Straight from the Mouth of Tom Carter, Author of 'Nashville: Music and Murder'

Name: Tom Carter

Book Title: "Nashville: Music and Murder"

Amazon Link to Book: http://www.authortomcarter.com/  

1) Thanks for letting us interrogate you!  Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you wanted to be an author?

In 1987, I left a 17-year-old job as a reporter and didn't want

to affiliate with another newspaper.  I decided to try my hand at

writing a book.  I collaborated with singer Ronnie Milsap to

write his autobiography.  The book was a moderate success.  My

second collaboration, "Memories - the Autobiography of Ralph

Emery," rose to number-two on the New York Times best-sellers

list, and remained on the survey for twenty-six weeks.

Writing books was the right thing to do, I decided.  So here I

am, the writer of eighteen books, seven of which were New York

Times best-sellers and two USA Today best-sellers.  Life is good.

2) Tell us (we won't tell, promise) is it all cracked up to be? 

I mean what are the perks and what are the demands?

It's easy.  Sit down. Let your fingers tickle your computer's

keyboard, and wait for the money to arrive.  If you believe that,

I have some ocean front property for sale in Arizona. 

3) Which route did you take - traditional or self-published -

and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what's that's

like?  Tell us for real what your family feels about your

spending so much time getting your book written, polished,

edited, formatted, published, what have you?

I've been published by traditional publishers.  More recently, I

wrote two self-published books mostly because my self-publisher

paid twice as much as conventional publishers, and I didn't have

to argue with an editor about content control.  My family is my

wife.  She helped me with the writing, production, and promotion

of my forthcoming, self-published books.  She therefore doesn't

resent my overworked schedule as she’s' a part of it.

4) This is for pet lovers.  If you don't own a pet, skip this  question.  But do your pets actually get their food on time or do they have to wait until you type just one word?

 Anyone who'd post this simplistic question really thinks that professional writing is easy, and really believe I actually own ocean front property in Arizona. Perhaps the writer here  should spend two years writing a book, and then flash it all over social media, thinking its title and a six-word description will  sell the book.  Let me know how that works for you.

 5) In writing your book, how did you deal with the phone  ringing, your family needing dinner or your boss calling you  saying you're late?

 These questions are as trite as asking how many vehicles

 comprise a two-car motorcade.  I'm through with this silly

 exercise.