Author: GENE HULL

Author’s website address: genehull@msn.com

Books in Print: Hooked on a Horn, Memoirs of a Recovered Musician; Going to Court, A Poetry Tribute to Tennis

Books in Process: The Runner A Collection of Short Stories.

Welcome Gene,

1. When and why did you begin writing?
1992, book of poetry. Boredom and the desire for creative expression.

2. What inspired you to write your first book?
Visualizing the finished product of a completely original work.

3. How did you approach writing your first book?
By sitting down at the computer and reeflecting on scenes I experienced on public tennis courts with other hackers. Visualized a format, assembled old poems and wrote new ones.

4. Who or what influenced your writing?
The memoir and short stories: The faculty at Florida International University and the works of bundles of authors.

5. Why do you continue to write?
I feel compelled to - guilty if I don, and excited and delighted when I write a few lines that really made sense. I was driven to write the memoir because I thought it might help young musicians and give raders in general a true, un-glamorized view of what it was like to pursue a career in music in those times.

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?
Satisfaction with learning to write well, and possibly recognition of some of my writing by good writers.

7. What has been your experience as a published writer?
Promoting your book(s) can be a full-time job, if you expect to make any money at all from it.

8. How do you promote your book(s)?
Internet, press - when I can get it, radio - when it is offered, ferocious e-mailing to my list, Networking, joining local organifzations, talking to published authors, handing out cards and book marks. All of which is weak, compared to my goal, i.e., sell enough books to justify expenses and keep writing. However, I'm working on it. Am getting a publicist and someone to help me organize a business plan. The fun part is the writing.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers? Writing well is a serious commitment. Read, read, read. Join writing critique groups -- a must! Critique your own work constantly.

10. Any other comments you would like to add? When I dry up and start writing drivel, I take a break. Get some rest. Read for several weeks . . . anything good. I come back to writing and re-writing refreshed. Usually works for me.

Thank you, Gene.

Interviewer: Kaye Trout - August 30, 2006

Author: JIM MUSGRAVE

Author’s website address: http://www.contempinstruct.com/books/books.htm

Books in Print: The Digital Scribe: A Writer’s Guide to Electronic Media, Iron Maiden, The President’s Parasite and Other Stories, Russian Wolves, Sins of Darkness, and Lucifer’s Wedding.

Books in Process: A crime series with two middle-aged detectives (one Irish and one Jewish) set in San Diego.

Welcome Jim,

1. When and why did you begin writing? Some teacher in K-12 told me I was "very creative." This was to be my pursuing angel/demon for the rest of my life.

2. What inspired you to write your first book? I was tired of reading boring stuff on the Internet, so I researched and invented creative writing exercises for "nerds." This was The Digital Scribe, published by Harcourt-Brace in 1996.

3. How did you approach writing your first book? Since it was non-fiction, I outlined it completely and then I researched to flesh it out.

4. Who or what influenced your writing? Like most writers (I suppose), the other writers who influenced me are far too numerous to list. We writers must learn technique if we’re to be any good, and we can learn this by studying the writers who do it best. If I were to name my top five, I would have to say: Albert Camus, Raymond Carver, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner and Thomas Harris.

5. Why do you continue to write? Because I must. Some people (like, say, Tony Gwynn on my San Diego Padres and Franz Kafka in my literature game) would do their "craft" even if they did not get paid. They do it because they love the "doing."

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing? Get the present administration voted out of office (only sort of kidding). Actually, Jonathan Swift (one of the greatest satirists of all time) said that the very people you make fun of are the ones who never understand your rebukes. If I can just give the reader a "good read," then I am satisfied. Hopefully, the reader will also want to learn something as well (although this is getting much more difficult in these days of instant gratification and "dumbed down culture").

7. What has been your experience as a published writer? I’m along for the ride. It does get better each day, however.

8. How do you promote your book(s)? I ask people to read them. People come in many forms. I hope my readers have open minds and a sense of humor (again, getting more difficult these days to find). I also answer interview requests.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers? Keep working on technique. The imagination is already there or you wouldn’t continue doing it.

10. Any other comments you would like to add? Thanks for the chance to share.

Thank you, Jim, for sharing your time and thoughts.

Interviewer: Kaye Trout - August 30, 2006

Author: LEONARD MOODY

Author’s website address: http://www.leonardmoody.net

Books in Print: A Promise for Destiny

Books in Process:
I Met a Man is a novel about unfulfilled love. Daniel Hawkins and Susana Powell, develop an enduring bond rooted in their childhood. As their long distance relationship as soul mates transitions to lovers, a tragic accident leaves Daniel hopelessly incapacitated in a coma. Susana does not give up on Daniel and visits him daily in hopes he will awaken from his certain eternal sleep. She only wishes she could find a way for him to communicate with her. Perhaps she can learn how to connect with him if she moves into his childhood home. She sits; night after lonely night, in his empty home waiting for the answer to come. Mysteriously drawn to the attic, she finds a box of memorabilia belonging to Daniel. Will she find the answer in the musty, dust-covered box?

Welcome Leonard,

1. When and why did you begin writing?
I have written technical documents for more than 35 years in the form of failure reports, technical specifications, and requests for proposals, budget reports and personnel reports. It was only within the last three years or so that I stepped out on a limb and ventured into the literary world.

2. What inspired you to write your first book?
As strange as it may seem, the basic plot and characters came out of repetitive sub-conscious thoughts that woke me up at night. At first, I put them off as just dreams. Over the course of time, the story line kept growing. After a while, I decided to jot down the thoughts in the middle of the night. I finally scrawled out a six-page synopsis and showed it to a friend. She thought it was worth pursuing. Once I looked at developing a formal manuscript, the ideas began to flow freely. It was interesting that the first memory I have of this story sticking in my head was focused on the character Ann and the scene in Chapter 1.

3. How did you approach writing your first book?
I guess you could call it brute force. The flood of ideas was so great in the beginning that I merely started typing the story without regard to any particular organization. When ideas didn’t flow, I did a lot of research on how to write novels and did historical research on the area of the Adirondacks where I was born and raised. That research and my knowledge of "my old stopping grounds" made the setting a perfect backdrop for the book. This allowed me to focus on the characters and the intricacies of the plot.

From the beginning, I knew my fictional characters were going to be somewhat dysfunctional in their own way. I deliberately wanted to make this mixture of unusual characters come together. My challenge, as a new writer, was to ensure they were likeable in the reader’s mind. It was an interesting challenge also to make their actions logical, albeit, off the beaten path, considering the environment they were living and their own history.

4. Who or what influenced your writing?
It has always been my nature to try something new. Since I never wrote a novel it was intuitively obvious to me that I should at least try considering that I already had a plot and some unusual characters already programmed in my head. In the course of casual conversation, I mentioned the idea of writing a book with some friends. My wife of over 38 years and another dear friend, both avid readers, provided encouragement and critical eyes to help me bring Lucas, Ann, Barb and Dot to life in A Promise for Destiny.

I think Sr. Theresa and Sr. Rita would be proud of me. These two Sisters of the Holy Spirit supported me in spiritual and intellectual ways as holy people, teachers, counselors and friends during my high school years at Holy Ghost Academy in Tupper Lake, NY. Blessed to be insightful enablers, they encouraged me to join the Forensic League and participate in every level of competition offered.

5. Why do you continue to write?
As we get older, we need something to keep our minds active. While developing a new plot and characters you need to refocus on the world around you and in you. To write well you need to open up your mind and let it be flooded from all the external stimuli that surrounds us. Whether it is from a walk in the park, a day at the beach, driving to work, having a drink with your friends, walking your dog, mowing the lawn, or any activity, we can get a new perspective on life. The creative writing process allows me to "see" things that I might otherwise overlook. It helps me to see the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, funny, sad, disturbing, spiritual, mystical and otherwise off-center sides of the world around us.

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?
To paraphrase the thoughts of Lucas Ambler, the main character in A Promise for Destiny, I want to become the kind of writer he wished he could be. I want to take readers on a journey to un-charted real and mystical worlds. I want my readers to travel with me and find wonderment in the new worlds they visit as seen through my eyes and psyche. I want to develop the literary eloquence to put into written word all the insights I derived from my affair with nature and life. God has given me a good life. I want my readers, young and old alike, to experience through their mind’s eye and my words, the world I know and experience. In the end, I hope he or she will be in a better place.

7. What has been your experience as a published writer?
I find the writing processing to be challenging and it allows me to discover a creative (and perhaps a little off beat) side of me that I apparently had suppressed for many years. I continue to be surprised by the comments I receive from people. One reader enthusiastically said she hoped that I would write more. She said my readers would be terribly disappointed if I didn’t write another book. I suppose that is a testament to the quality of my work.

8. How do you promote your book(s)?
My on demand publisher, Outskirts Press, provided an initial campaign to connect to some of the major on-line outlets like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Otherwise, I sent out many copies for review across the country. I am working with local bookstores to gain placement with other local author’s works and to set up book signings. The book has only been published a short time, since late May 2006, so there are still many more possibilities. Also, I am in the early discussion stages with a New York City literary agent.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers?
All writers use their talents in their own way. Each is motivated differently. I know what worked for me. I am confident that success will come if I persevere and remain loyal to my readers. All I can offer is "Enjoy what you do!" It will be reflected in the work you do.

10. Any other comments you would like to add?
I want to continue writing novels. From early reader comments, I may have found a niche in fiction/romance but time will tell. I was told that I should have written this romance novel using a female pen name. I suppose the challenge is to satisfy the romance novel audience while writing from the male perspective. In the end, I would like to have people enjoy what they read and close the book with a sense that they were inspired to look at the world a little differently from when they first cracked the book open.

Thank you, Len, for your time and sharing your experience.

Interviewer: Kaye Trout - August 16, 2006

Author: DOUG LALLI

Books in Print: Peter and Beth

Books in Process: The Other Side (working title) - a sequel to Peter and Beth

Welcome Doug,

1. When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote a handful of one-act plays in college and then for the next thirty years wrote nothing. I began my first novel (Happy as Kings--unpublished) in 2000 (see below for the reason).

2. What inspired you to write your first book?

I was reading Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being and suddenly realized that I too could write a novel. This had always been a dream of mine, but I think it took many years of reading good novels before I understood the various elements that go into writing one.

3. How did you approach writing your first book?

Since my first novel was heavily autobiographical, I didn't use an outline but basically followed events according to their actual chronology. In Peter and Beth and The Other Side, I worked from a well-thought-out outline--knowing, however, that I would be making many changes along the way.

4. Who or what influenced your writing?

Because I've read so much, I couldn't point to any one or two writers I model my work after. I try to keep my prose straightforward and almost conversational, always with the goal of keeping my book "reader friendly" but without compromising my artistic integrity. My underlying goal as a writer is to write the kind of novels I myself would like to read.

5. Why do you continue to write?

I love it. There's something magical about looking at a blank computer screen and then filling it up not just with words but with a never-before-dreamed-of world. I also love the act of revision--I suppose because I'm compulsive about saying things in the absolute best way they can be said.

6. What do you hope to accomplish through your writing?

Aside from increasing my income (perhaps the most formidable task), I would simply like to become a better and better writer. For me, writing is an end in itself.

7. What has been your experience as a published writer?

The good news is that there's a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The surprising news (though I guess it shouldn't surprise me) is that people who don't read novels aren't especially impressed that I wrote one.

8. How do you promote your book(s)?

My goal at this point isn't to sell my book but to find an agent who believes in my writing and believes that he or she can sell me to a mid-size if not to a major publisher. Right now I'm concentrating on getting Peter and Beth reviewed, with the objective of increasing my credibility with potential agents.

9. What advice would you like to share with other writers?

Whatever it is you're thinking of writing, don't be in a hurry to sit down and write it. Let the story germinate in your mind for a while (in general, the longer the better). There's a readiness factor, and I think it's important for a writer to learn to recognize when a story is ready to be put into written words.

10. Any other comments you would like to add?

Writing novels, for me, hasn't been all peaches and cream. When I'm in the middle of writing a first draft, I become obsessed with it to the point where it definitely disrupts my life. It goes without saying, though, that the satisfaction I get from the end result is well worth the disruption.

Thank you, Doug, for sharing your thoughts and time with us.

Interviewed by Kaye Trout - August 13, 2006