Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

From childhood I enjoyed reading and secretly fantasized about becoming a writer. But once I began premed my reading time declined precipitously. Same with med school, internship (yes, we still had those back in the day), and residency. One Saturday when I was in practice I came home from making rounds and told my wife that I intended to write a novel. She thought this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard, which only increased my resolve. For ten years I struggled to land an agent who could sell my work. Finally it paid off with a two-book deal from Tor/Forge. A few years later I retired to write full-time. I love the creative process of taking a single idea or question and forging it into a novel. 

What inspired you to write your book?

My first book was about a computer hacker named Radical Dood. I loved the character, but my agent pointed out that because I was a neurosurgeon, I had no credentials in the hacking world. Ergo, to get published I needed to write a medical thriller. So after shelving Dood, I wrote Deadly Errors. A story about a buggy computerized medical records system that was killing people. After writing several stand-alone medial thrillers I decided to weasel my way back into the hacker theme and came up with book 1 of my present Deadly Odds series. 

And how, you ask, did I come up with the subject of beating the odds? Well, I’d always been interested in machine learning (AI) and computers. I was also fascinated by the question of what would happen to you if you really got your hands on a goose that laid golden eggs? How would your life change once word leaked? Would you survive? The idea opens up a ton of interesting questions. 

So I invented my main character, Arnold Gold, a twenty-four-year-old on-the-spectrum nerd who develops an Artificial Intelligence system capable of pricking winners of sporting events like basketball or football games. The system is good enough that he can support himself by sports betting. So, life is rocking along for Arnold except for one thing: he’s still a virgin. His best friend talks him into flying to Las Vegas to get laid. And yes, you guessed it, he gets himself into trouble. 

My agent and publisher liked the character so much that they encouraged me to turn Arnold Gold into a series. So here we are. (Ah, but within the series, Radical Dood arises from the ashes!)

What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve always loved thrillers, both in books and movies. Before catching a flight to Cincinnati to take my oral boards, I picked up a copy of Marathon Man in a bookstore at the SeaTac Airport, read it on the plane, then stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish it. (Aced the boards, by the way despite my fatigue.). I love the pace of a gripping thriller, especially if there are interesting plot twists. 

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

As cliched and hackneyed as it sounds, I’d tell them to hang in there and keep trying in the face of rejection. It took me ten years and a gazillion rejections before landing that initial two book deal. I’m just lucky I had a day job to keep me afloat until gaining some traction. I really love what I do now and feel very lucky to be doing it.  

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I’m presently working on Deadly Odds 10.0. Which is slated for release in July of next year. After that I have a completely different standalone I intend to write. So, stay tuned.

About the Author

Allen’s thrillers have twice been nominated for the prestigious Thriller Award. He has served on the Board of Directors of the International Thriller Writers and is also an active member of the North American Crime Writers and Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Seattle.

Go to: https://allenwyler.com for more details.