Colin Beckett’s inspiration for his debut novel, “Family Business: An Outer Banks Crime Mystery” came suddenly during his lunch break on a sunny day in May of 2010.

          “I remember that I was reading one of Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” novels, when all at once, I put the book down, grabbed a clean white paper napkin and a pen, and wrote most of what would become Chapter One within an hour. The majority of the plot and major characters appeared in my head, together with the title. Later that evening, I transposed my rough notes onto a white notepad, and the genesis of the novel was born,” he recalls.

          Working full-time as a Director of Learning and Development for a major, Cleveland-based company meant that the remainder of the novel was written during lunch breaks, on weekends, and during vacations in the Outer Banks. It would take four years to write and one year to edit the manuscript.

          “At the urging of my editor, I re-wrote all of the chapters that were initially written in first person and made the entire story flow from a third person point of view. It was challenging, but I admit, my editor was right. I credit her with making this a better story,” he adds.”

          Earlier in his life, the Outer Banks inspired him to write a poem entitled “Currituck Sounds,” that was published in “The American Poetry Anthology, Volume IX, Number 4” by the American Poetry Association in 1989.

          He earned a Master of Arts degree in American History at Cleveland State University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He is a member of the Midwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and lives with his wife in Northeast Ohio where he is currently at work on his next Marty Tate mystery.