Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published two books; a memoir called “Nazis & Nudists” in 2015 and then this latest one earlier this year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The newest book is a collection of short stories called “Jenny on the Street” that were actually written decades ago, then spent many years languishing forgotten in a desk drawer. Recently my publisher sent me an email asking if I had anything new and I thought, what the heck, and submitted them. This is my first published fiction representing a particular period of my life, namely the countercultural era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Which is why I felt compelled to add the subtitle, “And Other Tales of Reverence and Revolution By A Very Young Man.” I think the book represents an era which, in many ways, is much like our own.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but I tend to write in bits and pieces. In other words, I take lots of breaks between short bouts of writing and, in this way, eventually finish a project. I find that this keeps me focused and fresh.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Henry Miller’s books were a powerful early influence. He wrote wonderful first-person books about his life in Paris of the 1930s, which I found romantic and fascinating. They are sort of a hybrid of memoir and fiction which, I guess, could also be said of some of the stories in “Jenny on the Street.”
What are you working on now?
About six years ago, my family and I began building our dream house overlooking the sea in the Philippines near the town where my wife was born. For the last two years or so, we’ve been living there more-or-less full time. I write a weekly column called “Expat Eye” that runs in a Philippine newspaper, then on my website and on Facebook. Much of it has chronicled the process of leaving one culture and adjusting to a new one. I am now working on putting together a collection of those columns in a book that tells that story.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, author’s page on Facebook and another Facebook page devoted to my column. I a lot of Facebook advertising to promote all of them. I also have an emailing list and, of course, utilize services such as Awesome Gang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Pretty much the usual, I guess. Write write write. Get lots of feedback. Involve editors you trust. Work as often as you can. Don’t be afraid to fail, because you most likely will fail before you succeed. Learn from you failures.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Pretty much the same as above.
What are you reading now?
At the moment I’m reading something very political; John Bolton’s critique of the Donald Trump presidency called “The Room Where it Happened.” I’ve always been very attracted to nonfiction.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to publish that book of essays about moving to the Philippines, which is tentatively entitled “A Tooth in My Popsicle” (you’ll have to wait for the book to find out why.) After that, who knows? Because of the pandemic, I’ve been stuck in California for a few months so my immediate goal is to get back to the Philippines asap where I find I am far more relaxed and can think much more clearly.
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?
Hmm, interesting question. Probably very long ones that are escapist; either fantastical fiction, or nonfiction set in a time and place where I’ve never been. You can fill in the blanks…
Author Websites and Profiles
David Haldane Website
David Haldane Amazon Profile
David Haldane’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile