BOOKPLEASURES INTERVIEW: “UNVEILING THE MEDICAL THRILLER OF THE YEAR”

December 6, 2023December 6, 2023THE ANESTHESIA CONSULTANT Leave a comment

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK NOVAK discussing CALL FROM THE JAILHOUSE

Love, Law, and Lethal Anesthetics: Unveiling the Medical Thriller of the Year.

Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest, Rick Novak MD. Rick is a distinguished Stanford physician, holding board certifications in anesthesiology and internal medicine.

His expertise and dedication extend to his role as an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University.

Beyond academia, he serves as the Medical Director at the prestigious Waverley Surgery Center in Palo Alto, California, and is a valued member of the Associated Anesthesiologists Medical Group in the same region.

Rick is not only a distinguished medical professional but also an accomplished author. He has shared his talents with the literary world through several captivating novels, including The Doctor and Mr. Dylan, Doctor Vita, and his most recent literary endeavor, Call From the Jailhouse.

Norm Goldman: Welcome Rick to bookpleasures.com and thanks for taking part in our interview. Can you share specific instances or experiences from your medical career that directly inspired or informed the content of your book, Call from the Jail House?

Rick: Call from the Jail House is a romance, a story about relationships. The two main characters are busy professionals, a doctor and an attorney, who are recently divorced but still have feelings for each other. The divorce rate in physicians is high (24%). I’ve been divorced myself, and I’ve experienced the enormous swings in emotion a failed marriage imparts on every phase of your life. These emotions drive my Call from the Jail House characters into predicaments they could never have imagined when they said “I do” to each other.

The second experience that drives the plot of Call from the Jail House is that the intravenous anesthetic drugs I’ve administered in my career are potent and wonderful, but when stolen from a hospital, they can kill an individual in minutes, in a fashion that would revolt and fascinate readers.

Norm: Sam Vella’s character undergoes a significant transformation from a beleaguered anesthesiologist to an accused murder suspect. Can you elaborate on the process of developing multi-dimensional characters like Sam in your writing?

Rick: Sam’s dilemma is a common one in America today—he’s an honorable young physician saddled with Herculean debt, with no easy way to repay it. He lives in Silicon Valley amidst astounding wealth, and when presented with the temptation to tap into that level of wealth, he surprises himself by pondering deeds never condoned in the Hippocratic Oath.

Norm: Cicely Vella, Sam’s ex, grapples with her role as a defense attorney torn between professional instincts and personal emotions. How did you approach creating her character and portraying this internal conflict?

Rick: Cicely is an outstanding litigator who rarely loses. She’s become wealthy beyond her dreams. But again, the powerful emotions of being newly divorced have driven Cicely to make success her only love. Sitting on her metaphoric pile of cash, no amount of money is filling the emptiness she feels since she divorced Sam. How can she become whole again? In her mind, the possibility of saving Sam from a life in prison looms as both a gigantic career leap and a relationship mending opportunity.

Norm: The story delves into a high-stakes murder trial filled with desire, wealth, intrigue, and scandal. What challenges did you face while crafting the courtroom scenes, and how did you maintain the tension throughout?

Rick: The first time I was cross-examined by an opposing attorney when I was serving as an expert witness in a courtroom, I held my hands together on the table in front of me. I could feel the pulse in my wrist, and my heart rate was topping 180 beats per minute. Outwardly I maintained a calm countenance, but inwardly I felt fear and confrontation unlike anything I’d felt in an operating room. The courtroom is a battlefield where words are weapons. Attorneys are on their home court. Everyone else—defendants, witnesses, experts, jury members—are involved in this war of sentences. As my career as an expert witness progressed, I became more comfortable with managing inner demons in the courtroom, but I’m well aware of the peril of the unprepared individual on the witness stand. Writing the courtroom scenes was the easiest part of this novel. These scenes were like movies I’d imagined for years.

Norm: Scarlett is an enigmatic character in the novel. What motivated you to include her in the story, and how did you explore the intricacies of desire and temptation through her character?

Rick: Can a dynamite-looking sexy young woman control the men that surround her? Yes, definitely. Anyone who denies this fact has never met a woman with Scarlett’s skillset. I fell under the spells of beautiful women more than once in my life, and I find the power of a gorgeous female one of the most interesting forces on Earth. Helen of Troy owned a face that launched a thousand ships. Like Helen, Scarlett inspires passions that can drive a vulnerable man to his doom.

Norm: The novel is described as a must-read for legal thriller fans. What do you believe sets Call from the Jail Houseapart from other books in the genre, and what unique elements did you incorporate into your storytelling?

Rick: Call From the Jailhouse is a romance novel with elements of a noir legal thriller and a medical mystery. The novel culminates in courtroom drama based on true medical facts and possibilities that only an anesthesiologist with a knack for telling suspenseful stories could describe. I love the writing of John Grisham and Scott Turow, but neither of them could pen this story of medical crime.

Norm: The relationship between Sam and Cicely is central to the plot. How did you approach writing their interactions and exploring the dynamics of their complicated past?

Rick: I chose to begin the novel with Sam and Cicely already divorced. Their backstory is revealed piece by piece. I see both Sam and Cicely as good people, outstanding in their professions, but inexperienced and uneducated in the abilities necessary to solve marital conflicts. After Sam’s call from the jailhouse, they both begin to rekindle the attraction that originally brought them together. Can Cicely save him? Even if she could, would Sam be willing to give their relationship a second chance? You have to read the book to find out.

Norm: Sam’s downfall from the mainstream anesthesia field to administering ketamine in dental offices is an important moment in the story. What inspired this particular plot point, and how did it affect the overall narrative?

Rick: The reason for Sam’s downfall from mainstream anesthesia is held out as a secret until the trial. His eviction from hospital medicine is credible. Physicians make mistakes—some of them medical, some of them emotional. Either one can have dire consequences. Sam’s fall from grace was critical for several reasons: it led to his divorce, it led to him driving around in a Chevy Tahoe with a tacklebox full of anesthesia drugs, and it led to his inability to earn the money he needs to pay his educational debt. Enter Scarlett, and remarkably there’s a new pathway toward all his dreams coming true.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Call From the Jailhouse?

Rick: Ricknovak.com reveals more about me and my writing. My second website, clicked on over 2.8 million readers, is called The Anesthesia Consultant —and it contains 300+ essays which aim to inform both laypeople and medical people on anesthesia topics.

Norm: What is next for Rick Novak MD?

Rick: Back to the operating room every week. Back to the courtroom several times a year. And back to my MacBook Pro, which tempts me to set fingertips to the keypad, bringing the next set of fictional characters to life in situations no one’s ever dreamed of.

Norm: As we wrap up our interview, can you offer any insights into your creative process while writing this novel, and what can readers expect from your next literary masterpiece?

Rick: I’m a busy guy. I work as an MD from Monday through Friday, and I’m a single parent to three sons. I ponder ideas and scenes for future fiction every day. I’ll set those thoughts into print by and by.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your endeavors.

Rick: Thanks for your time, Norm!

CALL FROM THE JAILHOUSE: NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON LINK:

Call From the Jailhouse

Rick Novak’s first novel, THE DOCTOR AND MR. DYLAN

Rick Novak’s second novel, DOCTOR VITA

COMING SOON: RICK NOVAK’S NEW NOVEL, CALL FROM THE JAILHOUSE

August 20, 2023November 21, 2023THE ANESTHESIA CONSULTANT Leave a comment

Litigator Cicely Vella’s ex-husband is arrested for a double murder, and asks her to be his defense lawyer. Cicely rarely loses a case, but her extraordinary record is in jeopardy when she chooses to defend Sam Vella, the only suspect in what appear to be two indefensible crimes.

Cicely is living the dream life of a young professional. She’s bright, beautiful, Black, and successful, but she harbors one weakness—lingering feelings for Sam, the husband who got away.

Samuel Vella is a physician with high intellect, striking good looks, and a proclivity for making poor decisions. In the aftermath of his split from Cicely, Sam initiates an affair with Scarlett Lang, a free-spirited married woman, and their liaison lands Sam behind bars.

After receiving Sam’s call from the jailhouse, Cicely feels the triple lures of her emotional attachment to her ex-husband, the opportunity to redeem the Vella name in the courtroom, and her zest for fame in this sensational high-profile trial. Nothing in the world but this court date could make Cicely and Sam sit elbow to elbow, day after day.

The odds of a divorced couple remarrying the same person are 6 in 100, a statistic Cicely is both aware of and wary of, as she’s drawn back into Sam’s life.

CALL FROM THE JAILHOUSE excerpt:

Chapter One: The Call

Cicely Vella’s receptionist announced, “Ms. Vella, your ex-husband is on line one. He says he’s in jail. He wants to talk to you.”

There are mileposts in life—moments that alter the future in earthshattering ways. The sudden change can be terrific or tragic. Cicely used to think her defining moment was the end of her marriage, but instead her defining moment occurred when she picked up line one and said, “Sam, what’s going on?”

His voice came through pressured and loud, so robust she had to hold the phone six inches away from her ear. “There’s been some kind of mistake,” _he said. “The police arrested me. I’m in trouble.”

Cicely was shocked. Sam had never called her since their divorce, and she’d never heard this tone in his voice. He’d al-ways been cool, calm, and controlled, even in the most stressful times. Cicely couldn’t hide her alarm. “Arrested you for what?”

“Murder.”

Cicely almost dropped the phone. “Murder? You’ve got to be kidding. Where are you right now?”

“The San Mateo County Jail. I need a defense attorney. I need you. Please help me.”

Cicely pictured Sam Vella sitting alone in a jail cell, and her response surprised her. She leapt out of her chair, ready to go to him. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she said. “And don’t answer any questions from anyone until I arrive. Got that?”

“I won’t. And thank you so much for doing this for me.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.” Cicely hung up the phone, feeling the room spinning around her. This wasn’t possible. Sam was a smart guy—an altruistic medical doctor who simply couldn’t kill anyone. He’d been a flawed husband, a man who never quite got used to his overachieving wife’s career eclipsing his, but he wasn’t wired to commit violent crime. Cicely grabbed her purse and car keys and headed for the door. A petite Black woman, Cicely wore a gray wool pantsuit and a Brooks Brothers white cotton shirt. Her androgynous attire was her statement that, in the male-dominated world of litigating attorneys, she had the power to match up with her masculine opponents. Her business—the world of defendants and their alleged misdeeds—was a grim reality of treachery, deceit, ruses, and lies. Cicely didn’t see her vocation as a quest for truth, but rather a competition in search of victory. It was her job to conjure deception. Her joy came from constructing any reasonable alternative to the allegations of the prosecution. Every new case was a puzzle with a yet undiscovered solution. Finding that solution was the most enjoyable pastime Cicely had ever discovered. The money was good, but she knew in her heart she might even have done it for free.

It was that fun.

As Cicely exited through the waiting room, her receptionist said, “I overheard your conversation with Sam. Are you going to defend him?”

“Hell, yes. What kind of defense attorney would I be if my ex-husband spent the rest of his life rotting in prison as a convicted murderer?”

“You’ll be center stage if you defend him.”

“I’ll be center stage whether I’m his lawyer or not. We share a last name. We share a past. I’m going to the jail. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” Cicely’s thoughts were in turmoil.

Her divorce was fresh—only one year old. After five workaholic years as man and wife, she and Sam painted themselves into two distant corners—a sad California career-trumps-love divorce. She’d pulled the plug on their marriage and concentrated on climbing to the pinnacle of the legal world. Cicely had only seen Sam twice since the divorce, and each time she felt the same two opposing emotions―a strong attraction to his physical presence, and sadness that the man who had once been her best friend was a stranger to her now.

Cicely knew the drive from her office to the jail very well. She met most of her clients for the first time within those very walls. Minutes later she sat face-to-face with Sam in a windowless white-walled room. He wore an orange jumpsuit with the number 71427 scrolled across his chest. His hair was parted in the middle, lanky and wet, as if he’d just stepped out of a storm, and his gaze never left Cicely. Her heart raced to be sitting so close to him again. He looked as vulnerable as a lost puppy and as breathtaking as any man she had ever set eyes on. Cicely skipped any pleasantries and started with the obvious question, “Who are you accused of killing, Sam?”

He shook his head and dropped his stare toward the table separating them. Then his eyes flicked upward for a second, partially hidden below thick hooded brows, and he said, “It was this woman I was dating. They claim I killed her. And they claim I killed her husband, too.”

“Two murders? Good God.” Cicely exhaled mightily. “Tell me what happened, starting when you first met this-this woman.” Cicely balanced her pen over an 8.5 X 14-inch yellow legal pad and prepared to chronicle Sam’s story.

“Her name was Scarlett,” Sam said. “It all started one rainy January night last winter…”

Mr. Dylan wins Nobel Prize in Literature

October 14, 2016November 21, 2023THE ANESTHESIA CONSULTANT Leave a comment

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Because my expertise includes not only medicine but also Bob Dylan’s life and art, I have to stand on a soap box and crow about Bob winning the Nobel Prize in Literature this very day.

He’s the first musician to win the award. The literature prize is given for a lifetime of writing rather than for a single work.

The Swedish Academy credited Mr. Dylan with “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

Sara Danius, a literary scholar and the permanent secretary of the 18-member Nobel academy, which awards the prize, called Mr. Dylan “a great poet in the English-speaking tradition” and compared him to Homer and Sappho, whose work was delivered orally.

Americans should be proud, songwriters should be inspired, and residents of Hibbing, Minnesota, my hometown and Bob Dylan’s, should be awed beyond belief. Their majestic high school in this small iron ore village produced a literary legend.

Hibbing High School Auditorium, where Bob (Dylan) Zimmerman performed while in high school

Bob (Dylan) Zimmerman’s boyhood home in Hibbing, Minnesota

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Introducing …, THE DOCTOR AND MR. DYLAN, Dr. Novak’s debut novel, a legal mystery. Publication date September 9, 2014 by Pegasus Books.

On October 2, 2014 THE DOCTOR AND MR. DYLAN became the world’s #1 bestselling anesthesia Kindle book on Amazon.com.

KIRKUS REVIEW

In this debut thriller, tragedies strike an anesthesiologist as he tries to start a new life with his son.

Dr. Nico Antone, an anesthesiologist at Stanford University, is married to Alexandra, a high-powered real estate agent obsessed with money. Their son, Johnny, an 11th-grader with immense potential, struggles to get the grades he’ll need to attend an Ivy League college. After a screaming match with Alexandra, Nico moves himself and Johnny from Palo Alto, California, to his frozen childhood home of Hibbing, Minnesota. The move should help Johnny improve his grades and thus seem more attractive to universities, but Nico loves the freedom from his wife, too. Hibbing also happens to be the hometown of music icon Bob Dylan. Joining the hospital staff, Nico runs afoul of a grouchy nurse anesthetist calling himself Bobby Dylan, who plays Dylan songs twice a week in a bar called Heaven’s Door. As Nico and Johnny settle in, their lives turn around; they even start dating the gorgeous mother/daughter pair of Lena and Echo Johnson. However, when Johnny accidentally impregnates Echo, the lives of the Hibbing transplants start to implode. In true page-turner fashion, first-time novelist Novak gets started by killing soulless Alexandra, which accelerates the downfall of his underdog protagonist now accused of murder. Dialogue is pitch-perfect, and the insults hurled between Nico and his wife are as hilarious as they are hurtful: “Are you my husband, Nico? Or my dependent?” The author’s medical expertise proves central to the plot, and there are a few grisly moments, as when “dark blood percolated” from a patient’s nostrils “like coffee grounds.” Bob Dylan details add quirkiness to what might otherwise be a chilly revenge tale; we’re told, for instance, that Dylan taught “every singer with a less-than-perfect voice…how to sneer and twist off syllables.” Courtroom scenes toward the end crackle with energy, though one scene involving a snowmobile ties up a certain plot thread too neatly. By the end, Nico has rolled with a great many punches.

Nuanced characterization and crafty details help this debut soar.

To reach the Amazon webpage to purchase The Doctor and Mr. Dylan, click on the book image below:

RICK NOVAK’S BIOGRAPHY

July 18, 2014November 21, 2023THE ANESTHESIA CONSULTANT Leave a comment

Before writing The Doctor and Mr. Dylan, Rick Novak worked as a clinical anesthesiologist, medical director, and expert witness in Northern California. Rick was born in Hibbing, Minnesota, the son to a welding foreman and a homemaker. Rick’s mother read two books per week, and Rick developed the same habit, frequently bicycling the four blocks from their home to the public library to pick out new material. He graduated from Hibbing High School in 1972, and was accepted to Harvard College. For his Harvard application essay, Rick wrote a short story about God revealing Himself to two drunks in a Minnesota tavern.

Hibbing High School Auditorium, Hibbing, Minnesota

Rick declined Harvard and enrolled instead at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he received a degree in Chemistry in 1976. From 1973-1977 Rick worked five summers with United States Steel in the iron ore mines near Hibbing. He played on the United States Junior Men’s Curling championship teams in 1974 and 1975.

Rick then studied medicine at the University of Chicago School, graduated with an MD in 1980, and moved to California the following day to become an intern at Stanford Hospital.

He spent the next thirty-plus years at Stanford, where he served as an intern, a resident in internal medicine, an emergency room faculty member, an anesthesia resident, and finally as an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Deputy Chief of the Anesthesia Department at Stanford.

Rick’s writing career blossomed in the role of Deputy Chief, where he authored a monthly column in the department newsletter. The theme of each essay centered on the differences between the private practice of anesthesia and the university-based teaching practice of anesthesia. He began posting these essays on The Anesthesia Consultant website (theanesthesiaconsultant.com) in 2010. Readership grew, and now hundreds of thousands of people visit the website each year.

Beginning in 2001, Dr. Novak developed an interest in anesthesia medical-legal consultation, a role that drew him into the courtroom as an expert witness.

Rick’s lifelong dream of creating entertaining fiction led him to imagine a story: the plot dealt with an anesthesia complication, a crumbling marriage, a son’s quest for elite college admission, and a courtroom drama, all set in his and Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. Three years of writing and rewriting yielded the manuscript of The Doctor and Mr. Dylan. In 2014, literary agent Anne Devlin believed the story was a winner, and sold the book to its publisher.

Rick continues his work in clinical anesthesia at Stanford Hospital and at Waverley Surgery Center in Palo Alto, California. He lives with his three sons, Zachary, Theo, and Oliver, and passes on his love of academics and reading to them.

Rick’s second novel, Doctor Vita, was published in 2019. His third novel, Call From the Jailhouse, is due in 2023.