Meet New Author Dustin Dodd

For a very long time I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn’t really have any desire to be anything specific. Or so I thought.

One good thing about being the oldest child is that many items from my childhood have been saved. (Sorry to my younger siblings!) When I was in high school I came across some of my old school work my mother had saved. This was right about the time when I had started to dream about becoming a writer. Over the years I had kept a diary (like most teenage girls), and I loved writing. I would dabble here and there with stories I had to write for English class. Once I almost won a writing contest, except I didn’t vote for myself (I thought it would be too snobbish of me), and I lost by one vote. All this to say, I loved writing. I still do. I don’t really think of myself as a particularly good writer, but I still find it cathartic. I mean, here I am, writing for FresYes every week, so, obviously I enjoy it. 🙂 Anyway, I stumbled upon this paper I had written in 1st or 2nd grade. I had written that I had wanted to grow up to become a teacher and write a book. Whaaaat?! Who knew I had that dream from such a young age?! (I also said I wanted to have a boyfriend and marry him….Ah, the things you think that are important when you’re 6 or 7.)

Well, I’m not a writer. I take that back. I am a writer, but I’m not a real, bonafide author. (I am, however, a teacher, so my younger self had a little bit of insight.) Even though I’ve not “grown up” to become a famous author, I have always loved books. I’ve worked at the public library. I’ve studied all sorts of literature, and I even have my Master’s degree in Reading Education. I love reading. I also love meeting authors. They make so many stories come to life-they’re like movie stars to me! Last week I was introduced to a new author, Dustin Dodd.

Dustin Dodd is a Clovis native (although he’s just recently moved to Napa), graduating from Clovis High. He served as a police officer for the Clovis Police Department for 14 years. During that time he worked on patrol, DUI enforcement, K9, as a Detective, a Field Training Officer, as a Corporal (Supervisor), as a Computer Forensic Analyst, Crime Scene Investigator, supervisor and technician for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (Bomb Squad), and supervisor and Cal-OSHA certified Explosive Breacher for the SWAT team. How impressive, right?!

Dustin has now written a book, Savage Justice, about his true life experiences while working as a police officer. The next logical question is this…How does one go from being a well respected police officer to an author?

Well, I asked Dustin that.

“Savage Justice started out as a list of one sentence reminders of crazy calls for service I was assigned to investigate. I used the list to remind myself that the truth is stranger than fiction. After a few years, I reviewed my list and it took a little while to remember what my notes referred to. I realized that if it took a while to remember everything after only a couple years, I had better write the entire stories out so I’d remember everything after 30 years. On the plane ride back east to Redstone Arsenal Army Base in Huntsville, AL for EOD Basic Training, I got bored and started to twist several of the stories into one long work of fiction inspired by the list of true events that I investigated. Many of which were with my K9 partner, Kota. A few years and a ton of versions later Savage Justice was finished and picked up by Black Opal Books.“

This is exciting-to read a fictional story about true events! True events that have happened right here in the Valley! I like how he said that the “truth is stranger than fiction.” So very true. Sometimes you just can’t believe the things you encounter. Here, we can read about some of those things.

I could see this becoming a series where we can follow the in’s and out’s of Daniel Deacon. Dustin Dodd could be the next Robert B. Parker-and a local one at that! I love how this story takes place right here in the Valley.

Savage Justice was just released on 02/27/16. It is available online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Black Opal Books, and signed copies via Dustin’s website. You can also reach out to him on Facebook. Go get your copy today, and let me know what you think! I can’t wait to read this book. I love a good mystery/suspense novel. What I love even more is that Dustin took something he loved, and found a way to share it with the rest of us in an interesting way, especially having that local connection. You inspire me Dustin!

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Tiffiny Reta

Tiffiny is a full time working mom, to 2 mostly wonderful children. She has her Master's in Education-Reading and Language Arts, and uses that degree to help the children of FresYes become better readers. She loves all things cupcakes, and the color pink. She also has a special knack for making people laugh, but she cannot dance to save her life-which kind of goes along with making people laugh.

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