Read an excerpt and see the video at: http://blazingtrailers.com
Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?
I’m a former Canadian track team member and I graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN with a BS in Biology. I retired from competition in 2007 but I’m still active either on the track or in the pool to stay in shape. This year I’ve started back playing the violin. I currently live in Montreal, Qc.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author?
I’ve been writing since high school and it was always a goal of mine to have my worked published. I had the ideas and the imagination and after reading books by Vince Flynn, Barry Eisler, and Joseph Finder, I felt that there was a place in the literary market for my stories also.
Do you have another job besides writing?
I’m sales manager for an insurance company.
Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?
I must confess that as a child I did not read as much as I do now. In elementary school I was into Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys like most of the kids my age at the time. I read less when I was in high school, but picked up again as I entered university.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
My story is about a real threat: biological terrorism. The 2001 Anthrax attacks perpetrated by Bruce Edwards Ivins prove that this is something that could occur at any moment and could come from people working within our government. Studying biology and chemistry in university helped with the research.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?
For this novel it was stream-out-of-consciousness. That’s one of the reasons why it took me so long. For my second novel (which is currently being edited) I wrote an outline, allowing me to write it in 2 ½ months.
Did your book require a lot of research?
It required tons of research. It was important to research firearms, military aircraft, the CDC, the CIA, Russian and Japanese intelligence agencies, viruses, micro-organisms, geographical locations (since the story takes places in Chechnya, Darfur, Southern Uganda, Moscow, and Tokyo), American Forces bases, some martial-arts (I had a martial-arts teacher in Belgium beta-read the fight scenes for realism).
Why do you write?
I love to write. If I didn’t, the accumulation of ideas and imagination would’ve driven me crazy years ago.
What kind of promotions do you do for your books?
It’s important to keep an online presence because what’s on the internet is there forever. I’ve done an internet radio interview and am set up for another one in a few weeks. I’m setting up a blog tour, and also book reviews through bloggers, and I hope to get into a few magazines—print or online. I published a short story: To the Last Bite (http://www.scribd.com/full/24394713?access_key=key-8e2g7fl2gh6c2jqxvoe) and will continue to write other short stories when a idea pops into my head. I also produce a YouTube show called: The Russell Show (http://www.youtube.com/user/ridleyfox) where I recite poetry from my buddies on The Artist Lounge Radio Show, which I participate in on Sundays. If you listen in on the show (it’s open mike) you’ll hear me several times reciting what others have written. I maintain a blog where I post my essays (http://www.russellparkway.blogspot.com) and post episodes of The Russell Show. I aim to do one once per month. One of my essays: Why does Vancouver not deserve to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, was picked up by the online Op-Ed of Canada’s National Post. I ended up pissing off a lot of people with what I had to say since I had first-hand experience as an athlete, but I got some letters congratulating me for my courage and exposing the truth.
What is the funniest/most embarrassing/scariest story from one of your books signings or events?
Haven’t done a book signing yet.
Who do you think you are?
Just a regular person like you and I whom the government comes after for taxes.
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?
Never would happen. I lead I don’t follow.
If you are a world builder, what is your favorite part of creating these worlds?
How do you research?
I do my best to contact experts on the subject matter that I’m researching. Otherwise I do a lot of reading, either in print or on the internet.
When did you start writing? Relate an anecdote from your earliest writing years..
I started what is now known as Pandora’s Succession when I was 12. So we’re looking at most of my life.
What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?
You have to have a lot of patience and do not be afraid to get professional help with writing. Don’t rely on family and friends in order to get an objective critique of your work. With the advent of ebooks it makes it easier to publish your work. However don’t be fooled into thinking that everything is accomplished when your book is published—people have to read your work. It’s the marketing part that is the real challenge. And please be mindful of scammers, there are several crooks that target naïve and inexperienced writers in order to make a quick buck. Before handing over your cash to someone you don’t know, check out Preditors and Editors (http://pred-ed.com/) to see what they have to say about an agent, agency, or publisher. If the individual or company is not listed in their database, simply email them and they’ll investigate the legitimacy of the agent, agency, or publisher that you’re enquiring about.
What has been your experience with literary guilds or groups? I’ve recently joined a few on facebook. It’s a great way to make contacts. So far, some of those group members want to either host me on my blog tour or review my novel, which is great for publicity.
Do you belong to a critique group? How has this helped or hindered your writing?
I got help from a writing coach who was able to assist me with my novel and my writing in general. (http://www.crayne.com)
What so you see for the future of publishing and ebooks?span>
Ebooks, from what I’ve seen so far, are going to be to the publishing industry as paperbacks were to the industry when they first came out. They’ll continue to grow in popularity for readers. That’s great news for writers because it helps to eliminate the middle man—the publisher—who basically control the market. In the future, writers can eventually just sell their novels directly to the public. However, if you’re a beginning writer, I still advise that you exhaust your attempts at getting traditionally published.
If you could talk to any fictional character, who would that be and what would you say?
Clarke Kent aka Superman. I’d ask him which electronic reading device he’d choose, or if he’d rather stick to Kryptonian technology for that.
Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?
Hannibal Lechter. Like, come on. Would you invite him to your place for dinner?
What other types of artistic talents do you have?
I sing, play the violin, and some have said that I’d be a good actor, especially with cartoon voices.
What type of writer are you—the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes?
I daydream and fantasize.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?
I always get writer’s block. When that happens, I pick up my violin and practice. That usually helps me to tackle a problem and then the ideas come back.
Read an excerpt and see the video at: http://blazingtrailers.com
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