Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a musician by trade, with a Bachelor of Music degree in Theory/Composition. I am a jazz pianist/composer, and am working with a talented singer, Paul Valerio, on an album of standards, which will be out later this month.
I have written one book so far, but hope to write many more.
I am a “jack-of-all-trades” sort, having done a stint in the US Marine Corps, and studied at a seminary while I discerned the life of a Catholic priest.
I’ve always enjoyed writing, especially whimsical stuff, though this book is not of that variety. When we were young, my brother and I started up a “service” called “Junk Mail For You,” which we sent to friends and family. It was anything we felt like writing, poems, silly stories with oddball repeating characters, stuff like that. The catch was that you couldn’t unsubscribe from the service. Well, at the end of each issue would be a notification which would offer the possibility to unsubscribe, but it always required a near-impossible feat to do so. Such as…
“To unsubscribe from Junk Mail For You simply place a shaved rabbit outside my parents’ bedroom tomorrow morning, with a note stating that the shaved rabbit is to be set free as a token offering for release from the Junk Mail For You Service. $50 would also be nice. For me, though, not for my parents.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write Manor of Corruption after watching the movie “Saw.” No, the book is not a horror story, but I always liked the idea of an intelligent villain, someone that you knew was messed up in the head, but you could see his point of view. He wasn’t straight evil, but rather did evil through some confused sense of justice. That’s much closer to reality than the “James Bond villain.”
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I really don’t just sit and write for an appointed allotment of time, though that would probably be a good idea. Unfortunately, I always tend to have a lot going on. I tend to just chew on the story and characters and ideas for a long time in my head, and then I will quickly jot it down at some point to remember it. I write stories the same way I write songs, they usually come out very quickly.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
G. K. Chesterton is a huge influence. Manor of Corruption is essentially an explication of the first chapter of Chesterton’s, “Orthodoxy,” which I do reference in the book.
For writing style, I like Palahniuk–or however you spell that–the quick, to the point, no non-sense, style. There’s a word for that, I just can’t remember it at the moment. He’s like the modern Hemingway, in that way, in my opinion.
What are you working on now?
I am starting to spin out the follow-up to Manor of Corruption. This book is just an introduction of the characters, and the 2nd book will really blast the story out in a bunch of new ways. I’m pretty excited about it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I’m pretty new at this, so I’m still trying to figure that out. I’m hoping that this website does the trick. 😉
So far, I would have to say that Facebook has done the most, just promoting the book within my friends and family. I have been active on Goodreads, which is always highly recommended.
When it comes right down to it, getting loud mouth friends to speak out for you is best. You can’t beat word of mouth.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I really shouldn’t, since I’m so new myself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you know. No, I don’t know mobsters and criminals (though I am from New Jersey…), but I do know some philosophy, and my book is about packaging my message for the world in a fun way that someone would actually want to listen to.
For writing, as I said… get to the point. Forget all the flowery descriptions. If it doesn’t move the story forward, or develop a character, leave it out. Don’t write about the color of the wallpaper unless you’re using that to reflect some deeper message; “the wallpaper was as dark as his outlook,” or something cheesy like that.
Also, don’t spell everything out. Readers are smart. If you have to say “Paul was sad,” you haven’t doen enough to paint the scene, or you’re being redundant. Try to avoid describing the feelings of characters, unless you feel you have to. Their words and actions should do that without you having to say it out loud.
What are you reading now?
I jsut finished “A Killer in the Wind,” by Andrew Klavan, which I enjoyed. I was given “Tuxedo Park” for Christmas, which I am just starting to get into. Very different books, but I enjoy that.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Fame? Wild riches? Haha! My dream is to be able to live as an author and composer, and so my next step toward achieving that end is to publicize this book as much as possible. I’m searching out every avenue and paying off anyone I have to to get that done. 🙂
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?
The US Army Survival Manual…
No, ok…
I would bring Thomas a Kempis’ “The Imitation of Christ,” the Bible, of course, the collected works of CS Lewis (is that cheating?), and Grisham’s “The Chamber.”
Author Websites and Profiles
James Partlow Website
James Partlow Amazon Profile
James Partlow’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile