AUTHOR INTERVIEW
When did your love of books begin?
I was nine years old when I read my first "grown up" book. It was a Louis L'Amour western my dad had just finished reading. My dad was a singer and nightclub entertainer, and I idolized him when I was a kid, so of course I wanted to be like him -- and if that meant reading books without pictures in them, then so be it. It took me a while to get through the book, as I often had to ask him what certain words meant, but once I was done, I was hooked. From that point on I became a voracious reader. I still am.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
I was twelve years old when I wrote a few short stories and started work on a novel. I have no idea what happened to any of those early excursions into writing, but I'm sure they were awful and it's probably just as well they got lost along the way. However, my writing career would have to wait a few decades before it came to fruition, because I drifted into the music field and had quite a successful career as a singer-songwriter-producer. It wasn't until 2010 that the urge to write returned.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
It's a learning process, for sure. The learning and improving never stops. At least, it hasn't for me. It's hard work as well, but extremely satisfying when you get it right (or hope you have) and you wind up with a finished product. It can be frustrating and heartbreaking too, especially when you know you've written a great book, but can't seem to find the right promotional avenue to get it noticed by potential readers. But I love writing and that's what keeps me going despite all.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
Make sure writing is something you're passionate about, as that will show up in your writing. Read and study the works of writers you admire. Not in order to copy them, but to understand how they hook the reader, how they set scenes, describe places and events and, most importantly I believe, how they make you care about the characters and can bring out emotional responses in the reader. To paraphrase an old saying: "No tears in the author, no tears in the reader." In other words, if your own writing doesn't evoke an emotion within you, it probably won't in the reader, either. Be willing to wear your heart on your sleeve when you write.
Tell us about your book/books:
My first novel, "PRETTY FLAMINGO" was what started me on the road to becoming an author. It was inspired by a counseling session I'd had which succeeded in bringing to light a suppressed memory from long ago that had been affecting me negatively for most of my life. I was intrigued by this and decided to write a book based loosely on that experience. At the time, I thought it would be my one and only novel.
The premise is as follows:
In the deep of the night, while DAVID PERRY sleeps, something awakens and emerges from his subconscious; and thus begins an emotional journey to a part of his past he never knew existed. A past that has been buried deep within the hidden recesses of his mind for thirty-five years.When fragments of long-lost memories start mysteriously coming into conscious recall, David's curiosity is aroused and he feels driven to uncover them all. In doing so, he eventually comes face-to-face with the horrifying truth that lies at the root of his forgotten past. And, within that truth, he discovers a solemn promise. A promise that, if he has the courage to keep it, will change his life forever.
Part psychological mystery, part love story, "PRETTY FLAMINGO" will intrigue and involve you with its unforgettable characters and will, as one reviewer put it, "break your heart and put it back together again".
However, not long after I completed "PRETTY FLAMINGO" (even before it was published, in fact) the idea for my second novel, "SAVANNAH" came to me. It tells the story of a musician who is haunted by a recurring nightmare from his childhood, and the devastating effect it has on his life, bringing him almost to the point of complete ruin until . . . well, I won't give away the ending.
Here is the back cover blurb:
Something happened to MICHAEL EASTON when he was a child.Something so terrifying it became a recurring nightmare.
A nightmare that holds within it the seeds of his own destruction.
A nightmare he thought he’d left far behind him.
But it was waiting. Buried deep in his subconscious.
Waiting to emerge when the time was right, and compel him to destroy everything he cares about.
Will one, selfless act, offer him the redemption he is seeking, and give him his life back?
My third novel, "THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT" literally came to me in a dream. I woke up in the middle of the night with the whole plot fully formed, so I immediately turned my computer on and wrote a detailed summary, not trusting myself to remember it the next morning.
The premise of the story is:
You are given the power to return to the past and re-experience any three 24-hour periods of your life.You can simply re-experience the moments that gave you the most pleasure.
Or you can change the outcome of those things you most regret.
Where would you go? What would you change?
A mysterious man in a white suit has just given CARL BECKER that opportunity.
Where will he go? What will he change?
And what does The Man in the White Suit want in return?
My fourth novel, "ETERNITY" is the sequel to "PRETTY FLAMINGO. While "PRETTY FLAMINGO" is a complete novel in itself, and can be read as such, there seemed to be interest in continuing the main character's story, so I went ahead and wrote a follow up to the first book.
The basic premise is:
Do you think it’s possible that people have lived before?In the captivating love-story, PRETTY FLAMINGO, those words sent DAVID PERRY on a journey to a part of his past he never knew existed—where he eventually came face-to-face with horrifying events buried deep within his subconscious.
Now, in ETERNITY, that earlier discovery provides the impetus that will send him on another journey—to a time and place he could not possibly have imagined.
My fifth, and most recent novel is "SERIAL KILLER." It's a bit of departure for me, as I hadn't written a thriller until this story came knocking at the door of my creative consciousness. If the reviews it has received so far are anything to go by, I've done a good job.
Here's the back cover blurb:
A SERIAL KILLER with an uncontrollable urge.A COP with revenge in his heart.
A PSYCHOTHERAPIST with a secret.
A TROUBLED TEEN who just might hold the key to bringing an elusive killer to justice.
SERIAL KILLER. Can he be stopped before he kills again?
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
The writing community on Twitter tend to be supportive and encouraging of each other rather than looking upon them has competitors or rivals, which I appreciate. There's room for all of us and, if one of us succeeds, it only inspires me to believe that any of us can also succeed. As far as readers go, I'm just glad there are people out there who still love to read in this fast-paced, visual world. God bless each and every one of you.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
Thank you for your support and your positive feedback. I hope I continue to please and entertain you with my stories for many, many years to come.
Where can people connect with you?
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