Hi!
I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of
the multi award-winning
HowTo Do It
Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been
exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after
I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of
Loiacono Literary
Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary! I thought sharing
the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book
Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just
might find a new favorite author among the featured books and
authors.
So,
today welcome Chuck
Walsh.
Chuck Walsh,
author of Shadows On Iron Mountain, Backwoods Justice, A
Month of Tomorrows, A
Passage Back and A Splintered Dream is a graduate of
the University of South Carolina, and discovered a passion for writing in 2004.
Since then, he has written human-interest articles for a dozen publications. He
also co-authored Faces of Freedom (featured on Sean
Hannity’s book list), a book that recognizes the noble lives of U.S. soldiers
who died while fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan.
ENDORSEMENTS
“Chuck Walsh is
one of the most committed, passionate, and talented writers I’ve had the
pleasure of working with and reading in a long time. [He] constantly seeks new
ways to refine his already solid work. Chuck Walsh is one of the best. He
writes, not for himself, but for his readers.”
—Thomas Smith, Jr.
author, Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence
Agency
“Chuck Walsh is a
master storyteller, a writer of extraordinary sensitivity and craftsmanship.
Walsh’s fiction shows an uncommon understanding of his characters and their
relationships. His writing is both dynamic and economical, with a special energy
in dialogue that keeps the reader turning pages.”
— Charles Israel,
Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English
What is your genre? Is it fiction
or nonfiction?
Fiction – historical, murder/suspense, literary fiction
What made you want to be a
writer? My mother
was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago, and I wanted to write something
to show how much she meant to me. And I decided to write A
Passage Back, which is about a man who has an accident after the death
of his mother and goes back in time to his childhood. As I began writing the
book, something sparked to life within me, making me feel as though my life’s
calling had been unveiled.
Of all the authors out there, who
inspired you most?
Cormac McCarthy--no one else comes close. McCarthy is the best fiction writer,
in my opinion, of all time. His ability to create stories that pit battles
between good and evil, God and Satan, heaven and hell, is beyond anything I’ve
ever read. Before I work on my novels, I will pick up one of his books, read
about fifteen pages or so, and it inspires me to be the absolute best writer I
can be.
What is your writing style? Do you
outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I would describe
myself as a storyteller. I truly try to create characters that readers will feel
they know intimately, and I want those characters immersed in compelling
situations. Most of these characters are based on people I have a strong
connection to which fuels a great passion to fully reveal the desires of their
hearts, their joy, their pain, and their fear. The settings of my books are
integral and I love to paint the picture, whether it’s the deep backdrop of the
Appalachian Mountains, or the simplicity of a baseball field on a summer
afternoon. I do not outline. Each book begins as an idea and it develops on its
own. It becomes an entity, growing slowly, and I just try to find the words to
put it in print.
Do you write every day? How much?
How long? Working
full time, it’s impossible for me to write every day. By the time I get home, my
mind is so frazzled, there is no creativity left. Therefore I write on weekends
and holidays, beginning early where I spend hour after hour getting into the
character’s minds, and into the setting. I can go 10 to 12 hours once I
begin.
Do you think reading is as
important to writing for an author? Why? I think reading
is vital for an author. It opens him to worlds he might not have ever known, and
it inspires, and often teaches, the writer how to develop a story. Not in the
sense he can copy or mimic, because I think every writer’s mind works
differently, and that they can only write what they know; what their mind
creates.
What are some of the things you
would like to share with budding authors? Write about
people and places that will fuel a passion within you. If you have a connection
to the characters and the setting, it will make you want to expend full effort
to make the readers develop a passion for them too.
Do you have any marketing and
promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Work as hard as
you can to make the book the best it can possibly be. Believe in yourself. To
me, the most successful venues are book signings that I set up. I solicit help
from people in that area who I know that will help spread the word. Have
signings at places that are fun for the readers. I’ve had signings at
restaurants, at sports bars, minor league ballparks (for my baseball-themed
novel, A Splintered Dream). If you go in blindly to a location and have to count
on strangers to “stumble” upon you, the odds of them buying your book(s) are
slim. Be choosy in the literary festivals you attend. It’s tough to sell books,
at least that’s my experience, at places where they have no idea who you are. I
will sell 5 times more books at a two-hour signing that I have organized and
orchestrated, than I can attending a day long festival.
Do you think conferences are
beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you
frequent? I think
for those starting out conferences are beneficial in networking and getting
yourself in front of agents and publishers and other writers. Once you have
established yourself with an agent, and your books are being published, then you
can use online tools to learn ways to help promote your
books.
My next event will be at Columbia College in late
January and I will be appearing at two book club gatherings in February. Visit
my website for exact dates.
MORE
ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT
Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary
Agency
A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her
forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and
all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors
succeed.
“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and
know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to
work with some of the most talented writers in the world.”
Jeanie.L@llallc.net www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH
AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS
FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG
PAGE.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning
HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at
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