I want to welcome Robert G. Pielke to Books R Us. Robert is the author of the novel A New Birth Of Freedom: The Translator
book two of the trilogy. Thanks for stopping by.
Interview
Can you tell me who or what was the inspiration for the book?
** There were many things that led to this trilogy, but it all came together when I discovered the underlying issue of the story – fundamental rights. What criteria should we use when deciding who has such rights? It was over this the fundamental issue that led to the Civil War and the issue that will arise in our eventual contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life. Stephen Hawking recently raised the issue again, when he counseled against having any contact with other ET species. Although my trilogy is an alternate-history and a time-travel tale, the story is driven by this concern.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
** I don’t think such a thing exists. Either someone has something they want to write or they don’t. If you have nothing to say…then it stands to reason that you won’t be able to write anything.
Can you tell me your experiences in finding a publisher for the book?
** My first publication was a nonfiction book on rock music in American culture – in the 80’s of the pervious century. Nelson-Hall, a traditional publisher picked my proposal up right away and another publisher immediately picked up its sequel. So I thought getting published was going to be a snap! Not so with fiction – especially genre fiction, and even more especially when I combined a few different kinds of genre fiction. For my trilogy, I had to shop the proposal around to TONS of publishers before one was willing to take something a bit odd.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?
** I usually give a kind of cavalier answer to this….”sex, drugs and rock and roll.” But, to be specific, I cook, ski [blues and greens], watch loads of movies, swim daily, listen to all kinds of rock music, and then do it all over again.
How long did it take you to write the book and how long did it take to get the book released?
** It’s difficult to be precise, because the real beginnings are never written down – there are a bunch of ideas just rolling around in your head and you “play with them” for a long time. Suffice it to say, the “playing” with this book began many years ago. From the typed words to release – probably about 3-4 years.
Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
** I don’t think I have one. I enjoy writing “for” all of them, but that’s not to say I “like” [or “dislike”] any of them. Writing for my female character was, of course, challenging, but since the Point of View is from my protagonist’s perspective [“universal limited,” I believe is the precise term for what I’m doing, I have an “out.” The reader “sees” her through the eyes of my protagonist.
What are your current / future projects?
** Right now, I’m working on the final book of the trilogy. AND I’m collaborating with a screenwriter for converting the first book into a film. But in the more distant future, I have two books under consideration: One is a fantasy sci-fi about humans discovering that there is a species here on earth that has been trying to contact us for millennium…they finally succeed! The other is a literary novel about the relationship between Viet Nam vets and Viet Nam protesters.
Do you have any tips for a young writer just starting out?
** Just write!! Write anything! Write all of the time! Consider ALL of what you write a writing exercise.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you like the main character to be played by and why?
** “When” perhaps!!?? Hahahahah I have no one in mind for the lead – But I wouldn’t ‘t mind Daniel Day Lewis do Lincoln!!
A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator (Book 2) blog tour site:
Books R Us review of The Translator.
Purchase the book:
Amazon.
Whiskey Creek Press.
CONTEST:
Thanks to the author I am able to giveaway a ebook of the Translator to one of my readers. Contests ends on 2/23/13 @ 11:59 PM EST. See Rafflecopter for rules.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
