Mystery
author Ted Galdi
joins me to chat about his new thriller, An
American Cage.
Bio:
Ted Galdi is the
author of the bestselling novel Elixir, which he published in 2014.
The book is a winner of a Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award
and a Silver Medal in the Readers' Favorite Book
Awards. Ted is a graduate of Duke University and lives in Los Angeles. He
has been featured by ABC and FOX television, iHeartRadio, Examiner,
and many other media outlets. His second novel, An American Cage, is scheduled for release Fall 2017.
Welcome, Ted. Please tell us about your
current release.
An American Cage is a fast-paced thriller about Danny
Marsh, a suburban kid who winds up in jail from a crime he never intended to
commit, and decides to escape. The story follows him and his two breakout
partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they try to cross the Texas border
to freedom in Mexico. An ally isn’t who he seems, and things get worse and
worse for Danny along the way. Soon, his life, and those of his family, are at
stake.
What inspired you to write this book?
The title An American Cage clearly refers to the
idea of prisons, however, on a metaphorical level, it speaks to the American
cultural clash between religion, science, and the individual, which sits at the
heart of the book’s theme. This was the place I started. I wanted to comment on
this, and a suspenseful jailbreak story seemed like an interesting framework
for it. My goal for this book was to weave a classically “exciting” thriller
plotline with a cultural-commentary thread.
Excerpt from An American Cage:
The first
chapter is available to read online on my website: http://www.tedgaldi.com/announcements/teds-new-book-an-american-cage
What exciting story are you working on
next?
I’m on a first
draft of another thriller. It’s still too early in the process to discuss it.
I’d be happy to come back and chat when it’s ready.
When did you first consider yourself a
writer?
I always
wrote stories. From a very young age. They were in crayon and had pictures when
I first started. But they were still stories. If someone writes a story, even a
really brief one they don’t get paid for, they’re considered a writer in my
book (pun absolutely intended).
Do you write full-time? If so, what's
your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find
time to write?
I’m not
really a morning person, so often write at night. I try to do two thousand
words a day. I’m also involved in non-writing businesses, so technically, I’d
be considered a part-time writer. But as long as I can do two thousand words a
day (or close to it), the distinction of part-time versus full-time doesn’t
matter. It’s completed pages that count.
When I’m
starting a book, especially after I get a first draft of an outline done, I
like “sitting on it” for a while, i.e., stepping away from the project and
letting it settle in my head. I do the same thing after I finish a manuscript draft.
This lets you eventually re-approach the story with fresh eyes. During these
periods, since I’m not physically writing, my nights are freer. I get a lot of
reading done with this free time. I love reading, and in my opinion, second to
writing itself, it’s the best activity an author can do to get better.
I don’t accomplish
much at night on the weekends, though. The vast majority of my reading and
writing goes on during the week. I like taking a break on the weekends.
What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
Every time I
finish a draft, I drink a bottle of wine and watch a movie. Always alone.
Nobody else allowed.
As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up?
A
professional baseball player.
Anything additional you want to share
with the readers?
I love
connecting with readers. Hit me up on social media or shoot me an email about
anything you’d like…ted@tedgaldi.com.
Links:
Thanks for being here today! All the
best with your writing.
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