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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    English professor publishes mystery novel

    Murder, mystery and clues, these are the elements that start off a reader’s journey into a story of thrills and chills. In the spirit of October, the month of scares and mystery, instructor of English David Armand will release his new book, “The Gorge” on October 1. The official book launch will be on Friday October 23 at Tubby and Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans.

    ‘The Gorge’ is a literary thriller,” said Armand. “It’s kind of a mystery. It opens with a young girl’s body being discovered in a gorge that actually exists in Franklinton, Louisiana. As the novel unfolds, we meet different characters who are kind of suspicious in their own way. So as a reader you won’t find out until the very end who is her killer.”

    “The Gorge" has fewer elements that are autobiographical to his life than his previous novel, “Harlow.” The only thing autobiographical in this book is the setting, considering he grew up near Franklinton and was very familiar with the landscape.

    Armand’s inspiration for “The Gorge” came from a trip with his family at Bogue Chitto State Park when they walked through a gorge.

    “Something kind of triggered in my mind,” said Armand. “Imagine finding a body hidden under the brush in a gorge. Like all my other books, that image provoked questions such as ‘why would a body be here?’ ‘If somebody put it here, why?’ So on and so on, it leads to this story unfolding. It starts with the image, then questions. Trying to figure out why that image exists.”

    One of the books he read at the time was “Dead Man Walking,” which was about a local crime that took place in the early 80s. As he was reading the book, one character murdered a girl and hid her body in the gorge.

    “It was the same place I envisioned this,” Armand said. “So that was my inspiration as I read details of that crime and thinking of the real victim.”
    Usually, each novel Armand wrote took about two years to finish. “The Gorge” was a different story. It took twice as long, mainly because he had a new editor.

    Armand is currently working on his next book titled; “The Lord’s Acre” and some of his characters from “The Gorge” may make an appearance. Armand plans to do a book signing for “The Gorge.” His first event will be in New Orleans on October 7 at Pearl Wine Company in Mid-City. Armand will also be making an appearance at the Tangipahoa Parish Library Free Book Festival on Saturday, October 10.

    According to Armand, when it comes to writing it is important to never be discouraged by the highly critical publishing world.

    “My best advice is not to get discouraged easily,” said Armand. “It can be very discouraging, I’ve been discouraged, and I still feel discouragement. I think it’s natural, but I think the difference between people who continue and people who don’t is if you let your discouragement make you quit.”
     

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