Phillip W. Price
Phillip W. Price began his law enforcement career with the City of Canton, Georgia, Police Department in late 1974 at the age of 19. On January 1, 1976 Price was hired as a Radio Operator for the Georgia State Patrol assigned to the Headquarters Communications Center. On January 8, 1978 Price transferred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as a Special Agent. Price retired as a Special Agent in Charge (SAC) in 2006.
After a stint as a traveling consultant, conducting training on methamphetamine manufacture, in May of 2010 Price was hired as the task force commander for the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad (CMANS). Price re-retired on December 17, 2021.
In 2021, Price completed his first novel, MOUNTAIN JUSTICE. The setting for the story is the North Georgia Mountains and follows a young GBI agent, Daniel Byrd, who uncovers corruption and murder in the otherwise idyllic setting.
He followed the first novel with A LITTLE BIT KIN, the tale of a methamphetamine cook who gets in over his head. The drug disruption scheme spirals out of control and GBI agent Byrd is left to pick up the pieces. Much of the novel revolves around the world of methamphetamine abuse and the lifestyle that goes with it.
Price’s latest novel, SELF RESCUE, follows Byrd around Georgia as he chases a CIA contract officer who dabbles in methamphetamine smuggling from the Mexican border. Soon Byrd ends up on the Texas/Mexican border in a fight for his life.
Each one of Price’s novel are based on real events and experiences from his professional career.
Price has an Associate in Arts Degree from Reinhardt University, a Bachelor of Science Degree from North Georgia University, and a Masters in Public Administration from Columbus State University.
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
I enjoy thrillers, particularly movies whose themes are self-sacrifice, honor, and patriotism. 13 Hours in Benghazi comes to mind. I also enjoyed Taylor Sheridan's old west/new west trilogy--Sicarios, Hell or High Water and Wind River. I happen to love James Bond movies, and was an avid reader of the books, but they don't really influence my writing--they're more like a desert I didn't need but it sure was good.
What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?
The question I get a lot is are my novels true stories--they are not but are based on things I really did. My first novel, MOUNTAIN JUSTICE is based on a corruption case I investigated in 1983. But some of the characters come from other cases in other locations. The second novel, A LITTLE BIT KIN is based on a murder I worked in 1989, but the victims weren't meth cooks. I taught cops how to make meth before I retired (you had to learn to be certified to investigate meth labs). My third novel' SELF RESCUE is the most autobiographical, but again everything in the story isn't based on my personal experience. I was involved in a variety to smuggling cases, both marine and aircraft, in 1979 to 1983. Anyone who worked at the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) in that time frame will be able to recognize some characters. My latest novel, ASPHALT BLUES is based on another smuggling case from 2002.
I enjoy writers like CJ Box, Craig Johnson (Longmire), Lee Child (Jack Reacher) and others in the fiction genre. I like them because they are readable, they don't spend pages talking about the history of Wyoming or the specific homes and feeding habits of the native birds, but they add enough detail to make a story something I can become immersed in. I also enjoy reading history, something I try to do during the actual time I'm writing a novel, but can't stand when the author gets bogged down in minute details. I have several 500+ page works of non-fiction with bookmarks in them. But that's just me!
What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?
I spent over forty years writing. That was reports I wrote in narrative fashion (the GBI didn't do investigative reports in form format). The latter part of my career, I had to proofread the writing of the agents under me. But the writing involved was workman like, without opinions or editorialization. As an author, I see myself as a storyteller. I can explain the feelings a character has when they walk into a room with a dead body. I have experiences that help me describe the visual and aural sensations, but as an author I can delve into the personal impact, the emotional costs of dealing with victim's families, etc. To me, the story telling is cathartic and gives me a chance to bring a reader into the real world of law enforcement.
What brings you great joy?
I love to read a good mystery/thriller. I also enjoy non-fiction as it gives me a chance to learn about the world--particularly the era in which I grew up. But my greatest joy is being around my grandchildren. They range from 7yoa to 2. They express themselves without filters and I love that openness.
Favorite non-reading activity?
I love adventure. I enjoy shooting, driving fast, traveling to places I haven't been and meeting new people. My wife and I have been trying to travel more since I retired from active law enforcement.
