I always enjoy chatting with today’s guest – especially when it means that he has a new book releasing soon… as in July 17th!
Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, now writing “medical mystery with heart.” His novels have garnered critical acclaim and won or been finalists for multiple awards. Guarded Prognosis is his twelfth novel. He has also published four novellas and a non-fiction book. He and his wife live in north Texas, where he writes, works on being the world’s greatest grandfather, and strives to improve his golf game.
You can connect with Dr. Mabry on his website, Facebook, blog and Twitter.
When Dr. Caden Taggart saw the two men sitting in his waiting room, he didn’t think they were patients. He was right, and when they introduced themselves as agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, things started to get bad.
Then Caden felt as though someone had gut-punched him when his father, Dr. Henry Taggart, told him he probably had carcinoma of the pancreas. When he talked about his son assisting with his suicide, Caden wondered how he could talk him out of that.
When he shared his news with his wife, Beth, she tried to assure Caden that God was in control. But as things progressed, he was unsure that was true. At first, he feared for his freedom. Then for his ability to cope. Eventually, he feared for his life.
Hi Dr. Mabry! Welcome back to the blog!
Richard: Always “over”—no question about it. (And I put on a new roll when needed, unlike some folks).
Carrie: Yes, why do people not put on a new roll?
Richard: Actually, I like Coke Zero. Can’t stand the taste of Pepsi.
Carrie: ugh. me either.
Richard: Learned to love the ocean when I looked out at it every day for almost 3 years during my Air Force tour in the Azores. Besides which, I get short of breath at altitude.
Carrie: That would do it 🙂
Richard: Print when I’m reading at home. My Kindle when I’m asked to read in view of an endorsement, when an e-book is on sale (yes, I’m cheap), and for reading material on a trip.
Carrie: I’m the same way – my Kindle has made travel so much less cumbersome!
Q: Which books are “on your nightstand”?
Richard: I may get criticized because I don’t confine my reading to “Christian fiction,” but from time to time I like to re-read some of my favorites, choosing from a bookcase full of them. At present, I’m re-reading the novels of the late Donald Westlake. They provide plenty of laughs (unless he’s writing under the pen name of Stark—those are definitely dark).
Carrie: This is a no-condemnation zone as far as branching out from CF on occasion 🙂
Q: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
Richard: I had such a situation recently with a new WIP. One of the pitfalls of being a “pantser” is that I don’t have an outline, so I often don’t know the next move by a character. BTW, Westlake calls this “push fiction,” saying if he doesn’t know what’s next, neither will the reader. Usually I let the scene alone for several days, and my brain generally comes up with an answer. In this case, I had a dream that told me where to go with the plot.
Carrie: oh i love that!
Q: Some authors like to hide little things in their stories. Is there anything you have hidden in your book?
Richard: In my earlier books, I copied Al Gansky and “hid” the word “tarmacadam” in some of my books. Lately, I’ve often included the phrase which I’ve seen in other books, and liked: “…let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.”
Carrie: I really like that phrase as well! <consults dictionary for ‘tarmacadam’> lol
Q: Things seem to quickly go from bad to worse for Dr. Caden Taggart. What inspired the plot for Guarded Prognosis?
Richard: Actually, there are two elements to the plot. I wanted to write about a doctor who found that his father, also a surgeon, might have an incurable disease. This was a scenario drawn purely from my imagination. Then, as the writing progressed, I put in information about some other things taken from my own experiences. I had a second part to the plot, but my wife—my first reader—suggested a different problem for the protagonist, one involving DEA compliance. I took her advice, and it seems to have worked.
Carrie: Wives often have good advice 😉
Q: What is one of your favorite quotes from the book & why do you love it?
Richard: When the elder Dr. Taggart comes to grips with his diagnosis, he quotes the French military surgeon, Ambroise Pare, who said,“I dressed the wounds. God healed the patient.” I love it because as a physician I’ve learned that medical skill goes only so far. After that, it’s in God’s hands.
Carrie: Amen ♥
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Richard: In late November or early December, I plan to release my next novella. In Emergency Case, a doctor starts to back out of her snowy driveway when she runs over a corpse that proves to be the body of her attorney-husband’s client.
Carrie: oh my!! Can’t wait!
Dr. Mabry is offering a copy of Guarded Prognosis to one of my readers! (Print if US winner, ebook if international winner) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What do you like most about medical mysteries?
The excitement of them! Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m in the medical field so it’s neat to see mysteries revolving around what I know and deal with every day.
Carrie, thanks for this opportunity to connect with your readers. And I appreciate the comments left already. Looking forward to reading them all.
The excitement tied in with the urgency of the field. Thanx for the giveaway.
I love medical mysteries. I think part of it has to do with me having had major medical problems just about my whole life and being told I’m not the norm in anything. So medical issues or problems interest me. Add mystery and intrigue and I’m hooked.
I’d love the opportunity to read “Guarded Prognosis” by Dr. Richard Mabry.
I enjoy learning new things about the medical field, such as diagnosis/treatment and the people who work in this very challenging environment. I also enjoy reading about the different personality types who are in the medical field; doctors, nurses, technicians, ER personnel, paramedics, therapists, etc.
The excitement and urgency surrounding medical issues…having been an RN for 40+ years, seeing how much I remember! or if there are things where in my experience we might have done things differently. Thank you for the interview, and the opportunity to win one of Dr. Mabry’s books. I’ve enjoyed several of his and can’t wait to read this one.
I love Richard’s books. Can’t wait to read this one
I haven’t read very many medical mysteries. I have enjoyed them all.
I like them because I’ve spent a lot of time in the past years in doctor offices or hospitals.
I love to read medical mysteries. I’ve always been interested in the medical field and love learning things about it. I haven’t read any of Dr. Mabry’s books yet, but they sound fascinating. Candace Calvert also writes medical suspense, and I’ve read almost all of her books and loved them.
Thanks for the fun interview!
I love the mystery angle. The closest I ever got to the medical field was being a nursing assistant at a nursing home during college. Thanks for the fun interview and chance to win. I would have loved that ocean view from the Azores!
The science!
I love Richard’s books! They capture me from the get-go!
My mom was in the medical profession for the first two decades of her career, and I’m totally squeamish. I was a computer programmer for the first two decades of mine. So medical mysteries appeal to us both. I’m intrigued by them and have no experience in that field to figure them out, and they are highly intellectual. Of course, my mom loves them because she can relate as well as enjoy the mysteries. Both my mom and I have read all of Dr. Mabry’s books and can’t wait to read more!
I love medical dramas because I can live vicariously through them. I wanted to be in the medical field and the body and how it works amazes me.
I like medical mysteries because I find them fascinating. There is something about the medical field that I really find interesting and there is always something to learn.
I am definitely a fan of Dr. Mabry’s books! I have always been interested in nursing and doctors and all that goes along with that. I got a CNA degree years ago and plan to go back for more schooling when I’m finished homeschooling my kids. I also really love books with mystery and suspense, so putting the two together is one of my favorite genres to read.
Medical mysteries can go so many ways that they are always exciting!
I always wanted to go into the medical field and now I can through reading medical mysteries.
Thanks for putting my name in the hat to win Dr. Mabry’s book.
Your comments are interesting reading–and the reasons are as varied as my readers, it appears. Not everyone realizes that 1) I’ve been retired from medicine for more than a decade, and 2) my field was rhinology/allergy (so I have to research everything I write about in order to make certain it’s up to date and accurate). Thanks for commenting and entering the giveaway.
Medical mysteries are captivating, enthralling and real since many illnesses are unique and require study and research. They explore real life and our weaknesses as well as our strengths.
Yes!
This sounds like a good mystery and i would enjoy reading to see what happens. Do they trust God or what?
I’m not sure what draws me to medical mysteries, maybe it’s because my mom is a retired LPN and most of my family are in the medical field. It seems I’ve been fascinated with the medical angle for most of my life; I think it adds an extra layer to a story. Plus, I understand a lot of the jargon…lol!
Thanks for the fun interview and giveaway chance!
Haha! Understanding the jargon does help 😉
I like medical mysteries because they are technical. I like to learn new things.
I enjoy Dr.Mabry’s books and I love medical mysteries. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I love medical mysteries! I am a retired registered nurse and before that, I was an EMT and a nurses side and a candy striped lol. You might say, I’ve had my feet in the medical world most of my life, and by reading Dr. Mary’s medical mysteries, I can keep my toe in still. Thank you for the wonderful stories, Dr. Mabry! You rock!
Dear Dr. Mabry, I’ve always enjoyed medical mysteries, especially those written by you, (also, especially since our youngest son is studying to be a surgeon:). I would love to win a print copy in your giveaway. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity! Please message me for my mailing address, if I win a print copy! Thank you, again! Lual Krautter
Thanks for all the comments (and for the many, many entries in the giveaway). And, of course, my thanks to Miz Carrie for this opportunity to get to interact with all you folks. Best wishes.
You are always welcome here!