{"id":4532,"date":"2021-05-25T15:08:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T19:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nhwritersproject.org\/?p=4532"},"modified":"2021-05-21T15:16:29","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T19:16:29","slug":"member-spotlight-david-gardner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nhwritersproject.org\/member-spotlight-david-gardner\/","title":{"rendered":"Member Spotlight: David Gardner"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
David Gardner’s new book, “The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inspired by Grocery Store Scandal Sheets<\/h2>\n

Who hasn\u2019t eyed the sensational headlines of the tabloids while waiting in the grocery store line? \u00a0That\u2019s exactly what first time novelist David Gardner did and he took away inspiration for a book. \u00a0\u201cI picked up a tabloid at a grocery store counter and saw an article about ghosts and another about a secret government prison,\u201d said Gardner. \u00a0\u201cI immediately made the connection\u2014put the ghosts into the prison and make one of them the ancestor of a tabloid journalist (the protagonist of my novel). \u00a0All that in a few seconds.\u201d \u00a0That was the beginning of his debut novel The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller, <\/em>Encircle Publications.<\/em><\/p>\n

The book tells the unlikely story of Jeff Beekle who writes for a tabloid, much like the one Gardner saw in the supermarket. In his quest for increased sales, Jeff fabricates a storyline about a mob-built CIA prison for ghosts. The complication \u2014 it turns out to be factual. \u00a0The mob and the CIA now have Jeff in their sights; and the fun begins. Along the way, Jeff discovers his great-grandmother is an inmate at the facility. \u00a0She, like her ghostly peers, is being groomed by the CIA as a spy. It\u2019s an ingenious idea; ghosts are invisible and don\u2019t require salaries or pensions. \u00a0However, among the many problems, ancestors imprisoned too long vanish as if they had never been born, erasing the existence of all their descendants in the process, which includes Jeff.\u00a0 This sets the stage for Jeff\u2019s attempt to outwit the mob and the CIA; free his ghostly ancestors, destroy the prison, and save himself.<\/p>\n

Gardner\u2019s goal for readers of the book is to laugh and find an escape for a while. The book delivers. Gardner\u2019s humor is spot on as the caper unfolds. It is quick and entertaining reading.<\/p>\n

Gardner served in Army Special Forces, earned a Ph.D. in French and made a career of writing. \u00a0His previous work has been rather dry in comparison to this novel. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve written too many mind-numbing computer manuals, a few dozen travel articles, and I\u2019ve co-authored three programming books for Prentice Hall,\u201d said Gardner. \u00a0He has also worked as a reporter.\u00a0 The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller<\/em> is his first work of published fiction. \u201cIt was the most fun I\u2019ve had writing.\u00a0 But it was harder than I thought it would be,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He wrote the book in two years. \u201cI write in the morning every day of the week. \u00a0I\u2019ve built a standing desk next to a window looking out on my backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gardner\u2019s next novel, The Last Speaker of Skalwegian<\/em> will be published in September, 2021 by Encircle Publications.\u00a0 \u201cBoth works of fiction are whimsical, character-driven thrillers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When not writing, Gardner enjoys being outdoors hiking or biking. He plays the keyboard with \u201cno discernible talent whatsoever.\u201d \u00a0He also likes \u201cmessing around with astrophotography,\u201d which may explain his fascination with otherworldly beings.<\/p>\n

Gardner grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, and has lived in a number of places over the years including Nashua, NH. He currently resides in Lexington, MA with his wife who is also an author. \u00a0\u201cShe understands the madness of writing fiction. \u00a0She\u2019s a great support, and I hope I am for her, said Gardner. \u00a0He added \u201cI have a son and a daughter who don\u2019t call nearly as often as they should.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller<\/em> is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. \u00a0Gardner is a member of the New Hampshire Writers\u2019 Project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inspired by Grocery Store Scandal Sheets Who hasn\u2019t eyed the sensational headlines of the tabloids while waiting in the grocery store line? \u00a0That\u2019s exactly what first time novelist David Gardner did and he took away inspiration for a book. \u00a0\u201cI picked up a tabloid at a grocery store counter and saw an article about ghosts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,27],"tags":[67,68,69],"ppma_author":[351],"class_list":["post-4532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-launch-pad-program","category-member-spotlight","tag-david-gardner","tag-novel","tag-the-journalist-a-paranormal-thriller"],"yoast_head":"\nMember Spotlight: David Gardner - New Hampshire Writers\u2019 PROJECT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Inspired by grocery store scandal sheets, author David 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