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About J. Alexander Greenwood and Writing Pilate’s CrossClick here to access the multimedia press release.
When his career in public relations took him to Peru, Nebraska, a place he affectionately calls “the smallest town in the world,” he found the inspiration for a mystery novel. “The real core of this book is about the open secrets that can fester in a community until an outsider raises questions,” Greenwood said. Murders in a Small Town“A few years ago I left my home state of Oklahoma and moved to a very small town in the rural Nebraska. I didn’t know a soul. I was a total outsider working there as marketing and public relations director and instructor at a small college,” he said. "When I worked in Peru, every day I’d walk past a plaque in the administration building that honored the college’s former president and dean, who both died on the same day in the 1950s. It didn’t hint at anything nefarious; it could have been a car wreck for all I knew. I finally asked--and it was more tragic than I ever imagined.” Greenwood eventually gained access to police records, crime scene photos, witness affidavits and news coverage of the decades-old murders, but the book is not a thinly veiled fictionalization of an historical event. “The professor’s motive was, in the grand scheme of things, terribly petty,” Greenwood said. “Pilate’s Cross is inspired by the questions this terrible crime created; but as a work of fiction it's set in a different place and has a more complex motive for the murders." "Nearly all aspects of the book, including the location, characters and most importantly the mystery are strictly from my imagination.” However, recent real-life events are chilling in their similarities, and lead Greenwood to reconsider marketing the book. "In April the former president of the college took his own life as news of a financial scandal was about to break. Though I wrote this book two years ago (it was published in December 2009), I had some serious trepidation about promoting it in the wake of this tragedy. The 'college president' character isn't based on my former boss, and I would be very concerned if readers thought he was. Peru was very good to me, and it's very important that people know this book was not meant to mar his memory or upset anyone--especially my friends in Peru, Nebraska." The SettingOne ‘friend’ he couldn’t warm up to was the weather. The winters are devastatingly cold, snowy and lonely, he added. “The town reminded me of The X-Files, in the sense that I was a stranger in a remote, ever-so-slightly foreboding location. That just added more to the mysterious, quirky and vaguely dangerous atmosphere I wanted to establish in Pilate’s Cross.” About Our HeroGreenwood is candid about the origins of John Pilate, the book’s protagonist. “John Pilate is an average guy dealing with some above-average troubles,” Greenwood said. “He’s dealing with a broken relationship, getting his career back on track and oh yes—clinical depression that manifests itself in the form of a doppelganger only Pilate can see or hear.” “This is exacerbated by Pilate’s habit of accidentally slipping into trouble, by virtue of his curiosity, big mouth or both,” Greenwood said. “And yes, there are some traits that I share with Pilate, but I’m not telling which ones.” In the end, Greenwood has written a fast-paced, fun mystery/thriller that even the casual pleasure reader will enjoy. The Cover DesignCover artist David Terrill designed a book cover as intricate as the plot. "I'm proud that David's cover was named one of three finalists for the 2011 Global Ebook Awards," Greenwood said. "And the new cover for Pilate's Key just bows me away. He totally captures the atmosphere and flavor of Key West." Greenwood and Terrill are collaborating on a multimedia application based on a series of Terrill's paintings titled "What the Gardener Saw." Terrill resides with his wife and children in the Kansas City area. Visit his website at davidterrill.com. Terrill resides in the Kansas City area with his wife and children. Visit his website at davidterrill.com. Learn more about his Pilate's Cross cover concept here. The TrailerThe book's cinematic structure made it an ideal project for a book trailer by celebrated digital media design company T2 + Back Alley Films of Kansas City. More John Pilate Adventures?“If readers enjoy Pilate's Cross half as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it, then I’ve succeeded,” he said. Greenwood had so much fun with the story and characters he went back to the keyboard to create a sequel, Pilate’s Key. "The reviews have been very good so far, and I love writing about these characters, so why not?" Greenwood said. “Pilate’s Key takes our hero to the Florida Keys, a favorite destination of my wife and mine,” Greenwood said. “And of course, Pilate won’t just be working on his tan. He’ll be getting into some mischief.” Look for the book wherever ebooks are sold. The paperback version will be available by March, 2012 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Lulu. About J. Alexander GreenwoodThe grandson of the late, award-winning historical fiction novelist Robert E. Trevathan (Ballanger, Red River Angel), independent author Alex Greenwood's writing experience includes feature articles, news and crime stories syndicated throughout the nation in numerous publications.
Very active as a political blogger and podcaster since 2003, Greenwood is devoting most of his time to fiction writing and promoting his work. He won the 2011 Shelf Unbound short story award for his thriller Obsidian in 2011. To read the magazine, click here and go to page 53. He owns AlexanderG Public Relations, LLC. Greenwood is also a noted speaker and master of ceremonies. He can occasionally be heard as a volunteer on-air for his local public radio station. He resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and daughter.
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Former journalist, politician, television executive and radio talk show host J. Alexander Greenwood has always been drawn to what lies just beneath the surface of places and people.