Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After having been writing for my entire life, I have now written and published my debut novel!
I am currently living in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State with my beautiful wife, Sheila, and my three wonderful children. Having these people in my life is more good luck than I could ever deserve and more good fortune than I could ever earn. They are my reason for being.
I spent the first 20 years of my working life doing something that was a terrible fit for me and that I truly hated for 19 of those years. I was an attorney and learned early that the endless toxicity, conflict, and ill-will that was inherent in that daily life was not what I was built to endure. However, with the love and support of my amazing family and friends, I recently made the leap to change careers at this stage of my life and I am now only four months away from achieving my Masters in Education so that in December 2021, just before Christmas and my next birthday (Christmas Eve!), I will be Certified with my Masters in Secondary Education, concentrating in Social Studies, and I will also be Dual Certified in Special Education.
Life can truly be a wild ride. Just hold on with both hands because you can never anticipate when the sharp turns and steep lifts and drops will be upon you!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is entitled “Ebenezer: The True Life Story of Ebenezer Scrooge”.
Like many people, I have always loved “A Christmas Carol”. I have seen numerous versions of it in movies (my favorite being the Alastair Sim 1951 interpretation), I have read the novella several times, and I have seen it performed on stage. One year, as I was watching the 1951 film, something started to bother me about what I was watching and at first I couldn’t put my finger on just what it was.
Then it came to me. Something was wrong with how Ebenezer Scrooge was being portrayed as a character. The man we were introduced to in the beginning shouldn’t have been moved to such a monumental change based on what he was shown by the Spirits. It just didn’t make sense… if we were told the complete and accurate tale.
In the past, he was reminded of being abandoned at school, being happy as an apprentice, and then losing both his beloved sister and his fiancé. Those scenes would have more likely hardened his heart. Why should a greedy, grasping miser with no love for humanity want to embrace humanity by being reminded of having lost all that was dear to him, having been neglected, and witnessing happy times he only experienced because he was, in his view, young and naïve?
Then in the present his is shown how poorly his employee (that he intentionally abuses and woefully underpays) is living and he is shown that the man’s son is ill and going to die. After he just a few hours earlier told men seeking charity for poor people and children just like this to die and decrease the surplus population! So why would seeing people whom he held in contempt living poorly affect his heart?
Finally, in the future he sees that his own employees who work in his home scavenged and looted his belongings as he lay dead and that no one cares that he died. He only seems fearful and moved to change upon seeing his own grave, as though he had no idea that if ANY person – saint and sinner alike – traveled far enough into their own future it would have to end with their death. The idea that he was unaware of his mortality or that he would care that people he loathed didn’t care that he had died – and so much so that he had a complete change of heart and personality! – just made no sense to me.
That’s when it struck me. If Ebenezer was so moved by these scenes of his life, THERE WAS A LOT MORE DICKENS DIDN’T TELL US ABOUT HIM. After all, we only got a few very small glimpses into his life and we were given no understanding of how he got that way.
This suggested to me that what we were shown during his visits by the Spirits was not quite accurate. There was a lot more going on and his eyes were opened to quite a bit more.
We also were never told how he lived his redemption after that one fateful Christmas Eve/Christmas Day night in 1843. We were just told, essentially, that he became a good man. But what did that look like?
It occurred to me that Charles Dickens may not have been trying to tell us the true account of this man’s life, but instead he was using source material to which he applied poetic license to fictionalize in order to serve his own intentions in crafting his cautionary Christmas tale. But if that was so, my imagination asked, what was the source material Dickens used? What was the true story of this clearly fascinating man?
All of these questions and ideas began nagging at me, demanding to be let out. So, I started taking notes right then, that day. I couldn’t yet see the story clearly or how to relate it, but from time to time, new ideas would strike me out of the blue so I wrote those down too. It was almost like Ebenezer himself was urging me to tell his true story so that people would finally understand who he really was, what the miracle that occurred to him actually consisted of, and how his story could inspire others in ways that transcended the current limited message offered only as a Christmas tale.
His was a life. A real life. One for all seasons, all people, and all times.
I did my research to learn what events affected him and what he affected in this world, as he was a product of his experiences, just like the rest of us always are. And with all of the above in mind, I began to write his whole story from the day he was born until just after he was gone.
Everything that made him the complex man that he was is now here for us to read. Everyone whom he encountered, whom he touched, and who touched his life is here. The true account of his travels with the Spirits is now available for all to see. The details of his redemptive journey back to his communion with the human race are all laid out.
And, as amazing as it may sound, as I peered into this man’s life, I often did not feel like I was writing something purely out of my imagination. More often than not, I felt like I was simply lucky enough to be the first to witness it and I was transcribing what I saw, heard, and was told for the world to see.
I truly hope everyone who has a chance to read this book feels as much joy from reading it as I felt in writing it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if anything I do would be considered unusual. Depending on when the inspiration hits me and how it moves me, I will not always write using the same medium. Sometimes I will type chapters and sometimes I will write them out longhand, in both cases trying desperately to allow my fingers to keep up with my thoughts (which is usually a challenge).
Also, what may be considered “unusual”, is that I often find that when typing, I need to find the right font that allows me to be the most creative that day. It changes and I can’t explain how I know one is right and the others are wrong. I just feel it and I know.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been an avid reader for my entire life and so there are likely many books and authors who have influenced me subconsciously that I am not even aware of. As for those I do think of, in this case I was very influenced by the writing style, meticulous detail, and remarkably personal account offered by non-fiction author, Erik Larson. He somehow is able to place you right on the ground in the history he is describing. It’s the closest thing to time travel I have ever experienced.
I was also very influenced by Stephen King. I think his true genius is not in writing to scare, as I rarely find his books “scary”. His true genius is being able to write such complete, round characters. And not just the primary characters, but all of his characters, no matter how minor they may seem. He conjures entire cities and civilizations full of volumes of people and they are all full, actualized characters. I tried very hard to make sure that all of my characters were given the same respect and that they weren’t there to serve the story. They were just passing through while experiencing their own full, rich story that we just haven’t been privy to yet.
Stephen King’s book, “On Writing” is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It was the first one that I had to re-read the moment I finished because in reading it, he made me feel like I was his personal friend to whom he was speaking. I actually felt the loss of this friend when I finished so I had to reach out to renew our friendship with a second read because I wasn’t ready to let him go yet. I dream of having a reader think that way about me someday.
I also thought of Michael Crichton and how he was able to make me believe that what he was writing was real and possible. It wasn’t fiction – not really – just a hidden truth.
Dan Brown was another who influenced me in how he is able to pace his books so that you are engrossed and flying through the pages along with his protagonist, devouring it without realizing how much time is passing. I would love to think that I could get a reader to find themselves shocked by how much time had passed when they finally set my book down and look at the clock. And to still be thirsty for more, having to force themselves to take care of their responsibilities while itching to get back to the world I created.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I have been asked to convert my book into a stage play for a project in development that I cannot actually talk about yet because once I agreed to be pitched the idea to participate, I had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. I look forward to the day I can announce that fully realized project to the world. It will be exciting!
Aside from that, I am actually working on my Masters in Education. As I mentioned earlier, I have gone back to school to change careers from one that was a terrible fit (attorney) to one that I am loving (teacher). And just before Christmas 2021, I will be both certified as a teacher and will have earned my Masters as well. I am very excited to begin this new chapter in my life.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have promoted my books in three primary ways.
First, and I always think is best for anything, is word of mouth. I trust that my book is a worthy read and my goal is to get as many people as I can to just give it a try so they can see that for themselves. Then, if they do, they can authentically tell others what they may be missing out on if they don’t try it too.
Second, I share news about it on Facebook. I recently joined Twitter and Instagram so I have started sharing it on those forums as well. And then, through them, I have found other means — like this site — to share information about the book.
Third, I have been fortunate enough that several brick-and-mortar artisan shops in different areas of New York have decided that they want to carry my book. Right now, for instance, one of the places it is featured is in Skaneateles Artisans (https://www.skaneatelesartisans.com/) in Skaneateles, New York. That town is a wonderful place that hosts a “Dickens Victorian Christmas Festival” every year during every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I hope anyone reading this who is able to visit takes my advice and allows yourself to go and enjoy what they have to offer. You will be thanking me. They turn the entire town into a Christmas experience just out of the pages of “A Christmas Carol” with literally dozens of actors portraying the various characters from the time, including Ebenezer Scrooge himself, walking the streets, singing Christmas Carols in the shops, and hosting games and performances throughout town! It’s such a great time and the festival’s theme made my book a natural fit for that area. I go several times to the shop during the festival and spend about 4 hours each time mingling with the customers and signing books. It’s enormous fun as I get to pretend to be a mini-celebrity for a few hours of my life.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have two pieces of advice.
First, when it comes to writing, never second-guess yourself. Never worry that your work is not “good enough”. If it is something that came from your heart and your soul, then it is your art that is worthy to be in this world. Remember that there is no such thing as an objectively “good” or “bad” piece of writing. There is only what “I think is good for me” and what “I think is not good for me”. That’s it!
In fact, it doesn’t even matter if you don’t particularly love what you wrote. Most writers, myself included, are their own harshest critics. But just because you don’t love it, or even like it, doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone else out there who will think that this is the greatest piece of work that has ever been produced and that will change their whole lives for the better.
And that’s the mindset you must have. Your work is worthy, it is special, and it has the potential to change someone’s world. You should never apologize for your writing, nor should you shortchange yourself. Writing is creation. Before you put those ideas in those words into the world, they didn’t even exist! You brought something into being! It’s an amazing, incredible, and truly intimate gift that you are sharing because when offering any piece of writing to the world, you are really exposing yourself and sharing a piece of your very own soul. How could you ever apologize for something as special as that? Don’t! Ever!
As far as marketing your book, it’s simple. It comes down to this: Just let people know about it. Be generous by sharing.
That’s really the key. You cannot force people or trick people into buying something and why would you want to anyway? When people read your work, they are not just connecting with the writing; they are making a personal connection with you. Don’t you want that to be a positive interaction?
You have to take the mindset that you are there to fill a need or a want that they have. Every reader wants to find their next great read. I trust that I have it for them. So, I just let them know where and how they can have what they already want. Then it’s up to them to choose whether or not they are ready to satisfy their own desire.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard as it relates to my writing and my dreams associated with them is that things happen when they happen, and you cannot force anything, nor should you try. Do your best, work your hardest, don’t accept from yourself anything but the maximum of what you know you are capable of producing. After that, it’s out of your hands.
What are you reading now?
I wish I could say that I was reading anything even mildly interesting or for enjoyment. Instead, since the Master’s program in which I am enrolled is an accelerated one in which I complete the degree in half the usual time (so every week’s worth of work is two weeks worth of content), what I am reading now are Education texts and associated material.
I look forward to getting back to picking up a book from my shelf and losing myself in my next great read.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, what’s next for me as a writer is completing the conversion of my book into a stage play. I have never written a script for the stage before, nor have I ever tried to adapt a full-length novel into a 90-minute performance, so it is quite the challenge. I am still working through how to decide what to cut, what to consolidate, and how to accomplish it all. I just have to trust that in the end, I will find the right solutions that these challenges require to bring the essence of my novel to life for live audiences.
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?
Interesting question. I would bring my book, “Ebenezer”, just to remind me that I can accomplish difficult tasks as long as I keep believing in myself and working to find a way. I would bring a full and complete photo album of my family and friends to remind me of why I need to survive and why life is worth living. I would bring an enormous book full of blank, lined paper so that I could use my time waiting for rescue writing what my heart and soul needs for me to put on paper next. And I would bring a book that offers the full and complete instructions for how to survive stranded on a desert island because hopes and dreams and motivation and desire are all wonderful things to keep your spirits up, but unless you have practical solutions and a realistic path to travel to get you to your goals, you will not meet them. You must set a plan that can get you where you want to go, and then let nothing stand in your way.
That’s what will make the difference between actually living your dreams or being stuck only dreaming about how you wish you could live.
Author Websites and Profiles
Douglas Bass Amazon Profile
Douglas Bass’s Social Media Links