Award-winning author visits Taylorsville May 4

By MICAH HENRY

The Alexander County Friends of the Library hosted a reception and book signing by famous author and Hendersonville native Mark de Castrique Sunday, May 4.

Held at the Alexander County Senior Center, the reception featured remarks from de Castrique on his life, writing method, literary influences, and his murder mystery series. The books involve a small-town undertaker named Barry Clayton who becomes wrapped up in a homicide in each tale. There are currently four books in the series: Dangerous Undertaking, Foolish Undertaking, Grave Undertaking, and Final Undertaking.

Appropriately, the author was introduced to the audience by Glenn Mays, who has worked as a funeral director locally for years, and Jenny Masters, President of the Friends of the Library.

The author explained the main elements he includes in his tales, which he calls “pillars of a story.” These are plot, setting, characters, and theme. “There is a factual basis to my stories,” he said.

Many writers are told, “Write what you know,” he explained. “Mine are ‘write what you might have known, but didn’t.’”

For instance, he spent his early years living in an apartment above the funeral home where his father worked until the family moved at age four. “What if he hadn’t changed jobs? I very well could be in the funeral business,” the author said.

His new book, Blackman’s Coffin, is a departure from the Clayton series and is set in a real town, Asheville. Blackman, a wounded Iraqi war veteran and skilled investigator, follows a killer whose crimes hearken back to those from the era of the early 1900s.

In addition to being and author, de Castrique is a playwright, public speaker, and television producer living in Charlotte. He has won Clio, Telly, and Emmy awards. He writes, shoots, and edits projects for clients through his company, named “MARK et al.”