Main Character Interview with Stacy N. Hawks and Devils Ridge
Please tell us about the book and the character who is being interviewed.
Dark corners, hidden stills, and fast
cars linger in the shadows of Devils Ridge. While God rules rural Appalachia,
it’s Man’s Law that is challenged when notorious rum runner Connor Ridge takes
on a local deputy who may outpace the moonshiner’s illicit enterprise. With the
help of the new Editor in chief, deputy Walter Irwin works to bring Ridge and
his gang to justice. Can Irwin stop the shadows of Devils Ridge from swallowing
his town whole? Or will they overtake the law, once and for all?
Devils Ridge is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats and you may visit our platforms for more information https://www.linktr.ee/dividingridgebook.
How did it feel to be given a leading role in this book?
Never imaged I would be part of a book at
all. It’s strange really, but also very humbling. My family has enjoyed reading
about some of the cases I have worked on throughout my career, and this one is
no exception. I truly appreciate the author for picking my stories to share
with everyone out there and hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoy being part of
them.
Obviously to us this was a tale but for you it was something you actually went through, how did you find the journey we read about?
Stacy does a great job of mixing fact and
fiction. Using our hometown of Sparta here in Alleghany County as her backdrop
is definitely real while some parts of the book I know were made up for
literary purposes. I won’t say which parts were made up ‘cause that will just
give things away, but she clearly does her research. I like that she also
interviewed a few people for this latest book as she did her first which also
features me Dividing Ridge: the Unsolved
Murder of Elva Brannock. That case was one of the most heartbreaking I had
ever had to work. To tell the truth it bothered me a lot over the years, and I
was glad someone else took interest in it after I left office. Maybe someday it
will be solved. Devils Ridge though,
what a ride! Definitely a story worth retelling straight from the headlines of
our local newspaper. A lot of it again is fictionalized but I will not forget
some of the things Mr. Ridge did in and around our county, and the extent of
his moonshine operation once we had finally caught up to him.
If you could do the journey over again would you have done anything differently?
Looking back on the first story, I don’t
think so. I mean I wish technology would catch up to law enforcement so we
could better assist and help solve crimes or stop them before they happen. As
for the second story there is one thing I wish I had done differently. To have
had more men on duty to catch Ridge, we were really a skeleton crew with a few
extra state and federal officials, but more man power may have stopped him
sooner…maybe.
A lot of people would love to know what's next for you?
I take a back seat in the next book.
Another law enforcement friend of mine is going to take over as the main
character in Stacy’s WIP. He’s a good friend and at one time he was also my
mentor and boss. There will be more about that story in the coming months I am
sure. Personally though I have taken a job as a U.S. Deputy Marshall with an
office in nearby Wilkes County, NC.
If you could say anything to the people who read about you in this book what would it be?
It’s not all about me. Each story features
me as the main character sure, but overall the stories are about this close
knit rural Blue Ridge Mountain town we’re all from and the people who have been
impacted by a crime. The cases are interesting, and I hope my character adds to
each individuals enjoyment of reading the books.
How was it working with the author of your book?
We’re
a real team. From the moment she started working on this story I felt Stacy
understood who I was and what I wanted to accomplish with the cases she has
written about. However, what truly amazed me is how well she captured my true
personality. Even my family thought so because, you see, Stacy has never met me
and I have never really met her in person. She was not afraid to put me in the
tough positions or have me going after the bad guys. I thought it good that in Devils Ridge she let our sense of humor
come through at times, which was something we couldn’t do in the first book.
Overall, I really enjoyed working with her and hope she continues to showcase
our county, town, and the people who have helped shape it in her future books.
Please tell us where readers can connect with you and find out about any new book releases too.
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