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Author Interview with Perry Martin
About
the author - In his long and varied career as a musician, songwriter and
producer Perry has worked with such people as Lefty Frizzell, Hank Snow Jr. and
Sheb Wooley. Over the years as a solo performer or with a band he has also been
the supporting act for such show biz luminaries as the Bee Gees, Ambrosia,
Little River Band, B.J. Thomas, Hal Ketchum and Lonestar - - to name just a
few.
More
recently he completed his first novel, "Pretty Flamingo". Based on
actual personal experiences the book is essentially a mystery/love story that
takes some very unexpected twists and turns.
What inspired you to want to become a writer? It's something I'd always wanted to do since I was a kid,
but as I mentioned before, my life seemed to lead me in the direction of music
at first. Then, when the idea for
"Pretty Flamingo" came up I thought I'd give it a shot, just to see
if I was any good. A long-time friend of
mine, Sandy Hockenbery who is a movie producer, heard a little about the story
I was writing and it piqued her interest.
I sent her the first six chapters I'd written and she was blown away. It was her enthusiasm and belief in the story
and my ability as a writer, that made me believe I could do it.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you
"grew up"? A writer. Then, I saw
all those girls screaming for the Beatles and I changed my mind and became a
musician for most of my life and had girls scream for me. Now they look at me and scream for a
different reason - so I decided it was time to go back to my original
childhood dream of being a writer.
How did you know you should become an author? I've lived such a colorful life I figured it was time to start inventing stories around my experiences. Most people don't believe most of the stuff I tell them happened to me so I may as well make it "fiction".
Who are your favorite authors of all time? Stephen King, Robert Heinlein, James Michener, Elmore Leonard, Ray Bradbury, Robert Ludlum, Jack London, Graham Greene, James Clavel, Eric Von Lustbader, Ernest Hemingway, Nicholas Sparks.
Which authors have influenced you most how? Probably Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks. They are not in any way alike, I know, but
there are separate elements of their writing that have influenced me. Stephen King always made his characters seem
so real; he gave them inner dialogue that made you privy to their thoughts. I
really like that. Plus he writes such interesting and unique stories. Nicholas Sparks manages to reach people
emotionally with his often heartbreaking romance/dramas; he's made me cry more
than once. I wanted to try and combine
those elements into what I wrote. So
far, from the reader reviews and comments I've seen, it looks like I've
succeeded with "Pretty Flamingo".
What do you do in your free time? Lately I don't have much. I used to play tennis, go to the movies and check out local bands. I still find time to read books, though. I think it's important for writers to read other writers. I try to read books by other self-published and Indie authors; to support them as well as to see what my competition is like.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? Stranger Than Fiction.
Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till
you lie down again. I get up around 7 am. Do stretches and an ab work out. Then all my e-mails, Twitter, Facebook
stuff. Work my day job all day (I'm a
self-employed house painter) then come home and do a little work out in the
gym. Shower. Eat dinner. Practice on my Fender Telecaster for about an
hour - - or until my fingers bleed. Do
the e-mails, Twitter, Facebook thing
again and then work on my next novel until my head hits the keyboard. At which time I brush my teeth - - and floss
- - hop into bed and read whatever novel by one of my self-published peers I
happen to be reading until the Kindle falls out of my hand and I fall asleep. Weekends are a little more exciting - - but
only a little. There'll be time for
excitement when I hit the bestseller list. Right now I live vicariously through
the characters I write about.
What's your favorite season/weather? Autumn.
In your wildest dreams, which author would you love to
co-author a book with? Nicholas Sparks. He'd have to let me write a happy ending,
though.
Thank you taking the time to stop by and share some random thoughts with us. Good luck with your books!
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