The Author Trap
Where we make our authors squeal for your pleasure
What scenes did you enjoy writing the most?
I enjoyed writing “Hear” I Am!! to exemplify that no matter what the situation you can make changes in your thinking to achieve your goal.
Did this project take a lot of research?
This book took seven years to write for me to write as I was teaching Psychology in a college and an administrator. I also tutor in Special Needs, Psychology, American Sign Language, English as a second language and basic skills in Monmouth/Ocean county NJ. I have hearing loss and vertigo and many other disabilities. I graduated from New York University with my Master’s degree in Education and Deafness Rehabilitation and had to examine and find acceptance of my declining hearing loss and other health challenges and I struggled to finish my Master’s degree. Throughout my life, I have learned to accept challenges to help develop a strong sense of inner self! My thesis in graduate school was that people with disabilities can attend school/work with adaptive devices. I demonstrated how to advocate for your needs and your child for the disability. Note this book is for people with and without disabilities.
How do you promote your work?
I promoted my work with her Facebook account heariam_jennifer or AOL [email protected], Linked In, or Twitter. I also have a website www.heariamjennifer.com. I have blogs, have a marketing plan, had interviews online, radio shows, and am very involved in the community as well as helping people with all walks of life. I have Meet and Greets on FB and Twitter, Author Talks on Motivation and Disability Awareness to address the public. I also has the return ability of the books from the publisher, putting books online, bookstores, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Good Reads…I also interact with my fans/ readers on a daily basis and was surprised by how many people bonded together to help one another through good and hard times!
Why do you write in this genre?
I enjoy writing in this genre to help other people to meet or change their goals. I feel inner satisfaction to see her fans change in many ways such as: finishing college, getting married, finding employment, overcoming their illnesses or enduring it with a more positive attitude as well as divorce or death. I also feel that this helps to interact with my fans to stay on track with my own personal goals and challenges.
Have you been a writer all your life?
Yes, I have been a writer all my life. I feel that writing is very therapeutic. Free association is another form of relieving stress by writing all things down to get the ideas and feelings to make a game plan. You can make short phrases or pick one word to focus on to solve your dilemma or to project how to handle something new in a better way. I also examine my life as well by writing goals and ways of interacting with others.
Do you have a blog?
Yes. Here is an example from my blog.
I am amazed by the reactions from my fans for “Hear” I Am!! They have really felt inspired to make major changes in their lives. I used introspective questioning to help people feel that they can change jobs, get through an illness, death or divorce or positive things such as getting married, graduating from college etc.
In turn/ I felt very supported by my fans when my husband was recently diagnosed with cancer and how he is a very strong person and conquered the cancer! I feel blessed that I am able to reach out to people with and without disabilities to have self-growth! Also, our pets can bring a sense of humor and special touch in our lives as well. My Sheltie, Lightening and I, love to work on agility which helps my balance from the vertigo. He loves to give hugs and kisses to everyone he meets. He will bark and alter me if someone is at the door or to help me hear sounds that I have missed. He taught my friend who has cancer that dogs can give hugs to cheer people up as well! I also give thanks to my family and friends who are very supportive of my problems and goals! It is, so crucial to allow one to give and receive from others!
I enjoyed writing “Hear” I Am!! to exemplify that no matter what the situation you can make changes in your thinking to achieve your goal.
Did this project take a lot of research?
This book took seven years to write for me to write as I was teaching Psychology in a college and an administrator. I also tutor in Special Needs, Psychology, American Sign Language, English as a second language and basic skills in Monmouth/Ocean county NJ. I have hearing loss and vertigo and many other disabilities. I graduated from New York University with my Master’s degree in Education and Deafness Rehabilitation and had to examine and find acceptance of my declining hearing loss and other health challenges and I struggled to finish my Master’s degree. Throughout my life, I have learned to accept challenges to help develop a strong sense of inner self! My thesis in graduate school was that people with disabilities can attend school/work with adaptive devices. I demonstrated how to advocate for your needs and your child for the disability. Note this book is for people with and without disabilities.
How do you promote your work?
I promoted my work with her Facebook account heariam_jennifer or AOL [email protected], Linked In, or Twitter. I also have a website www.heariamjennifer.com. I have blogs, have a marketing plan, had interviews online, radio shows, and am very involved in the community as well as helping people with all walks of life. I have Meet and Greets on FB and Twitter, Author Talks on Motivation and Disability Awareness to address the public. I also has the return ability of the books from the publisher, putting books online, bookstores, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Good Reads…I also interact with my fans/ readers on a daily basis and was surprised by how many people bonded together to help one another through good and hard times!
Why do you write in this genre?
I enjoy writing in this genre to help other people to meet or change their goals. I feel inner satisfaction to see her fans change in many ways such as: finishing college, getting married, finding employment, overcoming their illnesses or enduring it with a more positive attitude as well as divorce or death. I also feel that this helps to interact with my fans to stay on track with my own personal goals and challenges.
Have you been a writer all your life?
Yes, I have been a writer all my life. I feel that writing is very therapeutic. Free association is another form of relieving stress by writing all things down to get the ideas and feelings to make a game plan. You can make short phrases or pick one word to focus on to solve your dilemma or to project how to handle something new in a better way. I also examine my life as well by writing goals and ways of interacting with others.
Do you have a blog?
Yes. Here is an example from my blog.
I am amazed by the reactions from my fans for “Hear” I Am!! They have really felt inspired to make major changes in their lives. I used introspective questioning to help people feel that they can change jobs, get through an illness, death or divorce or positive things such as getting married, graduating from college etc.
In turn/ I felt very supported by my fans when my husband was recently diagnosed with cancer and how he is a very strong person and conquered the cancer! I feel blessed that I am able to reach out to people with and without disabilities to have self-growth! Also, our pets can bring a sense of humor and special touch in our lives as well. My Sheltie, Lightening and I, love to work on agility which helps my balance from the vertigo. He loves to give hugs and kisses to everyone he meets. He will bark and alter me if someone is at the door or to help me hear sounds that I have missed. He taught my friend who has cancer that dogs can give hugs to cheer people up as well! I also give thanks to my family and friends who are very supportive of my problems and goals! It is, so crucial to allow one to give and receive from others!
Joe P. Attanasio was born and raised in Western New York, where he currently lives. He spent thirty-five years of his life in Northern California as well. He did not start writing until the age of sixty-two and has three self-published novels and a book of poems containing over 100 pieces. His novels from first to last are ‘A Butcher’s tale’, ‘Treasure Trove’, and ‘Sarah’. His collection of poems is broad in nature and deal with life, love, sex, nature, social issues and many more topics. His poetry has been written from both male and female points of view.
“A Butcher’s Tale” is historical fiction and takes place in fourteenth century England from the years 1300-1306.
“Treasure Trove” is a modern day adventure where a descendant of Captain William Kidd hunts the treasure he hid in the late seventeenth century. News leaks out and he finds he is not the only one interested in finding it and the other party is ruthless.
“Sarah” is a historical fiction based on the life of a real lady that lived from 1666-1744 and married four wealthy men in colonial New York City. One of those men was Captain William Kidd.
The Author Trap is proud to present an interview with an author who loves literature and is not afraid to explore any genre. Join us as we find out how this New York native goes about determining which area of fiction he will venture into next. |
Q: How long did it take you to write with these books and did they require a lot of research?
A: A Butcher’s Tale and Sarah both took about three thousand hours to write with a lot of that time dedicated to research. That equates to about fifty weeks of sixty hours each divided between research and writing. Thankfully, I am retired or I would never have that kind of time to spend. Historical novels demand attention to detail and fact. Treasure Trove also required research, but not as much and was written in about two thousand hours.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: With my first novel A Butcher’s Tale I did not use an outline. I started the novel as a short story that was going to highlight the Mystery Plays from the early fourteenth century in England. When I started writing the short story my mind was plagued with the idea that this could be much more. I had passion and desire but lacked the education and experience to try a novel. I literally thought to myself, “I will write it anyway, someone might read it and besides it will be fun and interesting to try.” I let the characters drive the direction of the story based on historical facts and the flavor of the high middle ages.
I was told by a respected and many times published college English professor that, “Joe, you have the gift of storytelling; don’t worry about editing and polish anyone can do that for you. Your gift is something that you can’t put a price on.” Those words encouraged me to continue writing.
On my second novel “Treasure Trove” I had a rough outline. When I say rough it pretty much entailed the beginning and the ending with about four sentences of cue words in the middle to remind me of the first thoughts that flooded my mind.
My book “Sarah” was inspired by my research into my second novel. I discovered this lady Sarah when researching Captain Kidd and was fascinated by her. I knew right away that when I finished my second book I would like to write her story. This book closely follows the politics and history of colonial New York City so in effect I had a outline. I needed to create a fictionalized story using the known facts about her to bring this book to life.
I can only write one book at a time. I devote my full attention to it until is it complete. When I am not writing the story, I am thinking about it.
Q: What do you do when you're not writing?
A: I like to read as I imagine most writers do. I also play chess at the senior center and I enjoy online role playing games of the dungeon and dragons type. I only watch about two hours a day of television as my other endeavors keep me quite busy.
Q: What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution?
A: I love to feel a book in my hands, turn the pages and carry it wherever I go. It bothers me to read on a screen, I find it tires me quickly. However, eBooks have opened the world to people both readers and authors. The ease of publishing has flooded the market with writing from fiction to self-help and everything between. I believe that even average writing is worthwhile reading if the content delivers. With over a half a million English language books expected this year, there is plenty of “good stuff” for everyone, they just need to look.
Q: What's up next for you?
A: I love historical fiction but I crave to experience new things all the time. I need to try all genres, fantasy, mystery, romance, science fiction, perhaps even soft core erotica. I am only sixty six, I could have another twenty books in me, I want to see what all the genres are like. I am currently writing a fantasy novel about a nomad that unites two races against an aggressor. I am about forty percent complete on the first draft and am posting serially on Booksie and Wattpad as I go. I will remove the story when the draft is complete and then do the rewrites and polish. I don’t expect the novel to be completed until late summer or fall of 2015. After that I have in mind to write a romance.
Q: How do you promote your work?
A: Whew, I am glad you did not ask, “How should I promote my work.” I am a poor example of how I should promote my work.
I tell my friends and family that I have completed another book and even offer to get them printed copies at my cost. I spread the word through Facebook and websites like Thebooktrap.weebly.com. On Facebook I post in groups that list and promote books and I use Amazon’s deals like “free days” to give away copies hoping for a few reviews and sharing to spread the word. I started a blog to help draw attention to me as a writer and showcase my books at http://joepattanasio.blogspot.com/
Q: Is there an author you'd love to be compared to?
A: There are many authors I respect for various reasons. I cannot imagine being compared to any of them but I would love it to death. Ken Follett was my first inspiration with his book “Pillars of the Earth”, I read it when I was 61 for the first time. Twelve hundred pages I thought I could never finish but he grabbed me and pulled me along. It was hopeless to resist after the first few hundred pages. I love how Steve Berry mixes mystery, history and adventure in most of his stories. I love to read stories that not only entertain but educate. A number of current indie writers have a style and expertise that I would love to have. I would love to promote them but I don’t want to single anyone out. Sufficient to say they are among the authors on my friends list in Facebook.
Q: Tell me an odd or funny story about your writing process.
A: I prefer to write at my computer desk but sometimes I write a part of a chapter out longhand and then type it in. When I am composing a story scene I try to imagine it just before I write it. My wife will pass by the office door in our home and see me with my eyes closed contorting my body as I act out the scenes beforehand. I hear her chuckle softly to herself in the background and I know she saw me doing it yet again.
My wife is my first sounding board on my draft and has shaped my work with her insights on a number of occasions. She thinks many of the leading women in my stories have loose morals. Heaven help me when I write a romance or erotica novel.
A: A Butcher’s Tale and Sarah both took about three thousand hours to write with a lot of that time dedicated to research. That equates to about fifty weeks of sixty hours each divided between research and writing. Thankfully, I am retired or I would never have that kind of time to spend. Historical novels demand attention to detail and fact. Treasure Trove also required research, but not as much and was written in about two thousand hours.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: With my first novel A Butcher’s Tale I did not use an outline. I started the novel as a short story that was going to highlight the Mystery Plays from the early fourteenth century in England. When I started writing the short story my mind was plagued with the idea that this could be much more. I had passion and desire but lacked the education and experience to try a novel. I literally thought to myself, “I will write it anyway, someone might read it and besides it will be fun and interesting to try.” I let the characters drive the direction of the story based on historical facts and the flavor of the high middle ages.
I was told by a respected and many times published college English professor that, “Joe, you have the gift of storytelling; don’t worry about editing and polish anyone can do that for you. Your gift is something that you can’t put a price on.” Those words encouraged me to continue writing.
On my second novel “Treasure Trove” I had a rough outline. When I say rough it pretty much entailed the beginning and the ending with about four sentences of cue words in the middle to remind me of the first thoughts that flooded my mind.
My book “Sarah” was inspired by my research into my second novel. I discovered this lady Sarah when researching Captain Kidd and was fascinated by her. I knew right away that when I finished my second book I would like to write her story. This book closely follows the politics and history of colonial New York City so in effect I had a outline. I needed to create a fictionalized story using the known facts about her to bring this book to life.
I can only write one book at a time. I devote my full attention to it until is it complete. When I am not writing the story, I am thinking about it.
Q: What do you do when you're not writing?
A: I like to read as I imagine most writers do. I also play chess at the senior center and I enjoy online role playing games of the dungeon and dragons type. I only watch about two hours a day of television as my other endeavors keep me quite busy.
Q: What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution?
A: I love to feel a book in my hands, turn the pages and carry it wherever I go. It bothers me to read on a screen, I find it tires me quickly. However, eBooks have opened the world to people both readers and authors. The ease of publishing has flooded the market with writing from fiction to self-help and everything between. I believe that even average writing is worthwhile reading if the content delivers. With over a half a million English language books expected this year, there is plenty of “good stuff” for everyone, they just need to look.
Q: What's up next for you?
A: I love historical fiction but I crave to experience new things all the time. I need to try all genres, fantasy, mystery, romance, science fiction, perhaps even soft core erotica. I am only sixty six, I could have another twenty books in me, I want to see what all the genres are like. I am currently writing a fantasy novel about a nomad that unites two races against an aggressor. I am about forty percent complete on the first draft and am posting serially on Booksie and Wattpad as I go. I will remove the story when the draft is complete and then do the rewrites and polish. I don’t expect the novel to be completed until late summer or fall of 2015. After that I have in mind to write a romance.
Q: How do you promote your work?
A: Whew, I am glad you did not ask, “How should I promote my work.” I am a poor example of how I should promote my work.
I tell my friends and family that I have completed another book and even offer to get them printed copies at my cost. I spread the word through Facebook and websites like Thebooktrap.weebly.com. On Facebook I post in groups that list and promote books and I use Amazon’s deals like “free days” to give away copies hoping for a few reviews and sharing to spread the word. I started a blog to help draw attention to me as a writer and showcase my books at http://joepattanasio.blogspot.com/
Q: Is there an author you'd love to be compared to?
A: There are many authors I respect for various reasons. I cannot imagine being compared to any of them but I would love it to death. Ken Follett was my first inspiration with his book “Pillars of the Earth”, I read it when I was 61 for the first time. Twelve hundred pages I thought I could never finish but he grabbed me and pulled me along. It was hopeless to resist after the first few hundred pages. I love how Steve Berry mixes mystery, history and adventure in most of his stories. I love to read stories that not only entertain but educate. A number of current indie writers have a style and expertise that I would love to have. I would love to promote them but I don’t want to single anyone out. Sufficient to say they are among the authors on my friends list in Facebook.
Q: Tell me an odd or funny story about your writing process.
A: I prefer to write at my computer desk but sometimes I write a part of a chapter out longhand and then type it in. When I am composing a story scene I try to imagine it just before I write it. My wife will pass by the office door in our home and see me with my eyes closed contorting my body as I act out the scenes beforehand. I hear her chuckle softly to herself in the background and I know she saw me doing it yet again.
My wife is my first sounding board on my draft and has shaped my work with her insights on a number of occasions. She thinks many of the leading women in my stories have loose morals. Heaven help me when I write a romance or erotica novel.
Phil is currently a builder who writes. 'Kill All Men' is his first published novel but the highlight of his career was a patio he laid last year, which you could literally play snooker on. Yes, literally. He’s had many jobs - heavy metal drummer to whale poo collector; yachtsman to graphics lecturer – a public sector job that was the inspiration behind his book. Suddenly finding himself with three children, Phil is now planning a solo circumnavigation of the globe, a trip which he anticipates will take several years. In the meantime, for patios - call Phil for a competitive quote.
We've had a chat with this very funny author to discuss his epic novel, 'Kill All Men'. Join us now as we get inside his slightly twisted mind and find out what makes him tick.
Q: If you could make up your own genre for this book, what would it be?
A: Inverse Buddhism.
Q: Do you have a ritual you follow to write? If so, could you share it with us?
A: Not so much a ritual - more of a mantra. It goes like this: ‘Get off the computer because Daddy needs to write. No, you can’t play bloody Snail Bob, you’ve been on it for over an hour and you’ve spilt milk all over the keyboard, now get off! No, please don’t tell mummy I’ve made you cry, she’ll know I’m writing and will just tell me to mend the gate instead. Ok, ok, you can stay on bloody Snail Bob! Can I borrow your crayons?’
Q: Not all writers get what is referred to as ‘writer’s block’, but we all have times when the words flow and times when it becomes hard work. What inspires you to continue when writing becomes dry?
A: I go for a run over the hill outside the house. It’s very popular with dog walkers, and I always get attacked by a surprising variety of killer dogs. Why they go for me I have no idea, but it scares the b’Jesus out of me every time, leaving me traumatized and out of breath. This injects a lot of adrenaline and oxygen into the brain, which keeps me going for the whole day. I highly recommend it.
Q: Who is your favorite among the characters in the book?
A: It has to be Carl – how could it not? He’s like your politically incorrect, narcissistic mate down the pub who makes everyone laugh for all the wrong reasons. You know you shouldn’t laugh, but you can’t help yourself. You just hope to God nobody’s listening in on the conversation because you’ll probably get barred for life. And that’s no good - a writer needs a good pub.
Q: Is there an author you'd love to be compared to?
A: Chuck Palanhuik. He’s a God amongst men. He’s also American, but it’s not his fault - an accident of birth. I think he’ll be like Kafka or Dickens in that he won’t be fully appreciated until history has time to fully digest our era. I’d clean his toilet without a second’s hesitation. That’s not a euphemism by the way.
Q: How do you promote your work?
A: ‘Buy my F*%$@ book!’ Granted there’s not a lot of return on investment but I’m on a very tight budget.
Q: What's up next for you?
A: My next book is, ‘Kill All Agents and Publishers.' It's non-fiction. I think it’ll be very popular.
I'm an author and reader from Australia. I love creating something from the world around me. My characters are from everywhere and nowhere.I love reading mysteries, thrillers and fantasy but am known to read sci fi or anything else that catches my attention.I uploaded my first mystery/thriller to kindle early this year. It's set in Monterey California. Most of the characters in the book are American but the main character is Australian. The car accidents are from my memory banks as I grew up across from a bad T-intersection. Nearly every weekend vehicles ran off the road, overturned, (no seat belts then) ran over other people who had been flung from the car at impact and occasional fatalities.http://www.amazon.com/The-Deadly-Caress-O-Stefan-ebook/dp/B00I0DI0MYPlease let me know your thoughts if you do buy the book. I love to connect with my readers.Cheers...........
Q: Tell us what we can expect from your book, The Deadly Caress.
A: The Deadly Caress is a fast-paced story set in California. Suspenseful and thrilling, it is holds a mystery that Amanda Blake, a freelance photographer, must unravel.
Amanda tracks down her birth mother, the multi-millionaire, Jean Campbell. Hours after her arrival, Jean is murdered.
Amanda sets out to discover her mother’s killer. Her quest takes to Australia to find the man she thinks holds the answer to the killer’s identity.
While visiting this man, she has to run for her life under a hail of bullets. Someone will stop at nothing until she is dead. If she thought things were bad enough, they are about to get much worse...
Q: What scenes did you enjoy writing the most?
A: I enjoyed writing the scene where Amanda discovers her mother on the floor in the bathroom and the shoot out with the hit men when Amanda and Scott have to escape from Scott's workshop.
Q: Which was the hardest scene to write and why?
A: The rape scene in the prison was one of the hardest scenes to write for me as I've never been inside a prison.
Q: Did this project take a lot of research?
A: The Deadly Caress took a fair amount of research into police procedures and the prison system. I emailed a detective in Monetery who was very helpful. And for what it was like inside the prison system in the US, I did all my research online by reading blogs from prisoners, to online diagrams of layouts inside and articles posted online from newspapers.
Q: Do you take time off when you finish a book or do you get right back at it?
A: I usually take a few weeks off to clear my mind of the last book before I embark on another story.
Q: Plot or characters? Which is more important and why?
A: To me characters are just as important as plot. I love creating something from the world around me. My characters are from everywhere and nowhere.
Q: Is there an author you'd love to be compared to?
A: I have been compared to Sidney Sheldon.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: I start with an outline and then move to writing each chapter as it evolves. I can't work on more than one project at a time as it can get too confusing if characters pop into my head from my next story.
Thom Stark has been a professional writer since 1995. He is best known as a columnist and feature writer for the late, great Boardwatch Magazine. Mr. Stark currently lives in Chillicothe, Ohio, with his wife Judy and their lovable mutts Wally and Watson. He is hard at work on War – Book Two of American Sulla. Please join Thom at his American Sulla home page by clicking on this link: http://www.starkrealities.com/Sulla.html
For your pleasure, Thom Stark answered a few questions about his book, May Day - Book One of American Sulla. He has also given us some insights into his writing process. Please join the Author Trap in welcoming another excellent author to our home page.
Q: How long did it take you to write with this book?
A: The first draft of May Day – Book One of American Sulla took me almost exactly 15 months to write. I spent another two months tightening and polishing, before I turned the manuscript over to my editor, Hilary Lauren, author of the excellent novel Killing Karl. Because she took on the editing task for free, it was about another two months before she was able to complete that task, and the book finally was ready for publication.
I’m currently at work on War – Book Two of American Sulla, and I expect to complete the first draft of it by the beginning of spring, 2015. I hope to finish writing Revolution, which will be Book Three, by the summer of 2016. Altogether, the three volumes of American Sulla will most likely run between 400,000 and half-a-million words, so it’s a pretty big project. I started writing May Day in March, 2012, so, if I can finish the whole novel in a mere four years, I think I’ll have done well.
Q: Did this project take a lot of research?
A: There’s a lot of real-world detail in American Sulla, and it’s critical to me not to violate the reader’s willing suspension of disbelief, so I spend, on average, three hours of research for every hour of actual writing. As an example, the chapter where the captain of the USS Alligator scans the sky from the bridge on top of his submarine’s “sail”, then makes his way down through the boat to the deck, where Lieutenant Young’s Marine recon squad lands in a helicopter, and he reads the five-paragraph order Young carries for him took me approximately three full days of research. I had to track down details on everything from the nightvision lenses he looks through (the actual model number I specify does not yet exist, but it’s right in keeping with that manufacturer’s nomenclature and update schedule) to the architecture of the Virginia class of fast-attack submarines, to the height of the sub’s fully-extended sensor array, to the designation for Marine reconnaissance units, to the structure of military OPORDs. (It turns out that there are usually a great many more than five paragraphs in a typical Operational Order, but the military still refers to them as five-paragraph orders, because they have five standard sections: Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration, and Logistics, and Command and Signal.) All that research went into just over 1,000 words of prose.
And don’t even get me started on the amount of work that went into the two chapters that take place in the Senate Chamber! Simply understanding Rule XXII of the Senate’s Rules and Procedures – which deals with the process for invoking what’s called “cloture” – took me nearly a full day, and I’m a fairly quick study. Then there were details like the layout of the dais, the pattern of the carpeting in the chamber, the design and construction of the gavel … all of which are merely mentioned in passing. It was really demanding, as was the chapter that takes place in the House Chamber, where Esau Piltch commits his unpardonable mistake, because C-SPAN addicts are undoubtedly familiar with every one of those minutiae.
But it was all worth it, if my readers – even those who are experts in the many, many different locales, technologies, customs, and accouterments that appear in the book –simply nod, go “uh-huh,” and just continue reading when a detail within their particular area of expertise comes up in the text. That goal justifies all the work I put into researching May Day, and it’s the reason I’m continuing to put in just as much research while writing War.
In fact, writing War is going to require even more study than did May Day, because of the the conflict with Pakistan. There’s so much I need to learn about everything from 21st century Navy weapons systems to Joint Special Operations Command procedures, to Pakistani military capabilities, to aerial and undersea combat before I can write those chapters convincingly. Frankly, the prospect is a little daunting.
Luckily, I enjoy learning new things, so I actually welcome the challenge.
Q: How did you come up with the character William Orwell Steele?
A: Well, I’ve heard people say for over a decade how differently things would have turned out if Al Gore had been president when the 9/11 attacks occurred. So, since the May Day nuclear attack on Manhattan is several orders of magnitude more devastating than was 9/11, I decided to make my protagonist a liberal Democrat, and let the reader see how Lord Acton’s observation that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” plays out in him.
The title of the novel, American Sulla, is a pretty major clue, by the way.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: I’ve tried writing from an outline, and that doesn’t work for me. I have to know how a novel – or a chapter, for that matter – begins, how it will end, and what, in general terms, will happen in between. It seems to be crucial to my writing process to mentally compose the first line before I can start actually writing a piece. If I have those elements worked out – the opening, the final line, and the major things that need to happen in between, the rest usually just flows.
Flow is really important to me. That’s why I don’t worry about outlines – because my internal sense of whether the narrative is flowing seamlessly or not as I’m writing it insures that the individual pieces will all work together properly. For that same reason, I pretty much have to start from the beginning and write everything in order.
I very occasionally will write a “placeholder” chapter, knowing that I’ll have to circle back and re-write it, so that I can move on to a different chapter that’s urgently demanding I let it out onto the page. That’s rare, but it does happen. In May Day, for instance, the chapter set in the office of the CEO of Lloyd’s of London was one of those. Originally, it was set on the roof of Lloyd’s London headquarters – the well-known “inside-out” building – but I knew while I was writing it that the finished version would be very different from that quick draft. And it is, indeed.
Returning to your earlier question, let me point out that chapter involved hours of research. I scoured the Internet for information about the executive suite of Lloyd’s, and finally located a recruitment video for interns on Lloyd’s own website that featured the CEO talking to the camera. From that, I was able to identify the distinctive shape of the Deutsche Bank building across the street. Then I had to figure out what other landmarks would be visible from that same vantage point. The bit about the picosecond laser pulses creating a black finish on the iridium spheres of his bespoke Newton’s cradle was a case of seredipity, but everything else on that page – including his Baronet Balfour title (that title actually exists, but is currently vacant) was a product of intense, deliberate research.
As for the rest of your question, I’m much too easily distracted to be able to work on more than one piece at a time. That’s also why I need complete solitude and quiet while I write. I don’t listen to music or allow social media to distract me, because I have to focus exclusively on what I’m doing in order to create an end-product that will satisfy me. I write on a laptop, sitting in an easy chair in our living room, generally with no one around except our dogs Wally and Miss Watson. They’re very undemanding companions, content simply to sleep on the pile of bedding we call “doggie island” while I work. I find their quiet presence comforting.
My wife, whom I adore, is very accommodating about my need to focus exclusively on the work. If I’m writing when she gets home from her job, she quietly busies herself in another part of the house until I close the lid on my laptop. I can’t adequately describe just how great it is to have such a simpatico mate, other than to say I dedicated May Day to her. And she deserved it.
Q: Other than your books, what else have you written?
A: I’ve been a songwriter for more than 40 years now, so there’s that. In the 1990’s, I published quite a few episodes of a science fiction serial on my website, but I lost interest in that once I started writing for money. I became a professional (“professional” in the sense that I get paid for it) prosodist by accident, when Susan Breidenback, the then-editor of LAN Times Magazine offered me the opportunity to write a biweekly column about Internet technology and policy issues, back in 1995. So I embarked on a whole career as a computer industry trade journal columnist, feature article writer, interviewer, and reviewer. That ended with the first dotcom implosion. Since then, I’ve written mainstream newspaper and magazine articles, and an academic reference book about Alexander the Great that I couldn’t find a publisher for.
Q: What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution?
A: Ebooks will become the dominant publication medium of the 21st century. That much is clear. Tablet computers were the most-purchased consumer electronics Christmas gifts last year, by a wide margin. Let’s not forget that every smartphone is also, by default, an ebook reader, as well. I expect that ebooks will kill off the paperback book market entirely within the next six or seven years. After all, a tablet of about the same size as a very thin paperback can hold thousands of ebooks – and ereader software allows you to adjust the font size on the fly, so every ebook is also its own large-print edition. Not to mention that you never lose your place in an ebook, because ereaders remember exactly where you left off the last time you opened that book.
Traditional publishers have yet to really come to grips with the digital revolution – and they’re running out of time. They still insist on charging their authors the lion’s share of royalties for a medium with vastly lower production costs than publishing books on dead trees. Their greed is also costing them sales, because they still want to charge a premium for books in digital form, whereas indie authors frequently give their books away (a custom I think is a huge mistake, because people don’t value things that don’t cost them anything), and/or charge significantly lower prices for them than the trads do.
I’m convinced that, if they’re going to survive the transition to digital, the Big Six are going to have to change their business model from the current advance-against-royalties contract foundation to one that offers individual publishing services – editing, formatting, cover production, distribution, and, most importantly, promotion and marketing – on a shared-cost or fee-for-service basis. They have a ton of expertise and credibility in marketing and promoting books, and it would behoove them to make that the centerpiece of their new, digital-publishing paradigm. It’s a sure bet that continuing to insist on a business-as-usual approach will only result in them drowning in the relentless tsunami of self-published ebooks.
Having said that, I’m pretty sure there will continue to be a market for boutique, artisanal publishers for a good while to come. I’m talking here about publishing houses that specialize in collector-grade books – the kind that are printed on acid-free paper, with leather bindings and gilt edges. In fact, once the ebook revolution drives the paperback into extinction, I think that market may well grow, as printed books become status items.
However, as Nobel laureate in physics Nils Bohr famously observed: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” So I could be completely wrong about that.
The Author Trap would like to thank author Thom Stark for his time. Please check out his page here on The Booktrap for more information.
Q: How long did it take you to write with this book?
A: The first draft of May Day – Book One of American Sulla took me almost exactly 15 months to write. I spent another two months tightening and polishing, before I turned the manuscript over to my editor, Hilary Lauren, author of the excellent novel Killing Karl. Because she took on the editing task for free, it was about another two months before she was able to complete that task, and the book finally was ready for publication.
I’m currently at work on War – Book Two of American Sulla, and I expect to complete the first draft of it by the beginning of spring, 2015. I hope to finish writing Revolution, which will be Book Three, by the summer of 2016. Altogether, the three volumes of American Sulla will most likely run between 400,000 and half-a-million words, so it’s a pretty big project. I started writing May Day in March, 2012, so, if I can finish the whole novel in a mere four years, I think I’ll have done well.
Q: Did this project take a lot of research?
A: There’s a lot of real-world detail in American Sulla, and it’s critical to me not to violate the reader’s willing suspension of disbelief, so I spend, on average, three hours of research for every hour of actual writing. As an example, the chapter where the captain of the USS Alligator scans the sky from the bridge on top of his submarine’s “sail”, then makes his way down through the boat to the deck, where Lieutenant Young’s Marine recon squad lands in a helicopter, and he reads the five-paragraph order Young carries for him took me approximately three full days of research. I had to track down details on everything from the nightvision lenses he looks through (the actual model number I specify does not yet exist, but it’s right in keeping with that manufacturer’s nomenclature and update schedule) to the architecture of the Virginia class of fast-attack submarines, to the height of the sub’s fully-extended sensor array, to the designation for Marine reconnaissance units, to the structure of military OPORDs. (It turns out that there are usually a great many more than five paragraphs in a typical Operational Order, but the military still refers to them as five-paragraph orders, because they have five standard sections: Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration, and Logistics, and Command and Signal.) All that research went into just over 1,000 words of prose.
And don’t even get me started on the amount of work that went into the two chapters that take place in the Senate Chamber! Simply understanding Rule XXII of the Senate’s Rules and Procedures – which deals with the process for invoking what’s called “cloture” – took me nearly a full day, and I’m a fairly quick study. Then there were details like the layout of the dais, the pattern of the carpeting in the chamber, the design and construction of the gavel … all of which are merely mentioned in passing. It was really demanding, as was the chapter that takes place in the House Chamber, where Esau Piltch commits his unpardonable mistake, because C-SPAN addicts are undoubtedly familiar with every one of those minutiae.
But it was all worth it, if my readers – even those who are experts in the many, many different locales, technologies, customs, and accouterments that appear in the book –simply nod, go “uh-huh,” and just continue reading when a detail within their particular area of expertise comes up in the text. That goal justifies all the work I put into researching May Day, and it’s the reason I’m continuing to put in just as much research while writing War.
In fact, writing War is going to require even more study than did May Day, because of the the conflict with Pakistan. There’s so much I need to learn about everything from 21st century Navy weapons systems to Joint Special Operations Command procedures, to Pakistani military capabilities, to aerial and undersea combat before I can write those chapters convincingly. Frankly, the prospect is a little daunting.
Luckily, I enjoy learning new things, so I actually welcome the challenge.
Q: How did you come up with the character William Orwell Steele?
A: Well, I’ve heard people say for over a decade how differently things would have turned out if Al Gore had been president when the 9/11 attacks occurred. So, since the May Day nuclear attack on Manhattan is several orders of magnitude more devastating than was 9/11, I decided to make my protagonist a liberal Democrat, and let the reader see how Lord Acton’s observation that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” plays out in him.
The title of the novel, American Sulla, is a pretty major clue, by the way.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: I’ve tried writing from an outline, and that doesn’t work for me. I have to know how a novel – or a chapter, for that matter – begins, how it will end, and what, in general terms, will happen in between. It seems to be crucial to my writing process to mentally compose the first line before I can start actually writing a piece. If I have those elements worked out – the opening, the final line, and the major things that need to happen in between, the rest usually just flows.
Flow is really important to me. That’s why I don’t worry about outlines – because my internal sense of whether the narrative is flowing seamlessly or not as I’m writing it insures that the individual pieces will all work together properly. For that same reason, I pretty much have to start from the beginning and write everything in order.
I very occasionally will write a “placeholder” chapter, knowing that I’ll have to circle back and re-write it, so that I can move on to a different chapter that’s urgently demanding I let it out onto the page. That’s rare, but it does happen. In May Day, for instance, the chapter set in the office of the CEO of Lloyd’s of London was one of those. Originally, it was set on the roof of Lloyd’s London headquarters – the well-known “inside-out” building – but I knew while I was writing it that the finished version would be very different from that quick draft. And it is, indeed.
Returning to your earlier question, let me point out that chapter involved hours of research. I scoured the Internet for information about the executive suite of Lloyd’s, and finally located a recruitment video for interns on Lloyd’s own website that featured the CEO talking to the camera. From that, I was able to identify the distinctive shape of the Deutsche Bank building across the street. Then I had to figure out what other landmarks would be visible from that same vantage point. The bit about the picosecond laser pulses creating a black finish on the iridium spheres of his bespoke Newton’s cradle was a case of seredipity, but everything else on that page – including his Baronet Balfour title (that title actually exists, but is currently vacant) was a product of intense, deliberate research.
As for the rest of your question, I’m much too easily distracted to be able to work on more than one piece at a time. That’s also why I need complete solitude and quiet while I write. I don’t listen to music or allow social media to distract me, because I have to focus exclusively on what I’m doing in order to create an end-product that will satisfy me. I write on a laptop, sitting in an easy chair in our living room, generally with no one around except our dogs Wally and Miss Watson. They’re very undemanding companions, content simply to sleep on the pile of bedding we call “doggie island” while I work. I find their quiet presence comforting.
My wife, whom I adore, is very accommodating about my need to focus exclusively on the work. If I’m writing when she gets home from her job, she quietly busies herself in another part of the house until I close the lid on my laptop. I can’t adequately describe just how great it is to have such a simpatico mate, other than to say I dedicated May Day to her. And she deserved it.
Q: Other than your books, what else have you written?
A: I’ve been a songwriter for more than 40 years now, so there’s that. In the 1990’s, I published quite a few episodes of a science fiction serial on my website, but I lost interest in that once I started writing for money. I became a professional (“professional” in the sense that I get paid for it) prosodist by accident, when Susan Breidenback, the then-editor of LAN Times Magazine offered me the opportunity to write a biweekly column about Internet technology and policy issues, back in 1995. So I embarked on a whole career as a computer industry trade journal columnist, feature article writer, interviewer, and reviewer. That ended with the first dotcom implosion. Since then, I’ve written mainstream newspaper and magazine articles, and an academic reference book about Alexander the Great that I couldn’t find a publisher for.
Q: What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution?
A: Ebooks will become the dominant publication medium of the 21st century. That much is clear. Tablet computers were the most-purchased consumer electronics Christmas gifts last year, by a wide margin. Let’s not forget that every smartphone is also, by default, an ebook reader, as well. I expect that ebooks will kill off the paperback book market entirely within the next six or seven years. After all, a tablet of about the same size as a very thin paperback can hold thousands of ebooks – and ereader software allows you to adjust the font size on the fly, so every ebook is also its own large-print edition. Not to mention that you never lose your place in an ebook, because ereaders remember exactly where you left off the last time you opened that book.
Traditional publishers have yet to really come to grips with the digital revolution – and they’re running out of time. They still insist on charging their authors the lion’s share of royalties for a medium with vastly lower production costs than publishing books on dead trees. Their greed is also costing them sales, because they still want to charge a premium for books in digital form, whereas indie authors frequently give their books away (a custom I think is a huge mistake, because people don’t value things that don’t cost them anything), and/or charge significantly lower prices for them than the trads do.
I’m convinced that, if they’re going to survive the transition to digital, the Big Six are going to have to change their business model from the current advance-against-royalties contract foundation to one that offers individual publishing services – editing, formatting, cover production, distribution, and, most importantly, promotion and marketing – on a shared-cost or fee-for-service basis. They have a ton of expertise and credibility in marketing and promoting books, and it would behoove them to make that the centerpiece of their new, digital-publishing paradigm. It’s a sure bet that continuing to insist on a business-as-usual approach will only result in them drowning in the relentless tsunami of self-published ebooks.
Having said that, I’m pretty sure there will continue to be a market for boutique, artisanal publishers for a good while to come. I’m talking here about publishing houses that specialize in collector-grade books – the kind that are printed on acid-free paper, with leather bindings and gilt edges. In fact, once the ebook revolution drives the paperback into extinction, I think that market may well grow, as printed books become status items.
However, as Nobel laureate in physics Nils Bohr famously observed: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” So I could be completely wrong about that.
The Author Trap would like to thank author Thom Stark for his time. Please check out his page here on The Booktrap for more information.
Keith Dixon is currently staying in France and has written several books in the last ten years. His hard-boiled crime novels featuring P.I. Sam Dyke include Altered Life, The Private Lie and The Hard Swim, with the fourth in the series, The Bleak, currently nearing completion. He’s also produced Actress, a contemporary novel about a young actress in London finding her way in her career. It’s a work of literary fiction that was awarded an Awesome Indie badge by the prestigious site of that name.
The Author Trap posed a few questions to Keith Dixon about his books and his life as a writer. Let's take some time to get to know this exciting author.
Q: What scenes do you enjoy writing the most?
A: I always enjoy writing dialogue between my sardonic hero, Sam Dyke, and guys who try to push him around. There are several scenes fairly early in the book I’m currently writing where Sam comes across people who don’t like what he’s doing and try to dissuade him from doing it. Those scenes of conflict are fun to write and help define the characters of all concerned. I like getting myself into the heads of my bad guys and I enjoy writing from their perspective almost more from Sam’s. They’re a lot less restrained than he is in what they think and how they express themselves, which means I can let rip.
Q: Do your projects take a lot of research?
A: Altered Life was set in and around a geographical area and in a work environment I knew well, so the research wasn't that onerous. The book I'm writing currently, however, is set partly in a scientific community, and I’m doing my best to create the sense of a group of bright people doing advanced research. It's always difficult when you’re writing about characters cleverer than yourself! But the science stuff is interesting to research, and I’m not writing a documentary, so I need only enough science to make it credible without limiting myself to hard facts when I need to diverge from them for the sake of the plot. In my previous life as a consultant I had the opportunity to work in some science-based organisations so I have a feel for the atmosphere and the type of people who work there—though my bunch are lots worse.
Q: How did you come up with the character? (Sam Dyke)
A: After teaching serious American literature for some years, I found that most of my relaxation reading was in the crime and thriller areas, those guilty pleasures. But I also began to see that some of the best writing in that genre was as good as the stuff I’d been teaching. So when I started to think about coming back to writing (I’d started very young, but let it drop in order to earn a living), I was drawn to stories involving crime or thrills in some form. When I was at college in Cheshire I used to see a shop window in Crewe—on the second floor—with a person’s name followed by something like ‘Detective Agency’, and I always thought this was an odd juxtaposition in such a low-key town. So I was looking out of my window at home one day and suddenly wondered what it would be like to be a detective on the mean streets of Cheshire. And I thought it would be fun to write a book in the style of the great American detective writers that I admired, particularly Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole. So Sam Dyke was born (the surname being my mother’s maiden name—a good Yorkshire name.)
Q: Why do you write in this genre?
A: I started writing crime novels because of my love of the best American examples in the genre—Elmore Leonard, Ross Macdonald, Chandler, Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, George Pelecanos, Dennis Lehane. They seemed to be able to explore a number of social and personal issues in a format that wasn’t overly serious, had pace, interesting characters, fascinating locations and great dialogue. After I’d spent 7 years writing the first in the series, I realised that I’d created someone who was quite interesting but could bear more development. I hadn’t intended to write a series but I saw there was mileage in it. In the meantime, I’d been reading more in the genre than I already had before and saw the great potential for writing about great characters and indulging my love of writing dialogue. So apart from a couple of diversions I’ve stayed in the crime genre and will probably stay there now.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: I’ve tried several ways of structuring my writing. When I was young I used to wait till I had a beginning, a middle and an end. I could then write away from the beginning towards the middle, then away from the middle towards the end. I made it up as I went along, largely. But since then I’ve become more and more structured and done a lot of reading about how stories work, and what readers’ expectations are of the narratives they read. So these days I write a very thorough outline based on a structure that gives me plenty of leeway to invent, but hopefully engages the reader because of the narrative journey I’ve taken her through. There’s been so much written about the Hero’s Journey and the shape of story that it seems silly not to pay some attention to it. Especially when you’re working in genre fiction, as I am.
Q: Is there one book or author that has inspired you more than any other?
A: Of course there are several, but I usually come back to The Great Gatsby. I read it when I was 19 or so and the richness and suggestiveness of the prose just knocked me out. There are images in there that I still remember (and have borrowed myself!) – like a building being described as a slice of wedding cake, which captures perfectly the whiteness, the slight ornateness, even something about the proportions of the building. The use of metaphor and simile is something that I like a lot and try to include periodically in my own writing. Also, Tom Buchanan is a great bad guy—he has no idea of the wickedness and implications of his thoughts and deeds.
Q: Do you have a blog? Where can we read it?
A: About two years ago I started writing an occasional blog that built on the reading I was doing. It was intended partly to help me understand what I was reading, and I thought there might be some people who’d enjoy the kind of analysis I wanted to do. I try to understand how crime writers have achieved their effects, using quotations and some quite close analysis. The idea is to appreciate the books (at least those I like), not to peck them to death with critical commentary. It’s at cwconfidential.blogspot.com.
The Author Trap would like to thank author Keith Dixon for his time. Please check out his page here on The Booktrap for more information.
Q: What scenes do you enjoy writing the most?
A: I always enjoy writing dialogue between my sardonic hero, Sam Dyke, and guys who try to push him around. There are several scenes fairly early in the book I’m currently writing where Sam comes across people who don’t like what he’s doing and try to dissuade him from doing it. Those scenes of conflict are fun to write and help define the characters of all concerned. I like getting myself into the heads of my bad guys and I enjoy writing from their perspective almost more from Sam’s. They’re a lot less restrained than he is in what they think and how they express themselves, which means I can let rip.
Q: Do your projects take a lot of research?
A: Altered Life was set in and around a geographical area and in a work environment I knew well, so the research wasn't that onerous. The book I'm writing currently, however, is set partly in a scientific community, and I’m doing my best to create the sense of a group of bright people doing advanced research. It's always difficult when you’re writing about characters cleverer than yourself! But the science stuff is interesting to research, and I’m not writing a documentary, so I need only enough science to make it credible without limiting myself to hard facts when I need to diverge from them for the sake of the plot. In my previous life as a consultant I had the opportunity to work in some science-based organisations so I have a feel for the atmosphere and the type of people who work there—though my bunch are lots worse.
Q: How did you come up with the character? (Sam Dyke)
A: After teaching serious American literature for some years, I found that most of my relaxation reading was in the crime and thriller areas, those guilty pleasures. But I also began to see that some of the best writing in that genre was as good as the stuff I’d been teaching. So when I started to think about coming back to writing (I’d started very young, but let it drop in order to earn a living), I was drawn to stories involving crime or thrills in some form. When I was at college in Cheshire I used to see a shop window in Crewe—on the second floor—with a person’s name followed by something like ‘Detective Agency’, and I always thought this was an odd juxtaposition in such a low-key town. So I was looking out of my window at home one day and suddenly wondered what it would be like to be a detective on the mean streets of Cheshire. And I thought it would be fun to write a book in the style of the great American detective writers that I admired, particularly Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole. So Sam Dyke was born (the surname being my mother’s maiden name—a good Yorkshire name.)
Q: Why do you write in this genre?
A: I started writing crime novels because of my love of the best American examples in the genre—Elmore Leonard, Ross Macdonald, Chandler, Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, George Pelecanos, Dennis Lehane. They seemed to be able to explore a number of social and personal issues in a format that wasn’t overly serious, had pace, interesting characters, fascinating locations and great dialogue. After I’d spent 7 years writing the first in the series, I realised that I’d created someone who was quite interesting but could bear more development. I hadn’t intended to write a series but I saw there was mileage in it. In the meantime, I’d been reading more in the genre than I already had before and saw the great potential for writing about great characters and indulging my love of writing dialogue. So apart from a couple of diversions I’ve stayed in the crime genre and will probably stay there now.
Q: Tell us about your process. Do you start with an outline? Do you start at the beginning and work through till the end? Do you work on more than one project at a time? Do you know how your story will end?
A: I’ve tried several ways of structuring my writing. When I was young I used to wait till I had a beginning, a middle and an end. I could then write away from the beginning towards the middle, then away from the middle towards the end. I made it up as I went along, largely. But since then I’ve become more and more structured and done a lot of reading about how stories work, and what readers’ expectations are of the narratives they read. So these days I write a very thorough outline based on a structure that gives me plenty of leeway to invent, but hopefully engages the reader because of the narrative journey I’ve taken her through. There’s been so much written about the Hero’s Journey and the shape of story that it seems silly not to pay some attention to it. Especially when you’re working in genre fiction, as I am.
Q: Is there one book or author that has inspired you more than any other?
A: Of course there are several, but I usually come back to The Great Gatsby. I read it when I was 19 or so and the richness and suggestiveness of the prose just knocked me out. There are images in there that I still remember (and have borrowed myself!) – like a building being described as a slice of wedding cake, which captures perfectly the whiteness, the slight ornateness, even something about the proportions of the building. The use of metaphor and simile is something that I like a lot and try to include periodically in my own writing. Also, Tom Buchanan is a great bad guy—he has no idea of the wickedness and implications of his thoughts and deeds.
Q: Do you have a blog? Where can we read it?
A: About two years ago I started writing an occasional blog that built on the reading I was doing. It was intended partly to help me understand what I was reading, and I thought there might be some people who’d enjoy the kind of analysis I wanted to do. I try to understand how crime writers have achieved their effects, using quotations and some quite close analysis. The idea is to appreciate the books (at least those I like), not to peck them to death with critical commentary. It’s at cwconfidential.blogspot.com.
The Author Trap would like to thank author Keith Dixon for his time. Please check out his page here on The Booktrap for more information.
Hunter S. Jones is a writer and self-proclaimed Exile on
Peachtree Street. She has lived in Tennessee and Georgia her entire life,
except for one "Lost Summer" spent in Los Angeles. Her first
published stories were for a local underground rock publication in Nashville,
long ago when she was a teenager. Since then, she has published articles on
music, fashion, art, travel and history.
October 2013 saw the launch of a novel collaboration, SEPTEMBER ENDS, contemporary fiction laced with romance, erotic and supernatural elements, bound by poetry. This novel is written with an anonymous English poet. SEPTEMBER ENDS has been labeled an “Indie Sensation” due the critical reception and international recognition the novel has received. The book has been downloaded in every Amazon domain on the planet. It has achieved #1 status on Amazon for World Literature, #1 in British Poetry and #1 in Contemporary Poetry.
The first installment of The Fortune Series, FORTUNE CALLING, released in January 2014, is the story of Dallas Fortune, a musician from Nashville who has been dealt a bad hand by fate, but finds a way. It has been #1 on Amazon in Contemporary Fiction featuring Performing Arts and #1 in Contemporary Short Stories.
She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, too many books and way too many note pads and journals-many unused.
October 2013 saw the launch of a novel collaboration, SEPTEMBER ENDS, contemporary fiction laced with romance, erotic and supernatural elements, bound by poetry. This novel is written with an anonymous English poet. SEPTEMBER ENDS has been labeled an “Indie Sensation” due the critical reception and international recognition the novel has received. The book has been downloaded in every Amazon domain on the planet. It has achieved #1 status on Amazon for World Literature, #1 in British Poetry and #1 in Contemporary Poetry.
The first installment of The Fortune Series, FORTUNE CALLING, released in January 2014, is the story of Dallas Fortune, a musician from Nashville who has been dealt a bad hand by fate, but finds a way. It has been #1 on Amazon in Contemporary Fiction featuring Performing Arts and #1 in Contemporary Short Stories.
She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, too many books and way too many note pads and journals-many unused.
The Author Trap sat down with Hunter S. Jones to discuss her latest work, SEPTEMBER AGAIN, which will be available on April fifteenth.
Q:Tell us what we can expect from your new book, SEPTEMBER AGAIN?
A: According to Cherokee beliefs, opportunity will bless you twice. September Again is the follow up to the hugely popular indie sensation, September Ends. The story is told through poetry and prose, but in a different style than September Ends, the first September Story. In September Again, we find Liz Snow Savage leaving England. She follows her daughter Zelda Savage back to America. The drama ensues as Liz gets a new start in life and Zelda finds her wings after the tragedy of losing The Poet. Set mainly in Chattanooga, Tennessee the rhythm of life's cycles and the ebb and flow of love unravel the mystery of Liz's past. September Again further reveals the intricate web of passion and desire which entangle Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage. Will a chance encounter finally reveal the truth? What act will change the destiny of Liz and Zelda forever? The story of sin, salvation and redemption continues in Book 2 of the September Stories. Magic happens when you least expect it.
Q: What scenes did you enjoy writing the most?
A: My favorite part to write was the last chapter. I knew how the book would end before I knew anything else about the story, so the last chapter was the first one written in SEPTEMBER AGAIN.
Q: Who is your favorite among the characters in the book?
A: All three of the original characters - Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage - remain dear to me. Dr. Marlowe Henry and Zelda Savage have revealed more of themselves in SEPTEMBER AGAIN. They are quite fascinating and I believe the readers will enjoy them.
Q: Will we see Liz Snow return after SEPTEMBER AGAIN?
A: Yes, but I won't tell you exactly how.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about the book?
A: Look for SEPTEMBER AGAIN to be released on Amazon Kindle on Tuesday, April 15th. A special Thank You to everyone who has supported me on this journey of creative writing. Everyone deserves to see a few dreams come true. I thank you all for helping me achieve a few of mine.
Q: If you could make up your own genre for this book, what would it be?
A: I did make up my own genre. Twice. The first time was the novella, Fables of the Reconstruction. It's considered the first eroto-steampunk book. With September Ends and September Again, the anonymous English Poet and I have entwined poetry to make it a part of the prose. The poetry in both books is as important as the prose and as important as the characters.
Q: Why do you write in this genre?
A: The story was given to the English Poet and me. It is a gift from the artistic universe. I love the September Stories and look forward to launching September Again. It is a lovely romance with a true Happily Ever After ending. The world needs more happy endings right now.
The Author trap would like to thank Hunter S. Jones for her time and her candid interview. If you would like to learn more about our featured author, then please visit her Booktrap page before you leave.
Q:Tell us what we can expect from your new book, SEPTEMBER AGAIN?
A: According to Cherokee beliefs, opportunity will bless you twice. September Again is the follow up to the hugely popular indie sensation, September Ends. The story is told through poetry and prose, but in a different style than September Ends, the first September Story. In September Again, we find Liz Snow Savage leaving England. She follows her daughter Zelda Savage back to America. The drama ensues as Liz gets a new start in life and Zelda finds her wings after the tragedy of losing The Poet. Set mainly in Chattanooga, Tennessee the rhythm of life's cycles and the ebb and flow of love unravel the mystery of Liz's past. September Again further reveals the intricate web of passion and desire which entangle Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage. Will a chance encounter finally reveal the truth? What act will change the destiny of Liz and Zelda forever? The story of sin, salvation and redemption continues in Book 2 of the September Stories. Magic happens when you least expect it.
Q: What scenes did you enjoy writing the most?
A: My favorite part to write was the last chapter. I knew how the book would end before I knew anything else about the story, so the last chapter was the first one written in SEPTEMBER AGAIN.
Q: Who is your favorite among the characters in the book?
A: All three of the original characters - Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage - remain dear to me. Dr. Marlowe Henry and Zelda Savage have revealed more of themselves in SEPTEMBER AGAIN. They are quite fascinating and I believe the readers will enjoy them.
Q: Will we see Liz Snow return after SEPTEMBER AGAIN?
A: Yes, but I won't tell you exactly how.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about the book?
A: Look for SEPTEMBER AGAIN to be released on Amazon Kindle on Tuesday, April 15th. A special Thank You to everyone who has supported me on this journey of creative writing. Everyone deserves to see a few dreams come true. I thank you all for helping me achieve a few of mine.
Q: If you could make up your own genre for this book, what would it be?
A: I did make up my own genre. Twice. The first time was the novella, Fables of the Reconstruction. It's considered the first eroto-steampunk book. With September Ends and September Again, the anonymous English Poet and I have entwined poetry to make it a part of the prose. The poetry in both books is as important as the prose and as important as the characters.
Q: Why do you write in this genre?
A: The story was given to the English Poet and me. It is a gift from the artistic universe. I love the September Stories and look forward to launching September Again. It is a lovely romance with a true Happily Ever After ending. The world needs more happy endings right now.
The Author trap would like to thank Hunter S. Jones for her time and her candid interview. If you would like to learn more about our featured author, then please visit her Booktrap page before you leave.
DB Stephens is the facilitator of The Author Trap page. He co-writes a blog with author Margaret Eleanor Leigh called 'Parallel Lives', and his DB Stephens page can be found on this site as well. His two books, Solutions Inc. and Definable Moments, can be purchased as ebooks on Amazon.