Author Interview | Meet R. John Dingle and his thriller, Karma Never Sleeps #thriller #authorinterview #interview #mustread #nnlbh
- N. N. Light
- 7 hours ago
- 14 min read
I met R. John Dingle a couple of weeks ago and we got along famously. He writes thrillers featuring an FBI agent. His writing appealed to me at once. I asked him to sit down for an interview and he agreed. Please give a warm welcome to R. John Dingle. R. John, take it away.
What is your writing process?
I’m a planner. Now on my 3rd book, I feel like I’ve got a process that works for me. I’ve always got a working list of ideas / themes for books. So, I choose one I’m interested in at the time then I take the first month or so developing the characters and their backstories (usually a page or 2 for each character) and the overall story arc which I do in a few page synopsis. This gives me a road map – not the specifics but the milestones of the story. I’ve learned so much about writing through this process and one critical lesson I’ve learned is a well laid foundation will save so much editing and re-writing. After the story arc and characters are flushed out, I then work up the first dozen or so chapters in an outline. As I write, the story evolves so I’ve learned any more than 5-6 chapters outlined in advance after that is often a waste of time/effort. So as I write, I then plot out the next 5-6 chapters and so on. Then, once the 1st draft is done, I give it a cover to cover read through then take another pass at it to add in more layers to the story, character traits / threads, etc. so the story isn’t just about the blocking and tackling of solving a crime but has more complexity, depth to it.
Do you have any odd writing habits?
I don’t think so but one never really knows. On oddity I have is wearing a certain t-shirt (I have 5-6 of the same one). My favorite author / series is John Connolly and his Charlie Parker series. A feature of those books is that the protagonist is based in the Portland Maine area and he frequents – and sometimes works at – a pub called The Great Lost Bear. Having moved to Maine full time several years ago I discovered “The Bear” is a real place. So, I wear one of those t-shirts when I write for some weird inspiration.
What book do you wish you could have written?
There are so many great books I’m envious of. The Thomas Harris Hannibal Lecter series, Luke Jenning’s Villanelle series, John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series, Justin Cronin’s The Passage are all at the top of the list. But I’d have to say Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. That book (and the others in that series) is the perfect balance in a book I love to read: phenomenal detail to the crimes and clues, a secret that spans generations, an amazing character in Lisbeth and just an overall fantastic solve-the-mystery journey that the reader is taken on.
Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you?
I received many pieces of advice when I began my writing journey. One of those was great writers are often ferocious readers. I’ve always been an active reader so I make a point to read a little every day. You never know where that inspiration or kernel of an idea will come from. So, there are so many authors out there that, I feel, have inspired me. John Connolly, Luke Jennings, Thomas Harris, Stieg Larsson, and Michael Robotham just to name a few.
If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
I love that question and I did have people in mind for a few of the characters as I wrote them. But I’ll let the readers’ imagination go for a while before naming names. But, fingers crossed, we cross that bridge someday!
How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
I don’t feel names are especially important unless there’s someone I want the reader to remember a certain way in which case I’ll drop a nickname in there for that purpose. I do believe names can be a part of a descriptor of sorts for the reader to have a specific impression of a character. A scene out of When Harry Met Sally comes to mind. When Meg Ryan tells Billie Crystal that her boyfriend’s name is Stanley, Billie Crystal goes on with a bit about how Stanley isn’t someone that’s fantastic in bed, but rather someone that does your taxes. I think that was effective at conjuring up an image of that character.
What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
When it comes to life, having an amazing wife and family, hands down. I am so blessed. When it comes to writing, I’d say being successful at actually getting Karma Never Sleeps from a story on my laptop to being published. Let’s just put aside the ~7-8 years (at least) of getting it written and edited into shape good enough to show an agent. There was sending ~280 queries out to agents over ~10 months and finally getting a few offers before going with Kathy Green (a superstar by the way). Then…having Kathy shop it for ~15 months before getting several publishing options and ultimately going with Tule Publishing, a fantastic fit for me personally. Then, then, then, having it published and receiving such an overwhelmingly positive reaction from readers. One piece of advice I was given years ago was that this process is a marathon, not a sprint. Never have more accurate words been spoken.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I feel one of my strengths is my work ethic; I am absolutely up for doing the hard work that it takes to create a good book. So, if I look out 5 years, my goal would be to have The Gus Wheeler FBI Thriller series be widely known and successful, have several other stand-alone thriller books published that are equally successful and to have (at least) one be in consideration for a streaming show or movie. That’s a lot in 5 years and will take a lot of hard work…
Have you always liked to write?
I began writing, probably, about 15+ years ago and was absolutely horrible at it. Without exaggeration, Karma Never Sleeps is the result of 5-6 complete manuscripts having been written then torn up and re-written. Yet, through all of that, I found I very much like the writing process. I love getting that sentence/paragraph/chapter just right to nail what I’m going for. I love tricking the reader to think one thing, only to have them find out something completely different was true. And I love, love, love when a review says something akin to “Never saw that coming.” And I’m so fortunate to actually like the process because it is anything but easy, that’s for sure.
What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
I’ll pass along a few key pieces of advice I got that I found especially good and accurate:
Have patience: getting a book published is a marathon, not a sprint.
Practice, practice, practice. Just sit your butt in a chair and write.
To make your writing as effective and productive as possible, develop a solid foundation before launching. This means develop your characters ahead of time and, if possible, the overall arc of the story. This will save a tremendous time with re-writes and editing.
If you didn’t like writing books, what would you do for a living?
Currently writing is an advocation for me. I’ve been an energy consultant for my career which I still do for a living.
Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I’m a planner, or sure. As I said earlier, I’m now on my 3rd book and I feel like I’ve got a process that works for me. I’ve always got a working list of ideas / themes for books. So, I choose one I’m interested in at the time then I take the first month or so developing the characters and their backstories (usually a page or 2 for each character) and the overall story arc which I do in a few page synopsis. This gives me a road map – not the specifics but the milestones of the story. I’ve learned so much about writing through this process and one critical lesson I’ve learned is a well laid foundation will save so much editing and re-writing. After the story arc and characters are flushed out, I then work up the first dozen or so chapters in an outline. As I write, the story evolves so I’ve learned any more than 5-6 chapters outlined in advance after that is often a waste of time/effort. So as I write, I then plot out the next 5-6 chapters and so on. Then, once the 1st draft is done, I give it a cover to cover read through then take another pass at it to add in more layers to the story, character traits / threads, etc. so the story isn’t just about the blocking and tackling of solving a crime but has more complexity, depth to it.
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
When we began marketing Karma Never Sleeps I absolutely read my reviews; I think every new author must at least read some of them. You toil so long and this moment of your 1st book being published comes once in a lifetime – and not for everyone – so I think it’s only human nature to want others to like it. I’ve been very fortunate that Karma Never Sleeps has been received with overwhelmingly positive reviews so, for the most part, it’s been a very pleasant experience reading reactions, what surprises hit especially well and seeing the constructive feedback that I can carry with me into future books. That being said, I’m not immune to having some just not click with the book and the joke in the family is that this list (thankfully very short) is a list of names for future victims in my books (haha).
What is your best marketing tip?
Hustle. My publisher has marketed the book and I’ve used some outside resources to help market it across social media but no one will put in that extra effort like you will. I’ve done marketing activities for this book every single day since about ~6 months ahead of the pub day and will continue that level of effort until we get to a few months before the release of the 2nd book in the series (due out mid-November 2025) when I’ll shift that same level of effort to marketing that book.
What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
Overall, I really enjoy the entire writing and publishing process. If there was one aspect I could change, it’d probably be the set schedule to get a manuscript done. Not that I need years and years, but I do find that letting a manuscript sit for a month or so then picking it back up allows me a fresh take on it and I always find ways to add additional layers to the story by doing that.
Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
Nothing comes to mind. I write mysteries and psychological thrillers so on that spectrum there’s a lot of topics I can incorporate into a story. I do subscribe to the view that you don’t need graphic, gory language or descriptions to write effective murder scenes and really don’t need a lot of profanity to demonstrate a character’s traits.
Do you have a favorite spot to write? What is it?
We live on a small island off the coast of Maine so I write overlooking the ocean which is amazing to me for both serenity and sanity. Sometimes it might not be the best spot for focusing, but that’s a small price to pay.
Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?
I don’t really find types of scenes difficult to write. The area I struggled with the most when I began – and still do but to a lesser degree – is character development. Like many new authors, my first manuscripts were overly plot driven. Plot elements seem to come much more easily to me. I find it far more difficult to write characters with depth. That’s an ongoing learning process for me which I treasure.
Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?)
Karma Never Sleeps is my 1st book and the 1st in the Gus Wheeler FBI Thriller series. The 2nd book is due out in November 2025 and is based in a small city so has a very urban vibe. That story revolves around a series of women being abducted from a section of the city dubbed Music Row (think a small, less attractive version of The Quarter in New Orleans) and a suspect who is experiencing severe psychological issues as he’s overtaken by psychosis. That book is in the editing process now. And I just finished editing a stand-alone thriller about a group of true crime junkies that stumble on a series of murders and work to solve it with other true crime junkies online. I wrote that novel while Karma Never Sleeps was being shopped to publishers so we’ll be finding that a home soon. And, lastly, I’ve just begun writing the 3rd book in the Gus Wheeler series which has a hardcore religious element to it and takes place in the vast rural areas of northern Maine.
What are you working on now? What is your next project?
I’m currently working on the 3rd book in the Gus Wheeler FBI Thriller series. This book has a religious theme and takes place in rural areas of northern Maine. It’s due out in the summer of 2026.
Do you write naked?
No.
What is your biggest failure?
Quitting track and field in college.
Have you ever gotten into a fight?
Once in middle school. Not fun.
Do you drink? Smoke? What’s your vice?
I don’t smoke and I really don’t drink. I might have a glass of wine once every month or two. My vice(s) are ice cream, chocolate and to a lesser degree coffee.
What is your biggest fear?
I’m laughing out loud now. One of the shows we watched with the kids when they were in high school was Archer. And one of the well-known traits of Archer is his 3 greatest fears (Season 2 episode Pipeline Fever): alligators, crocodiles (they’re smaller but armored) and aneurysms (because they can happen anywhere at any time without warning). This has become a common saying/joke in the family. So, no longer living in Australia where the crocs are as big as a bus and as fast as the roadrunner, I’d have to say an aneurysm. Archer was onto something.
What do you want your tombstone to say?
Vacancy.
Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before?
Anywhere in Italy.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A Tortoise on Madagascar. They live into their 100’s and have no natural predators.
What’s on your bucket list (things to do before you die)?
To have one of my books made into a movie.
Thank you, R, John, for the insightful interview. I truly hope one of your books gets made into a movie or series. Readers, scroll down to read more about his book.
Title: Karma Never Sleeps
Author: R. John Dingle
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Book Blurb:
In a small town, the truth can’t always set you free…
When a second woman from a group of friends known as “the posse" is murdered in the woods near the New England enclave of Kendalton, FBI agent and profiler Gus Wheeler and his partner are called in to determine if this is a serial killing. He’s intrigued by a clue hidden on the body: a memorial picture of a teen who died 25 years ago.
Instead of helping with the investigation, the long-term friends stonewall the agents. But Gus can smell fear beneath their calm masks, fake smiles, and politely vague answers. Digging deeper, he discovers they are being terrorized by cyberstalking, spying, threats and mysterious break-ins. When a third member is hospitalized after a brutal attack, Gus suspects someone in the posse is the hunter instead of the hunted.
Is it the alpha leader Jules, her best friend Maria—married to the chief of police—outsider Mel, or weak link Lizzy? Or someone else bent on revenge? Time’s running out, and Gus’s life depends on his skill at determining who’s the best liar in town.
Excerpt:
Lizzy stopped abruptly, catching herself, and looked around at nearby tables. Comfortable no one else had heard her, she then looked around at the others but saw only pity staring back. She ran the palms of her hands from her nose to her ears to wipe away the tears. She glanced back at the mirror and a ghoulish mask with panda eyes stared back. Using her tissue she cleaned up as best as she could then cleared her throat in embarrassment. Lizzy had always known they thought of her as lesser somehow; the one with the low self-esteem. And she understood why. They all went to college; she didn’t. They all had boys chasing after them their entire lives; she didn’t. And now they all had nice, large houses and shiny new cars and took vacations. And she didn’t. But she wasn’t surprised. Like many raised in an unhappy family, Lizzy never thought her life would bear anything too exciting.
She looked to Maria, with her petite frame and large chest and put-together attitude, then to Jules and her runner’s body and model good looks and, finally, to Mel with her dimples, and natural beauty and insanely successful business career. How could she ever compare to these women? She had been dealt a shitty gene pool and had spent her entire life trying to overcome it.
As if reading her thoughts, Jules put a hand on Lizzy’s shoulder and began to rub it gently. Lizzy could feel the strength in her friend’s touch and watched her arm warily out of the corner of her eye. She felt the space between them close and she stiffened.
“Hey, hey, we’re all upset,” whispered Jules in her ear. Jules’s breathing was slow and rhythmic, and her breath smelled of rum and peppermint. Lizzy felt the slow heartbeat against her shoulder and compared it to the racing of her own. How could Jules be so calm? Jules gave her shoulder a tender squeeze before sitting back in her chair. Realizing she had been holding her breath, Lizzy exhaled.
“It doesn’t matter who talked or what they said, for that matter,” said Jules, her confidence back. She ran her tongue over her teeth beneath her upper lip. “It’s always going to be their word against ours. We just have to stick together, stick to the story we’ve told forever.”
Once outside in the parking lot they all hugged their goodbyes and, as one, vowed to get through this together. The number of people remaining on the street had thinned considerably as dusk took hold. Jules stood by her glistening black SUV, with its tinted windows and sleek curves. She tapped at her phone while Mel and Maria each got in their cars and left. Lizzy anxiously twisted the ignition key of her tired, old Hyundai sedan again and again.
In her peripheral vision Lizzy saw Jules begin to slowly walk toward her. Her wrist ricocheted back and forth but still her car would not start. And as Jules got within feet of Lizzy’s side window she stopped and, without saying a word, simply stared down at her weak friend.
After another few twists, Lizzy’s car finally sputtered to life. She yanked its shifter into drive and, stepping on the gas, held tightly to the steering wheel as the car lunged onto Main Street. And as Lizzy turned her rickety, old car toward Ashby and her spa and the FBI undoubtedly waiting for her, she couldn’t take her eyes off Jules in the rearview mirror staring after her.
And it was at that moment that Lizzy realized she had lived in fear of this woman her entire life. And that may have been bearable when they had each other’s backs, when secrets remained secret. But all that was changing now and Lizzy could feel it, like the faint tremble beneath one’s feet that foreshadows an oncoming train not yet within sight or earshot.
And after a lifetime of being pushed around by Jules, Lizzy Porter was finally ready to push back.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Tule Publishing (includes links to Amazon Print, Kindle, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play): https://tulepublishing.com/books/karma-never-sleeps/#order
Author Biography:
R. John Dingle is the author of mysteries and psychological thrillers set in New England. He and his wife currently call a small island in Mid-Coast Maine ‘home’, both living, writing and boating from their restored 200-year old house (which they continually assure their three adult children is not haunted). Published in April 2025, the psychological thriller, Karma Never Sleeps, is John’s first novel and the first book in the Gus Wheeler FBI Thriller series.
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