In Conversation With Author & Editor In Chief: Sam Boush

The magazine founder, editor, and fiction author has arrived to drop advice for writers at all stages. Give it up for Sam!

In 2021, I was introduced to Sam Boush - the founder and editor of the incredible Mystery and Suspense Magazine. Sam messaged me on LinkedIn and asked if I would be interested in dissecting arson in fiction thrillers for the publication. More than happily, I agreed. Once the magazine published, I found my article as the cover story, sandwiched between authors I actively idolize: Lisa Jewell and Lemony Snicket to name a few. I started to read up on this guy - impressed with his unique ability to pull big-name authors into a single publication. And if that wasn’t enough, I found a history of ventures he’d sold, press he’d won, and even a twisty sci-fi novel authored by none other than Sam. The further I got, the more I questioned: who is this person? And how has he acquired such a diverse cornucopia of achievements as a writer? So…I finally asked him. And a lot more.

Join me in conversation with Sam Boush.

Sam has worked as a wildland firefighter, journalist, digital marketer, and founder/owner of a successful marketing agency. In 2017, he sold his agency and began to write full-time. His past work as a journalist won him awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and Oregon Society of Professional Journalists. Currently, he contributes to Writer’s Digest as a features writer. He’s also the editor-in-chief at Mystery and Suspense Magazine, and the author of ALL SYSTEMS DOWN (Lakewater Press, 2018).

Today Sam has joined us to drop a word of advice to all the authors and magazine writers out there. But first, let’s take a look at his own vessel of creativity: his novel.

ALL SYSTEMS DOWN

Pak Han-Yong’s day is here. An elite hacker with Unit 101 of the North Korean military, he’s labored for years to launch Project Sonnimne: a series of deadly viruses set to cripple Imperialist infrastructure. And with one tap of his keyboard, the rewards are immediate.

Brendan Chogan isn’t a hero. He’s an out-of-work parking enforcement officer and one-time collegiate boxer trying to support his wife and children. But now there’s a foreign enemy on the shore, a blackout that extends across America, and an unseen menace targeting him. Brendan must do whatever it takes to keep his family safe.

In the wake of the cyber attacks, electrical grids fail, satellites crash to earth, and the destinies of nine strangers collide.

You can shop ALL SYSTEMS DOWN here.

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Thanks for joining us today Sam! Might I ask, what was the inspiration that led you to found the magazine in 2020?

I started Mystery and Suspense Magazine the summer of 2020 on a whim, more or less. I’d been active in the thriller community, especially around ThrillerFest (which is a great conference for readers and writers, by the way) and I wanted to get more involved. The magazine started off as a website, and grew from there, and now it includes original fiction, interviews, book reviews, feature articles, and more.

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