Interview: Patrick Gallagher Author of 'TIL DEATH DO US...' @patrickg_author #Interview

 

Many have set about in life to tell stories that amaze others. Patrick Gallagher had no such ambition. However, some stories grip us by the collar and demand they be told to the world, and this is what Patrick has been challenged to do. He has been a “jack of all trades, master of one,” the “one” being a U.S. Customs Broker and logistics specialist. But over the curse of a lifetime Patrick has worked as a farm laborer, forest fire fighter, process server, retail store manager, preacher, ware-houseman and dishwasher. However, founding and managing a business in international logistics was the career he loved.

Now retired, Patrick and his wife enjoy their four children and twelve grandchildren, and their home at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://wildbluepress.com/patrick-gallagher-author-bio/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patrickg_author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Patrick-Gallagher-Author-103720531387732/

 

 

 

Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning?  When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

The fact that my grandfather, P. J. Gallagher, had been the attorney for Mrs. Gladys Broadhurst in one of the most sensational murder trials in Oregon has been part of my family lore my entire life.  Since the trial occurred earlier in the same year I was born, as early as I can remember it has been talked about in the Gallagher family.  But it wasn’t until my father died in 1980 and I inherited the family trunk when I found the love letters written by Dr. Broadhurst to his wife that I recognized I possessed something very special.  I realized that I had love letters that have been buried in that trunk since 1947.

Then I was faced with the question of what should be done with these ardent love letters.  Should they be returned to someone?  Should they be burned and forgotten forever?  Could they be the basis for a book about the Doctor and Gladys?  Would that be ethical?  If so, should they be given to a professional writer of true crime to create a book?  Or could I, a non-author, possibly write the book myself, using these letters?  These questions remained in my thinking until I retired in 2016 and was able to devote myself to the task.

Having chosen to write the book myself, I was faced with the daunting task of learning how to research the facts surrounding the case, as I knew little more than the name of the defendant and what information was contained in the letters.  I was surprised by two things during this research:  first, of how much information could be gleaned from the internet about the many marriages of Gladys Ralphs; and second, how difficult it proved to be finding and obtaining a copy of the trial transcript.  Once all this information was obtained, the process moved fairly steadily from that point.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

Once I finished writing my book ‘TIL DEATH DO US . . . A True Crime Story of Bigamy and Murder, I began to research how to get it published.  That was a very discouraging process!  Everything I read convinced me that I needed to prepare for rejection.  Many rejections.  Hundreds of rejections!

However, my experience was quite different than I anticipated.  It turns out that every publisher or agent has a web site where they clearly describe their expectations for submission of books.  Some wanted the first few chapters.  Some wanted only a one-page synopsis.  Some wanted to see the entire book.  Most had a form to complete with the information they deemed important.  Once I understood this, I began submitting my book to both agents and publishers directly. 

I ended up submitting my book to about 10 agents and 5 publishers.  I was very fortunate to actually have three of those express an interest in publishing the book, which allowed me to select the publisher that best suited the true crime book I had written.  WildBlue Press LLC of Denver has proven to be an excellent publisher for the book, and they added immeasurable value to the process.  I am extremely grateful for their role in getting the book finalized, published and promoted.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

My biggest surprise is the role I must fill in promoting the book.  Having no experience in publishing, I had thought I provide the manuscript to the publisher and they take it from there.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As soon as I returned the signed contract for publishing the book, WildBlue Press LLC send me an 11-page document with all the things I now needed to do, including writing blog posts, twitter feeds, Facebook postings, etc.  They have organized interviews with various companies to promote the book, some via telephone and others via Zoom.  All of this is tremendous and good, but it also was a huge surprise to me.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

Yes, I am absolutely certain the cover of a book is a huge factor in its sales, as is the title.  My publisher, WildBlue Press LLC, created both for me.  I had given the book the title Quiet Desperation, which spoke to me about the central character of the book, Gladys Broadhurst.  However, it may not speak to a potential reader and help him or her understand what the book is all about.  My publisher’s title, ‘TIL DEATH DO US . . .  A True Crime Story of Bigamy and Murder tells a potential reader exactly what is the theme of the book. 

Likewise, I had gone to my local bookstore and checked out the covers of a number of the books on its shelves, and had created a cover for the book.  WildBlue Press LLC created a totally different cover, which was infinitely better than what I had designed.  I appreciate very much the work my publisher put in to create a powerful and professional cover and title.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

For me, the hardest part was to stay on course, not get discouraged, and create a writing schedule that worked for me to make steady progress on the writing.  I was very fortunate to find a published author who showed interest in the book and told me it was good enough for publication, and that was a huge encouragement for me.  Thus, my advice to other writers is to find a team to cheer you on, and find a way to stay on task.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

It is interesting to me that throughout the process of writing this book I always told anyone who asked that this book would be my “one and only.”  I felt compelled to write this book, but never had thoughts of writing anything more.  However, the experience of actually having a book in print is so totally exhilarating that I am now tempted to do it again.

I am currently planning to write a novel based on the history of my family as they emigrated from Ireland and came to the United States.  This would be a totally different type of book than ‘TIL DEATH DO US . . .  A True Crime Story of Bigamy and Murder, as it would be fiction rather than an historical story.  There is currently no time frame determined for the completion of the next book.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

What has surprised me the most is that since the publication of the book, several people have contacted me who had a connection with the trial.  I had assumed that since the murder trial was 73 years ago, no one connected would still be living.  However, I have spoken with one woman who had been a witness at the trial (she was only 15 years old at the time), and by a fellow who had skipped high school one afternoon and attended the trial that day as a spectator.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

Even though we read about murders almost daily in the newspaper, it is rare to hear of one that involves such cold, calculating evil as we see in the person of Gladys Broadhurst.  I ask it a number of times in the book, but my question is, “what kind of person does such things?”

Thank you again for this interview!  Do you have any final words?

Thank you very much for the opportunity to talk about my book, ‘TIL DEATH DO US . . .  A True Crime Story of Bigamy and Murder.  I hope that everyone who reads this book enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed doing the research and writing this book.

 

In August 1945, Gladys Lincoln of Sacramento contacted prosperous Dr. W. D. Broadhurst of Caldwell, Idaho, and rekindled a romance from twenty years earlier.  After many passionate letter exchanges and several sexually-charged meetings, they were married in Reno, Nevada on May 20, 1946.  After a passion-filled three-day weekend together, the doctor returned to his home in Idaho, and Gladys returned to Sacramento … and to her husband, Leslie Lincoln! But Gladys was much more than a bigamist.

Gladys needed something even she didn’t understand.  She married her first husband when she was 20, and her second husband only 14 months later.  The second marriage lasted only two years, the third less than 16 months.  Leslie Lincoln was her fifth, and Dr. Broadhurst became her sixth. But what desperate need drove her to go from marriage to marriage?

Then what dark mindset moved her and her young cowboy chauffeur to commit murder? Find out in ‘TIL DEATH DO US …’ the gripping new true crime from WildBlue Press author Patrick Gallagher whose grandfather was Gladys’ lead defense attorney during her sensational trial.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089K62JXT/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=true+crime+murder+bigamy

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/til-death-do-us-patrick-gallagher/1137187978?ean=9781952225161

WildBlue Press:

https://wildbluepress.com/til-death-do-us-patrick-gallagher-true-crime/