with them, which makes the characters’ dialogue and interactions seem so real to me.



6. Do you have any writing rituals?
Coffee and music. The music depends on the piece I’m writing. If it’s dark and ominous, I find darker themed music to listen to.



7. Have you written anything else?
I’m currently working on the fourth book in the series and the first book in a dark fantasy series. I have a lot of other ideas that I hope flesh out into suspenseful novels as well.



8. Any advice to aspiring writers?
Write, write, write. Reading and writing go hand in hand, too. Read as much as you can and continue writing. Revision is the key to better writing.



9. Who is your favorite Author?
I have a lot of favorite authors, but Dean Koontz and Stephen King are the two most prominent.



10. What is your favorite book?
I love the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. I also love Watchers by Koontz and The Mist by Stephen King.



11. What are you currently reading?
Midnight by Dean Koontz



12. How do readers find out more about you?
Through my blog:
http://deimosweb-hilley.blogspot.com/

or for the books (and excerpts):

http://www.ebooksforpleasure.com/bookstore/sci-fi/predators-of-darkness-aftermath.html

Currently, the Predators of Darkness: Aftermath is available only in Kindle or eReader formats. I hope to see a paperback edition sometime this summer.



BOOK 1
Synopsis:
Fear What Lurks In The Shadows
The desolate streets of downtown Pittsburgh in 2073 are a reminder of the missile attack that forever changed the lives of the surviving scientists and students hidden in the fallout shelter of Helmsby's Genetic Research Center. Believing themselves to be the only survivors, they station themselves inside the center until food supplies near depletion. Thinking the fallout has lessened, they emerge three years later to discover strange creatures patrolling the streets in search of human flesh and blood. The creatures possess the ability to shift their genomes and alter their appearances by realigning their genetic sequences. Daniel Hutchinson, their leader, teams with Lucas Ridale and together they set out to scavenge the area for food and supplies with the hope to find other survivors. But Daniel's most recent journey uncovers mysteries more frightening than the shifters. He discovers the tip of Pittsburgh has been fenced off from the rest of the area. Low-flying helicopters observe the streets, making him ponder the question: Were the shifters released as simply part of a military experiment with humans being their prey?

Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432704865
Purchase at Amazon



BOOK 2
Synopsis:
The Darkness Continues . . .
Leonard Hilley II's first novel, Predators of Darkness, shows us a nightmarish world of gruesome genetically-engineered monsters preying on humans, corporations more powerful - and more dangerous- than governments, and a web of lies and cover-ups that all sound remarkably like they could have been drawn from today's headlines. Fact or fiction? Read this gripping novel and find out."- John Kachuba, Author of Ghosthunters: On the Trail of Mediums, Dowsers, Spirit Seekers and Other Investigators of America's Paranormal World
Three years after Daniel and the other survivors escaped the terrorizing, blood-thirsty shifters in Pittsburgh, his friends have moved forward with their lives, but Daniel cannot. He believes the conspiracies within TransGenCorp have not ended and more shifters exist.
Then Daniel receives a phone call from Lucas that bolsters his paranoia.
Lucas is being charged with murders he insists his clone committed.
Daniel soon discovers darker atrocities are emerging, which not only place his life in immense danger, but all his friends as well.

Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432728434
Purchase at Amazon



BOOK 3
Synopsis:
Twelve execution-style murders have occurred in Newark, New Jersey, in less than a week. Each murder has a calling card - a red pawn on each corpse. Kat Gaddis and Lucian investigate the homicides and discover the last four victims were employed by GenTech, a company that recently merged with Mech Cybernetics. After FBI director Mike Carpenter shares evidence with Kat, they soon discover political ties and corruptions that place Kat's life in direct danger. New players emerge and what seems like serial murders suddenly becomes a struggle for biotech knowledge and power. Kat is thrust into their game - The Game of Pawns.

Paperback: 354 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432757397
Purchase at Amazon