About Bradley Carter

At around age eleven, I was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome. Little did anyone know, it was also accompanied by attention deficit disorder. Back then, ADHD was unheard of and there were no drugs to address it. As a result, my academic performance suffered greatly. Reading was a struggle and homework was difficult to complete. I would often be grounded from television and video games and instructed to read a book instead when my grades were low, despite being a grade-school kid with uncontrollable movements and a short attention span. However, the doctors predicted that I would eventually outgrow Tourette's and my tics did indeed dissipate over time. Now that I'm an adult, Tourette's is no longer a problem and I'm finally able to unleash all the creative ideas that I've had pent up for years.

During my early thirties, I was encouraged by a firefighter to join the department, but they weren't hiring at the time. Instead, he suggested I take an EMT course at a local volunteer department to kickstart my career, since all firefighters needed EMT certification. I followed his advice, immediately fell in love with emergency medicine, and began working on an ambulance, opting to skip the firefighter path entirely and become a paramedic.

In 2018, after ending a toxic on-and-off relationship, I relocated from Evansville, Indiana, to Indianapolis to work full-time for their ambulance service, having already completed my paramedic training. With plenty of free time, I decided to write screenplays as a hobby, not expecting to craft a summer blockbuster, but merely to submit something to screenplay contests and see what kind of outrageous tales I could create.

Based on my personal relationship experience, I wrote my first story titled "Red Flags" and took to social media to inquire if anyone was interested in reading it. To my surprise, my friend and former colleague Jana Bridges reached out to inform me that her husband, Justin, who held a master's degree in English, was eager to read my work.

After reading "Red Flags," Justin suggested that I transform it into a book, despite my lack of prior novel-writing experience. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. To enhance my writing skills and knowledge on various subjects, I accompanied a police officer named Jaime Thorn during a ride-along, where she educated me on her duties while I took notes in my steno pad. Jaime, a journalism graduate and editor, agreed to edit "Red Flags" in exchange for becoming a character in the story, without accepting payment.

In 2019, "Red Flags" was published on Amazon, igniting my passion for storytelling. I then started composing a sequel, "Craze," with the assistance of Justin and Jaime, and have been on a thrilling journey ever since.

On November 26, 2019, at around 5:00 PM, a new best friend unexpectedly entered my life. I recall the precise date because of the surge of excitement I felt, despite already having my next project in mind. At the time, I worked night shifts and slept during the day, so I remember waking up in the evening and envisioning a tall, taciturn man standing in the corner of my room, eager to share a tale with me. As I tossed around ideas, it was almost as if he was silently conveying his thoughts to me.

Initially, I pondered whether this character was a killer, but not necessarily a bad one. He was quiet and did not speak much. Perhaps he was a hitman or a gun for hire. Nonetheless, he exhibited childlike qualities, although he carried a weapon. I contemplated what to call him. I knew the name had something to do with toys, and he seemed to have a particular fondness for plush crocodiles.

Throughout the evening, this new character remained in my thoughts, and I made copious notes in my phone as my fingers raced to keep up. I stopped by a local deli for dinner, and pictured this new character seated across from me, keenly engaged in conversation, and when I returned home, I began working on an outline. The project I originally planned to start next would have to wait.
And thus, on that rainy day, Bodhi Crocodile came to life.

Bodhi's tale stood out from all the others I had written. This led me to adopt a philosophy that there exists a fictional universe that runs parallel to our own, where characters from all walks of life search for a skilled author to bring their stories to life. Despite having already completed five novels at the time, Bodhi's story held a special significance.

I worked through the pandemic shutdown in 2020, during which I even contracted COVID-19 myself, but I persevered with Bodhi's story. It was my first book to garner attention from readers across the country, including strangers, and it has since become an award-winning series.