Debra Purdy Kong is a mystery author from Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. She’s published two amateur sleuth mystery novels set in Vancouver and in the suburbs of Port Moody and Coquitlam, where she lives. Her books are fast-paced contemporary reads that feature a lot of dialogue and a little romance mixed with humor, which is exactly what she likes to read.

“Before tackling novels, I started writing short stories and personal essays. My first published piece was an essay about my ballet days when I was an aspiring ballerina, though without any talent. In fact, the only thing I had going for me were my feet, according to my teachers, which was the essay’s topic,” says Debra. “Anyhow, I was paid $90.00 for that piece which was published in a new magazine. At that time, I hadn’t been writing long and couldn’t believe my luck. I remember thinking well, that wasn’t hard; maybe I could make a living at this. But I didn’t know that very few magazines paid that much money to unknown writers, and the magazine folded after four issues. It was three more years before another magazine accepted my work and five years before I was paid real cash for my stories. One thing I have going for me as a writer is tenacity!”

“I’ve always loved writing. When I was growing up in the sixties, there were no video and computer games. We either played outside or we read and wrote stories and plays. I’ve always loved reading too. In elementary school, I volunteered in the library, and still have my little gold pin for service these forty plus years later.”

“The inspiration for my first Alex Bellamy mystery, Taxed To Death, happened while I was a secretary at an accounting firm, and where I met my future husband. One day, I was talking about writing mysteries over lunch with some articling students, when one of them said, “How come no one writes about us?” That sentence started the ideas flowing. I published the book in 1995, and began the sequel, Fatal Encryption, right away. But between raising children, volunteering, holding down part-time jobs, and starting another mystery series, the second book took a decade to finish. Three more years passed before it was finally published. But as I mentioned, I’m tenacious.”

“Promoting these books has taken me to all sorts of wonderful places such as Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada for conferences. I’ve met some wonderful writers along the way, but I think the best experience has to be when a stranger says “I really liked your book”. I’ve been writing long enough now that I also spend a fair amount of time reviewing books by unknown writers who deserve some recognition. I also like to speak about the publishing and promotion process. Mostly, though, I like to encourage people to pursue their dreams.”

“I’m happy to say that both Taxed To Death and Fatal Encryption are now available on Kindle and Mobipocket. Meanwhile, I’m still working on that other series, which is currently being looked at by two publishers. I’m on the third book and with any luck, I’ll be publishing mysteries for some time to come.”

Visit www.debrapurdykong.com.

Kindle: Fatal Encryption

Tags: Authors, books, inspiration, mystery, novels