Having faith to see the light

“Books were this wonderful escape for me because I could open a book and disappear into it, and that was the only way out of that house when I was a kid.” – Dean Koontz

When he was a senior at Shippensburg State in Pennsylvania, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and he’s been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages and have sold over 450 million copies.

Turning 72 today, he is arguably America’s leading writer of suspense thrillers, and he shows no sign of easing up.   Reading Koontz’s work often provides a text on character development and how to draw readers into a story.   “Each reader,” he says,          “needs to bring his or her own mind and heart into the text.”

Fourteen of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times bestseller list, including the mega-selling Strangers, Sole Survivor, and What the Night Knows, making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback and also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden.

Koontz said he was abused as a child and because of that he has championed causes to help victims of alcohol and abuse.  “Even in the darkest moments light exists if you have faith to see it,” Koontz said.  “Civilization rests on the fact that most people do the right thing most of the time.”

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