I’ve always been fascinated by bookplates, those identifying labels that people sometimes stick on the inside covers of their books. Whenever I find one in an old book, I always wonder who the previous owner was, what they were like, and how the book finally left their collection.
Quentin Dodd – 7 October 2025
The Back Flap
Got a strange problem? Get a strange detective.
When a valuable rare book causes its new owner bone-chilling nightmares, occult investigator Dean Sherwood thinks the solution will be simple. But those gruesome dreams are actually the first stirrings of a curse decades in the making.
He tries to untangle the complex threads, but is warned off by a vengeful ghost who will stop at nothing to finish one final experiment—one that leaves a trail of terror and death in its wake. Dean must halt the supernatural countdown any way he can, no matter how many monsters, phantasms, and just plain annoyances stand in his way.
Add a trio of warlocks besieging his house, hell-bent on retrieving an ancient gold coin, and soon Dean is up to his vintage tie clip in a whirlpool of intrigue, sorcery, and murder!
About the book
What is the book about?
An occult investigator tries to stop a curse centered around some valuable old books, and unravel the sinister plans of the man who used to own them.
When did you start writing the book?
About two years ago. I’d been trying to write a mystery, but discovered that logical things like deductions and clues didn’t come naturally to me. (Plus, I always wanted the killer to get away with it.) So I decided to try mixing a mysterious story with supernatural elements, which gave me more space to include the irrational and the unexplained. I still tend to sympathize with the bad guys, though!
How long did it take you to write it?
Probably six to ten months. It’s hard to say exactly, since I was going back and forth a lot between this book and The Blue Bear (the first book in the Dean Sherwood series) at the same time.
Where did you get the idea from?
I’ve always been fascinated by bookplates, those identifying labels that people sometimes stick on the inside covers of their books. Whenever I find one in an old book, I always wonder who the previous owner was, what they were like, and how the book finally left their collection. I started to think about bookplates as a sort of gateway, connecting people in the past to people in the present. From there, I imagined how someone could take advantage of that gateway for unpleasant purposes.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I’m new to the idea of writing a series–stories with the same characters, the same locations, and the same general tone. I want to make sure everything is explained and described properly in each book, but don’t want to repeat myself too much and bore the readers who have been there since the beginning. It’s a balancing act that I’m still learning.
What came easily?
The relationship between Dean and his uncle Willard turned out well. They have a relationship that’s prickly but supportive, with genuine affection at its base. Willard has retired and passed his investigative work on to Dean, but still has much more experience than his nephew. He’ll offer help when he has to, but very much wants to be left alone with his model trains, so he encourages Dean to work out problems on his own. Dean, for his part, is too proud to ask for assistance unless there’s no other option.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
My characters usually contain bits and pieces of real people, though I try to mix up the elements when I can. I’ll take the appearance of someone I can visualize clearly, then add the speech patterns of a different person who has interesting way of talking. This helps me create a character who seems authentic, but isn’t a carbon copy of a real person.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I love P.G. Wodehouse’s impeccable touch with language, and M.R. James’s ability to create a ghost story that’s both deeply cozy and undeniably frightening. Rex Stout came up with characters you’d love to hang out with, and he kept them interesting through dozens of books. Those three set the bar high, but that’s where I’m aiming.
Do you have a target reader?
People looking for something light and entertaining, while still being creepy and exciting. Basically, anyone who read all of John Bellairs’s spooky stories as a kid, and wants to find a “grown-up” equivalent.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
The faster I write something, the better I feel about it, so I try to get the initial draft down as quickly as possible. My primary concern at this stage is energy and momentum, and I try not to look at what I’ve written until I go back and edit it later.
I’ll usually use an old laptop that’s set up for nothing but word processing, or sometimes just a Bluetooth keyboard and my phone. I used to write first drafts in longhand, which I loved, but the tedium of typing it all into the computer afterward became too daunting. Not only that, but I eventually messed up my hand from writing so much. But my hand’s better now, and dictation software has improved, too. So maybe I ought to give it a shot again.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
The story usually starts with just 10-12 bullet points to lay out the overall shape. Then I build an outline as I go along by making a 2-3 sentence summary of each chapter as I finish it. That way, I have an outline I can look at to see the story structure when I’m revising, but can still improvise most of the first draft, which I like best.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
As I’m working on the first draft, I’ll go back and edit what I wrote a few days earlier. Once the whole thing is done, I’ll revise it in sections, working on larger and larger chunks until it feels polished enough to show to people.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Fortunately, I have friends who can provide me with pretty insightful notes, and I use those to guide the editing process. Every once in a while, I’ll overrule their suggestions, but in general they’re annoyingly perceptive.
For proofing, I have the computer read the manuscript back to me with text-to-speech while I follow along. It’s tedious, but it makes the mistakes easy to spot.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Synthwave has been my go-to writing music for years. Anything that sounds like the opening credits theme from a 1980s horror or action movie sounds great to me. Right now, my favorites are Abstract Void, Dance with the Dead, Neon Odin, and Xyzzy.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did. I got a few nibbles, but never a good, solid bite, and eventually I got tired of the process and decided to go it alone.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I’d had a couple of middle-grades books published with a traditional publisher many years ago, but the slow pace and apparent arbitrariness of the system began to bug me. Eventually, I wanted to see if I could do it all myself.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I tried a professional cover, but didn’t like the result, so went with something myself. I’ve always been a fan of the vintage Penguin paperback designs, so I wanted to try a similar less-is-more design.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Winging it is my marketing plan! Right now, I’m mostly throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. When things seem to work, I’ll do more of the same.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Artistic motivations are more satisfying than commercial ones. Even if your only sales come from relatives and friends who buy it through a sense of obligation, you’ve at least put a story into the world that only you could tell. That’s not nothing.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Mostly in Indiana, but also spent a couple of high-school years near Charleston, South Carolina, where I had a part-time job as the world’s most inept wedding DJ.
Where do you live now?
Another part of Indiana. More snow and less hills this time.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I have an intense love for historical re-enactment fairs. If you’re wearing an old-time hat and selling something handmade from the side of a tent, you’ll probably end up with some of my money.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third book in the Dean Sherwood series, and thinking about the gonzo fantasy novel I’ve been threatening to write for years.
End of Interview:
For more from Quentin Dodd check out his website and explore his LinkTree.
Get your copy of The Leningen Bookplate from Amazon US or Amazon UK.