Who is Joel Shulkin?
Joel Shulkin, MD, is the author of the the Memory Thieves series and the Death Benefits series. He has also penned award-winning short stories and poetry. A pediatrician and United States Air Force veteran with a master’s in public health, Joel lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters.
The Giveaway:
The chance to win a free signed copy of HEROIC MEASURES (see blurb below) to anyone who signs up for my newsletter at https://authorjoelshulkin.com. Valid to US residents only and must sign up by December 12, 2024, before midnight. Also, Dec 8 & 9 the ebook of Heroic Measures is only $0.99 on Kindle!
Stephen Englehart, an Armed Forces medical examiner. dedicates his life to bringing peace to the families of fallen soldiers. Tagged as one of the best, he’s able to spot forensic clues others miss. But when the body of a US Marine, supposedly burned beyond recognition, shows up with hardly a scratch, even Stephen is stumped. Were the bodies switched? Then, in the middle of the autopsy, the impossible happens.
The soldier wakes up.
Something incredible—and dangerous—is happening to the military’s elite, and Stephen may be the only one who can figure it out. And when Stephen’s sister, a Green Beret, goes missing, the entire military machine seems designed to stop him from finding her. To find the truth and save his sister, one man must stand against an army. Can he be the hero he never thought he could?
The Interview:
What genre do you write in, and what drew you to that genre?
I write medical/sci-fi thrillers. I had gotten a flyer from a group called SEAK back when they were still doing contests for physicians who wanted to write. I wrote a short story called “Simon Says.” I haven’t gotten this one published yet, but it was about a psychiatrist visiting a very difficult patient—complicated, bipolar, manic—and I submitted it, and it ended up winning first prize. And I thought, OK, maybe I should write more medical kinds of things. After that, I was at a Massachusetts Medical Society meeting and Michael Palmer was there, giving a talk about how to write medical thrillers. I attended, and I got to talk to him afterwards about it. He really encouraged me and said, “If you write a medical thriller, I’ll give you my list of agents, I’ll write a blurb for you, do whatever you need.” He was mentoring me and supporting me. So that really got my foot in the door.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written five medical thrillers and published three so far. I also have a YA fantasy, a sci-fi/fantasy thriller, and an urban fantasy thriller I’m thinking of rewriting if I ever have time. Of my published books, Heroic Measures is definitely my favorite as it not only draws on my experience as a physician and a military veteran; it’s a homage to the Captain America comics I loved growing up. I was able to work in numerous comic book references and Easter eggs for sharp-eyed readers and that alone was a lot of fun.
What's your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or do you let your story unfold and the characters present themselves (Pantser)?
I refer to myself as a “plants-er,” kind of in-between. Adverse Effects was pretty much just “pantsed” out. I just wrote it chapter by chapter to see what was going to come next. I couldn’t do that for Toxic Effects, because I had a deadline. I had to have an idea of what I wanted, so I wrote a rough outline. The next books I’ve written, I’ve done more about really making a clearer outline, but not super detailed. I’ve recently started writing my first non-medical thriller, and I have that outline already. Then I can make changes along the way if I need to. With an outline, I tend not to totally let things go; you hear about writers who have a side character who runs away with the story, and that usually doesn’t happen because I know whose story it is, and I know what I want to be happening and how I want the character to change by the end of the book.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
Teleportation, for sure. I’m so sick of driving and flights are ridiculously expensive. It would be amazing to just blink over to another part of the world, and much easier to visit friends and family (and to go on a book tour)!
Since it’s the holidays, what’s your favorite holiday food?
Most “holiday” foods we eat throughout the year so it’s not really that special. If I had to choose something only eaten this time of year, I guess I’d go with sufganiyot, jelly-filled donuts to celebrate Hanukkah. But I also love glühwein, a heated wine found at every Christmas market in Germany, though it’s must more satisfying in cold weather than in Florida.
Tell us about your current work in progress.
I’m editing/formatting my next medical thriller, SPONTANEOUS REMISSION, which will release in May 2025. It’s a more traditional medical thriller than my others. Although Betsy Daniels, suffering from end-stage scleroderma, wishes she had more time to live, she’s ready to free her husband of his burden caring for her, and to end her torment. Until, miraculously, her condition improves. Not only are her kidneys healing; she’s getting stronger and healthier, with an energy she hasn’t felt in years. As happy as her doctor, Regina Thomas, is that Betsy is getting better, she’s fraught by the fact she can’t find a reason why. But someone else knows. A hired killer is searching for a prototype panacea drug. He’s tracked it to somewhere in Clearwater, Florida, where Betsy lives, and he’s closing in. He’s not the only one, though. Biotech genius Friedrich Gersch, is also following clues to the prototype. Whoever finds Betsy first will hold the key to the greatest medical discovery in human history—or its greatest threat.
I’m also currently writing the sequel to Heroic Measures, titled EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES; as Heroic Measures was a twist on Captain America, this one will be a twist on the X-Men.
Lightning Round – Just for fun:
Holiday pies --- apple or pumpkin - Pumpkin
Morning person or night owl – Night but after having kids I now wake up at 4:30 so I can write and get everything done before everyone else wakes up, so I’m sleepy by 9!
Beach or Mountains - Beach
City or Country– City
Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream: Vanilla
Favorite Movie- Princess Bride
Last book Read –Burn Out by Joshua Hood
Print, audio, or ebook - Audiobook to/from work, though if I have time, I prefer print
Social Media:
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