Author: BRUCE BRADLEY

Author: Bruce Bradley

Author's website address: http://outskirtspress.com/thelastjaguar

Published books by the Author: "Hugh Glass" and "The Last Jaguar"

Books in Process: "Drelliks" (out in 2007) and "The Seeds Of Darkness" (out in 2008) Paranormal Thrillers--both being published by Zumaya Publishing

Welcome Bruce, I enjoyed your last book, The Last Jaguar.

Interview:

1. When and why did you begin writing?
When I was nine years old. We were living in an unfinished house, thirty-five miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. We had no running water, no telephone and no TV reception. Often, the temperature would drop to -65 degrees and stay there for weeks at a stretch. Reading became my only escape and I decided that a writer I would become.

2. What inspired you to write your first book?
The goal of actually finishing a book that I had begun writing. I had started writing several, but had never finished one. I was beginning to worry that I never would, which would have made quite a few decisions I'd made in my life a waste. I didn't expect it to be good enough to sell, and it didn't.

3. How did you approach writing your first book?
I was working swingshift at Inglenook Winery, which left my mornings free to write. I'd just get out of bed and sit down and write, longhand. As long as I managed an hour or two per day I was a happy guy.

4. Who or what influenced your writing?
As a youth, Jack London, Earnest Hemingway, Bram Stoker, as an adult, the early works of Stephen King, Robert B. Parker and Louis L'Amour. I'd read perhaps two dozen Louis L'Amour novels, when I stumbled onto "Hondo". I couldn't believe the writing--pure art. I kept rereading passages from it, fascinated by the way he was able to put his words together. I was certain that it had to be his first book. As it turns out, I was right.

5. Why do you continue to write?
It's like a runner's high. Years ago, when I came to the realization that too much responsibility equaled too little writing, I gave up my position as winemaker. My friend, Bill Harrison (who became the model for Tom Allison in "The Last Jaguar") approached me. "You…don't want to be a winemaker?" he asked me, finding it hard to believe. This was my answer to him: "Bill, when I get to choose the vineyards, walk them and do the lab work, decide when to pick and when to press, what yeast to use--and make all the decisions until that wine goes into the bottle--I get a small, creative surge. It's like, 'yeah, I did that!' I get that same creative surge each morning that I sit down to write. There's no contest."

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?
A small, creative surge…. Seriously, I'd like to think I did something positive with my life, that I set out to do something and accomplished it, even if it did take me forty years to do it. I'd also like to feel that I've given of value back to the world. I know how reading a good book makes me feel. If I can manage to give that feeling to others, then I think I've accomplished something good.

7. What has been your experience as a published writer?
That it's a lot more work than being an unpublished writer. I've learned the hard way that, if you don't promote your books, no one will. Only so many people get to be a Stephen King, and I doubt that even he gets to sit back and rest on his laurels.

8. How do you promote your book(s)?
Book signings, author readings, radio interviews--any way that I can. When "Hugh Glass" came out I did one book signing, which was overwhelmingly successful. After that I thought the book would take off on its own merit. After all, it received great reviews…I didn't realize that was just the starting point. You have to keep going out there until people get curious and start to buy…hopefully.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers?
Don't give up. Write every day, and learn not to shun the limelight. Writing is an internal thing. Many writers, myself included, tend toward shyness. Get over it (that's what I tell myself). Writing is more competitive now than at any other time. Even worse, more and more now, the big bookstores are dictating who and what gets published. They want a "sure-thing" every time. Books by celebrities have become huge. Why? Because the bookstores know they'll sell. That's who we have to compete with these days. We all put out the best writing that we can produce. It's a shame, but that isn't enough anymore.

10. Any other comments you would like to add?
No, I'll get off my soap box now. Thanks for letting me expound….

I agree about the 'celebrities', but I believe the popularity and recognition of POD published books will grow as the alternative to this problem. Thank you for your time, Bruce, and for your inspiration.

Interviewer: Kaye Trout - April 4, 2006 - Copyright