When he isn’t writing psychological thrillers, former Federal court judge and author Stephen McGuire enjoys spending time with his dogs. McGuire will speak at Hudson Library in Highlands on Wednesday, June 28.
They say there is no substitute for experience.
Author Stephen McGuire would certainly agree with that adage.
Drawing on his decades of experience as a federal judge, McGuire has transitioned to a second career as a prolific author of Washington, D.C.-based thrillers.
“All of my novels are works of fiction, but they are based on the power structure of D.C. and how things really get done,” McGuire said. “Of course, there are the official channels, but what I always found more intriguing was how things worked behind the scenes on Capitol Hill. There are so many facets to what happens in national politics, from the elected officials, their staffs, the appointed bureaucrats, lobbyists, the media, etc.”
McGuire, who now calls southwest Florida home, will be making a stop at Hudson Library in Highlands for an “Author Talk” at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28.
“I actually wrote my first novel several years ago, in 2008, but I didn’t know if it was any good and with the way the economy was then, publishers weren’t taking on new authors, so I just put it on a shelf,” McGuire said. “In 2019, a friend of mine encouraged me to publish it and I did. Since then I’ve written a second book and I’m about to finish a third.”
McGuire’s second novel, “Fractured Power,” is a dark and haunting psychological thriller about Aiden Fletcher; a brilliant young man who comes from humble origins and uses his extraordinary ambition and devious ingenuity to fulfill his inevitable destiny and reach the pinnacle of power in Washington, D.C.
As a newly elected District Attorney whose office investigates a rash of murders of young women in Knoxville, Tennessee, he uses his position to manipulate the evidence while pursuing a serial killer whose arrest and trial puts Fletcher in the public limelight and forever changes the trajectory of his extraordinarily treacherous life.
“I’ve heard other authors, some of whom have been very successful, talk about having a formula for writing novels and how that works for them,” McGuire said. “I’ve never been that kind of writer. I start with a main character, or a few main characters, and I try to let them decide how the story is going to evolve and how it’s going to end. I think that keeps my writing fresh.”
After penning two thrillers in two years, McGuire said he has no intentions of slowing his writing pace.
“I have thought about how long I can keep on writing as much as I have been, and I think I’d like to write five novels total,” McGuire said. “If I have a good idea for a story, I know I can write a book in less than a year, which when you’re 72 years old is a good thing. You never know how many years you have left!”
McGuire’s “Author Talk” at Hudson Library will feature all of his works as well as insight into his soon-to-be-released third novel. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. For more information, visit www.stephenmcguireauthor.com.