| J.M. LeDuc |
J. M. LeDuc is a writer of inspirational fiction; in the thriller genre. He is a native Bostonian, who transplanted to
south Florida in 1985. What started out as a reprieve from the cold weather became a permanent move due to
meeting and falling in love with his wife of twenty-three years, a native Floridian; Sherri. They are the proud parents
of a twenty year-old daughter; Chelsea.
When asked why he writes, J. M. responds, “The answer is actually quite simple: It’s just part of who I am. I was
blessed to have had a mother (under whose maiden name I write) who loved the written word and passed that
passion on to me. When I was eight-years-old I was diagnosed with a rare, congenital joint disease which prohibited
me from playing sports, so all my adventure was pursued through writing and reading. By the time I reached high
school, the doctors gave me permission to actively participate in sports and I threw myself into the fray headfirst.
“I started out with snow skiing and quickly added the adrenaline rush of skydiving, scuba diving and triathlon
racing. My adrenaline pumping adventures culminated by competing as a bull and bareback rider on the rodeo circuit
out in Colorado and Wyoming. I later got into survival/adventure racing, in which the races would last from four to
five hours to four to five days.
“My competitive days quickly came to an end with bilateral hip replacements in both 2000 and 2003. From that
moment on I once again turned my adventurous spirit inward and quenched my thirst for adventure through my
writing. You’ll find many of the activities I have been personally involved in became part of the protagonist’s
personality.”
J. M. is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, Florida Writers Association and the Christian Writers
Guild.
“A day does not go by when I don’t put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Thank you for taking the time to visit
the website and I hope you enjoy reading “Cursed Blessing” as much as I did writing it.”
Suspense Magazine is honored to have the chance talk with J.M. and get to know him a little bit better.
Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): You are very open and honest regarding your early health difficulties. Do you think a
person needs to overcome serious setbacks or challenges to be truly successful?
J.M. LeDuc (JML): I don’t know if it is necessary, but it allows you as the author to empathize with your characters. Most of your
characters have challenges that they have to overcome. So if you know those emotions, you can better write them into your characters.
I speak of my health difficulties only because they are what led me down the path of being a writer. At an early age I was diagnosed
with Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia. Due to this rare disease the doctors advised me not to participate in any team sports. So, at the
age of eight, I began my love affair with books. All my adventure took place through the written word: first with reading and then later
with writing.
When I was finally given the green light to participate in sports I gravitated to individual ones. I was always a lover of outdoor
activities, the more they pushed my limits the better: Snow skiing, skydiving, scuba diving, long distance triathlons, multiday survival
racing and rodeo. After multiple hip replacements and progressive arthritis in my other joints, I had no choice but to stop doing what I
loved. I thank God that I was able to turn that adventurous spirit inward and return to my first love. My writing became an outward
release for all that adrenaline.
S. MAG.: Do you share personality traits with any of your characters?
JML: Good question. I think I have sprinkled my personality among a few of the lead characters; Brent and Seven mostly. You’ll find
Brent to be the man I wish I was in many ways. He is stoic when he needs to be, a fighter when there are no other ways to rectify a
situation and yet, most of all he is loyal to God, his family and friends regardless of what circumstances could befall him…he’s a true
hero, but he also has his flaws.
In his line of work, emotion is frowned upon. The Phantom Squad, the group to whom he once belonged had a motto: “Emotion Will
Get You Killed”. The only problem is, now that he is a civilian, he doesn’t know how to turn his emotion back on. It takes the love of
a special lady to help bring him out of that shell.
I can relate to him on many layers, but most of all on an emotional one. I was always an introvert when it came to showing my true
emotions and it took the love a special woman, Sherri, my wife to help me over come that flaw. She would say I’m still a work in
progress.
Seven is a different story all together. With him you get what you see. He is what I would call “a cowboy”. He is a tobacco chewing, get
the job done, man’s man. He has very few friends, but those he does have he would die for. I can relate to him in many ways. He is
also the shortest of the squad members and has a great sarcasm. I definitely relate to that.
S. MAG.: If Hollywood were to make “Cursed Blessing” into a movie and gave you total creative control, who
would you cast in the role of Brent Venturi?
JML: That’s funny you ask that question. The greatest compliment I get from people who have read the book is that they can see it as
a movie. They say that they see it play through their head as they read it. I am honored by those statements.
To answer your question is tough. If I had to pick from one of Hollywood’s stars, I think I would pick Colin Farrell. I don’t know
why, but when I think of the character, that’s who I think of.
If I had complete creative control, I would choose an unknown. Someone who has no baggage, who can’t have his performance compared
to performances past. Something like the way J. K. Rowling chose her lead characters for the Harry Potter movies.
S. MAG.: We’re sure you have had to do this before…can you describe “Cursed Blessing” in one sentence?
JML: What if the Fountain of Youth was real? The secret has been carried by one man of each generation since the time of Noah. It’s
now lost and it’s up to Brent to find and secure it before it ends up in the wrong hands and Armageddon occurs.
Was that one sentence?
S. MAG.: What prompted you to write under a pseudonym?
JML: I write under my mother’s maiden name for two reasons. First she is my inspiration. She had a love for the
written word that was unquenchable. Any talent I have certainly comes from her. Second, it is my way of keeping
her memory alive. She passed in 2001 from Pancreatic Cancer and this is my way of honoring her life.
S. MAG.: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The worst?
JML: The best advice I ever received would be a tie. First would be; Write every day and the second would be the three most important
words in writing; perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.
The worst advice…I don’t think I received bad advice, just a lack of advice. I had no idea what it took to promote a book once you
finally got it into print or onto electronic media.
S. MAG.: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
JML: In a literary sense, I see myself as a full time author, writing and lecturing. In a personal sense, living each day with my wife in
marital bliss and thanking God for each day.
S. MAG.: When can your fans expect “Cursed Presence”, the second book in the trilogy, to be released?
JML: Realistically, we are six to nine months out. I have had so many readers ask me that question, I started to put the early chapters
of the book on my blog at www.jmleduc.com to help appease their appetite and hopefully entice others.
Suspense Magazine was honored to have this time with J.M. LeDuc. He is an amazing writer and we suspect you’ll
see a lot more of him in the weeks, months and years to come. When you have that much love for something, it’s
bound to catch on.
south Florida in 1985. What started out as a reprieve from the cold weather became a permanent move due to
meeting and falling in love with his wife of twenty-three years, a native Floridian; Sherri. They are the proud parents
of a twenty year-old daughter; Chelsea.
When asked why he writes, J. M. responds, “The answer is actually quite simple: It’s just part of who I am. I was
blessed to have had a mother (under whose maiden name I write) who loved the written word and passed that
passion on to me. When I was eight-years-old I was diagnosed with a rare, congenital joint disease which prohibited
me from playing sports, so all my adventure was pursued through writing and reading. By the time I reached high
school, the doctors gave me permission to actively participate in sports and I threw myself into the fray headfirst.
“I started out with snow skiing and quickly added the adrenaline rush of skydiving, scuba diving and triathlon
racing. My adrenaline pumping adventures culminated by competing as a bull and bareback rider on the rodeo circuit
out in Colorado and Wyoming. I later got into survival/adventure racing, in which the races would last from four to
five hours to four to five days.
“My competitive days quickly came to an end with bilateral hip replacements in both 2000 and 2003. From that
moment on I once again turned my adventurous spirit inward and quenched my thirst for adventure through my
writing. You’ll find many of the activities I have been personally involved in became part of the protagonist’s
personality.”
J. M. is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, Florida Writers Association and the Christian Writers
Guild.
“A day does not go by when I don’t put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Thank you for taking the time to visit
the website and I hope you enjoy reading “Cursed Blessing” as much as I did writing it.”
Suspense Magazine is honored to have the chance talk with J.M. and get to know him a little bit better.
Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): You are very open and honest regarding your early health difficulties. Do you think a
person needs to overcome serious setbacks or challenges to be truly successful?
J.M. LeDuc (JML): I don’t know if it is necessary, but it allows you as the author to empathize with your characters. Most of your
characters have challenges that they have to overcome. So if you know those emotions, you can better write them into your characters.
I speak of my health difficulties only because they are what led me down the path of being a writer. At an early age I was diagnosed
with Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia. Due to this rare disease the doctors advised me not to participate in any team sports. So, at the
age of eight, I began my love affair with books. All my adventure took place through the written word: first with reading and then later
with writing.
When I was finally given the green light to participate in sports I gravitated to individual ones. I was always a lover of outdoor
activities, the more they pushed my limits the better: Snow skiing, skydiving, scuba diving, long distance triathlons, multiday survival
racing and rodeo. After multiple hip replacements and progressive arthritis in my other joints, I had no choice but to stop doing what I
loved. I thank God that I was able to turn that adventurous spirit inward and return to my first love. My writing became an outward
release for all that adrenaline.
S. MAG.: Do you share personality traits with any of your characters?
JML: Good question. I think I have sprinkled my personality among a few of the lead characters; Brent and Seven mostly. You’ll find
Brent to be the man I wish I was in many ways. He is stoic when he needs to be, a fighter when there are no other ways to rectify a
situation and yet, most of all he is loyal to God, his family and friends regardless of what circumstances could befall him…he’s a true
hero, but he also has his flaws.
In his line of work, emotion is frowned upon. The Phantom Squad, the group to whom he once belonged had a motto: “Emotion Will
Get You Killed”. The only problem is, now that he is a civilian, he doesn’t know how to turn his emotion back on. It takes the love of
a special lady to help bring him out of that shell.
I can relate to him on many layers, but most of all on an emotional one. I was always an introvert when it came to showing my true
emotions and it took the love a special woman, Sherri, my wife to help me over come that flaw. She would say I’m still a work in
progress.
Seven is a different story all together. With him you get what you see. He is what I would call “a cowboy”. He is a tobacco chewing, get
the job done, man’s man. He has very few friends, but those he does have he would die for. I can relate to him in many ways. He is
also the shortest of the squad members and has a great sarcasm. I definitely relate to that.
S. MAG.: If Hollywood were to make “Cursed Blessing” into a movie and gave you total creative control, who
would you cast in the role of Brent Venturi?
JML: That’s funny you ask that question. The greatest compliment I get from people who have read the book is that they can see it as
a movie. They say that they see it play through their head as they read it. I am honored by those statements.
To answer your question is tough. If I had to pick from one of Hollywood’s stars, I think I would pick Colin Farrell. I don’t know
why, but when I think of the character, that’s who I think of.
If I had complete creative control, I would choose an unknown. Someone who has no baggage, who can’t have his performance compared
to performances past. Something like the way J. K. Rowling chose her lead characters for the Harry Potter movies.
S. MAG.: We’re sure you have had to do this before…can you describe “Cursed Blessing” in one sentence?
JML: What if the Fountain of Youth was real? The secret has been carried by one man of each generation since the time of Noah. It’s
now lost and it’s up to Brent to find and secure it before it ends up in the wrong hands and Armageddon occurs.
Was that one sentence?
S. MAG.: What prompted you to write under a pseudonym?
JML: I write under my mother’s maiden name for two reasons. First she is my inspiration. She had a love for the
written word that was unquenchable. Any talent I have certainly comes from her. Second, it is my way of keeping
her memory alive. She passed in 2001 from Pancreatic Cancer and this is my way of honoring her life.
S. MAG.: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The worst?
JML: The best advice I ever received would be a tie. First would be; Write every day and the second would be the three most important
words in writing; perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.
The worst advice…I don’t think I received bad advice, just a lack of advice. I had no idea what it took to promote a book once you
finally got it into print or onto electronic media.
S. MAG.: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
JML: In a literary sense, I see myself as a full time author, writing and lecturing. In a personal sense, living each day with my wife in
marital bliss and thanking God for each day.
S. MAG.: When can your fans expect “Cursed Presence”, the second book in the trilogy, to be released?
JML: Realistically, we are six to nine months out. I have had so many readers ask me that question, I started to put the early chapters
of the book on my blog at www.jmleduc.com to help appease their appetite and hopefully entice others.
Suspense Magazine was honored to have this time with J.M. LeDuc. He is an amazing writer and we suspect you’ll
see a lot more of him in the weeks, months and years to come. When you have that much love for something, it’s
bound to catch on.
 |  |  |  |  |
| Praise for "Cursed Blessing" “...An intriguing and suspenseful read. It will have you eager to turn the page, then mad at yourself for rushing through it. J.M. LeDuc shows an unmatched talent in this debut novel.” –Tanya Wright (www.tanyawright.net) “There is plenty of mystery and suspense along with betrayal, love and a wonderful ride!” –Ashley Wintters (http://ashleysbookshelf.blogspot.com) “...Contains all the ingredients for instant success: memorable characters, a gripping storyline, spirituality, and romance. First in a trilogy, “Cursed Blessing” introduces us to Captain Brent Venturi, a mild-mannered librarian who, through faith and incredible acts of courage, manages to save his friends, save the world from a gang of criminal masterminds. J.M. LeDuc, is a master storyteller and from the first page to the last, readers will be instantly hooked. Luckily, there are more books to come.” –Caryn DeVincenti, Former Senior Editor, Fabulous 40rties Magazine” “J.M. LeDuc’s, “Cursed Blessing,” the first in the Trilogy of the Chosen, will keep you reading well into the night. For a good part of that time, you’ll live on the edge of your chair. All the while, you’ll be unable to put the book down. You are about to enter a world of high technology and espionage that seems almost unimaginable, challenging the most basic beliefs of your faith, yet J.M. masterfully combines all of the exciting elements of this story into the believable. The characters are human, yet extraordinary in their abilities. You’ll like some, love others, while not knowing, until the very end, who to trust. Expect to be surprised at your choice. J.M. LeDuc has captured all the suspense and mysticism of John Grisham, James Rollins, and the Preston & Child novels. Turn off the television, and settle into a comfortable chair. Let “Cursed Blessing” take you into an adventurous new world. When the story ends, you will be praying to your God that Captain Brent Venturi and the Phantom Squad really do exist…just in case! Suspense novels have a new sheriff in town.” –Leslie A. Borghini aka The Angel of Horror: Author of “Angel Heat” |
| "When the last guardian of the world’s most important secret is dead, who can be trusted?" |
| CURSED PRESENCE Since the establishment of the Catholic Church a myth has been told inside its cloistered environment. Those foolish enough to speak of it have been quickly extinguished. One man, an ex-communicated priest still speaks of it today. He preaches a time when man is ripe for Satan’s picking. A time when the Dark One will embed his spirit into the most wicked. The Omega Butcher, one of the world’s most sadistic serial killers, has escaped from a prison where escape is not possible. A prison that doesn’t exist. He is not alone. The Dark One is with him while he hunt’s God’s Chosen, the one known as the Enlightened. He preys on the weak, gaining more of Satan’ s spirit with each “feeding”. A battle foretold since the dawn of existence will be fought between the Dark One and God’s Chosen. A battle that the myth says the Enlightened cannot win. At stake: everything. Hell on earth! In book two of the Trilogy of the Chosen, Brent Venturi must face his greatest fear, The Butcher in order to save; the only victim that got away, the president’s daughter, himself, and mankind in a battle where winner takes all. Welcome to a time known as the The Enlightenment. A time of “Cursed Presence.” |
| Coming Soon from J.M. LeDuc |