Writer Wednesday: James Landrum

The world of Greek monsters and myths inspired James Landrum to become a fiction writer at a young age. He loved the way that these ancient, epic stories made “fantasy seem obtainable in reality.” As he grew older, James became intrigued by the presence of gang violence in the United States. Gradually, he began to research and write about the detective work required to solve gang related murders. The result was the beginnings of a book that would be published in early 2014 called Rise of the Dunamy. This book tells of a woman detective, Sofia Milena, who faces a case involving a string of vicious murders in Atlanta. She sets out to catch the criminals with her colleague, Lucian Grey, who may not be the man he pretends to be.

Upon the completion of his first book, many asked James about the connection between writing and reading. In an interview with Blooming Twig, James revealed he personally aimed to read more to become a better writer. He said, “I’ve had several people ask me if I read a ton when they find out I wrote a book. The answer, quite simply, is no. I never really read anything more than articles on the web, which I don’t think count.” This may come as a surprising fact for many readers, no doubt. In spite of a distinct lack of a voracious appetite for books, James’ book has done quite well. In a post about Rise of the Dunamy, one fan said “If you look at my profile, I don’t give out a whole lot of fives! It really has to knock my socks off, and well I’m sitting here barefoot.”

Luckily for fans, James intends to add another five or so books to the series in the future. Currently though, he is still working as a video production manager for a court reporting firm in Alabama. Also as a new father of a baby girl alongside his wife Delilah, James’ has much on his plate. In spite of his busy schedule, James is looking forward to the creation of his next book.