Well, here I am again with another edition of my Monthly Author Musings newsletter. It's hard to believe that we're already in the second half of November. Time flies when you're keeping busy or having fun. I know I've been doing both of those things lately.
Anyway, here is what's on my mind as of late.
Any Day Now...
My editor is still reviewing the manuscript of my third medical thriller novel. Based on the estimated timeframe, I might get all of the feedback and notes from my editor by the end of this month. But even if that doesn't happen, I can still wait.
No matter what, I am resting for the remainder of November and will dive into book-related work once again when December begins. If the manuscript is finalized before then, I will immediately begin recording the audiobook version. If not, I will instead begin the first draft of my fourth medical thriller novel to get a head start on that, at least until the manuscript for book three is done. Either way, my goal is to get my third novel ready for release in March 2026 and finish the first draft of book four by the middle of April 2026. Planning and discipline are how I avoid falling behind schedule.
Toxic Minds Has Won a Second Place Award in the BookFest Awards!
Yes, in case you missed it, Toxic Minds won a Second Place Award in the BookFest Awards on October 25, 2025. This is the fourth award that this book has earned so far. There are still a couple more book award contests that will announce their winners in the coming months. Who knows if this book will win a fifth or even sixth award?
These honors, along with those for my first novel Doctor Lucifer, are the reason that I describe myself as an award-winning author. I take great pride in this because it is really not easy to get a book award, let alone a positive review by a book review source. Even as this is a sign that I'm doing something right, I never stop telling myself that I can still do better as a storyteller. I won't settle for average.
Why Include Music References in My Medical Thrillers?
One thing that is not commonly done in fiction is the inclusion of music references. Now and then, you may read a novel where a character is listening to some song and it's really just a throwaway detail. You know, mention the name of the song and artist and that's it. Authors usually don't do this because it's meaningful to the author but not to anyone who isn't familiar with the song.
Yet, from day one, I felt the urge to deviate from this. For me, music is part of the emotional experience of life. When I'm sad or angry, I listen to sad or angry songs to let those feelings flow out instead of being bottled up. When I'm feeling good, I'll listen to something upbeat and keep that mood going. Sometimes I mentally fixate on something big happening in the world and a specific tune I'm listening to from my personal YouTube Music playlist just fits perfectly. So when it came time to write Doctor Lucifer, the first book of the Dr. Mark Lin Medical Thrillers series, I knew I had to have my alter ego protagonist also be musically minded.
To explain this further, I shall present the following excerpt (italicized) from an interview I did with Foreword Clarion Reviews back in 2024:
Music is a crucial part of the book, capturing Mark’s emotional landscape. How was the process of weaving prose and lyrics?
First off, let me explain why I include references to music, as well as movies, in my novel. Back in medical school, especially during its third and fourth year, I experienced stress like no other. I discovered that two sources of leisure I previously considered to be mundane and ordinary—listening to music and watching movies—became emotional lifesavers during this difficult time. Having the radio play music during a fifteen-minute drive home from an intense day at a hospital made all the difference. Same for going to a movie theater for two hours every now and then. When I created the character of Mark Lin, I knew he had to have characteristics that make him stand out among other medical thriller protagonists. Why not have him be a music and movie buff in addition to being a doctor, just like me?
For certain emotional scenes in this novel, I spent time figuring out which songs, of those I’m familiar with, evoke the strongest and most appropriate emotion for those moments. Because lifting lyrics directly from songs requires permission, I avoided doing so. That’s OK. The two important things about any reference to a song title and artist is what kind of song it is and what emotions are associated with it. I make sure to capture both aspects, usually in as few words as possible in order to not slow down the storytelling too much. Familiarity with the song is not required, even though it can be a bonus.
I Insist on Narrating My Own Audiobooks
Some authors who have audiobook versions of their books prefer to have someone else narrate the audio. For me, I would rather do it myself. The reason is simple.
Much of the content of my medical thriller novels is based on my life experiences. It especially draws from my tumultuous years in medical school and one year of residency, along with earlier parts of my life that were not happy times. It is true that voice actors could imagine themselves in such a situation, no matter what their life experiences had been. Still, I feel that my intense moments related to being a very shy youngster and then a young adult pushed around by an unfriendly medical education culture are not something that much of mainstream society truly understands. Even the best male audiobook narrator might not do justice in my opinion.
Besides, Mark Lin is an alter ego, an embodiment of my darkest side. As the creator of this character, nobody knows him better than me. When I'm at the microphone, I am tapping into my own dark past to bring this related fictional character to life.
Fun Stuff: Vacation in L.A.
I spent the first week of November on vacation in Los Angeles for eight full days. This stretch was bookended with visits to SoFi Stadium to watch two Sunday NFL football games: the Los Angeles Rams versus the New Orleans Saints on November 2 and the Los Angeles Chargers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9. Both were fun to watch, especially as both L.A. teams emerged victorious against their visiting opponents. In between those two Sundays, I visited relatives, explored a particular place that I will feature in my fourth medical thriller novel (I'll tell you which one once the book is finished), went swimming in my hotel's swimming pool, and read the entirety of three books beside that pool. Which books you may ask? Well, they were two thriller novels and one humor book: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen, The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen, and Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld. Overall, I had a relaxing time away from Northern California.
Well, that's all for now. Have a wonderful rest of the month. Also, for you Americans reading this, have a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate.
Anthony Lee
anthonyleebooks.com |