Robert’s latest book is the historical fiction, 23
Minutes Past 1 A.M.
For More Information
About the Book:
In the early morning of her sister's wedding day, Mila
Kharmalov stared in stunned silence at the coloured sparks streaming from
Reactor Four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.
At that very moment, her life and the lives of everyone she knew changed
forever.
23 Minutes Past 1
A.M. is a work of fiction based on factual events from Chernobyl
and villages throughout Ukraine.
For More Information
- 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M. is available at Amazon..
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Thanks for letting us interrogate interview you! Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to
why you wanted to be an author?
I thought it would be a great way to meet women. I was so wrong.
Kidding.
A couple of reasons and neither have anything to do with the
voices in my head. When my children were born I wanted to leave them some kind
of legacy that they could look back on; something they could tell friends about
and eventually, their own children.
Secondly, I’m a closet radical and I have a lot I wish to say. The best medium to share my opinion is with
an attentive audience that doesn’t include rope or duct tape.
Tell us (we won’t tell promise!) is it all it’s cracked up
to be? I mean what are the perks and
what are the demands?
I’m not quite sure what any author is expecting once they
begin their foray into writing. There is
the romantic notion of earning a living from writing books but for most of us,
that dream is nonsense and approaching delusional.
The best perk is any kind of critical acclaim and I’m proud
to say I’ve achieved that from several readers. As for demands, they’re minimal
at the worst of times. I do everything
at my own pace so pressure (other than work life) is nonexistent. The book is ready when I say it is.
(Psst…that was me being forceful. Pretty cool, eh?)
Which route did you take – traditional or self-published –
and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what’s that like?
I went the self-pub route because I’m age handicapped (that
means old btw). I don’t expect a publisher to take a huge leap of faith on
someone who is happy just to wake up in the morning. Besides, I hop from one genre to another like
a keyboard gigolo and that’s unacceptable to most serious Publishing Houses.
Contrary to what some Internet articles write – and we
should believe whatever we read on the Internet – self-publishing is not an
easy alternative. 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M. took four years to arrive at final product. Editing alone was close to five months. Self-publishing can be tedious, maddening and
downright flustering but – take a deep breath – it’s worth it. I have total control and can make revisions
if I want to at any time. I can remove
it from Amazon or wherever with a few simple keystrokes. I don’t have to share any residuals with
anyone except the taxman and my ex-wife.
That’s kind of nice in a dysfunctional way.
What’s the snarkiest thing you can say about the publishing
industry?
The publishing industry is like a gold star on your homework
except you have to pay for it and you don’t get to choose where the gold star
will go.
As I mentioned earlier, getting published by an established
Publishing House is a romantic notion and, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s a
badge of honor. Unfortunately, unless
you’re Stephen King, you can forget the hefty advance payment and expect a much
less attractive payday and a heavier workload than anticipated. There is too much competition to keep
Publishing Houses profitable enough to offer what was presented a decade
ago. Someday, months after you signed
the contract, your book will be edited, bought or predetermined reviews will be
written (ok, not always the case) and a clearinghouse with a computerized press
will create just enough first edition books to be sent to retail chain
warehouses. Once the book is ready for
delivery, you will end up doing the vast majority of marketing and for your
efforts you will see a smaller portion of the residuals than say…some hack like
me. More importantly, you no longer have control of your book. Get used to that. Oh, and most people would
rather buy the E-book anyway.
But you can tell friends and family that you were
published. Snarky enough?
Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending
so much time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published,
what have you?
My family as a group are somewhat aloof and don’t really
care what I do or where I go. I could
tell them I’ve been in a Mexican prison for the last ten years and they wouldn’t
bat an eye.
My children are always excited to see a new book and now
that my daughter is over eighteen she can read 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M., which she is now doing and loving it. She looks at me differently than before (and
from a safe distance) but she loves the book.
What was the craziest or insane thing that happened to you
in the book publishing process?
Oh, that’s something I wish I could forget but for the sake
of redemption, let’s just say, lesson learned.
I guess most authors are proud of their books and want to tell the world
whatever way they can. Once the
realization that not everyone is interested in your book sets in and your
friends have blocked you on every social media site, “novelist novices” begin
their journey to the unknown. I joined a
site that exchanged Facebook Likes.
Yep…I sold my soul for a “please like me”. I can’t believe how silly this was and how
desperate/naive I had to be to engage in something so trivial. Three years later and I still only have ten
likes. What the hell?
How about the social networks? Which ones do you believe help and which ones
do you wish you could avoid?
Good question. I’m
not really in love with Twitter. I kind
of toe the line between introvert and extrovert and Twitter – to me - just seems
inane for anyone who isn’t Barack Obama or Batman.
Instagram is kind of cool if you’re younger than the food in
my fridge.
Pinterest is great for cat pics, recipes and amateur
porn. Not my cup of green tea.
That basically leaves Facebook and although I don’t frequent
FB too often, as far as book enthusiasts and having a place to chat with
readers is concerned, it’s the best place to hang out. Word of warning: No cat videos allowed in my
profile
Book sales. Don’t you
just love them (or lack of?)? How are
you making the sales happen for you?
I beg a lot. A bit of
groveling, tears and promises to do laundry.
I also have marketing people doing their thing. I’m here chatting with your readers, which
has been a blast btw. My take on
marketing is that I’m a clump of coal and these guys will somehow turn me into
a shinier clump of coal. Shiny enough to
convince readers that 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M.
is a gem.
What is one thing you’d like to jump on the rooftop and
scream about?
I’d scream out loud that although 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M. may at times be weird and gory, it is a
fantastic read that will teach you a lot about Chernobyl
and the lifelong effects it had on the residents living in and around the
reactor. It really is a gripping
story. Buy it today and support my hair
growth initiatives.
Okay, too much sugar for you today! Here’s a nice cup of Chamomile tea and come
on over and sit under the cabana and watch the waves roll in. Now…can you tell us what you love about being
a published author and how all those things above doesn’t matter because it’s
all part of the whole scheme of things and you wouldn’t have it any other way?
Can I get some coconut water instead?
It’s a rush to see your book on Amazon or wherever and
you’re absolutely right…the pain is forgotten as soon as someone purchases the
first book. I received email on Saturday
from a lady outside of Kansas City
who thoroughly enjoyed 23 Minutes Past 1 A.M. Seriously, how cool is that?
Also, if your book gains any measurable amount of success
you can leverage that to discuss other projects such as alternative energy and
vertical farms in a third world country.
That’s a plug by the way. If you
wish to contact me, please do at jackcityguy@gmail.com. Thank-you!!!
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