Michael Ransom

(as originally appeared Nov 5, 2015 on My Bookish Ways)

MBW: What inspired you to write The Ripper Gene?

MR: An article in the journal Science was the literal inspiration for the scientific premise of the book. In that study, researchers found a genetic difference that influenced incarceration rates in boys from troubled backgrounds…boys who  Read More 

(as originally appeared Oct 20, 2015 on Wag the Fox: Gef Fox's Den of Dark Fiction)

GF: What was the impetus behind The Ripper Gene?

MR: This won’t be the answer you expect, but the real impetus behind this novel was actually a request from the former editor at Time Warner’s Mysterious Press, Ms.  Read More 

(as originally appeared on September 22, 2015 on Momma On The Rocks)

MOTR: As a young boy, in a car full of trick-or-treaters on Halloween, you encountered two bloodied teens on the road that night - and years later wondered “what if?” But it’s a big jump from molecular biology and writing scientific journals  to  Read More 

(as originally appeared Sept 16, 2015 on Donna's Book Blog)

DBB: What is the book’s genre/category?

MR: It’s essentially a biomedical mystery / thriller but its classified officially as a “Medical Thriller”. Which works well for me, as it puts me in the company of all the very original authors I read in my early days who inspired me  Read More 

(as originally appeared on AuthorJayWhales.Wix.Com on Sept 14, 2015)

JW: Michael, with your background, do you find it difficult to write in a way that people understand what you are trying to say? (Is it hard to “dumb down” your thoughts?)

MR: No, in fact I’ve always enjoyed relaying what I do or  Read More 

(as originally appeared Sept 10, 2015 on TheLiteratiPress.WordPress.Com)

I heard in a class recently (Writing Great Fiction from The Great Courses) that the entire inspiration for The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner was the image of a little girl in dirty underpants sitting on the limb of a pear tree, peering into a  Read More 

(as originally appeared Sept 8, 2015 on BOOKREVIEWSANDGIVEAWAYS.ORG)

BR&GA: How did you come up with the title for your novel, THE RIPPER GENE?

MR: I find titles to be one of the most difficult undertakings involved in writing a book. It’s incredibly “tricky”, since you’re trying to capture so  Read More 

(as originally appeared Sept 24, 2015 on SCIENCETHRILLERS.COM)

People often ask me “What was the inspiration for your novel The Ripper Gene?”. I’ve already mentioned in other interviews that the genesis of Lucas’s backstory-his mother’s untimely death one Halloween night- was based on a real Halloween night from my childhood that I later  Read More 

Originally appeared on Writersdigest.com on August 11, 2015

The most frequent question I’m asked (besides “Where do you find the time?”) is “How does a scientist become a writer? And why?” I realize that’s two questions, but they almost always go together. I’m not sure I have the definitive answers, but here are  Read More