ABOUT DOROTHY KNIGHT
Hello dear Friends and Colleagues
We would like to introduce another of our prolific Clients and Authors, Dorothy Knight, author of extra-ordinary and robust ‘Mystery Crime Thrillers’ and the inspirational creator of some amazing works fresh out of Africa.
Living in an uncertain world where violence, murder and genocide, and the constant threat of terrorism generated by rebel and tribal warfare continues to be a daily occurrence, our author and former African daily newspaper journalist, has seen and done her share of reporting about these harrowing facts of life in the country of her birth.
Her love for her homeland, South Africa and its many diverse continents and peoples is obvious, and slow and loathe to moving away to another country where she and her family might be able to live in a safer environment, Dorothy Knight continues to hang on tenaciously to the lifestyle she has been accustomed to all her life. She devotes all her time to writing her books at their secluded family farm, away from the bustle of city living. Where she is surrounded by native African bush, and diverse flora and fauna and where her inspiration will never run dry. We are proud to be able to present her new book entitled ‘CANNIBAL MAN’, out now and may be purchased at Damnation Books.com or at Amazon.com, and in shops where all good books are sold.
Not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach disposition, “CANNIBAL MAN” may not be your choice of book to read. But if you relish dark mystery crime thrillers with a different stroke such as this psychological horror story is, that offers a satisfying and just end to those who are deserving of due punishment for their murderous deeds, than “CANNIBAL MAN” is the book for you.
So if you feel besieged by an overwhelming urge of curiosity (the kind that killed the cat) then by all means we invite, no dare you, to buy yourself a copy of “Cannibal Man” and take your chances. A classic graphic horror tale, this book will leave the reader nervously glimpsing over their shoulder, indeed wondering where fiction leaves off, and realism begins.
Below a short introduction of “CANNIBAL MAN”, the first b0ok in Dorothy Knight’s extreme ‘Mystery Crime Thriller’ series ( without giving away too much of the plot).
© September 2013 by Emerantia Parnall-Gilbert. All rights reserved.
A fourth victim (this time a female) is brutally and horrifically raped and killed in her home. The detectives find a strange substance on the sheets, when they are confronted with what even the most hard-headed cop, would consider as a most extremely graphically horrifying psychotic and beastly attack delivered on the unfortunate victim. The strange substance is later identified as pig faeces. The South African Police Services wake up and assign two top detectives to the case. Lieutenant Timothy Sauer and Captain George Hobbs are two of the old school caliber of policemen. They came from an era before corruption and crime took over the workings of the SAPS.
The two detectives receive dockets that are incomplete. To make matters worse, the Forensic Pathologist who did the autopsies on the first three victims was careless and open to bribes. A new Pathologist is appointed – Dr Mandy Wright. She appears to be as dedicated as the detectives. To make matters worse, the media is on their superior, Superintendent Mike Hansen’s case.
Henry James Harper is an adopted son to a well off pig farmer. Henry grows up in this sick set-up but thinks this is normal. He has an elder brother, also adopted who makes his life a living hell and brutalizes him.
Sauer and Hobbs leave no stone unturned in their attempt to find the killer. They manage to find a partial print, but their killer is not on the system. They find minute amounts of DNA under a fingernail that the killer attempted to flush down the lavatory. A towel they send for DNA analysis ends up being used by an off duty policeman to dry himself. They do find a communal interest, a male prostitute called Jimmy Love. But soon after questioning him, he is found in the gutter with his throat slashed.
We are going to stop here…..please go buy this book either in paperback or as a convenient Kindle download when it is launched and available at Damnation Books and Amazon.com if you wish to read the rest of this riveting story. You will not regret this purchase.
ABOUT “DEATH AND INNOCENCE” – the second book in Dorothy Knight’s Crime Series which is soon to be launched by Damnation Books!
“DEATH AND INNOCENCE” Suffer the Little Children Book II in the Dorothy Knight Mystery Crime Thriller series – was again inspired by the author’s personal experiences and acute awareness and exposure to violence of this kind whilst living and working as a journalist in a part of the world amidst insecurity and turmoil from decade to ensuing decade and where today, the white man is no longer wanted or acknowledged as rightful citizens of that country.
Another fine work by the author executed and penned down against a tapestry of profiles in the best of African tradition. A land forever under siege where violence, massacres, genocide, child molestation and slavery, warfare, and Voodoo cultures prove the norm, and which has been the tradition since the beginning of time.
The book presents as a very insightful and suspenseful read and can be added to, and is part of this Mystery Crime Thriller series. Dorothy is currently working on the third edition as we speak.
A short introduction to “DEATH AND INNOCENCE” Suffer the Little Children – Nominated for the Small Press Book Awards – Goodreads
The instruction was simple: Go catch the witch doctor (nyanga) that instructs his clients to rape and kill young virgins in order to cure themselves of HIV.
Inspector Timothy Sauer and Captain George Hobbs again receive a case that seems impossible to solve. Not only do they have to leave the comforts of urban life behind, they now have to dwell in a spiritual world completely unknown to them. Together they set off into the deep rural areas of South Africa where they meet up with a former colleague of Sauer, Dave Martens, who works with the local Child Protection Unit. Martens introduces them to the dark immorality world of the evil nyangas. Martens suggests they speak to convicted rapists.
The detectives come across a wall of resistance and corruption. The officials at the jail where the notorious rapists are kept are more corrupt than the inmates. Questions are evaded or just not answered and the detectives are constantly told that they are ‘interfering’ in cultural issues. The locals are very superstitious and are completely mistrusting of all white people.
Soon they meet several people who teach them about the cultural issues and guide them. A retired professor, Leon Kruger, who knows the local culture well, introduces them to the only white nyanga, Nomsa. She throws the dolosse (bones) and sees the future. Yet she does not name the nyanga to the detective. Instead she tells them the solution. Sauer wakes up to find his room filled with smoke. As he reaches the door, a small light starts hovering just below the ceiling. The detectives now know that they are targeted by the witch craft. They move to a safe house outside town but even there they are not out of harm’s way.
As far as they start to unravel the crimes, people die violently. The nyangas are killing off all the evidence. Strange things still happen to the detectives. They find strange gadgets in their room, an owl warns them of danger and weird footprints are left behind. Sauer in convinced that the nyangas want to drive them crazy…
This is about where we stop wetting your appetites, and urge all you brave lovers of true crime thrillers; (boasting strong stomachs, to weather the impact of Dorothy Knight’s suspenseful story telling) bravely, so do purchase your copy the moment this book has been launched by Damnation Books.com (http://www.damnationbooks.com)
© September 2013 by Emerantia Parnall-Gilbert. All rights reserved.
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS UPDATES
ABOUT SALLY FRANKLIN CHRISTIE INTERVIEWING DOROTHY KNIGHT
We here at the Agency would like to celebrate Sally’s wonderful reporting on Writerly Wednesday’s Author Promotions platform. We hope you will enjoy the candid interviews she holds with all her authors, and the one she conducted with our Dorothy Knight, African Author of “Cannibal Man” and soon to be published also by Damnation Books, “Death and Innocence” which is also delivered in the same engaging, compelling, mesmerizing and perhaps somewhat ‘raw’ crime story telling style, which is becoming Dorothy Knight’s trademark. We wish her all the very best of success in her endeavors to become another recognizable name in the literary industry in the years to come. Dorothy is working on a 3rd Crime Thriller but with a difference. She feels that winding a touch of Romance into the plot would not go amiss, and is aiming to surprise and enthrall all her regular readers even further with her diverse talents.
Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Dorothy Knight Posted on October 2, 2013 by Sally
“Writerly Wednesday” Welcomes Dorothy Knight, author of extra-ordinary and robust ‘Mystery Crime Thrillers’ and the inspirational creator of some amazing works fresh out of Africa.
Interview by Sally Franklin Christie
1. What is your favorite marketing task that has resulted in a sale?
Word of mouth. But that was clearly not enough, despite many of my friends, fb friends and acquaintances buying Cannibal Man. The book is about a serial killer that is tracked by two seasoned policemen. The policemen not only have to deal with the public demanding the killer be caught, they also have to deal with corruption within the police systems and the judicial system. Which leads to an interesting ending.
The world seems to be hungry for stories from Africa – hence my writing. But sadly the publishing industry in South Africa is very small, and I don’t really have the know-how to promote my book. I have, however, recently started exploring other avenues, such as review sites and my agent, an angel called Emerantia Parnell Gilbert, broadcasts me to the world from her web pages. The book is on the violent side, which would be foreign for people living in first world countries, as they do not deal with almost one thousand rapes and eighty murders daily. And those are just some of the more serious crimes.
2. What do you like about your publisher or why did you decide to Self Publish?
I like Damnation Books as they did most of the hard work e.g. the cover design, the editing, the promotion of the book and the redistribution thereof. Things that I know nothing about despite being in the broadcasting and printing media for decades.
3. What do you have under your bed?
Fat Bertha! And she takes up all the space. And of course bum fluff and dead spiders. Fat Bertha is my suitcase. She is light blue and weighs about 40 tons and is very old. Luckily she has wheels. And I can fit my entire life into her. One of the original suitcases that came out with a pull-out handle and wheels and side pockets for brick mobile phones. Together, she and I have travelled the world. Seen many places, people and things. Dogs have peed on her, birds have spotted her, and many, many people, including myself, have fallen over her. And of course airport personnel love her – she has been searched by more people than I care to remember.
4. Are you a plotter or a pantser when you are writing?
Yes, I am a big schemer. I love plotting my stories before I write. But that does not stop strange characters and events jumping into my head at any old time. Generally I plot the story from beginning to the end.
5. Do you write in a bubble or do you prefer critique groups, writing buddies or other companionship during the process?
I write in an absolute bubble. All has to be quiet. No radios, music or televisions. I never show my work to any one, except my daughter, while I am writing. I believe that too many outside input, being it bad or good, would influence my creativity. It is sacred to me until finished. My daughter has always been brutally honest with me – she would flat out tell me if the day’s writing was crap. And in so many words. Other than that, she is a wonderful child.
6. When do ideas come to you and how do you capture them?
In the middle on the night when I am supposed to sleep. The ideas just jump into my head and often refuse to budge – I have to write them away. I also pull a great deal of stories from my almost thirty years as a journalist in Africa where I sometimes had to report during serious conflict situations.
7. What is your favorite word processing program and what other tools do you use, pen, notebooks, white board, index cards, finger on fogged bathroom mirrors?
I use word. Always has. But next to my computer is a pad of paper and a pencil. I jot these ideas down, stick them onto the wall next to me in my study, that way I can use them as a quick reference. I have also been known to write notes on my palm or on my driver’s licence.
Another Interview Heart-Wrenching Interview with Dorothy Knight about her new novel “Death and Innocence” .
Now available at Amazon.com
Interview Conducted by Trevor Donaldson Green Bay Books Examiner
Advertisement
December 4, 2013
Knight’s latest book, Death and Innocence, was released this week by Damnation Books.
Q: Based on your career as a Journalist, what prompted you to explore fiction writing?
Fiction writing was always to me just a natural extension of journalism. Before writing an article, I did immense research on my subjects, and often found very interesting tit-bits that unfortunately had to fall by the way-side as newspaper articles seldom exceed 500 words. These fascinating tit-bits had to be told, and as I jotted them down every night, they formed into many different stories in my mind. Of course I added colorful tails, big floppy ears and curly horns. As one of my first editors said to me many, many moons ago: “Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.”
Q: Do you feel that writing fiction complements your life as a Journalist? Please give details.
I don’t do much journalism any more. I have done it for 27 years and feel at his stage that I have seen, done and written about it all. I started out as a Political Journalist, which was very exciting as I worked for the left wing press that hammered the old Nationalist government. It was great fun trying to outsmart the Security Police at the time, but one gets older and when one has children, one tend to run out of steam sometimes. The last decade or so I did investigative journalism, anything from crime syndicates, gun smuggling, child pornography rings and we even once penetrated a notorious cult and closed it down. I do get asked from time to time to write the odd piece, which I only do if the subject interests me.
Q: Your life has been spent in South Africa, and there are many hardships in that region of the world. What if any positive impacts have you had from a life spent in South Africa?
Like most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young journalists, I thought I could change the system and expose it all. We couldn’t despite the proverbial pen being mightier than the sword. The system is just too powerful. We could change some things within the system though. We, Frans van der Merwe, one of my mentors, and I, managed to put enough pressure on the ANC government to build schools, fix hospitals and restore clinics and voiced the stories of many people through our articles. Sadly we could not tell everyone’s story, nor could we solve everyone’s hardship. We did what we could to help but a handful in this land of hopelessness.
Q: Is there any censorship where you live that limits or has limited what literature is available to you?
How many pages have you got for this answer? Under the Nationalist government we were severely censored. The Security Police would come into the newspaper offices and literally cut our copy to pieces. Or they would break in and destroy our offices – smash our computers and once even set the office alight. They would terrorize us journalists by cutting our tires, hack all our conversations and wake us up with Alsatian dogs in the early hours of the morning and search our homes. But there were bad things as well. I mainly remember that we used to laugh at this harassment –some male journalists were badly roughed up but the worst that ever happened to me was when a huge policeman slapped me so hard my teeth rattled.
When the ANC government came to power some twenty years ago, all these censorship laws were dropped and things seemed to go well for a while. Then we journalists started hammering the ANC about the increasing crime statistics, the corruption and the mismanagement of public funds. This prompted them to write a Secrecy Bill – which they are currently trying to pass through our parliament, but they are failing to get a two-thirds majority.
There is a huge public outcry against this Bill as it would restrict the journalists immensely in our struggle for Freedom of Press. Journalist would not be able to write anything about the government without the copy being checked by the ANC government before being published. It brings back so many fond (?) memories of being a journalist under the Nationalist government. More information on this can be found on the web pages of the Mail & Guardian (South Africa) newspaper.
Q: If you had to save one book from a library during an apocalypse, which title would it be and why?
Definitely Billy Bryson’s Down Under. This book still makes me laugh out loud. Bryson is hugely funny.
Q: Your writing is very succinct, and at times, brutal. However, that is the nature of the environment the characters live in, and unfortunately, a reality in some parts of the world. What emotional conflicts did you have transitioning the horrors of reality in South Africa into a novel?
I thought that the staccato style writing would fit in well with the crime stories that I write. It is done deliberately as I wanted the impact of my words to be as fast and piercing like a gun shot. And yes, my stories are brutal. Much like life in South Africa. Our crime stats are staggering and increasing; and the government seems unable to stop this wave of transgressions.
About ten days ago a six week old baby girl was raped by her 24-year old uncle. But sadly she is not the only one. As a journalist we dealt with it almost daily. My new novel, Death and Innocence, deals with this subject. I cannot tell all the heart rendering stories I had tried to comprehend, but I can make the world aware of these heinous crimes against little girls. When I write about this, I sometimes have to stop, light a cigarette, take a huge sip of my cold coffee and breathe deeply to compose myself. Some images just don’t want to vacate my memory.
Q: Tell us where readers can find you on the internet or in retail stores.
My books, Cannibal Man and Death and Innocence are both available from Amazon.com, Kalahari.com; Damnation Books and locally from Exclusive Books.
Readers that would like to make contact with me can do so on knight.writer.dorothy@gmail.com or on my blog:
knightwriterdorothy.wordpress.com
gilbertliteraryagencyauthors 