Sunday, May 29, 2011

*INTERVIEW with Author JEFF GONSALVES*

It is an Honor and with Great Pleasure to Interview Author JEFF GONSALVES.  




Author of:  "FORK IN THE ROAD TO APOCALYPSE


Genre:  Science Fiction/dystopian/sociological




http://www.jeffgonsalves.com


http://wwwlossofreality.com.blogspot.com


http://www.youtube.com/user/Subawthor


http://tinyurl.com/4xn239p


http://twitter.com/#!/Subawthor


http://sfbook.com/fork-in-the-road-to-apocalypse.htm


http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1580966762


http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?mainpage=productinfo&cPath=85&productsid=323&zenid=69f3901e9567a425b5d7a470fa3d568b






~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~


Geri:  What inspires you to write?


Jeff:     When I was younger, I used to read science fiction and fantasy, which helped
             develop my imagination. I was so enthralled by the fantastical worlds
             created by my favorite authors, I wanted to create a world of my own, when
             my writing matured. On the other hand, seeing powerful dramas on TV and
             in the movie theater awakened emotions that made me realize that a viewer-
             reader must feel. This is an integral part of the reading experience. If someone
             doesn't care about the characters or story, the plot will stagnate. Working with
             adults and children in the hospital and in a psychiatric center for fifteen years
             has helped me assimilate the complex feelings I faced everyday, and put them
             on paper. I strongly believe that an author must experience real-life emotions
             in order to transfer them to a book.








Geri:    Who is your favorite author?


Jeff:     Probably James Lee Burke, a famous mystery writer. He creates memorable
              characters, and has a strong sense of setting. He also knows how to pace a
              a scene for ultimate impact, using foreshadowing, and carefully-sustained
              tension. Reading several of Mr. Burke's books has helped me develop my
              style, but it has also helped me cast a critical eye on books from different
              authors. Take Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD, for example. Its spare prose
              and bare-bones dialogue is fodder for much reader disdain on Amazon.com
              forums. Some readers believe that he trashes standard rules of punctuation,
              and creates his own grammar. Others argue that he is a revolutionary, using
              simplistic dialogue and run-on sentences to mimic reality. Reading the work
              of these authors has opened a world of possibilities to me, and I have learned
              from both their brilliance, as well as their perceived shortcomings.








Geri:     Did you have favorite books as a child?


Jeff:      'LORD OF THE FLIES.' It's symbolism and slow-burning anarchy left a huge
                impression on me. 'WYVERN' is incredible imagery, and complex plotting
                from an amazing Hawaiian author. 'THE BODY.'  Some of the richest 
                characters, and one of the most emotional endings I have ever read.










Geri:    If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?


Jeff:      Possibly nonfiction. I enjoy reading books about subjects from the 'Lost
              Boys Of Sudan' to 'Doctors Without Borders' and tales from the foster care
              system. My experiences working with disturbed children and adults in a
              psychiatric center have been channeled into a recent project, 'Journal Of A
              Disturbed Psych Aide.'  I use an e-blogger site to purge myself of 
              memories that have been haunting me for years. In the psychiatric center,
              I encountered abused kids whose hair had been pulled out by angry parents,
              psychotic adults who would assault you over a dropped cigarette, and
              patients with Alzheimer's disease whose slow deterioration broke my heart.












Geri:      What are your goals in your journey of writing?


Jeff:   Foremost, to entertain people. I want them to enjoy an epic story, and
           experience a multitude of emotions by the last page. I also want to learn
           from my mistakes, reader feedback, and become a better writer. But most
           importantly, I want to put one-hundred percent of myself into everything
          that I write. I want every novel to be as good as I can make it, and never want
          to churn out books, simply because of a deadline, or paycheck.






Geri:     Thank you kindly for today's interview. I wish you very much success.


Jeff:      You're welcome.
             













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