Interview With Author John Egenes
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Southern California, spent many years in Northern New Mexico, and now live in New Zealand. My first book, “Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America” was about my travels with my horse, Gizmo, in 1974. “The Marfa Blues” is my second novel, although I have published a short book called “Flutney Junction”, which is a companion book for my album (music) of the same name.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called “The Marfa Blues: searching for treasure”. Several things inspired it, from riding freight trains in my misspent youth, to my love of the desert of the American Southwest, and my fascination with myths of lost treasure. Most of the characters are composites of people in my life, though some are entirely made up.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I suppose writing at three in the morning might be unusual, but somehow I think it’s not. Same goes for walking down the street, talking to myself. I think for a writer, that’s probably normal.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many, I can’t even list them. I read about 75 books a year, and have done that for most of my life. I’m no longer young, so that adds up to a lot of books, a lot of authors, both good and bad. Picking a single author or book is like picking a single color from a rainbow. It isn’t the color that’s beautiful, it’s the whole rainbow.
And being a songwriter, I would say that songwriters have influenced me at least as much as book authors have… probably more.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing a science fiction novel that takes place about 75 years from now, around the turn of next century. It’s placed in our solar system–on Earth, the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt. It’s become a bit more complicated than I like, but I’m slowly working my way through it all.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Sites like yours work well for indie authors like me. It’s a grassroots approach that connects me directly to readers, and I like that. And through it all, I’m hoping to become a hundredaire!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m probably the worst person to be giving advice, but here’s what I’d say… Don’t be afraid to listen to others’ advice. Don’t let them write your book for you, but listen to feedback and take it to heart. And don’t try to edit your own book; use an editor! If you’re not happy with your book, don’t publish it until you are.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can get used to anything… you can get used to hanging if you hang long enough.
What are you reading now?
Right now? Let’s see… a murder mystery, a book about digital culture and networked ecosystems, and a sort of “Americana” type novel that’s set in the 1930s. I often read two or three books at a time.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, I’m hoping to become a hundredaire.
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?
Probably the thickest ones I could find, for two reasons: (1) It would take longer to read them and (2) when starting a cooking fire, they would burn longer.
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