Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an internationally published hit songwriter. My co-written song, “Always There” (the vocal version) was first recorded by a group called Side Effect, music by a group called Pleasure and it was produced by Wayne Henderson, a founding member of the jazz group The Crusaders.
Later, the song was redone by the UK group Incognito and it became a Billboard magazine Top Ten hit in the UK. Another version of the song called “Such A Good Feeling” by Brothers in Rhythm, came out and went to number 1 on Billboard’s charts in America.
From songwriter to singer seemed a natural progression, and I was asked to become the new lead singer of the legendary vocal group, The Platters (“Only You,” “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” “The Great Pretender,” etc.). As such I lead the group on tours all around the world, playing at venues like The Kennedy Center, backed by the National Symphony Orchestra, and I performed for the Royal Family in England, for Prince Albert of Monaco, and for the President and First Lady of Fiji.
The next logical step was to begin to write about my experiences, and as a result, my first book was born. “From Karaoke to the Platters” is an autobiographical “how-to” book that speaks to how I went from a guy singing in karaoke establishments to joining this iconic group. After that I was hooked on writing!
To date, I have completed six books and I am working on my seventh. My writing style is eclectic. “From Karaoke to the Platters” is autobiographical. “The Saturday Morning Song Chronicles: Memoirs, Motown, and Music” is a book of memoirs and biographies of many of the greatest R&B artists and groups of all time. This book, a compilation of fifty-two stories, is a music trivia love’s dream and a truly fun and insightful read. It was a number 1 new release in Amazon’s “Biographies of R&B Artists” and also in “Biographies of Jazz Artists.”
“Benjamin Franklin: Time Tripper” is a historical science fiction fantasy in which Franklin is transported to the Haight/Ashbury District of San Francisco during the mid-1960s. The experiences he has eating at McDonald’s, and meeting Jimi Hendrix, Dr Timothy Leary, and even Stevie Wonder are more than fun, but, if he does not get back to his pre-colonial time period, the USA will cease to exist.
“The Tall Tales of Obadiah Short” contains fanciful stories told by “the oldest living man in the history of the world.” O.B. as he likes to be called, is delightful and inherently funny.
“Urban Haiku” is my first foray into poetry. East meets West. Traditional haiku structure populated with lyrical urban sensibilities. It was the number 1 new release on Amazon’s Japanese and Haiku categories.
And finally, there was another science fiction story written in screenplay form called “The Power of X.” This is the tale of two female friends on Earth 2. In order to save her best friend, the woman called “X” must become the thing she hates most in the world, a super-hero.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is “The Saturday Morning Song Chronicles: Memoirs, Motown, and Music.” After decades of working as a songwriter and then a performer, I amassed story after story that I would share with my friends. Rather than sharing them with just one or two people at a time, I finally got the bright idea of posting these stories once a week on my Facebook page. People started enjoying “The Chronicles” and looking forward to the latest articles being published every Saturday morning. This went on for a year and spawned international interest as I wove in my personal experiences with many of the artists I featured. These stories have never been told by anyone else, nor could they be, as they were my interactions with these artists. Anyway, I ended the column a year later, and that move was met with worldwide lament. I was stunned. I had no idea how many people were looking forward to the weekend experience “The Chronicles” brought into their lives. I now felt terrible about ending them! So, I decided then and there to turn these stories into book form so that everyone who loved them would be able to have them forever.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do. I have a couple as a matter of fact. One is that I write on the average of between 20,000 and 70,000 words per week. It is what I have done routinely since I began writing. The second unusual writing habit I have is that all of my writing is done between 3am and 7am each morning, seven day a week. I find that I am at my peak so far as clarity of thought and creativity. It is during that time span each morning that all of those thousands of words are flowing and I can barely keep up. However, when I try to write anything later in the day, there is no flow. Finding words is like trying to find hen’s teeth. It took me a while to understand that the muse clocks in at 3am and clocks out at 7am. Period. End of sentence. It’s a done deal. So, I fill the rest of my day with research, or trying to learn something new. Right now i am focusing on the subject I was the worst at when I was in school, which is geography. However, over the last few months I have learned all of the states and regions and countries in North America, Central America, and South America. Watch out, “The Amazing Race!”
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Arthur Golden – “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
James Clavell – “Taipan”
Alex Haley – “Roots”
Richard Vasquez – “Chicano”
Anne Frank – “The Diary of a Young Girl”
William L. Shirer – “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”
Jules Verne – “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
Frank Gilbreth, Jr. – “Cheaper by the Dozen”
Stan Lee – Great comic books by Marvel
What are you working on now?
I am working on a new book of poetry now and hope to have it published in the first half of 2021.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on Facebook and Twitter, and I have my own webpage.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If writing is what you love, then do it. Don’t stop. Bring your creations to life and don’t worry about the critics, the public, or anyone else. Write to satisfy your soul.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“This above all: to thine own self be true…” William Shakespeare
What are you reading now?
I read several articles a day from “The New York Times” and “Esquire” magazine, along with articles from various other sources. I read 2-4 hours a day.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My focus now is on completing my seventh book. This book of poetry is going to be extremely unconventional. People are going to love it, or hate it. At this point, I don’t know which, but that has never stopped me before.
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?
I would bring the “Bible” as it has so many exciting stories and contains so much wisdom if you take the time to actually read it, and not let someone else “tell you” what it says.
I would bring “Memoirs of a Geisha” as it is so well-written that it inspires me to write.
I would bring the “Comptia A+ Certification Exam Guide” as it teaches about computers in an informative, detailed, and interesting way.
All of these books I have read, cover to cover, and could easily re-read every day for the rest of my life.
Author Websites and Profiles
PAUL B ALLEN III Website
PAUL B ALLEN III Amazon Profile
PAUL B ALLEN III Author Profile on Smashwords
PAUL B ALLEN III’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account