When Donnie Stevens Talks to His Characters (Episode 176)

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Donnie Stevens, who was born and raised in Bassett, Virginia, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. His career centers around being a self-employed businessman where he started and sold three successful businesses. Now in retirement at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, he spends time with his wife, Jackie, son Justin and his spouse, and three granddaughters he admits to spoiling along with their family dogs.

Donnie’s desire to write began when he was a child and living with his grandparents. The image of his grandfather sitting beside the coal-fed, pot-bellied stove late in the evenings reading stories to him from his Reader’s Digest or Life Magazine etched a yearning in him at a young age to write.

He wrote and published his first indie novel in 2008, and since has published four others. He is now represented by an agent who believes in his talent and has five other manuscripts ready to place. Donnie writes fictional stories from experiences he’s encountered or from others, often with a romantic element that take place at historical places and settings, he and Jackie like to visit. When not writing, Donnie has chaired and served on several community boards along with various leadership roles in his church.

“A lot of times, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, … I’ll start thinking about my story. … Sometimes, my wife will [notice] me staring off into space and ask me what’s on my mind,” Donnie said. “I tell her I’m having a conversation with my characters, [which she thinks is so weird].”

Connect with Donnie
Website: Donniestevensauthor
Facebook: Donniestevensauthor
Instagram: Donniestevensauthor

Listen to the podcast for more from our interview, plus an excerpt from Back To You by Donnie Stevens. Excerpt and back cover copy read by Janda Sample of Janda Sample Storytelling.