Toms River Author's Novel Melds Crime Thrills and the Paranormal

Toms River author Scott Wieczorek recently celebrated the release of his second novel, “Witness Through Time,” a crime thriller featuring supernatural elements.

Though he grew up in Massachusetts, Wieczorek has lived all over New Jersey, and has called Toms River home off and on for about the past 15 years. Toms River Patch asked the Monmouth University graduate some questions about his latest release, which is available through Amazon.com.

Q: Can you explain the premise of your latest novel?

A: “Witness Through Time” is what I like to call a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. The basic premise concerns Glory Parker, a young woman who is down on her luck and has to abandon her life in Boston to hopefully make a fresh start living with her sister in a small coastal Maine town. However, upon her first arrival in Cragg's Head Cove, Glory begins having strange visions that help her uncover a dark secret concerning the disappearance of four college girls nearly fifteen years earlier. Glory's visions reveal that the girls, presumed to be runaways, were instead brutally murdered. Now it's up to Glory to solve the mystery and catch the killer before she becomes the next victim.

Q: How did the idea for a murder mystery with a paranormal twist develop?

A: I have always loved stories involving the paranormal. And, what better way to showcase paranormal abilities than in solving the unsolvable crimes? In the end, I wrote “Witness” because it was the type of book that I would like to read and I hope that other people agree.

Q: Your current book takes place in Maine, but does living in Toms River/Ocean County influence your writings in any way?

A: Though I am originally from New England and Maine holds a very special place in my heart, I do have to admit that yes the Toms River and Ocean County area has had an influence on my writing. In fact, I am working on a horror story that takes places on an archaeological excavation in the New Jersey Pinelands. The site I chose for this story was actually one located in Manchester Township I had research for my Master's Thesis. This story is still a work in progress and after I finish a couple of other more pressing stories I may finally get around to publishing it. On a similar note, I have also written some historical vignettes on Ocean County History for the Ocean County Scroll (the Bulletin of the Ocean County Historical Society), and for WeirdNJ.

Q: Is this a self-published book? What advice do you offer to up-and-coming authors?

A: Witness is an Independently Published book that is available through Createspace, and through Amazon.com. My advice to up-and-coming authors is to keep working on your craft and not to take "no" for an answer. We all struggle. It's part of what we do; and, it will make you a better writer in the end.

Q: How has the Internet changed publishing?

A: I believe that the Internet's impact on the publishing world is that it has made it much more accessible for people. There are many great writers out there and while traditional publishing companies may want to charge 20 or more dollars for a book, you can buy an equally entertaining book for a fraction of that from a lesser-known or Independently Published writer. It really promotes a broad sharing of ideas, and also helps a writer build a little bit of name recognition for themselves.

Q: Feel free to add anything else you'd like to mention about yourself and your upcoming projects.

A: “Witness Through Time” is my second novel. My first, titled “Byron: A Zombie Tale,” is a young-adult novella that explores the zombie apocalypse as it engulfs New Jersey from the perspective of an infected person. Byron, the title character, is attacked by a zombie one night and through a strange twist of fate retains his identity and his humanity. Though, his grasp on both is sometimes tenuous, at best. As hordes of undead swarm the streets of his college town, Byron must find a way to bring his few surviving friends to safety. In addition, I have another novel coming out around Christmas which involves an ancient race of creatures that have served as the basis for myths of angels for millennia, so keep your eyes open for this one. A fourth novel of mine, presently in the works, is a spaghetti western set in a post-apocalyptic world. I am really excited about both of these works as they are both the first in two respective series. Another thing I will briefly mention is that one of my short stories was also recently included in a horror anthology published by STFU publishing called: Rat War.