Torrington author explores ‘Dark Vengence’ in his first crime novel

Under his pseudonym, JL Boothe, he has now published his first mystery novel, “Dark Vengeance: A Nash Peterson Novel” available on Amazon, Kindle and in print.

To celebrate the book, let it self-published on Amazonthe Virginia native will read “Dark Vengeance” and talk about his work at Howard Bookstore on Main Street on April 3 at 3:30 p.m. He admitted he was a little nervous about the conversation.

“I’m pretty laid back, but I guess anyone would be,” he said. “What I plan to do is let people know about my journey, tell them about my journey, then talk about the book, then the one I’m writing now, and open the floor to questions, if anyone has it.”

In “Dark Vengeance,” lead character Nash Peterson is a troubled detective who has just been cleared to return to work after a furlough. “But when he arrives at a crime scene to find his name written in blood, he wonders if he came back too soon,” according to the description on Amazon.

“When I write, I always put a bit of myself into the main character. He’s had a tough life too, and he’s had experiences with alcohol and homelessness, just like me. He’s taking back his life after a freak accident and meets the love of his life. But because of a previous drug run, there are people after him,” Boothe said. “I really don’t want to give up on the story too much. “

Boothe said he found solace and healing in his writing, which began when he wrote poetry as a child.

“I had a very violent childhood and ended up being placed in foster care, which was a real blessing for me,” he said. “They were amazing people. I started writing poetry, and I really wanted to write a novel, but I didn’t believe in myself, so it didn’t happen. I got mixed up in the drugs and alcohol, and it took me a long time to get over it.

He started writing in 2012 while in a sober house.

“I was living with nine other men and there was a laptop on the table at home,” he said. “One day I was pacing and thought I might as well start, so I sat down and started writing.”

At the time, the news was filled with headlines about violence against transgender people, he recalls. He wrote “Nightmares and Dreams”, about a lesbian who was abducted and had to find a way to escape or be killed.

“It was my first book – it was unpublished,” he said. “I’ve written three Christian romance novels, which I haven’t published, and two addiction novels, ‘Never Lose Faith’ and ‘The Journey’, and self-published them. But I always loved mysteries, so this is my first.

“Dark Vengeance” took Boothe about six months to complete.

“I did it quickly because I was passionate about it, and it was before COVID-19, so it wasn’t as stressful a time as it has become (during the pandemic) for me” , did he declare. “I reviewed it and reviewed it, and a few people read it and gave me feedback. Then I took on a literary agent.

He tried to find a publisher and was rejected more than 200 times, he said.

“I had two who were very interested in the book, but then they chose not to use me, so I self-published on Amazon,” he said. “Self-publishing is an important way to grow as a writer. It really helped me.

Boothe is already working on Nash Peterson’s second novel: “Brutal Retribution”.

For those who want to write a book, but wonder how to do it, he has plenty of advice.

“Just sit down and write, if you’ve never written and want to,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad – you act, and if it’s who you are and what you want, sit down and start. From there, you have to read the genre you’re writing in; take notes, write ideas. Take advice from other writers. Go on social media, reach out and expand your name, if you’re serious about it.

His favorite authors are David Baldacci, Stephen King, James Patterson and Dean Koontz. Suspense, mystery and crime thrillers are his favorite stories.

“I consider them my main genre, but I also wanted to write historical fiction, because I love history,” Boothe said. “I would love to do something about the WWII era or the Wild West era.”

He looks forward to continuing his writing. “I’m very excited,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, and it’s a big step towards my goals.”

To reach Howard’s for more information on Boothe’s book, call 860-618-2925.