Interview with author David Kubicek

David Kubicek is here today as a stop along his virtual book tour to talk a bit about his new book A Friend of the Family.

At the end of the tour, David will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to a lucky commentor from the entire tour. Comment below and at his other tour stops for a chance to win.

Bio:

David Kubicek has published several short stories and hundreds of articles. His books include A Friend of the Family, In Human Form, The Moaning Rocks and Other Stories, and the Cliffs Notes for Willa Cather’s My Antonia. He edited two anthologies, The Pelican in the Desert and Other Stories of the Family Farm and October Dreams, A Harvest of Horror (with Jeff Mason). He has owned and operated a publishing company, and his short story “Ball of Fire” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. For nine years he wrote for the Midlands Business Journal, and for two years he was a regular contributor to Grassroots Nebraska. He lives in Lincoln Nebraska with his wife Cheryl, son Sean, two dogs, and a cat.

Welcome, David. Please tell us about your current release.

A Friend of the Family is set in a post-apocalyptic world where doctors are illegal. The accepted caregivers are Healers, who practice such primitive and superstitious methods as bleeding and chanting. One night, a 16-year-old telepathic girl named Gina knocks on the door of a doctor named Hank. She has lost faith in the ability of Healers and demands that Hank cure her father of a debilitating illness. Because of her ability, she knows about the hiding place under the floor where Hank keeps his equipment and medicine. If he doesn’t accompany her, she will turn him in. But if he goes with her, he will certainly go to prison because the girl’s Aunt Rose, who is a Healer charged with treating Gina’s father, will turn him in.

 

What inspired you to write this book?

I had a disillusioning experience with medical care. My dad’s doctor didn’t test him for colon cancer for nine months, despite the fact that he was exhibiting textbook symptoms. Fortunately, when they found it, it hadn’t spread, and they were able to get it all. I also read a few articles and books that weren’t flattering to the medical profession–they told stories of instruments being left inside surgical patients and unsanitary conditions in hospitals. So I wondered what kind of healthcare system a society might have if it didn’t have doctors, and A Friend of the Family was the result. Space and Time magazine published the original story in its Summer 1987 issue. For the current release, I revised the story. I added some things and tweaked some things, including a revised ending. 

What exciting story are you working on next?

A young adult dystopian novel tentatively entitled Empath, which is set in a world about 100 years after a plague has wiped out 90% of the world’s population. The survivors live in walled cities and are terrified of “mutants,” which the normals fear are the manifestations of the plague returning to ravish their world again.

I’m also working on the sequel to my novel In Human Form, which will be the second book in a trilogy. Plus I’ve got a few more short novels in development, the first of which to see print probably will be what I refer to as my “Mars Story,” about an intruder at a Mars observation station whose mission is to destroy the outpost and murder the two-person crew.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I wrote my first story. I was about ten years old. It was an awful piece of writing, but fortunately I didn’t know it at the time, so I continued writing. When I was 18, I decided to start submitting my stories to editors. I considered myself a writer then, too, and immediately fired off a story to The New Yorker. The editor of The New Yorker promptly fired it back. But I continued to write and to learn about writing, and I got better. It’s probably best if you consider yourself a writer from the moment you put the first words of your story on paper. It’s the only way you will have the energy to continue writing until you become good.

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?

Yes, I write full time. The time that I spend actually putting words on paper averages about two hours a night—which is all right because if the story is going well I can put lots of words on paper in two hours. I spend the rest of my working time doing things to move my business forward; that includes everything from managing my e-mail to social networking online, to reading and commenting on blogs, to writing blog posts, to studying how to improve my craft and my business. Because my wife recently had foot surgery, I’m spending more time managing the household, running kids to and from school, and cooking meals, so my work time is fit around these duties in blocks throughout the day. Weekends are usually less hectic, so I put in some writing time then.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Perhaps it is superstition, but—beyond a short, often generic description—I don’t like to talk about the specific details of my stories-in-progress. I believe that talking about an idea will dissipate the energy I need to write it, and I might lose interest in it. My wife is always eager to know about my stories before I write them and as I’m writing them, so this attitude drives her crazy.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to go into space, but I couldn’t wait until I grew up to do it. My dad cut a hole in a 50-gallon barrel so I could climb inside and pretend that it was my rocket. But my parents’ encouragement had its limits. They were rather uncooperative when I asked them to procure enough gunpowder to propel me and my “rocket” to the moon.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I want to emphasize how important it is for writers to do three things:

1. Read a wide range of fiction
2. Have beta readers who will give them honest feedback
3. Write

I’ve learned more about writing from those three things than from all of the “How To” articles and books on the craft. When you read, watch to see how the author does it, be aware of his or her technique. 

Make sure your beta readers understand that you want to know what’s not working with your manuscript so you can fix it, so you can make it better. They don’t have to be writers themselves; as readers they can tell you what they like or don’t like about your story. 

Finally, WRITE. You can learn a lot about technique from reading books, but your craft will develop only with practice. I don’t know how. I think its osmosis; all of the reading you do, all of the critiques that you get, and all of the writing you do filters into your subconscious, and your writing improves.

Great interview, David. Glad to have you stop by.

Readers, remember, at the end of the tour, David will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to a lucky commentor. Comment below and at his other tour stops for a chance to win.

Interview with historical fiction author M.C.V. Egan

Today's guest is M.C.V. Egan, aka Catalina, as she winds down her virtual book tour for The Bridge of Deaths.

M.C.V. is giving away 2 signed print copies of her novel to 2 lucky winners at the end of her tour. Leave a comment here, and at any of her other tour stops - the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!

Bio:
M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Egan, the author of The Bridge of Deaths. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, one of eight children. From a very young age she became obsessed with the story of her maternal grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo, mostly the story of how he died. She only spent her childhood in Mexico. Her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington, D.C.

From the early 1970s, at the age of 12, she moved with her entire family to the United States. She was already fluent in Southern English as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her grandparents. There she won the English award; ironically being the only one who had English as a second language in her class.

In the D.C. suburbs, she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, Maryland in 1977. She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking (The Swedish kind, not the football player kind) Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She returned to the USA where she has been living ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Swedish.

Mrs. Egan has worked for various companies and holds an insurance license for the State of Florida. Not her favorite field, but involves very nice folks and makes money!

Maria Catalina Egan is married and has one son, who together with their five pound Chihuahua makes her feel like a full-time mother. Although she would not call herself an astrologer, she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in astrology. This is one of her many past times when she is not writing or researching.

She celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 2nd 2011 and gave herself self-publishing The Bridge of Deaths as a gift; she never submitted it to anyone prior to this decision and has enjoyed the very positive feedback.

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, M.C.V. Please tell us about your current release.
The Bridge of Deaths is a cross-genre novel with a strong historical angle that is well documented with 200+ footnotes. This gives the curious readers access to any information they would care to explore in a deeper more detailed manner.

The fictional story guides the reader through true events in pre WWII Europe, making the reader, according to one reviewer, feel as if they are part of a small group of interested individuals. Another reviewer called it cozy. I will go out on a limb and claim that any curious reader will enjoy a journey that ties yesterday’s history with today’s world in several ways.

The journey is also somewhat esoteric as the aid of psychics and past-life regressions give the story an unusual aspect, combining history with what an anonymous individual actually experienced while under hypnosis, through five long sessions.

What inspired you to write this book?
A family tie was what inspired me to research and write The Bridge of Deaths. The true events surrounding the passenger crash on August 15th 1939 make up the story of my grandfather’s death. I was inspired by curiosity and the conviction that there is no such thing as “a mystery that will never be solved”.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am working on a short novel with a co-author Jolie DeMarco. It is called 4covert2overt and it is far more paranormal that historical. The fictional characters are embroiled in more conflict and drama and the book is a fun, quick easy read with two very distinct voices.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
At a very young age, it was one of those things you just ‘know’.

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 am a mother and a housewife, so I wish I wrote fulltime! But stories often have to take the backseat to my family and it can be frustrating. This year my son is at home with a virtual school program and it is very time consuming and limiting, I do look forward to the fall when he will have a regular school schedule and I will get back on track with many hours of writing per day.

With TBOD, I had an attitude that history would not change and my child would never be a certain age again, but with the story I am working on now it often feels like an interruption. I sometimes write late at night when the house is calm and quiet.

I do have a very nice life in South Florida, and I do know that eventually my son will find his wings and life of his own and that I will have ample time for writing.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have bulletin boards cover with information for the story I work on, sometimes with images I create myself, sometimes with lists in large letters, I like to surround myself with the story.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I honestly wanted to be everything and then write about it. I remember drawing maps and calling myself a cartographer. I was a nurse and doctor to my dolls. I wanted to travel the world and discover new things. I changed my mind often and wondered if it was possible to be more than one thing. As a writer I can always create what I cannot be, so I guess I did grow-up to be what I wanted to be.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I have had several past life regressions myself, and I included one as Maggie’s surprise regression when she goes under as she is witnessing Bill’s regression. I have personal had physical changes due to past life regressions and I can only imagine that someday I will have more.

I chose to create three very different characters: Bill, the absolute skeptic, and Maggie, the absolute believer. In Catalina, I created the doubter that teeters between wanting to believe in re-incarnation and wanting to believe in the traditional values she was raised with. I did that to give every reader the freedom to believe and identify with what they desire.

My personal experiences have taken me on a journey of faith and belief in unusual and untraditional things, but I also respect tremendously the roots of how I was raised and how for many their religious up-bringing grants them the serenity and the answers to what is profound in their lives.

Thanks, M.C.V.

Reminder: M.C.V. is giving away 2 signed print copies of her novel to 2 lucky winners at the end of her tour. Leave a comment here, and at any of her other tour stops - the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!

Interview with author Caroline Alethia

Today's guest is professional writer Caroline Alethia to share a bit of how her novel Plant Teacher came into being and what it's about.

Bio:
Caroline Alethia is a professional writer whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, on radio and in web outlets. She has worked as a technical writer for the United Nations, a journalist covering European Union business policy in Brussels, and an executive producer of national, Spanish-language educational radio programs. She has edited numerous international publications and has taught business communications at the college level. Her words have reached audiences on six continents. She lived in Bolivia and was a witness to many of the events described in Plant Teacher.

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, Caroline. Please tell us about your current release.
Plant Teacher follows the lives of American expatriates in La Paz during a time period when the country of Bolivia is turning into a dictatorship. The main characters in the book, Martin Banzer and Cheryl Lewis, are recent college graduates who have come to La Paz for opposite reasons. Cheryl wishes to create a new life and a future for herself while Martin, who is of Bolivian ancestry, is trying to come to terms with his past.

I think it is a bit trite for an Anglo writer to attempt magic realism, but I wanted there to be an element of the magical and the native in this story. For this reason, I had Martin experiment with indigenous hallucinogenic plants and initiation ceremonies at the beginning of the narrative, and the aftermath of this experimentation guides much of the rest of the book.

What inspired you to write this book?
Above all, I wanted to entertain. All of the novels that have impacted me the most were ones that I enjoyed reading. After living for almost a year in Bolivia, I felt that I knew a great deal about this country and enough certainly to tell an exciting story.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The theories of Freud’s greatest rival, Alfred Adler, are little understood. In fact, Adlerian psychoanalysis is a tremendously exciting process. It’s like fortune telling, only real. One of the scenes in Plant Teacher demonstrates Adlerian analysis in action, and I am going to write a self-help book that teaches people how to analyze themselves and one another in this way.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I always got top grades in writing in school, so I always considered myself a capable writer. When I was first hired to write for a living – when I worked for the United Nations after graduate school – then I considered myself to be a professional writer.

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 write most of the time. I work in marketing and a large part of my job is finding interesting people and then telling their stories. I’ve connected with people all around the globe in this capacity.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t wear a funny hat and I don’t have a lucky totem. I am, however, quite compulsive about writing. I set aside a couple of months to work on Plant Teacher, and I worked from sunup to sundown until it was complete. After it had been through some rounds of reviews, I worked from sunup to sundown on the editing, and I finished the rewrite in one long stretch.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was always dreaming up public service announcements as a young person: How to save on the water bill; Why girls are equal to boys. I was a bit eccentric. As an adult, I’ve learned that this is a discipline known as “behavioral change communications,” and I happily worked for seven years in this field.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you to all of you who decide to read Plant Teacher. If I entertain you and spark your imaginations, then I have done my job.

Thank you for being here today, Caroline. All the best with your continued writing!

Interview with dark comedy novelist David S. Grant

Today's guest author, who is touring his newest book Blood: The New Red, is dark comedy novelist David S. Grant.

I do want to put an advisory here for readers, certain words make this is PG-17 content, and not for everyone. There's humor, though!

Welcome, David. Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m the author of ten books, including Corporate Porn, Bleach|Blackout, Hollywood Ending, and Rock Stars. My latest novel, Blood: The New Red, is now available. I live and write my weekly rock, travel, and NBA columns from New York City. You can follow me on Twitter @david_s_grant.

Well, okay! Please tell us about your current release.

Blood: The New Red begins at an after party where Mickey, and ex-adult movie star turned supermodel, is aligning himself with one of top Designers of Seventh Avenue.  While trying to land a job on the runway, Mickey is thrown into the center of a scene where sex is often the motivation, the wine is served by year, and cocaine is back in full force. Juanita, Mickey’s girlfriend, is having difficulties staying sober, fully clothed, and off of her famous boyfriend.

Mickey goes to work for Fashion icon Paul Johnson, one of the two top Designers in NYC. The other is Sandy Johnson, another Designer who will stop at nothing including murder to guarantee victory. A runway exhibition has been scheduled for the two to compete in and find out who truly is the best Johnson. Mickey will be Paul’s top model, and Sandy has found a homeless person nicknamed Kung Fu Master to show his line. 

In addition to getting his new line in place, Paul Johnson is also buying chain saws, the louder the better, to put the special in this special event.

Did you know that you can’t be sentenced to prison if actively seeking help at a mental facility?  Paul Johnson knows this.

Somewhere between the girls, counting Vicodin pills, and show preparation Mickey has grown a conscience and no longer likes what he sees. He believes (and his psychiatrist agrees) that he has the power to change what’s happening around him.

Days before the show, Kung Fu Master turns up dead and there is an attempt on Mickey’s life. After a brief period of unconsciousness Mickey is back, is told that Juanita and brother Cheeks are now also dead, and that he must continue with the show. After all, what would Steven Tyler do?

The night of the show is laced with celebrities and models on the runway as well as one particular popular day-time talk show host that may or may not be murdered on the runway.

In the end, only one Johnson will walk away, although this is temporary as Mickey has the last word.

Right before he pops his last Vicodin.

What inspired you to write this book?

The story of BLOOD: The New Red really starts with one of my first books titled Corporate Porn that featured a model, named Mickey, turning to the adult movie industry for work. 

After other writing projects I started thinking about Mickey and what if he was the main character, the narrator, and what if he came back to New York to regain his career as a model? Is this interesting? It was for me. Throw in fashion week, a pair of competitive designers, and Oprah on the runway and I was all in! Given the initial through that went into this tale the story wrote itself, at times I felt more like a ghost writer than I did an author. This also explains the break-neck speed of the book, moving from neighborhood-to-neighborhood and psychiatrist-to-psychiatrist, bridged only by drugs, low morals, and chainsaws!

  

What exciting story are you working on next?

I continue to write rock columns (MetalUnderground.com, SleazeRoxx.com), travel narratives (TravelMag.co.uk), and an NBA column (ProBasketball-fans.com) on a weekly basis. I am also working on another novel titled The Devil Wears Black Leather as well as a couple non-fiction works centered on rock bands and fear and loathing travel.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t know that I to this day consider myself a “writer” per se, but at the same time we live in a time where most of us are “writers” in the sense that we write emails, status updates, website updates, and blogs on a daily basis.  Writing books and my column is my therapy. I consider myself fortunate to have channels to publish my work and get it “out there”, wherever that may be.

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?

Writing for me is a hobby, so no, I do not write full-time. However, I can always find time to write. My process starts with taking notes and putting together an outline in my head, so other than the actual “writing”, I don’t need to be in a particular place.  Whether at home, at an airport, or on a train, really the only consistency to my writing process is always having a notebook with me: you never know when you will have a good idea!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Good question, probably that I will not start writing a story unless I have a plot defined. This is my “out” in case the story doesn’t take me to the unexpected. Of course, I have yet to use the initial plot, instead, let the story go where it needs to, which often changes the original course of my outline. For me, when starting to write a story I’ve already spent months taking notes and developing an outline. Given this commitment, it would be too much anxiety to start a story without my “plot crutch”, it provides motivation in the early chapters. 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

That varied a lot! At a very young age I wanted to be The Incredible Hulk. That didn’t work out. Next, I wanted to be a baseball player, and in hindsight, I probably had a better chance at being The Hulk. Writer was never an occupation, but more something I always enjoyed, even at a very young age. As I grew older and starting reading a lot more, I knew this was something I wanted to do. Over the past ten years I have worked hard to write what I want as well as a develop a unique style that balances humor with dark undertones and (hopefully) entertaining stories.

  

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

THANK YOU for having me. BLOOD: The New Red is a quick read that explores a dark side of New York City and hopefully makes you laugh. You’ve got the fashion industry, an ex-porn star turned model, and Oprah on a runway with chainsaws. I mean, what else do you want?

You're quite welcome. Your writing is different than any I've come across - the mix is different. Glad to add that variety to my blog. Happy writing! 

http://www.virtualbooktourcafe.com/3/category/david%20s%20grant/1.html 

Interview with humorist author and illustrator Steven Novak

Today's guest author interview is with humorist Steven Novak. He's here talking about all sorts of things, but mostly his new book Goats Eat Cans Volume 1.


I need to slap a PG-13 on this interview due to some terms that G readers don't encounter.


Steven has two giveaways on the block to a lucky commentor or Twitter follower. Up for grabs is 1 signed paperback copy of Goats Eat Cans Volume 1 and 1 signed chapter art illustration. So comment below and/or follow him @stvfoolery for a chance to win.


Bio:
Born in Chicago Illinois, Steven Novak has spent the whole of his life creating. After attending The Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus Ohio for four years he moved to California where he married his wife. The pair have been together for nearly a decade. His work can be found online at www.novakillustration.com

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, Steven. Please tell us about your current release.

You know how people like to slow down and look at car accidents? That’s sort of what Goats Eat Cans Volume 1 is. It’s a car accident. It’s my life, and it’s my car accident, and it’s filled with nerd references and Real Housewives hatred.

Nothing is off limits.

You’ll learn about the day I lost my virginity and the day I cracked my skull open. You’ll find out why I was nicknamed “The Mad Bomber” in college, and you’ll read about how I made a fool of myself the day I was married. Heck, I even tell you about the time my anus erupted in a geyser of blood.

That chapter is extra long – because I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

In a weird way the book is actually a public service. Laughing at me will make you feel better about yourself. It’s an ego boost.

What inspired you to write this book?

I can’t honestly say that there was any sort of “inspiration” involved. Years ago I posted a few similar stories online. People liked them a hell of a lot more than I expected them to and, ultimately, putting together a book just made sense. 

Plus I was bored.

When I get bored I do things I probably shouldn’t do - like assembling a three hundred page novel that makes me look like the world’s biggest idiot.

I’m not the world’s biggest idiot.

I’m the world’s second biggest idiot.

What exciting story are you working on next?

At the moment I’m compiling and editing the stories for Goats Eat Cans Volume 2 and writing some stuff for Volume 3. Both editions should be out before the end of the year if all goes according to plan. I also have a children’s picture book I illustrated last year for Featherweight Press that should be hitting stores in a few months, and I’m also working on another humor book titled Fictional Jerks for release in early 2013.

I know that makes it sound like I’m really busy, but I’m actually not.

Most of my time is spent alternating between Angry Birds and Parks and Recreation reruns.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I can’t honestly say that I've ever considered myself a writer. Don’t think I ever will. Don’t get me wrong, I like to think that I’m sort of a funny guy – sometimes – but that’s about it. Writers wear jackets with patches on the elbows. Writers smoke pipes, and are filled with an overwhelming desire to muck around in the deepest recesses of the human soul. I make jokes about Justin Bieber and tell stories about the time my childhood friend poured a jug of urine onto this little brother’s head.

To the best of my knowledge Hemmingway never told a pee jug story.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do not, no. I actually make my living as a graphic designer and illustrator. I've done everything from product design to children’s illustration, and web graphics, and I even produce a mostly weekly webcomic. I’ve also recently started creating e-book covers for self-published authors. Which has been a lot of fun. Luckily I work out of my home (jealous?) and I’m always at my computer, so finding the time to get a little writing in isn’t all that difficult.

The fact that I’m an emotionally distant husband helps a lot too.

Okay, that emotionally distant thing isn’t actually true.

It was funny though.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, lord. How long do you have? Does the fact that I can only write while dressed as the Artful Dodger count?

It’s really more of a comfort thing.

Seriously though, I don’t know. Maybe I don’t have one. I have more “quirks” than J-Lo has booty stank but I’m not entirely sure that I have any writing “quirks”.

That's okay, I had to ask, though. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An artist. Long before I could formulate words my useless baby-hands were trying to scribble stuff. In fact, to this very day my mother loves to tell the story about the time I pulled off my diaper, grabbed a handful of my poop, and proceeded to use it to draw on the walls.

Art was the only thing I wanted to do and it was the only thing I was ever any good at. I didn’t really have any other options.

Seriously, I suck at everything else.

I've never even changed a tire.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Only that if you buy my book I’ll be your best friend. That’s a pretty good deal, right? A good book and a good pal? Come on, that’s totally worth the $1.99 price on the Kindle. Granted, I’m not exactly the greatest friend in the world, but one friend is better than no friends.

You’re lonely.

I know you are.

It’s okay.

Your lonely days can be a thing of the past with a single purchase.

We’ll hang out together. We’ll go the mall and do some shopping. We’ll try on clothes and screw with the security guards. Then we’ll head back to your place, order a pizza, and chuckle at your favorite sitcom. We’ll even stay up late talking about what bastards men are (if you have lady parts) or how women just don’t make any sense (if you have a penis).

It’ll be awesome.

We’ll be the best for at least three days – maybe four.

After that, I’m going to start screening your calls and I’ll be too busy “doing my laundry” to get together on the weekend. When you text me I won’t text back. When you ask where I’ve been I’ll tell you I lost my cell phone. I might also say nasty things about you behind your back.

What do you expect for $1.99?

Fun stuff, Steven. Ever consider stand up? Not that you have time for it now or anything...

Interview with young adult novelist Peter A. Brandt

Today's guest author is young adult novelist Peter A. Brandt. This is just one of several tour stops for his new book Maple Express.           

Peter has several gifts to giveaway to a lucky commentor at the end of his tour. Details are at the end of the interview. Comment here and at his other stops to increase your chances of winning!

Bio:

It only takes a few minutes of thought before Peter Brandt can devise a scenario that would make a fantastic story, and minutes after that before it begins to fill itself in.

“I have been able to think up stories all my life but it’s only been in the last seven years that I realized I was abusing my creative side by not writing them down.”

Peter retired from the Air Force and began a new career as a Technical Writer. His writing abilities have allowed him to work in Canada, the United States, and even in the Middle East. However, it's Peter’s love for stories that has brought him into a new realm of writing. His humorous memoir about his life as a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces and the tragic memoir about his father’s life in a Prisoner-of-War camp at the age of 14 allowed him to refine his writing before he began to venture in writing Young Adult fiction.

“I have a very unique way of creating my stories. It begins with a craving, like a smoker who just recently quit cigarettes but still feels an overwhelming craving for a smoke. When that comes, I can’t shake it until I sit down and begin to let my mind wander. Many times I start my quest for a new story by wondering - What If. Soon after I begin to write and can usually get the first draft completed within a few weeks.

Maple Express began as a “what if” question that involved a common held belief of the medical community and I’d share it with you but it would give away the storyline.”

Peter has taken formal lessons in acting,

"I've enjoyed some success as an actor in television and film before my day job as a Lead Technical Writer required me to move out of the country I always write my stories as I see them on the movie screen, which is why writing screenplays are also something I do with ease. I have written a couple of screenplays and shot them as short films with a producer / director friend of mine.

I can honestly say I have landed in the perfect job for me. I love to write...doesn’t really matter what I write, creatively or technically, writing is a pleasurable experience. It has allowed me to travel and for that I am grateful.”

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, Peter. Please tell us about your current release.

Maple Express is the story of Sara Maple, a teenage girl born into a wealthy family. Sara has never had to be accountable for her actions before and it is about catch up to her. Sara decides to skip class and before she knows what is happening she wakes up on a train surrounded by four people who have no idea where the train is heading and do not appear to be interested in finding out. Sara has to convince the others to join her on a quest to get to the front of the train and get off this ride.

What inspired you to write this book?

It began when I listened to a medical professional talk about a widely held belief in the medical community and my first thought was…"what if they are wrong. What if it was not like that at all?" That "what if" is the basis to this story, so I can't really tell you without giving the story away.

The first half of Maple Express came quickly and I knew how it would end. Unfortunately, I couldn't decide how to progress from beginning to end so I shelved the story for well over a year. My old neighbors in Canada kept bugging me to finish the book because they wanted to know how the story ended. Finally, I began to focus on it and one day it dawned on me how the second half of the book should be written.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and to a lesser extent, the Nancy Drew books. With that as a backdrop, I decided to write a Hardy Boy styled book as well. It is titled Holly Alexander and the Mystery of the Courthouse Square. It is ready for release but I am holding off publishing it until the fall of 2012.

As well, I have recently completed writing half of another young adult novel about a young man by the name of Taylor who lives in Los Angeles (I was in LA last September to visit family and travelled through Death Valley…making the whole trip the setting for this new book). Taylor is last seen walking to school in LA but he never arrives. Two months later, he is found by police wandering along the Pacific Coast Highway. He has no recollection of who he is and how he got there. Unfortunately, he begins to have intense dreams about a young girl and realizes he won't find any peace until he figures out who she is and what she wants.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer at around the age of seven or eight. I wrote my first book at that age, and it was about a monkey named "Cheetah" who follows his young owner to school and creates havoc in the classroom.

A friend of my dad's, who was a psychiatrist by the way, read it and really, really, wanted it and being young and foolish - I gave it to him. (This could have been my first book sale if I had of been on the ball LOL!)

I cannot say for sure why he was so fascinated with it. Perhaps he thought I'd be heading into therapy with him soon enough and he could leverage what I wrote ha-ha!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am a full time Lead Technical Writer and so I write professionally every day. It is a different type of writing, but for me the act of my fingers flying across a keyboard feels so good. I realize that I love writing, no matter what type of writing it is.

When I am writing novels, I try to dedicate an hour or so every evening to write and usually one day on the weekend where I will write for ten to twelve hours.

I write fast so I can usually get the first draft done in a month or two. Last year I took a week off work and wrote the entire week. I can usually get about half of the manuscript written in that time.

 

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I do really well writing in a large room with 30 people sitting around me, my headphones on, and listening to music screaming in my head. My favorite album is titled "Grace" and it is the debut album by a musician from Nova Scotia Canada by the name of Cory Tetford. I can listen to that album over and over while I write and never get tired of it.

I learned to write like this from entering five writers' marathons. Writers Marathons are a fundraising event where a number of writers are placed in a room starting at 8:00 PM on a Friday night and by 8:00 PM Monday night, they must have written a complete novel. I absolutely love writing this way. There are no distractions…no phones, emails, screaming kids, grocery shopping to do - nothing. Surrounded by and interacting with writers doing the same thing creates energy in the room that keeps me focused. I actually won an award for the most pages written - 160 pages. My wife comes and vacations and takes care of me as I write…providing me with meals so I don't waste time going out, shoulder rubs when my writing strains my muscles, and spending our money at local shops when I can't leave my desk.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

For a while, I wanted to become a writer and then I totally lost focus. I found myself feeling inadequate as a person so I stopped writing. It has only been in the last seven years that I finally began writing creatively again.

I joined the Army, swung over into the Air Force, but before I left the military, I bought a computer and taught myself how to type. With my technical experience I landed a job as a Technical Writer and since then I have written thousands of technical documents, five novels, two memoirs - my dad's and my own, a couple of screenplays (short film) and have had the pleasure of becoming an actor in film and television.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

The first book I wrote (not the monkey story of my youth) was published through a romance publisher in Florida. After that, I continued to write but couldn't find an agent or publisher, so I started publishing myself through Amazon. I actually felt ashamed for a while and tried to hide the fact that I wasn't a "legitimate author" anymore. I have read that literary agencies get on average between five to six thousand queries every year and are only able to take five to ten new writers. I realized that it would be an insult to say the other 5,990 books queried weren't good enough. It's just a numbers game and it is possible that you just didn't write the kind of book the agents are looking for at that time.

I am no longer ashamed about what I do and I fully embrace that I am an independent author. I write interesting fast-paced books that are geared to Young Adult audiences. My books are sold as eBooks and a couple as paperbacks and I consider myself a pioneer - an entrepreneur who is selling Peter A. Brandt and his young adult stories.

Like any business, my final product is top rate or no one would buy it. I have hired the best editor who ensures my finished product shines, I hired a fantastic book cover artist, and I ensure my website is always current.

I tried to do it by myself for too long and I came to realize I needed to hire people who are excellent at what they do so I can concentrate on what I am excellent at doing.

If we authors looked at our work as an entrepreneur selling a product, like bread or jewelry, then it becomes important that we sell the best product we can, just like the baker and the jeweler does.

With all this experience as an independent author I am writing an eBook titled "From Author to Entrepreneur" that explains how to go about taking great storytelling authors and helping them understand how to become a successful independent author. This book is being written in conjunction with my video blog at Simple Simon Publishing.

As a final thought, I want to thank you, Lisa, for having me here. This has been fun and perhaps I'll stop by again when I release "Holly Alexander" in a few months' time.

I'd love to have you back, Peter. It's always fun to find out what's new with an author who has been here before.

Peter's books are for sale at www.smashwords.com 

Peter has some original prizes he's giving away at the end of his tour. Two winners will win a pint jug of Butternut Mountain Farm Vermont Pure Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark Amber, in honor of the main character of The Maple Express, Sara Maple, from the small town of Mapleton, Vermont. One grand prize winner will win an awesome Bachmann Trains Pegasus Ready-to-Run HO Scale Train Set. 

So, Readers, I encourage you to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning.

Live chat/interview with women's fiction author Grace Wen

The Writer's Chatroom presents women's fiction and romance author Grace Wen.

WHEN?

Sunday, April 1, 2012

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The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

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