Gary S. Roen graciously accepted an invitation for an interview. I asked questions and he answered comprehensively. I know readers of the New Book Review are going to enjoy this information.
1. Please describe the many
places for which you write book reviews.
My reviews have
been running for a long time in different publications throughout the nation,
that includes Midwestbookreview.com, bUnike Magazine, Lake Legal News, Hernando
Star, Veterans Voice and Bivouac Magazine to name a few. Many years ago, when
newspapers had book review sections I wrote for The Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald,
Florida Times Union, St Pete Times, Times Picayune, Baltimore Sun and Philadelphia
Inquirer.
2. Tell us about your
career.
In the 1970’s I got
into the publishing world by working for a family owned publishing company
where I learned the trade of a salesman, something I had never done before. I acquired
skills on how to promote authors that are still true today even with all the
new ways we have to do so. I set up press junkets dealt with bookstores and
events and all kinds of other things that I try to teach to other authors as a
consultant
3. Which
recognitions/achievements have encouraged you the most?
I have received
several things, one that I that I put in a frame that hangs proudly in my house
is a letter from former president Jimmy Carter acknowledging my review of his
book on fishing and how much he appreciated it. Others are my contribution to
teacher days at schools and tokens of appreciation of my contribution to publications
I have written for through the years.
4. What writers have
influenced you the most?
Ian Fleming with
his James Bond novels that I grew up with, Donald E. Westlake for his comic
mysteries of the Dormunder Capers and other hysterical works like The Busy Body. For Science Fiction there are Fredric Brown, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury,
Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Ben Bova, Andre Norton, Leigh
Brackett and Harlan Ellison.
5. What classes have helped
you the most?
At several
schools ranging from high school, junior college and UCF journalism was most
helpful of learning to write quickly, concisely and to meet deadlines. Also, at
UCF many courses of fiction writing. There I broke rules of the University of
Central Florida because I took several fiction courses at the same time that
administrative people said you could not do. Well I did it and many of the
stories in my collection Journey came from those courses. So much for rules.
6. What are some magazines
in which you have appeared?
Strange New
Worlds that was about different aspects of science fiction movies and TV shows,
Florida National News Daily, are ones that I can recall off the top of my head.
7. When
did you begin writing?
To be honest that
was back in 1969 Boone high school in Orlando when I almost got thrown out, for a story I wrote that was a
bit of science fiction. Later I continued to get things published like The Test
in Computer Legends Lies and Lore Ageless Press and some other online publications.
They are in the realm of the great TV show The Twilight Zone that is still fabulous
watching today
8 What are you working on now?
A story with two
different alien races that are dealing with a virus on one of them.It
has been a lot of
fun creating some of the characters' names and describing them. There are I am
sure some underlying premises but I do not consciously put them in. All I am
trying to do is tell a good story.
9 Why do you review books?
I love reading
and fell into it many years ago when I was on WPRK in Winter Park, Florida. I
did the show with Patty Flanigan of WDBO at the time who wanted to expand with
a show on another station about science fiction. I was the go-to person on
getting books because of my connections in the publishing world for us to talk
about on the show. To expand the listenership, we branched out to include print
as a way to promote the show. Later we dissolved everything but I kept doing
print reviews that have continued to this day
10 What
genres of books do you prefer to review?
I write and talk
about everything. I do not do a lot of religious books but do include some. I do
a lot of self-help, mysteries, suspense, science fiction, and fun ones of kids’
books like Saved By A Sniff Sniff Sniff Book or the Franky a pink
Flamingo, or Ka’iwi, the Hawaiian Monk Seal Get to know me, I have
to say I have learned quite a bit with books for kids more so than adult titles
like the Monk Seal is very educational
11 Where may the readers learn more about you
online?
People can type in my name Gary
Roen or Gary S. Roen and there are plenty of places interviews I have done like
In the DZone, Hanging With Web TV or they can find my reviews in many different
publications.
12 What is your literary background?
I was lucky to go
to a junior high in Orlando that had a wonderful teacher in John W Shank who taught
us the classics. In junior college I had courses of literature but did not
learn as much as I should have because of the teachers who did not like my
perceptions of what we read. It had to be what they saw that really turned me
against poetry and it's funny because I am the author of two books in that
genre Look at Me World and The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief.
13 Tell us about the books you have published.
I did a
collection with another author Cats Cats and More Cats, Journey, Slotski’s
World and The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief. I write short stories of science
fiction that are receiving very positive feedback and are a lot of fun to do
because I highlight aspects of Orlando Florida that are not related to Disney
and the theme parks. I am always working in some way on new stories and having
fun with them
14 What advice would you
give others?
Keep writing, do
not get discouraged, learn your craft better if possible, by taking courses or
hook up with writers’ groups that really work with authors on their work. Keep up
on what is selling in the industry, do not strive to be the next whatever but
do the best work you can possibly do and always be humble. Most of all have
fun.
Gary
Roen, point of contact
Gary
S. Roen, is the author of two collections of science fiction. Slotski’s World, and Journey (Legacy Book Publishing)
as well as co-author of Cats, Cats, and More Cats (Royal Fireworks Press)
He is the author of two books of poetry. The
Forgotten Father Coping With Grief (Taylor and Seal Publishing) and Look at Me
World (Chateau Publishing). His work has been included in the short story
collection; Computer Legends Lies and Lores (Ageless Press) and online
magazines including, Anotherealm, and Mercury Sky. He is also the author of a satirical play
entitled Vamp.
Roen is also a nationally syndicated book
critic/writer, consultant who has been writing close to 45 years. His syndicated reviews have appeared in
hundreds of daily, weekly, and monthly, publications that currently include
Midwest Book Review, The Beachside Resident, Orlando Advocate, St. Cloud in the
News, Osceola News-Gazette, Bivouac Magazine, and Arrhythmic Souls.
His
articles have run in; Living Well and Live Wisely, bUnike Magazine, The Beach
Side Resident, Strange New Worlds, Crime Book Digest, Eleven Magazine, Backstage
Pass, and West Orlando News.
Over the many years of his career Roen has
been a book salesman, as well as a publicist setting up press tours for authors
for several publishing houses. He has been an agent working with authors and
publishers in many different genres including true crime, horror and non-fiction.
He has been a regular on-air contributor
to many different types of radio and TV shows throughout the United
States.
For a number of years, he worked for numerous
companies in the field of market research, in Central Florida, as an
independent contractor. This gave him many diverse experiences, that have often
found their way into much of his fictional stories.
His books can be found at these retailers
Amazon
Books a Million
Barnes and Noble
And watch for a guest post on using videos to promote great reviews and resources for doing that from one of Gary's grateful reviews, Wanda Luthman. It's coming here on #TheNewBookReview. You can subscribe using the Google Gadget in the right column of this blog so you don't miss any or our precious tips for getting reviews...or precious reviews!
Thank you for reading,
Carolyn Wilhelm
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