them further, I’ve found that they’re not from here either. It’s like they’ve all made a pilgrimage here. I’ve talked to people that came here from Canada, Baltimore, Virginia, Texas - all these different places. Very rarely have I met someone who has said ‘I was born here’ or ‘I lived here all my life.’
Do you have any kids?
My wife Margaret and I have one 8-year-old girl, Ava. She loves the elementary school here and already has a group of friends there.
What has been your opinion of the school system here?
We’re very impressed. The school system where we were at was great, but here we found out quickly that the curriculum is more advanced – which is nice.
Tell me about your career. Have you always been a writer?
I was a machinist for about 13 years. Before that, I owned a gourmet chocolate shop in Jersey for about 13 years. During all that, however, I always wrote something in my spare time. I stuck with science fiction short stories when I was younger, but eventually got into mystery writing. In 2004, I began my first mystery novel, entitled "Missing Dimension". Now I’m writing full time and I’m really enjoying it.
What is "Missing Dimension" about?
The main character, Nick Davis, is a machinist who gets involved with spies. All these crazy things start happening to him, like finding out his family may be involved in espionage. Underlying everything he does is the love between him and his father.
Did the process come easy to you?
It was indeed a learning process. I wrote down the outline and I started an hour here, an hour there for about a year. It didn’t even follow the outline after the very first chapter; it took on a life of its own and just flowed like that. I self-published and got into six local bookstores in New Jersey, and I got some good feedback. Enough so, that I soon started the sequel, "Missing Lies". Now I’m working on the third and final installment in the "Missing" series, "Missing Fear." It’s going to tie up all the unanswered questions in the saga. I’m going to self publish again, but I hope to go mainstream and hook up with a publishing company.
Are your books sold in book stores around here?
Yes, Hit The Books on Ford Avenue has my books for sale. They’re also available online at www.Amazon.com or at my website, www.davidrosswillis.com. I’ve joined the Chamber of Commerce here and I had a booth at the recent business expo. I plan to have one at the Seafood Festival as well. I’ve done some advertising, but I know it’s going to take a long time to become successful.