book details

Book: Killer DNA (Mason & Hall Book 1) by Gippy Adams Henry

categories: Book, Suspense, Mystery, Drama, Revenge, Detectives, Family, Artists, Psychological Crime Fiction

Gippy Adams Henry

about this book: Killer DNA is a fictional suspense crime mystery/psychological novel, which has a lot of twists and turns the reader doesn't expect. Throughout the book, the protagonist, Dana Donato Campanella, tries to protect family and friends by keeping silent about the dangers in her life. Her captor: Michael Pearson, throughout periods of the book, makes it clear he wants her lifestyle and her income. This story is meant to be entertaining. Yet, some readers may conclude that Dana's efforts are useless in trying to save those she loves. She is a victim, but those around her could become victims too. The big question for the reader is: "How does DNA tie into this entire story?"

The benefits of reading my stories are that they have a lot of suspense and mystery. When addressing the 'big picture' I believe it gives the reader the opportunity to think about "What if that were my family?" It is easy to become a victim by our actions and thoughtlessness, and not being aware of our surroundings, etc. Yet, the stories I write are more in line with the fact that my characters are 'innocent victims of others bad choices'.

What inspired me to write this book comes from my extreme empathy and an obsession with all aspects of crime, but especially those that affect families. In fact, I went back to college for a BS in Criminal Justice a few years ago, so I could be accurate about my crime scenes, and I could 'understand' what my characters go through. The study of Criminal Justice is truly eye-opening. Even though I am an avid reader of the news, I was shocked by so many criminal cases and lives destroyed, that it encouraged me to begin writing my stories.

It took me about eight to ten months to write Killer DNA because I allow the plot to build inside my mind for months before I begin to type. I also use storyboards for locations, characters, crimes, and each portrait. This book's locations are mainly in Philadelphia, PA; Mt. Pocono, PA; Cape May, N.J., and Bar Harbor, Maine. I grew up in Philadelphia, and now live in New Jersey.

The primary readers of my book are, of course, those who like reading Suspense, Mystery Crime novels. As for age, I would think that my book would attract those from 30 years of age on up. This is not a children's book.

The title of my book: Killer DNA, was chosen by The Runnemede Library Book Club Members of New Jersey. They were gracious enough to select a title, and I could not have been more pleased. It is perfect to describe the terror in this story.

The cover of Killer DNA; Mason & Hall Series, was created by Joe Savin, Graphic Designer, and an artist in many other areas of art. We agreed on the colors, and he took it from there. The painting on the cover is one of my abstracts on a large canvas that, fortunately, was sealed. We threw splotches on it of what we felt looked like blood. Joe brought the hand through from the other side. What prompted this cover is a scene in the book. The cover and the title both target the 'Big Picture' of Killer DNA; Mason & Hall Series.

The hardest part of writing this book was time. I have a very close-knit family and friends, and I am always torn about how much time away from them is a great loss for me. Yet, creativity, especially in writing and painting are my passions. So, I try to plan my writing around family activities, and many times spend overnight writing.

The crime requires a lot of research, and I have a Philadelphia Police Officer, Rose Serrano, to proof those parts of the book. I also did heavy research in my Criminal Justice journey during my education, and I come from a medical background in business.

What I learned from writing this book is that for some people, like myself, it comes easy to write a story one is passionate about. Yet, just writing a story is not producing a book for the public to read. That is where it gets tough. I chose to do everything with this book myself, but not edit. My Developmental Editor, Elizabeth Zack, takes credit for the time, work, and knowledge to address issues in this book to make it a professional layout.