Carl Ray

Carl is a computer programmer who is originally from Illinois but now lives with his family in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area. As a native Illinoisan, he is a fan of several of the Chicago sports franchises; most notably, the Cubs, Bears and Bulls.

Finding time to read fiction can be a challenge since, with the ever-accelerating pace of technological change, staying current with his job requires using the lion’s share of his time reading up on the latest advances. However, when the chance does arise, he is typically a fan of horror or hard science fiction. He also enjoys reading about history.

Carl credits a fortuitous circumstance (if you could call being downsized fortuitous) with his writing his first book, The Sacrifice.

“I was working a contract job when some of the contracts, including mine, were ended early. I found another job right away but it would be three weeks before I could start there. I had been working on the book for some time, making slow but steady progress but then, with all of that free time on my hands, I took advantage of the opportunity and made a sprint to the finish.

“The Sacrifice was inspired by such stories as Mr. Frost, The Exorcist, Dexter and Salem’s Lot, but despite all of its horror influences, it is a  morality play at its heart. My favorite book is Richard Matheson’s I am Legend and my goal was to emulate its ability, as best I could, to hold the reader in suspense for as long as possible. I was very humbled when it won a medallion and hope others enjoy it too.”