SALT LAKE CITY, UT August 3, 2016
Stephen Clark got the idea for his political thriller shortly after then-Attorney General Eric Holder declared in 2012 that it was constitutional for the government to kill U.S. citizens overseas without any judicial review if they were deemed a terrorist threat.
Holder’s remarks came after a U.S. drone attack killed an American-born Muslim cleric in the Arabian Peninsula. Given the author’s experience covering national politics at FoxNews.com, he thought it would be fascinating to write a story that takes that policy to its logical conclusion.
“Stephen Clark’s novel is an excellent story on a contemporary subject, very thought-provoking, a complex and thrilling read,” WiDo Publishing™ managing editor Karen Gowen says about the book. “We are excited to be working with a writer of his caliber and background.”
Clark is a self-proclaimed politics junkie who loves to read political thrillers because, as he says, “The best stories show in dramatic fashion how decisions made in the corridors of power affect everyday lives and why checks and balances are so vital.” The author also enjoys psychological thrillers, “such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.”
Like many writers, Clark would love nothing more than to write full time. “I truly wish I could spend my days and nights writing novels,” he says. “But with a day job, along with a wife and young son, that’s simply not possible. So I devote as much free time to writing as possible, usually a few hours at night and marathon sessions on the weekends.”
Clark’s novel has taken a circuitous route to publication. It was previously under contract with an established romance publisher that was planning to launch a thriller imprint. But when the media conglomerate that had recently acquired the publisher scrapped the expansion plan, the publisher offered to turn Clark’s book into a romance or revert the rights back to him.
He states, “It was a tough decision only because I didn’t know whether I’d find another home for it. But I took my chances and I’m so happy I did. WiDo Publishing has all the qualities I was looking for in a publisher: stability, great reputation among authors and a successful track record of book sales.”
“Stephen is an award-winning journalist who knows his subject matter, skillfully crafting it into a page-turning thriller,” says Gowen. “We’re extremely happy that he found his way to WiDo.”
Stephen Clark is an award-winning journalist who covered religion and city government for the Los Angeles Times and presidential politics for the Washington, D.C. bureau of FoxNews.com. As a reporter for the Utica Observer-Dispatch, he won a New York Newspaper Publishers Association Award of Distinguished Community Service for his investigation into the financial struggles of nonprofit services. He also won a Society of Professional Journalists Award for Investigative Reporting at the Stamford Advocate for his series exposing an elderly grifter’s charity organization. His work has appeared in publications across the country, including The New York Times. Stephen grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and now lives in North Jersey with his wife and son. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Arcadia University and a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University. Find out more on Stephen’s website: https://www.stephenclarkbooks.com/
Buy the book: https://widopublishing.com/citizen-kill-by-stephen-clark/
Book review: https://lissapelzer.com/2017/06/18/introducing-citizen-kill/