Spotlight On AdC's Mr. July Richard Becker

AdC Magazine’s Mr July

Spotlight On Richard Becker

 

Richard R. Becker is an award-winning, best-selling American author. His coming-of-age crime thriller, Third Wheel, broke into the top 100 thriller and suspense literary fiction novels on Amazon in October 2023. The novel has also won six literary awards, following in the footsteps of his first book, 50 States, a collection of fifty short stories with one story set in each American state. When Richard isn’t writing fiction, he works as a creative strategist and writer for brands and businesses all over the world.

Tell us about the genre(s) you write and the type of characters you love to write about.

My writing is eclectic, like my reading. But there are a few similarities readers can expect. My characters tend to be relatable, everyday people who are faced with extraordinary events from their perspective. I enjoy writing literary fiction with an edge, often but not always dark. The edge can be anything from moral dilemmas to physical threats. Most of it explores the human condition, the kind and the cruel.

Do you have a new book or series?

My newest book is Third Wheel, a coming-of-age crime thriller that explores how far a downtrodden teen might go to belong when his choices seem nonexistent. It's set in the shadowy suburbs of 1982 Las Vegas, a time when law enforcement and drug cartels started putting pressure on organized crime. Should he go along to get along or go it alone even if that means isolation?

Which tasks/projects do you find you tend to procrastinate on and why?

Despite working in advertising and marketing, I’ve always struggled to sell myself. I don’t necessarily procrastinate, but I can find a few dozen other things to do first before making a cold call or sending out emails. The irony is that I have no problem doing it for others. I suspect it stems from struggling for years with a low sense of self-worth despite a laundry list of successes. I’ve improved recently, but it’s been a lifelong struggle.

If you had to pick any character in one of your books, who is most similar to you, who would you choose? Why? 

My newest protagonist, Brady Wilks, is the most similar to me as we share many life experiences. While we are different people and see the world differently, I was immediately drawn to write his story after he appeared in a 10-story Kindle-exclusive companion to 50 States called Ten Threads. The story, Third Wheel, was partly conjured up from a memory, and I immediately knew that it wasn’t just a story but the first chapter of my debut novel. 

If you were transported to the setting of the book you're currently writing, where would you be?

I would be transported to Augusta, Maine. It’s the fall of 2017 and while there isn’t any snow on the ground, the weather is taking a turn toward cold fog and light rain. 

If you saw a doorway/portal in the middle of the forest, would you enter it?

Ask me in a couple of years, and I may give you a different answer. As much as I’m an adventurous spirit, and there are many times in my life when I would walk on through to the other side, I also love my family. As it is, my daughter will be attending college several states away, and my son lives up in Reno, Nevada, so I’d rather stick around and see what happens in their lives. 

What do you wish you were better at?

I’m a good artist, but not a professional artist. If I were a better illustrator, I would have also published several children’s books.

What is something you say a lot?

Write your own stories. I tell my kids this all the time. I want them to write their own stories instead of letting others write them for them. I even included those words in my first book as a dedication to them.

What do you do when no one is around?

I read, write, and draw. Having a block of time is like gold to me.

When running away for fun, where can you most likely be found?

I love traveling all over the United States and am starting to look beyond our borders, too. I love exploring new places and trying new things. I’m always looking to discover new places, and I have already plotted a road trip to take my daughter to college. Once she is safely moved in, I plan to take a different route for the return trip.

Where is one place you don't like to be?

Las Vegas has been very good to me, and I’ve always given back to the community. I’ve built a business here and raised some outstanding kids. But I never intended to stay so long here.

You get in trouble, who are you most likely with?

I better keep that a secret. I don’t want to incriminate them.

What are one of your quirks?

I’m a little bit of a perfectionist. I don’t expect other people around me to be, but I’m always trying to figure out how to do things better. I mean everything — even cleaning the house.

Will you be attending any book signings or conventions? 

Right now, I’m currently working on scheduling book signings with bookstores in several cities that I’ll pass through while taking my daughter to college. I’m going to have some good news to share soon!

 

Please give us the following contact information:

Personal web page: bio.site/richardrbecker

Twitter: https://x.com/RichBecker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byRichardBecker

 

 

 

 

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