Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer, college instructor, husband, father, grandfather, pheasant hunter, scuba diver, and now a novelist. Rapture of the Deep, my first major work, is contemporary fiction and is published by IndianGrass Books, my own self publishing house. Born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, I now live in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Jill is my wife. Together we have four children, two grand children, and a couple of brittanys.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I mentioned earlier, Rapture is my first book.
Yes, I think it’s wonderful (what else would the author say?).
OK, enough of the shameless promotion. I do hope you read it. Rapture of the Deep is about little things, ordinary things. It’s about ordinary people and what makes them tick. It’s about trials and heartaches and the way those unseen matters silently shape the lives in which they exist. It’s about how people look so in control, so together, but beneath that placid surface those same people are in complete free fall. Not only have I spent a lifetime getting to know these people, but I am one of them, and so are you.
The people in this book?
They are you,
they are me,
and we are lost,
all of us lost,
all of us seeking a way back home.
So…I’ve set this in a story, introduced you to people you already know, and given you access to their lives, to who they really are, what they do, and why they do it. I can’t wait for it’s publication. Mostly though I can’t wait to hear from you and what you think. I hope Rapture of the Deep connects. I hope it touches you.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Running. I write as I run. Sometimes I make voice messages with my telephone. I almost always take one of my characters with me. They run beside me and tell me their secrets.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Salman Rushdie, Kent Meyers, Henrik Ibsen, Ole Rolvaag, Marilynn Robinson, Stephen Ambrose. All of these authors have one thing in common, they are WONDERFUL story tellers.
What are you working on now?
I’ve begun thinking through the next project, which may end up being a sequel. We’ll see. This book will begin at the back of a shopping mall, where an employee who is dumping the trash finds a homeless man in the dumpster. There is no foul play. The man dies of natural causes. He has no name.
The rest of the book follows the lives of three people, the mall employee, the police officer who is called to investigate, and the homeless man and a search for his identity.
Yes, I have a really interesting plot twist planned for the end of the book…
Does this sound interesting?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I found that face book has been a great place to do book promotion. I’ve also been introduced to the world of Pinterest, which is more soft promotion. I like it because of it’s visual appeal.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
oooo. That’s a tough one. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by so many wise people. The think I’ve noticed about all of them is that they are great listeners. More than advice, I think that I’ve learned by watching them.
What are you reading now?
Crossings by Brian Newhouse.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I may do a children’s book.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Per Gynt (Ibsen)
Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Rushdie)
An Anthology of Robert Frost Poems
The Christian Bible (even though I already have large portions of it memorized)
Lots of blank paper and a pile of pencils 🙂
Author Websites and Profiles
David Grindberg Website
David Grindberg Amazon Profile
David Grindberg’s Social Media Links
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