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Dean Cuming

Member Since: 12/2021

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dean is a Canadian ex-pat living in Europe. He lived/worked in the entertainment industry in Canada for twenty years as a singer and actor, writer and director, producer and technician before taking a "five-year hiatus" to explore the world, teaching English. Fifteen years later (and counting), he started working on the "Something In The Water" series. "Book One: Drowning" is the first in the series and represents his first foray into long form fiction. Dean lives in Freiburg, Germany with his wife and son.  He enjoys cycling, golf, being surrounded by nature, and hockey, of course.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I was born and raised in Calgary,Canada and worked in the entertainment industry for 20 years before embarking on the adventure of traveling and teaching English. What was supposed to be a 5-year hiatus from 'Show Biz' has turned into a second act of sorts. I live in Germany now, where I still enjoy music, theatre and films but I don't make as much of any of them as I used to.

When and why did you start writing books?

I started writing "Something in the Water" about 5 years ago now, way before the pandemic. I don't have the opportunities to perform I had when I lived in Canada, and writing a novel seemed like the best outlet for my creativity. Storytelling has always been a passion of mine. I've always enjoyed performing and missed it enough to recently try my hand at stand up comedy. There are a few outlets for that here and in Switzerland, so I hope to develop the skill.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

As I said, I was supposed to be taking a break from the life of a starving artist when I left Canada to 'explore the world' teaching English. 20+ years as a performer left an indelible mark on me, and after 5 years became 10, 15... I had to do something. I'd written plays and film scripts, so the transition to novel-writing came naturally to me.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

It's tough to have a favourite that isn't the protagonist and/or antagonist, but if I had to say which character is most sympathetic, it would be the MC's Boss, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne. After some of the feedback i received from Book One, I realized a lot of readers connected with Wayne— which is great because his character arc is maybe the most dramatic.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Well, I've only published one, and it was a tremendous challenge because I had a lot to learn about constructing a compelling story that engaged readers.

Who is your favourite author and book?

All time? William Shakespeare.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Fear and the news, and the fears that rise from the news.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I hike and cycle for fitness and relaxation, and watch NHL hockey (and my son's team here in Germany) and films for excitement.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes! Book Two is near completion, as well as another companion book to the Something in the Water series. 'Book 2B 'tells the story from The Other Side of the Water. I'm curious to see if readers will connect with the story as told from the series' Antagonist.