Mississippi Business Journal article about a doctor who writes medical suspense novels

The "Mississippi Business Journal" features practicing ob/gyn and mystery/suspense novelist Darden North, MD, in the summer edition of "Pulse-Mississippi Health Care Quarterly"
Digital edition of "Pulse - Mississippi Health Care Quarterly" 2011 Summer Edition

Please download article (also in print) and scroll over to page 9 and beyond.
http://msbusiness.com/pulse-mississippis-health-care-quarterly-digital-magazine/

Darden North makes a return visit to be interviewed by author Susan Whitfield on her blog

http://www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/
Susan Whitfield's Monday, May 9, 2011, blog post is reproduced here:


A practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in Mississippi, Darden North has written three nationally-awarded hardcover novels, most notably Points of Origin recognized in Southern Fiction by the Independent Publisher (IPPG) Book Awards. North has served as a panelist at “Murder in the Magic City” (Birmingham, AL), “Author! Author! Celebration of the Written Word” (Shreveport LA), “Murder on the Menu” (Wetumpka, AL), “Thriller Author Panel – 2008 Southern Independent Book Association (SIBA) Show” (Mobile, AL), and “The Writers’ Block - 2009 SIBA Show (Greenville, SC) and has exhibited at the Texas, Kentucky Bluegrass, and South Carolina book festivals as well as at the Artists Tent of Mississippi Picnic in New York City. As a speaker and facilitator, he conducted workshops on writing mysteries and promoting authors’ work at the 2010 Southern Expressions Writers Conference. North actively promotes his own writing through television and radio interviews as well as through personal speaking engagements and the Internet. July 2011 marks 25 years of fulltime medical practice, a background that lends unmistakable authenticity to his mystery and medical thriller novels, stories set in the contemporary South with intense character relationships and unexpected plot lines. Darden North’s author website is www.dardennorth.com . He lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with his wife, two young adult children, and three dogs.


Whitfield: Welcome back, Darden.

North: Thanks for having me back, Susan.

Whitfield: My pleasure. Let's jump right in because I know how busy you are. What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing?

North: Anything by Greg Iles and James Patterson

Whitfield: We seem to like the same company. Have you ever used a pen name?

North: When my first novel House Call was slated for publication originally in hardcover in 2005, we decided to use my actual name (no pen name) along with my professional designation since I was and remain a practicing physician ... so the author of House Call, Points of Origin, and Fresh Frozen is me ... Darden North, MD. Most physicians who write fiction (one very notable example being Robin Cook) have dropped the MD. I believe that including the professional designation has increased local and regional sales of my work. One sort of humorous moment was at a Christmas marketplace in Baton Rouge when I was sharing a signing booth with two cookbook authors. A potential reader browsed through their delicious recipes designed to be healthy, family-friendly, and from scratch and then moved next to my third novel, Fresh Frozen (hardcover 2008, ebook 2010). The reader picked up the novel and noted the Darden North, MD, on the cover. "So this book is for the frozen food?" Frank Vitolo, the film producer of the screenplay adaptation of Fresh Frozen (scheduled to begin production in summer 2011) tells me it’s time to separate the author and the doctor … so my future author’s name most likely will be Darden North.

Whitfield: Ahh. By the way, congrats on the film! That's awesome news. Please give us a short synopsis of your fourth novel, work-in-progress, Wiggle Room.

North: My work-in-progress is a true-thriller. I have listened to my readers: There are more murders and more sex in my upcoming fourth novel. However, true to form, my characters remain vivid and southern. In Wiggle Room, Brad Cummins, a young Air Force trauma surgeon, returns to Mississippi from his deployment in Iraq to realize that he is the target of an assassin. In the guise of a university exchange student on US soil, a rogue Iraqi terrorist is not the only one after Dr. Brad Cummins.

Whitfield: How has your writing progressed since your first book, Darden? Has it changed you? If so, how?

North: Working with a professional editor as I write my fourth novel has forced me to tighten even the earlier drafts, watching point-of-view closely while churning the action constantly. Hopefully, with the help of my seasoned editor, the completed final draft of Wiggle Room will be closer to final than my earlier works!

Whitfield: When do you accomplish your best writing?

North: Weekend mornings or early AM during the week if I do not have a surgery case scheduled.

Whitfield: After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?

North: My wife Sally and I take a daily two- to four-mile neighborhood walk. For me, that exercise along with cutting back at meals has dropped the twenty pounds I gained in front of my laptop writing my first three novels.

Whitfield: Are your books available in print, ebook, and Kindle?

North: All three novels (House Call, Points of Origin, and Fresh Frozen) are available in hardcover print and as eBooks: including Kindle, iPad, Kobo, Nook, Sony eReader, and Smashwords. House Call is also in paperback and its signed hardcovers, I’m proud to say, have become collectible.

Whitfield: Super! Where can we purchase these books and get more information about you?

North: My novels are available through any bricks-and-mortar bookstore via the major book distributors as well as online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, AtlasBooks.com, Lemuriabooks.com, and others. Also my website www.dardennorth.com offers a BUY IT link for each book that lists bookstores carrying signed copies, some with online access. 

North: The eBook versions are available as well on electronic devices. Readers can find my blog, upcoming book signings, book trailers, media interviews, and other announcements on my website http://www.dardennorth.com/.

North: Thanks for talking with me, Susan. I enjoyed the visit!


Whitfield: Come back any time, Darden. Let us know when the film version of Fresh Frozen is released.

Posted by Susan Whitfield at 8:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Labels: author interviews, Darden North, elderhostel mysteries, film adaptations, Fresh Frozen, House Call, IPPG, Mississippi, SIBA, Susan Whitfield's blog, Wiggle Room

Learn the secret to the cover of my first novel HOUSE CALL

Sometimes you can't judge a book by it's cover ... I am the guest of author Eileen Schuh on her book trivia segment Items of Intrigue ... Did you know?   To read the post highlight Items of Intrigue ... Did you know?  located in the lower left column of the opening page of the link: http://www.eileenschuh.com/

Then scroll down until you see the article about the cover of "House Call."

Follow the posted directions and you can also enter to win a free book.

--- Darden



The body of the original post  at http://www.eileenschuh.com/

is archived below:

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 12:14PM


Did you know...

...there are secret ways to create bloody scenes for thriller book covers?

The front of the dust jacket of "House Call" [hardcover (2005), paperback, ebook], the first novel by Darden North, MD, depicts a blood-filled bathtub with eerie candles dripping wax at the front corners.

To make the most dramatic scene possible with the realistic appearance of human blood, Craig West, the graphic design artist with the Gibbes Company, then filled the tub with blue-colored water, lacing it with a small amount soap suds to give the "blood" the correct consistency.

Then West later converted the blue hue to red via Photoshop techniques. Since there was no other use of the color blue in the photograph, the conversion process selected only the water to convert to blood red, heightening the detail of the fluid and preserving the richness of the other colors in the picture.

The actual bathtub still rests in the author's pool house where it was photographed for the cover of "House Call."

The photographer stood overhead on a ladder to take the photograph ... the ladder resting on thick wooden slats braced only by the sides of the "blood-filled" tub.

Darden's novels are available through any bricks-and-mortar bookstore via the major book distributors as well as online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, AtlasBooks.com, Lemuriabooks.com, and others.

Also, his website www.dardennorth.com offers a BUY IT link for each book that lists bookstores carrying signed copies, some with online access as well.

The eBook versions are available on Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony eReader, Kobo,and Smashwords. Information about upcoming book signings, book trailers, media interviews as well as his blog are found on his website www.dardennorth.com.

To help me celenbrate the August 2011 release of my first book "SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT" Darden kindly supplied this trivia. As well, he is donating TWO books to our contest prize pool: a signed paperback copy of House Call and a signed hardcover first edition of his second novel Points of Origin.

Thank you, Darden!
--- Eileen Schuh

Click on the green "comment" below and leave a comment with your name to be entered to win. Visit Darden's blog and mention this contest, to double your chances! Draw date to be announced.

Contact info: darden@dardennorth.com

Author Darden North MD

www.dardennorth.com

Author Darden North interviewed by Linda Leon on "Book That Author" March 3, 2011 - Blog Talk Radio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/book-that-author/2011/03/03/book-that-author-interviews-dr-darden-north

My first experience teaching writing workshops and a radio interview on "American Forum"

www.gulfcoastnews.com/radio


The First Annual Southern Expressions Writers Conference was held this past weekend (November 5 - 7, 2010) at the Mary C. O'Keefe Museum in Ocean Springs, MS. There were about 75 attendees with workshops offered in editing, marketing, agent querying, social media as well as in writing both novels and short stories. The workshops were conducted by facilitators from throughout the country.

The event marked my first opportunity to serve as a workshop facilitator, teaching an hour-long workshop each in writing mysteries and book promotion. Fortunately, I was told that both were well-received! Philip Levin, Gulf Coast Writers Association president, plans to conduct the conference again next year, and I would encourage anyone looking for a bargain conference to put it on the calendar ... especially if you are within driving range of the MS Gulf Coast. It was a great educational and networking opportunity. I will post the dates for 2011 when announced.

During the conference, I was interviewed about my novels by William Sackett of Gulf Coast Radio for the "American Forum" series and have included the link to the interview that originally aired on November 8, 2010. It may be necessary to scroll to that date among the recorded tracks listed.
www.gulfcoastnews.com/radio

Thanks,
Darden
www.dardennorth.com

Mystery author Darden North speaks at the Eudora Welty Library - 09/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq4ZIVFIvBg

Mystery and medical thriller author Darden North speaks at the Eudora Welty Library in Jackson, MS, September 23, 2010, at "Applause," the annual membership meeting for the Friends of the Jackson Library. North discusses his career as an author of three novels while practicing medicine full-time, then reads from his third novel "Fresh Frozen" with a preview of his fourth novel (work-in-progress), "Wiggle Room."

Martin Willouby interviews Darden North for "Mississippi Medical News"

Medical Entrepreneurs: How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset By: MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Martin Willoughby: Darden North, MD, is a great example of a physician who has embraced these big ideas.


Reprinted below from Mississippi Medical News

Medical Entrepreneurs: How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset By: MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Why did you become a physician?

This question gets to the heart of your life’s work. This same question could be asked of any occupation. In medicine, it’s particularly compelling because of the long road of training required to practice this profession. I’ve heard many physicians say they wouldn’t pursue this career path if they could do it again. They point to longer hours, less pay, burdensome regulations, liability, et cetera. Even though the compensation can be good, the stress is omnipresent. In addition to stress related to patient care, there’s also stress involved in operating a medical practice. The results of these stressors leave many physicians at the brink of burnout.

This potential for burnout is real. According to the American College of OB-GYN (ACOG), 67 percent of 1,200 physicians surveyed reported symptoms of burnout (ACOG 2006). A study published in the Western Journal of Medicine (2001) found a correlation between burnout and a perception of loss of control. The study concluded that lack of perceived control was the best predictor of burnout. Interestingly, in a survey by the journal Hippocrates, 73 percent of physicians cited “daily interaction with patients” as the most important or rewarding aspect of practicing medicine. T. Jock Murray, MD, director of the medical humanities program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, noted in the Annals of Internal Medicine: “Physicians still love their patients and love to see their patients. It’s the other things that are burning them out.”

Here’s the good news: By embracing an entrepreneurial mindset, physicians can better focus on their true passions in practicing medicine and in their lives. Entrepreneurs face many of the same challenges of busy physicians. They usually start their business with a skill and passion to pursue their dream. However, they usually get quickly bogged down in HR issues, accounting matters, and myriad realities of running a business. This entrepreneurial ceiling often dashes the dreams of many aspiring entrepreneurs. The answer lies in grabbing hold of two big ideas. First, physicians must implement sound “systems” in their business. This brings about the control that is often elusive and allows them to better focus on what they truly enjoy doing. Second, physicians need to adopt more of an artistic mindset. No, this doesn’t mean they need to bring a paintbrush to work. It does mean that they view their true work like an artist. Your medical practice is where you get to give yourself away each day in the creative art of medicine. This is a paradigm shifting way to view your life and work.

Mississippi Delta native Darden North, MD, is a great example of a physician who has embraced these big ideas. An OB-GYN with Jackson Healthcare for Women, PA, North has been practicing medicine since 1986. His 15-physician practice is innovative, with streamlined operations. This set-up has allowed North and his partners not only to provide personal, quality care for their patients, but it’s also allowed each of them to have a life, not just a job.

After his kids graduated from high school, and with the support of his wife, Sally, North pursued the dream of having a book published. He wrote his first medical thriller, House Call, in 2005. Points of Origin was published in 2006, and Fresh Frozen in 2008. Points of Origin was recognized in Southern Fiction in the 2007 Independent Publishers Book Awards, and House Call was a Mystery/Suspense Finalist in the 2008 New Generation Indie Book Awards. Fresh Frozen has received numerous national rewards as well. To date, North’s books have sold more than 17,000 copies. This is an impressive feat, particularly in light of the fact that most books on the shelf at your local bookstore will only usually sell 2,000 copies. North is now busy writing a fourth novel.

Anyone who has tried to write a book knows that it is no easy task. Amidst his busy schedule as a full-time practicing physician, North tries to work on his books a little bit each day. He acknowledges, “some days are better than others.” Of particular note for other medical entrepreneurs are North’s focus on operating an efficient practice with like-minded partners and his focus in pursuing his passions. According to North, “I’d encourage people considering pursuing a venture like book-writing to be focused and to understand the realities of the challenge.” Whether you’re starting a medical-related business or fine-tuning the operations of your medical practice, bringing the power of focus to bear will lead to powerful results.

As we journey down the path of exploring entrepreneurial thinking in this column space, it’s good to begin by understanding the pressures and stressors that physicians face, just like many other entrepreneurs. We’ll continue in future columns to review best practices for creating systems in medical practices and how to create opportunities to pursue your true passions. This will lead to greater job satisfaction and reduced burnout. North’s use of creative energy in both his practice and writing pursuits is a great example of what can be achieved with a desire to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset.



Martin Willoughby is a business attorney and serial entrepreneur based in Jackson, Miss. He may be reached by email mew@msbusinesslaw.com.