From Weather to Words, How Dan Padavona Became a Master of Suspense
Dan Padavona discusses his shift from horror to thrillers, his writing habits, and advice for aspiring authors seeking to build a loyal readership.
Dan Padavona has carved a remarkable niche for himself in the world of thrillers, transitioning from his horror roots to become a leading voice in dark crime fiction. With a sharp understanding of suspense and character development, Dan brings gripping realism to his stories—often enriched by his background in meteorology and his early love for storytelling. From his early days as a sportscaster and radio manager to his current success as a bestselling author and podcast host, Dan’s journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and an unwavering passion for the written word. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about his writing process, the beloved Thomas Shepherd series, and how aspiring authors can build both craft and audience.
Padavona blends gripping suspense with emotional depth, creating thrillers that resonate with readers and stand out in the crowded crime fiction genre.
What inspired you to transition from horror to thriller writing, and how did that shift impact your career?
While I maintain a love for horror, both as a reader and as a writer, I found the constant darkness debilitating. Switching to thrillers allowed me to combine horror with crime scene investigation and family dynamics.
The switch to dark crime thrillers had a profound impact on my career. Today, I sell about a hundred thrillers for every horror novel.
Your background is in meteorology—do you ever incorporate weather-related themes into your stories?
All the time. I write about places I’ve lived or visited, so adding weather to my stories gives my readers a sense of place and adds a layer of realism. Because my meteorological specialty was severe weather – thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, and snow – I enjoy incorporating these weather phenomena into stories to add tension.
How do you develop such compelling and suspenseful plots, and what’s your process for keeping readers on edge?
Though I spent a long time writing from story beats and outlines, I returned to writing “by the seat of my pants” over the last year. In other words, I create the story as I write it.
I often begin my stories with a question: What if I put a certain character in a deadly situation? How will this person react?
Ratcheting up the suspense is totally a “feel” thing. There are several ways to write a scene and make it gripping or terrifying. The way I introduce the danger, the prose style…everything plays a part. I usually know I’ve written the scene correctly when I have an emotional reaction.
This is where my experience as a horror writer often sets my stories apart from other thrillers.
The Wolf Lake series has been incredibly successful—what do you think makes Thomas Shepherd such a relatable and engaging protagonist?
We all love characters who overcome adversity, and I believe we see parts of ourselves in imperfect protagonists. When creating Thomas Shepherd’s character, I researched law enforcement officers with autism and Asperger’s syndrome. I was thrilled to read so many success stories.
But when I began writing “Her Last Breath,” Thomas Shepherd grew into someone much larger than a sheriff’s deputy overcoming Asperger’s. He became a moral compass and a genuinely wonderful person. I love writing about Thomas. He brings out the best in me.
Marketing and advertising played a key role in your breakthrough as an author—what strategies worked best for you?
Amazon ads and email marketing played important roles in my author career. For almost two years, I was almost printing money every time I created an Amazon ad.
Eventually, I wore out my target audience, and the ads became less effective. Today, advertise through Amazon and Bookbub, but I only spend a fraction of my previous advertising costs. Slow and steady wins the race.
Building an email list is integral to my success. But it’s more than getting prospective readers onto my list. It’s about engagement and giving more than I ask for in return.
I keep my newsletter interesting and intriguing. Readers often write to tell me how much they enjoyed a recent newsletter. That’s important to me. When a reader entrusts me with an email address, I feel obligated to be respectful and give as much value as possible.
You’ve spoken about mindset psychology and habit-building in writing—how can aspiring authors use these concepts to improve their craft?
The first concept every aspiring author needs to grasp is “nobody cares.” That may sound harsh, but it’s true. Nobody cares about the novel you keep saying you want to write, but never get around to. Nobody cares that you have a family, a full-time job, and hobbies. Either you write, or you don’t.
The good news is 95% of writers never finish their books. By completing your novel, you put yourself ahead of a very large crowd.
Begin by committing to a certain number of words every day. It might be as few as a hundred words, but every bit counts. During week two, commit to a few hundred more. On week three, do the same.
Soon, you will be churning out 1000 or more words a day. Stick with that for a month, and you’ll form a habit.
I also advocate reading voraciously. Read in at least two of your favorite genres. You can’t write if you don’t learn how to tell an effective story.
What advice would you give to new authors who are struggling to find their audience and make a living from writing?
Begin with an email list. That’s where every author should start.
A great first step is to write a novella (50 to 100 pages) which showcases your storytelling. Set up a website and offer your novella to anyone who signs up for your newsletter. You can also advertise with Meta, Amazon, or Bookbub. All three are effective if you take the time to learn about marketing on each platform. However, authors should have several books available before advertising with any considerable amount of money.
