Darden North, MD

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Martin Willouby interviews Darden North for "Mississippi Medical News"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:38:00 +0000

Medical Entrepreneurs: How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset By: MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Martin Willoughby: Darden North, MD, is a great example of a physician who has embraced these big ideas.

Reprinted below from Mississippi Medical News

Medical Entrepreneurs: How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset By: MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Why did you become a physician?

This question gets to the heart of your life’s work. This same question could be asked of any occupation. In medicine, it’s particularly compelling because of the long road of training required to practice this profession. I’ve heard many physicians say they wouldn’t pursue this career path if they could do it again. They point to longer hours, less pay, burdensome regulations, liability, et cetera. Even though the compensation can be good, the stress is omnipresent. In addition to stress related to patient care, there’s also stress involved in operating a medical practice. The results of these stressors leave many physicians at the brink of burnout.

This potential for burnout is real. According to the American College of OB-GYN (ACOG), 67 percent of 1,200 physicians surveyed reported symptoms of burnout (ACOG 2006). A study published in the Western Journal of Medicine (2001) found a correlation between burnout and a perception of loss of control. The study concluded that lack of perceived control was the best predictor of burnout. Interestingly, in a survey by the journal Hippocrates, 73 percent of physicians cited “daily interaction with patients” as the most important or rewarding aspect of practicing medicine. T. Jock Murray, MD, director of the medical humanities program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, noted in the Annals of Internal Medicine: “Physicians still love their patients and love to see their patients. It’s the other things that are burning them out.”

Here’s the good news: By embracing an entrepreneurial mindset, physicians can better focus on their true passions in practicing medicine and in their lives. Entrepreneurs face many of the same challenges of busy physicians. They usually start their business with a skill and passion to pursue their dream. However, they usually get quickly bogged down in HR issues, accounting matters, and myriad realities of running a business. This entrepreneurial ceiling often dashes the dreams of many aspiring entrepreneurs. The answer lies in grabbing hold of two big ideas. First, physicians must implement sound “systems” in their business. This brings about the control that is often elusive and allows them to better focus on what they truly enjoy doing. Second, physicians need to adopt more of an artistic mindset. No, this doesn’t mean they need to bring a paintbrush to work. It does mean that they view their true work like an artist. Your medical practice is where you get to give yourself away each day in the creative art of medicine. This is a paradigm shifting way to view your life and work.

Mississippi Delta native Darden North, MD, is a great example of a physician who has embraced these big ideas. An OB-GYN with Jackson Healthcare for Women, PA, North has been practicing medicine since 1986. His 15-physician practice is innovative, with streamlined operations. This set-up has allowed North and his partners not only to provide personal, quality care for their patients, but it’s also allowed each of them to have a life, not just a job.

After his kids graduated from high school, and with the support of his wife, Sally, North pursued the dream of having a book published. He wrote his first medical thriller, House Call, in 2005. Points of Origin was published in 2006, and Fresh Frozen in 2008. Points of Origin was recognized in Southern Fiction in the 2007 Independent Publishers Book Awards, and House Call was a Mystery/Suspense Finalist in the 2008 New Generation Indie Book Awards. Fresh Frozen has received numerous national rewards as well. To date, North’s books have sold more than 17,000 copies. This is an impressive feat, particularly in light of the fact that most books on the shelf at your local bookstore will only usually sell 2,000 copies. North is now busy writing a fourth novel.

Anyone who has tried to write a book knows that it is no easy task. Amidst his busy schedule as a full-time practicing physician, North tries to work on his books a little bit each day. He acknowledges, “some days are better than others.” Of particular note for other medical entrepreneurs are North’s focus on operating an efficient practice with like-minded partners and his focus in pursuing his passions. According to North, “I’d encourage people considering pursuing a venture like book-writing to be focused and to understand the realities of the challenge.” Whether you’re starting a medical-related business or fine-tuning the operations of your medical practice, bringing the power of focus to bear will lead to powerful results.

As we journey down the path of exploring entrepreneurial thinking in this column space, it’s good to begin by understanding the pressures and stressors that physicians face, just like many other entrepreneurs. We’ll continue in future columns to review best practices for creating systems in medical practices and how to create opportunities to pursue your true passions. This will lead to greater job satisfaction and reduced burnout. North’s use of creative energy in both his practice and writing pursuits is a great example of what can be achieved with a desire to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset.

Martin Willoughby is a business attorney and serial entrepreneur based in Jackson, Miss. He may be reached by email mew@msbusinesslaw.com.

Mississippi Library Association reviews "Fresh Frozen" and recommends the novel for public libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Fresh Frozen
North, Darden. Fresh Frozen.
Jackson, MS: Ponder House Press, 2008.
344 pp. $26.95 (hardcover)

Fresh Frozen is the author’s third mystery set in Jackson, Mississippi. Readers will be taken behind the medical scenes of the Van Deman Reproductive Center, a lucrative facility that provides advanced technology in the process of frozen embryos. The four main characters – Wesley and Carrie Sarbeck, Cheryl Choice, and Allyn Saxton – all are individuals who desperately want to have children and are turning to the reproductive center for help. Unfortunately, their desperation collides in a plot filled with murder, deceit, and even the larceny of frozen embryos.

North does an excellent job of detailing the precise work behind human reproductive technology. Readers may find themselves comparing the book to today’s media attractions such as the Octomom, Jon and Kate Plus 8, and other celebrities who are seeking assistance from fertility clinics. The jargon is easy to read and, since it is loaded with intrigue and information about this medical process, it will be a page turner for readers. In some areas of the book, however, certain characters were futile and could have been deleted easily, while others could have appeared more frequently with a stronger voice. The book is recommended for public libraries with an audience interested in medical thrillers.

Shugana Williams
Librarian
Katrina Research Center
University of Southern Mississippi

Entry Filed under: Book Reviews, Mississippi Library Association
Posted on: September 29th, 2009

http://www.misslib.org/index.php/2009/09/29/fresh-frozen/

FRESH FROZEN by Darden North reviewed by the Mississippi Library Association

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:20:00 +0000

Darden North's third mystery and suspense novel, FRESH FROZEN, was recently reviewed by the Mississippi Library Association and is recommended for public libraries.

This is the link to the published review:

http://www.misslib.org/index.php/2009/09/29/fresh-frozen/

Author Exchange Blog updates news about mystery/suspense author Darden North

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Spotlight on the Author updates interview of author Darden North

12/5/2009 7:09:00 AM
by Darden North, MD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darden North's third novel FRESH FROZEN won Best Cover Design and was a Finalist in Regional Fiction in the 2009 National Indie Excellence Awards. FRESH FROZEN also received Honorable Mention in General Fiction in the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival Awards and was a Finalist in Best Cover Design Fiction and a Finalist in Regional Fiction in the 2009 New Generation Indie Book Awards.

http://www.examiner.com/x-22005-Billings-Writing-Examiner~y2009m12d3-Spotlight-on-author-Darden-North-MD

"Mystery Lovers Corner" interviews author Darden North

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Check out my latest interview posted 12/03/2009 on "Mystery Lovers Corner" and register for a chance to win a free copy of my third novel FRESH FROZEN.
http://www.sleuthedit.com/featuring.html

Sylvia Dickey Smith examines Author Darden North

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Please copy and paste the following link to your browser to read the interview posted 10/04/2009 in the Austin Writing Examiner.

http://www.examiner.com/x-19445-Austin-Writing-Examiner~y2009m10d4-Darden-North-author-and-MD-earns-thicker-looser-skin?cid=examiner-email

National Arts and Entertainment Austin Writing Examiner

Darden North, author and M.D., earns thicker looser skin
October 4, 10:55 AM
Austin Writing Examiner Sylvia Dickey Smith

Darden North is not only an award winning fiction author, he is also a practicing, board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with his family.

Darden is a brother member of SIC and his book, Fresh Frozen won, Best Cover Design and Finalist, Regional Fiction in the 2009 National Indie Excellence Awards; Honorable Mention in General Fiction in the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival Awards; Finalist, Best Cover Design Fiction and Finalist, Regional Fiction in the 2009 New Generation Indie Book Awards.

When asked how age and life experience has contributed to being a better author, he says:
"Sylvia asked me to explain why being a mature author makes my work better. First, I had to come to grips with what mature meant. In all aspects of life or professions, maturity for me translates into knowing what matters and what doesn't but does not necessarily earn a thicker skin, only a looser one.

"Of course, reaching the ripe-old (or ripe-young --- are we splitting hairs here?) age of 53 would chronologically place me in the ranks of maturity and, I hope, having written three novels and working on a fourth transforms me into a maturing writer.

"But writing evolves and improves as it should, and through that process a good author reaches beyond a comfort zone and with that grows the thicker skin. Criticism or (let’s soften that a bit) the critique becomes welcome in that the author learns what readers or reviewers are looking for regarding character or plot development. Then the fun part is twisting everything around to shock those fans and experts into reading something different and even better than expected.

"The knowing what matters and what doesn't thing I defined above doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with writing, but instead applies generally to life’s path. There a moments that belong in their particular sliver of time, the memory of which can rekindle worry or pain. But writing, even fiction, can truly become a healing method – a wonderful example of alternative medicine.

"So, becoming an author and reaching the ripe-young age of 53 garners one a thicker skin. It’s inevitable. Then what can be done about the loose stuff? Well, that’s for the cosmetologists, dermatologists, and plastic surgeons."

Set in the Deep South, Darden's contemporary novels are built around intense -- yet believable – characters often embroiled in controversy. As one reviewer has said, he writes “the truth of medical fiction." Don't miss a chance to read Fresh Frozen. You won't be disappointed.

Darden is interviewed by "Dames of Dialogue"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:17:00 +0000

This is the link to the my interview posted September 23, 2009, on the "Dames of Dialogue" blog. The piece was billed as "This author delivers! Author & OB/GYN Darden North is in the house today on the Dames of Dialogue blog" -
http://damesofdialogue.wordpress.com/"

Interview reprinted from Dames of Dialogue, September 23, 2009, in Author Interviews

DARDEN NORTH, MD, ANSWERS THE DAMES DOZEN

1. Tell us about your latest book and your current WIP.

My current novel is Fresh Frozen. Can selling human eggs and embryos lead to fame and fortune? In Fresh Frozen two doctors have competition when everyone wants a piece of movie star Allyn Saxton — not her career, not her autograph, not a one-night stand, but her frozen embryos. Saxton survives her conniving mother, who molds the once successful child actress into an even more popular international celebrity. However, when marriage and a string of broken relationships leave her childless, Saxton slips down to Mississippi and the secluded, state-of-the-art Van Deman Reproduction Center in hopes of having a baby. Secluded, it’s not, when someone hires Internet spy Tinker Murtagh to break through the Center’s security system and steal Saxton’s embryos. Even Murtagh is unaware that in the facility’s next exam room his camera catches the competition for the prize at work. There, a nearly-bankrupt policeman and his tormented wife are also being treated by Dr. Van Deman, so desperate is the cop’s wife for pregnancy that she is willing to kill for it. Human reproductive tissue becomes a fatal commodity in Fresh Frozen. Fresh Frozen was released in hardcover in October 2008 and is available wherever books are sold.

My work-in-progress is a new novel, tentatively titled Wiggle Room. Wiggle Room is a little different for me and it’s exciting, but I believe the story will definitely appeal to my reader base and expand it even more. What if an Air Force surgeon returns from overseas deployment to find that he’s the target of an assassin? Serving four months in Iraq, Dr. Brad Cummins fails to save an injured soldier even as he mends the GI’s attacker. Once back in the U.S., still blaming himself for returning the insurgent to the killing fields, Cummins discovers his own brother shot to death and soon realizes that he is the intended target. Is Dr. Cummins being hunted by a terrorist who follows him from Iraq, a revengeful love interest of the GI he allowed to die, or someone else a little closer to home? I look for Wiggle Room to be available in 2010.

2. Your books are billed as mystery/suspense/medical thrillers and have received national awards. Which award do you cherish the most?

As you said, I have been blessed with national award recognition for all three of my novels to date and am proud of them all. But, I guess, sometimes your first is the most memorable. That would be the award received in Regional Southern Fiction for my second work, Points of Origin, presented by the Independent Book Publishers Awards (IPPY) in New York.

3. As a practicing gynecologist, I imagine you have to be pretty self-disciplined when it comes to setting aside time for writing. Do you have a specific writing ritual?

Most writers I’ve met seem to have another supportive occupation as I do and talk about getting up early to write an hour or so before work. But since I am typically due at the hospital by 7:00 am, jumping out of bed any earlier could be a stretch for me. Therefore, I write at night, but now (with my wife’s encouragement) force myself to call it a day by 10:00 pm. Of course, weekends allow for catch up time.

4. Medical thrillers are a favorite of mine, and as a doctor, you’re the perfect person to write in this genre. Have you thought about crossing over to another genre, say, romance or science fiction?

It’s timely that you ask. I have been working with a published author I met at a writers’ conference in Louisiana about developing a medical romance series. She is presently pitching this idea to romance publishers. We hope to capitalize on the interest in film production in the Deep South, particularly in her native Louisiana, where coincidentally the True Blood television series is set. However, there are no plans for vampires in our medical romance series – at least, not yet. But what about a vampire doctor? Sound interesting?

5. What inspires you as a writer?

Writing allows me to speak and act through other voices. I find it fascinating to develop characters and sometimes twist people or types of people I know into something they are not, but could be. Deep down, I believe that I long to entertain, and I have always stayed busy. Patients and nurses tell me that I have “a good bedside manner” – a trait required of any successful doctor or medical professional and, perhaps, that trait transcends into putting believable words on paper.

6. What motivated you to write your first novel? I was not aware of any practicing physicians at the time writing fiction. It appeared to me that most publication venues seemed to look upon books written by doctors as something along the lines of memoirs, instructional manuals, textbooks, or other health-related “how-to” guides. So, I thought there might be a place for Darden North, the full-time ob/gyn physician from Mississippi, in the fiction marketplace. My wife and mother, both retired English teachers, have been encouraging and a lot of help along the way of this journey.

7. Do you outline each book or simply sit in front of your computer and let things happen?

It’s sort of a combination for me, but I think that the “just let things happen approach” is more fun. While attending the International Thriller Writers Conference in New York this past summer and sitting through seminars presented by big names like Rollins, Martini, Coban, Cook and others, it dawned on me that when an author says he/she outlines first, what is really meant is using a technique of writing a skeletonized version of the book usually from start to finish and then just expounding from there while adding dialogue.

8. Can you share with us your journey to publication?

After I completed the manuscript of my first novel House Call, I called Denton Gibbes of the Gibbes Company in Ridgeland, MS. Like most first time novelists, I had been unsuccessful in obtaining a literary agent (Yes, I had sent out the nearly 100 obligatory query letters –each rejection letter getting more polite, more encouraging, and more personal), so Denton helped me get published and launch a professional, marketing campaign to promote the novel. Now more than four years since the publication of House Call, a respectable 7000 copies have been sold in hardcover and about 3000 more in paperback. My second novel, Points of Origin, was published in hardcover in October 2006 followed by Fresh Frozen in 2008, both of which have also sold well. The Gibbes Company has designed the jackets of all of my novels, Fresh Frozen winning first place nationally for cover design.

9. Many authors think of promoting their book as a necessary evil in today’s tightening literary world. How do you feel about promoting and what do you think works best for you in regards to promoting?

The way I see is that promoting your book is a little like politics. The process never stops, and the opportunity to promote your books and yourself as an author (or campaign) presents itself at every turn. (Also, once a politician, always a politician, and once a writer, well, you get it.) Anyway, I never miss an opportunity to mention that I have written three novels if the subject or interest arises, and if someone says, “Oh, you’re the doctor who has the books,” I stop and talk to them. But unlike a politician who might kiss babies, I don’t kiss babies — I deliver them. As far as what really sells books? I think having one of my novels adapted as a screenplay and produced as a major motion picture starring well-known celebrities would definitely get the word out about my books. Seriously, I think the Internet is changing marketing, and everyone knows it. I enjoy participating in Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Plaxo, and the like and am a member of several blog websites such as AuthorsDen, CrimeSpace, BookProfessionals, BookTown, Author and Book Event Center, The Writer’s Box, and BookTour. I try to keep these sites updated and participate in as many book discussions there as I can, although my time to do so does get tight. The monthly hits on my website www.dardennorth.com have more than quadrupled from that involvement. Also through my work on line, I have made many writer and reader cyber friends and have received much promotional help.

10. You grew up in and live in Mississippi and I note your books take place in Mississippi, which I interpret as a testament to your love for the state. Tell us about Mississippi and what you enjoy most about this region.

In my novels I try to cast a positive, present-day image of our beautiful state, which is more metropolitan than you might think. For instance, my latest book Fresh Frozen depicts a somewhat controversial, state-of-the-art medical facility located in real-life Canton, Mississippi, (near my home of Jackson) that draws clients from around the world. (It wasn’t a coincidence that I put Fresh Frozen in Canton, since it has been the backdrop of several popular films, including Grisham’s A Time to Kill.) I enjoy Mississippi because of its beautiful people and resources and because the talented people who live here appreciate what they have, what they believe in, and what they can do.

11. The Dames love animals. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them. If not, what’s your favorite animal and why?

Presently, my wife Sally and I have two small dogs under five years old: Valerie, a possessive Chihuahua, and Foxy, a playful Pomeranian-rat terrier mix, the breed referred to as Pomerrat, who makes housebreaking a challenge. Foxy likes her indoor puppy pad and my shower, but recently things seem to be getting better. About the time the two younger ones came along, we lost from natural causes our 15-year-old cat Tuxedoe (Yes, the e at the end is correct since Tuxedoe was a girl) and our 12-year-old Sheltie named Rogue. Our son in medical school, who lives only a few blocks away, has Bandit, a yellow lab. We claim Bandit as our granddog and babysit him frequently, consequently having to repaint our backdoor often.

12. What’s your favorite Southern expression (or food or place)?

Fixin’ is a great term. When my peers and I were getting ready to take our oral board exams in Chicago at the completion of residency training to become board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists, one or our professors suggested we avoid such southern colloquialisms as fixin’ during the oral exam. He did not add when talking with those Yankee examiners but we knew what he meant. Anyway, I’m fixin’ to complete a great fourth novel (Wiggle Room) that I hope a whole lot of people will enjoy.

For more information about Darden North and his books: http://www.dardennorth.com

Darden North to be interviewed live on "Coffee with an Author"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:16:00 +0000

Mystery/suspense/medical thriller author Darden North is scheduled to be interviewed live on Coffee with an Author by host Naomi Giroux. Interview time: Monday, September 21, 2009, at 10:00 am CST. Shown is a shot from another radio interview.

The link for the interview is:
http://tobtr.com/s/686165

or

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/I-just-finished/2009/09/21/Darden-North-on-Coffee-with-an-Author

Darden North to be interviewed on "Book That Author"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Linda Leon of BookProfessionals.com will be interviewing Darden North on Thursday,September 17, 2009, at 11:30 AM CST on "Book That Author" on Blogtalk Radio.

Mystery and Medical Thriller author Darden North will be discussing his riveting book "Fresh Frozen."

Time: September 17, 2009 from 11:30am to 12pm CST

Location: Blogtalk Radio and will be posted to bookprofessionals.com after the show

Website for BookProfessionals where interview with Darden North will be posted: www.bookprofessionals.ning.com .

Darden North raises support for neighborhood Fondren Renaissance Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Proceeds of the book sales at Fischer Galleries were used to support the work of the neighborhood Fondren Renaisance Association. The book signing for author Darden North was held from 5 until 8 p.m. during the monthly "Fondren after 5" event. Fischer Galleries is located at 3100 North State Suite, Suite 101, Jackson, MS. Shown above from left: Marcy Fischer, Mary Jo McAnally, Darden North, and Kristen Martin.

Two of the fictional principal characters in North's third novel Fresh Frozen are set in the Fondren area of Jackson, Mississippi.

http://fischergalleries.com/

Thursday, July 2, 2009 - THE NORTHSIDE SUN - Page 5B

http://northsidesun.com/

http://dardennorth.com/

Mississippi Fiction Author to be interviewed on WTNI 1640 AM - Gulfport, MS

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:13:00 +0000

Date: 6/9/2009
Time: 7:35 a.m.
Location: WTNI AM Radio - Gulfport, MS

Mississippi author and physician, Darden North, will be a Special Guest Speaker on WTNI 1640 AM "The Morning Show" --- June 9, 2009, at 7:35 a.m.

Listeners can call in during the live interview at (866)450-8255 to talk with Darden and pose questions of the author about his three novels: FRESH FROZEN, POINTS OF ORIGIN, and HOUSE CALL.

Toll free number listener call in # 866.450.8255 .

Radio hosts for the 15-minute interview are Rev and William Sackett.

Interview of Darden North scheduled for Mystery Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Fran Stewart will be interviewing author Darden North live on MYSTERY MATTERS: WHERE MURDER IS AN OPEN BOOK on May 22, 2009.

For the live show, go to www.voiceamerica.com and click on the Variety Channel. That will “turn on the radio.”

For the archives, go to www.tinyurl.com/a2f3s6 and click on Episodes for May 2009.

This is a excerpt of moderator Fran Stewart's announcement regarding the hour-long interview of fiction author Darden North on her Internet Radio Show, Mystery Matters:

This coming Friday, May 22nd, I'll be talking with practicing obstetrician and mystery writer Darden North in a show we're calling "A Prescription for Thrills”
…a doctor whose writing you can read . . ." That's the headline on Darden North's website. He's a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in Jackson, Mississippi, and uses his knowledge of medicine to provide background and detail for his medical thrillers, House Call, Points of Origin, and Fresh Frozen, his newest book featuring--what else?--an obstetrician, Dr. Knox Chamblee.

Set in the Deep South, Darden's books are filled with characters you love to love, and love to hate. In our conversation we'll explore ideas such as how to balance writing with a medical practice, how close to reality the medical thriller genre really is, and where babies come from. Well - maybe not that last one . . .

Email your questions for Darden's interview to mysterymatters@earthlink.net.

www.franstewart.com

Darden North scheduled for interview on The Authors Radio Show

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:31:00 +0000

Mystery and medical thriller author Darden North will be the guest of Don McCauley on The Authors Radio Show May 22, 2009. North will discuss his current and third work, Fresh Frozen, and explain how he writes novels while practicing medicine fulltime in Mississippi as a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist.

http://www.theauthorsshow.com

Darden North Interviewed on BookProfessionals

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:33:00 +0000

Link to the interview:
http://bookprofessionals.ning.com/notes/One_on_One_with_Author_Darden_North

Darden North is interviewed by Jean Henry Mead on "Mysterious People"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:29:00 +0000

This interview originally appeared 04/2009 on Jean Henry Mead's wonderful blog "Mysterious People" as part of her series of conversations with and articles by
mystery/suspense/thriller/crime authors. http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 19, 2009 ...
A Conversation with Darden North, MD, author of FRESH FROZEN

Hosted by author Jean Henry Mead

Darden North, a practicing obstetrician, is a graduate of Ole Miss and writes award-winning medical thrillers from John Grisham territory.

Darden, how did your novel writing evolve?

I decided to write a novel because there were characters, unique characters, screaming to get out. That might be a corny answer, but after 24 years of formal education and 10 years of private medical practice, it was time to share some of those squirrelly folks with others. Of course, I would take another 10 years for my first novel to hit the shelves. I think that I can speak for any southern author in declaring that “down here” we have lots of “character references.” Just dose the eccentrics that comprise a large chunk of the medical profession with several capsules of southern flair and an author has a wealth of material.

Tell us about your novels, which I understand have all been honored by the Mississippi Institute for Arts and Letters as well as the Southern Independent Book Association.

All three novels have been released in hardcover with a paperback release of House Call to add to the bunch, which I do not describe as a series. In House Call, my premiere novel, the murder investigation of a young hospital nurse weaves through a southern town consumed in self-indulgence, reverse discrimination, diverse characters, and more death. This fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the medical industry was also a National Finalist in Mystery/Suspense in the 2008 New Indie Book Awards.

In my second novel, Points of Origin, also set in contemporary Mississippi, the death of Flowers Ridley costs Dr. Dan Foxworth his reputation, his fortune, his plastic surgery dynasty, and ultimately his own life. Still reeling from the tragedy and struggling to overcome his rejection from medical school, Dr. Foxworth’s son, Sher, breaks with family tradition and becomes a fireman. His new occupation pits him against a former schoolmate, now an arsonist hired to torch the mansion of Cordell Pixler, the same medical malpractice attorney who ruined Sher’s father. Points of Origin also placed in Southern Fiction in the 2007 Independent Publishers Book Awards.

My third novel, Fresh Frozen, is a timely medical thriller that explores the debate over unbridled infertility practices with a murder mystery thrown into the mix. In Fresh Frozen, a young policeman and his tormented wife discover that human reproductive tissue can become a fatal commodity. A grisly southern murder, a movie star, and a heist of frozen human embryos draw mystery and suspense readers into an intriguing twist of human greed, mental torment, and medical science.

How do you manage to find time to participate in so many writer organizational conferences as a panelist as well as conduct so many media interviews?

I never waste any time and have always had several projects in tow. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child and was forced early on into entertaining myself. Fortunately, I am one of the more senior members of a well-established, multi-physician obstetrics and gynecology practice in Jackson, MS. All of the doctors have other interests besides practicing medicine and are available to share on-call duties. Regarding promoting myself as an author, I continue to pay very close attention to marketing trends and available options while still striving to write good fiction. I enjoy speaking to groups and giving live presentations and interviews. There is something to be said for self-confidence, whether it’s justified or not!

And when do you have time to write? What’s your writing schedule like?

I’m afraid that my writing schedule is sporadic. I write when I can, but my mind is always in gear. That’s what “they” call creativity. Once our two children graduated from high school, I was able to carve out an hour or two during nights at home to write since I was no longer needed to help with homework. Teaching myself how to type and becoming semi-proficient with the use of a computer has made it possible for me to produce in a four-year span three novels of between 80,000 to 100,000 words each. Ideally, I would like to write for an hour or two before work each morning, but when you have to be at the hospital by 7:00 a.m., getting up a couple of hours earlier is a little rough.

How did growing up in the Deep South influence your work?

Being from Mississippi seems to give one the desire to write. After all, there is a long literary heritage: Faulkner, Foote, Welty, Morris, Grisham, and Iles to name an illustrious few. It was the exposure to the works of contemporary Mississippi authors that drew me to the craft. Since I knew of no physician in active medical practice who was writing novels, I decided to try to fill the void. Also, the historical events and people of the South have been tumultuous, controversial, murderous, joyous, and benevolent, with the contemporary becoming increasingly progressive. Therefore, this rich, juicy birthright yields a smorgasbord of characters and plots. I actually grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and you just can’t get any deeper than that.

With a degree in zoology and minors in English and chemistry from Ole Miss, why did you decide to train in obstetrics and gynecology? And are all your novels medical thrillers?

When I was an undergraduate at Ole Miss in the late 1970s, a student pursuing admission to medical school was termed a pre-med student, which, of course, is still an accurate description for the 2000s. From the beginning of the freshman year, my peers and I considered our major to be pre-med. Therefore, a more declarative major was not necessary until diploma time came around. I happened to have the hours in zoology, chemistry, and English enabling me to declare those majors. To further date myself as a dinosaur, Ole Miss pre-med students no longer even take zoology.

I need to point out that Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi) is located in Oxford, the home of William Faulkner and is, therefore, no better place to absorb the mystique that should envelope a writer. I was lucky enough to spend four wonderful years there. Also, I was fortunate to choose a medical and surgical career in ob/gyn that has brought me close to so many, many families during important milestones in their lives. That profession remains rewarding for me. Regarding my response to the second part of this question, I will be exploring the consideration of my novels as medical thrillers in my accompanying article.

Did the work of fellow Mississippian John Grisham influence your work in any way?

John Grisham’s success has inspired many of us. I have read all but his most recent novel and recently had the opportunity to meet him at an Ole Miss Alumni Association function in Oxford. There were a few seconds to chat when I shared with him that I had written three novels and plan to write more. I added that some readers have commented that I am “the John Grisham of medical thrillers.” I referred to his speech given earlier in the evening’s program in which he mentioned that while a lowly law school student at Ole Miss he successfully approached Mississippi author Willie Morris for an author endorsement or book jacket blurb. Sadly, John did not take the hint at doing the same for me. After kindly posing with my wife Sally in a picture as I served as photographer, he wished the two of us luck.

Who are your favorite authors?

Greg Iles, Martin Hegwood, Robin Cook, Steve Yarbrough, Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays.

Advice to fledgling writers?

Never give up, work as hard at your craft as you can, never turn down a legal opportunity to promote yourself as an author or writer, and never discard anything that you have written. Also, try to remember to enjoy your journey while maintaining and perfecting your “real” job as well.

Thank you,
Darden

Darden's web and blog sites:

www.dardennorth.com
http://www.dardennorth.com/blog/index.html
http://novelsbydardennorth.ning.com/

KEDM - FM Interviews Darden North

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Sunny Meriwether, News Director of KEDM-FM Public Radio - Monroe, LA, interviewed author Darden North about the release of his third novel, Fresh Frozen.

The March 26, 2009 interview was heard live at 8:20 a.m. during the Lagniappe segment and then again later in the day.

The archived interview can be heard through the link at
http://dardennorth.com/book-fresh-frozen.asp .

KNOE CBS-TV Interviews Darden North about his newest novel, FRESH FROZEN

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:26:00 +0000

The interview on "Good Morning ArkLaMiss" originally aired March 27, 2009, on KNOE CBS-TV Monroe, LA. Interview host is Cynthia Milledge of KNOE-TV.

Copy and paste the link below into your browser if you would like to watch the six-minute interview or go the home page for FRESH FROZEN on www.dardennorth.com and highlight the link under Watch the Interviews:

http://www.dardennorth.com/videos/KNOE-CBS-March-27-2009.html

Author Darden North featured in Monroe (LA) News-Star

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:53:00 +0000

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090326/LIFESTYLE/903260315/1024/NEWS17

Darden North returns to sign new book, 'Fresh Frozen'
By Hope Young • hyoung@thenewsstar.com • March 26, 2009

Dr. Darden North has parlayed his experience as a Jackson, Miss., obstetrician/gynecologist into being a writer of medical suspense thrillers, and he'll be in the Twin Cities beginning today autographing copies of his latest, "Fresh Frozen," and visiting with fans.

"This will be my third year to come to the Spring Market in Monroe," Darden said. "People in Monroe have always been so receptive when each of my books came out."

This is North's third novel, the first was "House Call" in 2005 and the second was "Points of Origin" in 2006.

"Fresh Frozen," enters the emotionally wrenching world of infertility treatments and is set in Canton, Miss. North connects northeastern Louisiana to the Mississippi setting when a delivery man of a key chemical suddenly gets Monroe added to his route.

"Jackson is between Atlanta and Dallas, and Monroe is between Jackson and Dallas. I figured that was one way I could make it plausible, make it a feasible place to stop," he said. "Also, I know the medical community in Monroe and know that this is a chemical that is used."

North begins his booksignings at noon today at Books-A-Million in Monroe. On Thursday, North will set up at the Junior League of Monroe Spring Market, where he'll be through Sunday.

"I have a great time at Spring Market," North said. "People are always interested in what I'm writing about and the characters."

North's readers let him know they liked Dr. Knox Chambless from his other books, so he took that character and expanded it for "Fresh Frozen." Chambless relocates to practice infertility medicine at a soon-to-be world-famous clinic and finds himself face to face with the ethical and moral questions surrounding human reproduction.

"He was a protagonist in the first book and mentioned in the second. Because people liked him so much, I figured I'd better keep him alive. Because he was an OB-GYN, I sent him back to school for some training," North said.

"I kind of made him a little sexier. He's a really good doctor, grounded. Kind of an antagonist to the not real nice people. He might not follow the rules exactly," North said.

(2 of 2)

A stickler for detail, North said all of the procedures and terminology are based in real medicine, and North said he got the idea of the fertility clinic setting from a colleague.

At a medical meeting, North heard a fertility specialist speak, and he thought that was a topic no one had written about in the medical suspense genre, so he made it the central theme of "Fresh Frozen."

"I did credit this doctor for his talk about his clinic," North said. "When you are a writer, your mind is always going. Little things pop up, and you think that would be a great story line or a great character. I was trying to write something new, fresh and timely."

It takes a lot of thought, energy and time to produce three books in just four years, and, for right now, North hasn't started on the fourth. He's been busy promoting the books by attending events such as the Spring Market.

"I've learned a lot about promotion. You have to do most of it yourself," North said. "There are some celebrity authors with big publishing companies that have it done for them, but basically you have to do it yourself."

North said with three books out, he hopes fans of his medical thrillers are eager for more.

"It boils down to a lot of self promotion, and, hopefully, you've got something to promote, and people want to read more of your writing," North said. "I hope there are some fans out there waiting for the next one."

For more information on Darden North and his work, visit his Web site, www.dardennorth.com that has links to his Facebook and MySpace pages and the Darden North Community.

Darden North interviewed on CONVERSATIONS LIVE! RADIO

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Darden North was interviewwd by Cyrus Webb on CONVERSATIONS!LIVE RADIO -
12-11-08 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Below is the link to the interview:

Conversations%20Live%20talks%20to%20author%20Darden%20North.mht

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Interviews Author Darden North, MD

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:14:00 +0000

Don’t Lecture Me …a new MPB Online web series featuring fascinating interviews with persons of note. Produced entirely on location, Don’t Lecture Me presents brief but concise one-on-one conversations with authors, artists, ambassadors and more.

Copy and paste the link below to browser to watch the interview:

http://www.mpbonline.org/Online/DontLectureMe/ipod-sm/north.mp4

DELTA DEMOCRAT TIMES features Darden North's third novel, FRESH FROZEN - December 5, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:08:00 +0000

By LAURA SMITH
laurasmith.ddtonline.com

Delta Democrat Times - Friday, December 5, 2008 2:25 PM CST

GREENVILLE, MS - Two Mississippi authors will sign their newest books this weekend at McCormick Book Inn.

On Saturday, Darden North will sign his third medical thriller, “Fresh Frozen,” from 2 to 4 p.m.; and Kathy Chase Young will sign her children's book, “In a Mississippi Winter,” on Sunday, from 2 to 3 p.m.

North, who grew up in Cleveland and is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Jackson, has also written “House Call” and “Points of Origin.”

Released in November, “Fresh Frozen” is set in Canton and Jackson, a departure from North's previous books, which were based in fictional towns, North said.

He said the plot centers around a New York physician who moves to Mississippi to open a state-of-the-art infertility clinic in Canton. The plot twists when a character hopes to steal the embryos of Hollywood movie star seeking treatment at the clinic.

“There's a murder in the book, too,” North said. “There are several mysteries going on at the same time and what is surprising is how all those mysteries come together ... but I don't want to say too much more than that.”

North draws on his expertise in the medical field for his thrillers and said his latest work is a bit deeper than his previous work.

“This is his third suspense/mystery novel and each has been better than the last,” said Mary Dayle McCormick of McCormick Book Inn.

North has been in private practice at Jackson Healthcare for Women for 23 years. He said he was inspired to begin writing by the works of Mississippi authors John Grisham and Greg Iles and noted that there wasn't a physician writing fiction about the medical field.

“It took me about 10 years to put ‘House Call' together and that was before ‘Grey's Anatomy,'” North said of the popular television drama. “But I've been able to capitalize on (its success) in a way.”

North said he looks forward to book signings, especially those in the Delta, because they give him a chance to meet people and visit Mississippi towns he hasn't seen since his college days.

“I also think Mississippi is so gifted to have so many independent booksellers here that are viable ... It's nice that Greenville has a store like that, that caters to the community and helps cultivate the arts.”

To watch the “Fresh Frozen” trailer, visit www.dardennorth.com.

Feature in the BOLIVAR COMMERCIAL - "Darden North's Fresh Frozen"

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:11:00 +0000

LIFESTYLES
Darden North's Fresh Frozen
Thursday, Oct 09, 2008

Darden North, a former resident of Cleveland, is releasing his third medical mystery Fresh Frozen this week and plans on attending Octoberfest for a book signing Saturday.

Dr. North, son of Evelyn Hays North and the late Linton Darden North, is an obstetrician/gynecologist practicing in partnership at Jackson Healthcare for Women, but found time to write during quiet hours and late night shifts at the hospital.

He has written two books House Call and Points of Origin, and has continued in this same vein in Fresh Frozen.

In Fresh Frozen, a young policeman and his tormented wife fail miserably to produce a family, finding themselves outcasts of the renewed baby boom sweeping the United States. However, there is one last hope for them: a catalogue of human embryo and egg donors peddled by a woman whose standards are easily dismissed for the right price. Pursuing their futile attempts to become parents has nearly cost the wife her life and pushed the couple to the brink of bankruptcy. This seemingly last chance for Wesley and Carrie Sarbeck to satisfy their place as parents in Middle America unknowingly tosses them in the midst of a grisly murder, the world of Hollywood celebrities, and a heist of freshly frozen human embryos.

The lives of Sarbeck, international superstar Allyn Saxton, and socialite Cheryl Choice unknowingly collide at the Van Deman Institute, once a decaying brick building complex just north of Jackson, but now a state-of-the-art center for the treatment of infertility. While an Internet voyeur and thief looks on, each of the three women has her own reason for entering the Institute. However, as a result of subjecting herself to a concoction of hormones and surgical procedures, one of the three is gruesomely murdered in an intriguing twist of human greed, mental torment and medical science.

You can also feel good about purchasing this book at his booth during Octoberfest. North will give a portion of each autograohed book sold during the weekend to the Delta State University School of Nursing.
North continues to hone his craft and promises readers will spend a late night curled up on the couch with Fresh Frozen.

http://www.bolivarcom.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=DDDC0E5C-19B9-E2E2-6796FE406159B33B

Doctor Pens Third Medical Thriller - Feature in THE CLARION LEDGER

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:04:00 +0000

--------------------------------------------------------------
Mississippi author and full-time physician Darden North is featured in an article by Billy Watkins of The Clarion Ledger. The article appears below:

October 19, 2008
Section: Southern Style
Edition: Metro
Page: 1F

Doctor pens 3rd medical thriller
Billy Watkins
bwatkins.clarionledger.com

By Billy Watkins

bwatkins.clarionledger.com

Darden North keeps a list of people he plans to invite to the premiere party when Hollywood turns one of his novels into a movie.

"If you're going to do what it takes to write books, you might as well dream big," says North, a Jackson ob-gyn for the past 23 years who has just released his third medical mystery thriller, Fresh Frozen (Ponder House Press, $26.95).

North, 52, has chosen to publish his books through independent sources, which used to mean certain death for a book. That has changed, in part, because of the success of books that were originally self-published.

Examples: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller and The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Both have sold millions. Both were turned into major motion pictures.

North's first two novels, House Call and Points of Origin, have sold about 15,000 copies, he says. That may pale when compared to best-sellers such as John Grisham and Tom Clancy. But the average book sells fewer than 2,000 copies, according to Publishing Associates. By their scale - 7,000 or more copies sold - North is labeled "a star."

House Call and Points of Origin were nominated for awards by the Mississippi Institute for Arts and Letters and by the Southern Independent Book Association.

North, who has delivered "about 4,000" babies, became interested during the mid-1990s in collecting first-edition copies of Mississippi authors.

"Grisham, Nevada Barr, Martin Hegwood, Greg Iles," he says. "I would read their books at night for relaxation after a long day at the office.

"The more I read, the more I said to myself 'I can do this.' "

North began writing in his spare time. And he discovered something: "Writing was hard. But I still believed I could do it if I stuck to it."

It took him nearly 10 years to complete his first novel, House Call, which was released in 2005. He followed that in 2006 with Points of Origin.

"And I stuck to what I know - medicine and Mississippi," says North, who grew up in in the Delta town of Cleveland. "Then you throw in a murder here, a murder there and suddenly you've got a story that people want to read."

Fresh Frozen follows the same path as his first two, combining a Hollywood star, a mysterious death and the heist of freshly frozen human embryos from a Mississippi fertility clinic.

"I've been a fan since his first book," says Claire Aiken of Jackson. "I read the first page, and I was hooked."

Says Lee Ann Denton, 44, of Clinton: "Two things I like about Darden's books are that he really makes you feel like you know the characters personally, and the other is he captures the essence of Mississippi in the way he describes things." ·

To comment on this story, call Billy Watkins at (601) 961-7282.

Darden North interview on DELTA MORNING with DAVID LUSK

noreply@blogger.com (Darden North) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:35:00 +0000

Mississippi author and Delta native Darden North to be interviewed 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 15, 2008, on DELTA MORNING WITH DAVID LUSK. WNIX Newstalk Radio 1330 AM.