Shane T. Clark, a debut novelist with a background in Criminal Justice, crafts a gripping thriller, The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart. Drawing from his firsthand prison system work experience, Clark weaves a dark and suspenseful tale following Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace, narrated by Elmer Ray. The convergence of these paths results in a disturbing and enthralling narrative that captivates readers, often leaving them unable to put the book down. Clark’s novel, a blend of psychological thriller and a coming-of-age story, showcases his expertise and storytelling prowess. We’re excited to delve into Clark’s writing journey as we explore this unique and suspenseful thriller.
The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is your latest work. What inspired the story, and what can readers expect from it?
The Devil was inspired through my work history (Chief of Security at a prison) and an article I read on the internet about a woman in Arizona. I had this idea or was intrigued by a “what if” in a prison and I couldn’t figure out the answer. I thought about this idea for a long time, and I was reading this article and the answer hit me.
The Devil is a combination of coming of age, psychological thriller and suspense. Readers can expect to read about a deep human relationship between Elmer Ray and Adrian Franklin. How childhood trauma can shape the human experience and influence/drive persons to do unimaginable things.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This phrase fits Conner Wallace perfectly. The reader gets an idea he is just some drifter with a quick wit and drinking habit, a pugilist with no purpose. As you follow his journey and decisions, one can get a feel he has a value system and purpose for his being.
Suspense thrillers often incorporate elements of mystery, tension, and unexpected twists. How do you go about building and maintaining suspense in your novels?
I think of each chapter as a stand-alone story. Something new about the two main characters is being 
shown to the reader. As you read about their journeys and their experiences with grief, sadness, or new friendships, you’re not waiting for the punch line or twist–you’re fully engaged in the experiences. I aimed for the reader to care about them as much as I do. If you try to build suspense, the readers will catch on to the forced writing. I write the stories through the characters’ experiences. I try to put myself in their shoes like the story is non-fiction and I just write their life story. The mystery and tension is “What the hell is going to happen to them next?” Adrian and Conner have traumatic experiences that shape who they will become. These experiences create complex characters who have dramatic emotional changes in their journeys.
What is your writing process like? Do you outline the entire story in advance, or do you let the plot and characters develop as you go?
I knew the end of The Devil, I wrote the finale first. I’d not outlined any part of the book. I named Adrian and threw him in the fictional town of Sherman. Moved him next door to Elmer and off to the races we went. When I wrote a scene, I’d sit in my bed and close my eyes and watch the scene like a movie in my mind and write the story on paper. And when I was done, I’d take a break and transfer the work over to the laptop. When I transferred the manuscript to laptop, I did edits and/or re-write. As I wondered the world, I’d always be thinking about what life experience to throw at Adrian and go home and write. When I finished with Adrian, I started Conner. To develop each, I couldn’t be thinking about the other or their voices would bleed over. The Devil is coming of age (Adrian) and thriller (Conner). Two storylines, two genres–I see it as two books in one.
How important is the setting and atmosphere in your thriller? How do you use these elements to enhance the readers’ experience?
It has a huge importance. I don’t describe the characters in the book or what they’re wearing. Instead I let the reader interpret what they think Adrian, or any other character looks like. I try and put the reader in the room through descriptions of the setting. If they can see the setting, they will be more able to feel the conflict (atmosphere) in the words.
How do you handle research when writing your novels, particularly when it comes to incorporating real-world elements or locations?
With The Devil, fortunately I did not have to do any research with concerns to prison settings or actions while incarcerated: I’ve seen about everything a person could between the fences. With regards to trauma and traumatic events, I speak to as many subject level experts as I can and use the web to gather as much information as possible before attempting to write about the subject.
All my locations for all my novels are going to be around Chillicothe, Ohio. I imagine all my locations will be actual places I have been. I use Reno, Nevada in The Devil. Months before I wrote those chapters, I was in Reno visiting my brother.
Are there any particular authors or books in the suspense/thriller genre that have influenced your writing or that you admire?
Jo Nesbo, maybe not as popular or known in the United States, but he is phenomenal. I read parts of The Son daily when I’m writing. He’s the author of the Harry Hole series.
Donald Ray Pollock and I share a hometown: Chillicothe, Ohio. All three of his books sit on my shelf and are used as motivation.
Cormac McCarthy, author of Blood Meridian, is in my opinion the best author over the last 50 years.
Can you share any memorable experiences or moments with your readers, such as feedback or interactions that have impacted your writing?
A few months after the release, one person reached out via Twitter. She said The Devil was the best book she had read in 5 years. That was exciting for me. Here is a person who had never met Shane Clark and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading my book. Oh, and she was in Argentina. So, a person thousands of miles away found my book and loved it.
What message or takeaway do you hope readers find in your novel The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart?
Scars from traumatic experiences can lie dormant for years under the skin, but when they wake chaos can take over the mind of the sane.
How do you stay engaged and inspired in a genre that often requires dark or intense subject matter? Do you have any strategies for maintaining creativity and enthusiasm?
Don’t mean to sound catastrophic; however, our planet is in a dark place. It is easy to stay engaged in a world with outrageous and immoral behavior increasing by the day. It isn’t inspiring but it comes to my mind thinking about storylines or potential directions/problems to put in front of my main characters. The storyline will lead to the genre. LOL, so I’d say all my manuscripts will end up as suspense thrillers.
For aspiring authors interested in writing suspense thrillers, what advice or tips would you offer to help them succeed in the genre?
I would love to consider myself successful. Nevertheless, I have a long way to go to reach a status of “success.” Read, read, and read. Write, write, and write. The more I read, the better writer I become. My third manuscript was closer to being completed after being drafted than my first or second. I was a better writer when I wrote the third. To be great at football, music, or any skill, you must practice your craft. Write the best manuscript for you, not for readers. At the end, if you are not happy with the work, it won’t matter how many people buy your book.
Don’t be closed minded and have your destination predetermined before the ink is dry. The story will tell you where it wants to go. The Devil is so different than the original idea in my head. It transformed through the writing.
Finally, could you share a personal anecdote, or an interesting behind-the-scenes story related to your journey as an author?
Donald Ray Pollack lives no more than a half mile from me. I didn’t know this initially. Only after I decided to reach out to him did I find out. Without ever meeting him previously, I knocked on his door to solicit a blurb for my book. I don’t want to ramble on; however, he ended up giving me a great review and we have become friends.
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The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart
Some vendettas can never be forgotten…
When Sherman Rehabilitation Center suffers its first murder in decades, authorities race to find a motive as the media swarms. The brutality is unprecedented, even in a prison setting. One week later, eighty-seven-year-old Elmer Ray walks into the local Ohio Highway Patrol Post, claiming he has the answers. First, they need to hear about the two most interesting people in the world: Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace.
Adrian Franklin, the young neighbor of Elmer Ray, lived a troubled life of neglect and abuse. He had a bad haircut and a worst nickname. The older man tries to take the boy under his wing in a way no one else has ever done. For Adrian, most see a quick temper and lost soul. Elmer sees something different in him, a sense of loyalty and a yearning to feel loved.
Conner Wallace, a British National, a drifter on a motorcycle, and a pugilist with a quick wit, roamed the west and lived by an unbreakable moral code that got him in more trouble than he bargained for. After a five-year bit in a Nevada prison, he finds a safe haven in the underground fight scene on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
What does a young boy and foreigner have to do with a brutal prison murder in the sleepy town of Sherman, Ohio? Only Elmer Ray knows the answers. And he isn’t giving them until the Post Commander hears how their lives converge with an Appalachian drug dealer, a sexual predator, and a mob boss to influence the brutality in that prison cell.
The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is a shocking and raw account combining a coming-of-age tale with a disturbing psychological thriller.
