Interview With Author Quentin Eckman
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Dead Giveaway: A Ghost Story in the High Desert is my first published novel. My second novel is being edited as of June 2023, and should be ready for release soon. Currently, I am writing a serialized novel on Kindle Vella, titled “Triple Jack.” It is about a time traveler who links together several unsolved mysteries. ASIN: B0C5GZG6RM
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, “The Hybrids,” is about a gambler that gets beat senseless, an Alien from a planet 12 light years from Earth, and a genius young woman who isn’t named Ringo. It was inspired by a friend who asked if I might write a book about aliens. The Hybrids will be available from Amazon Books in the near future.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As far as writing habits go, I’m not sure what qualifies as unusual. I do my best writing late at night. I try to write the kind of stories that I would like to read if they had been written by someone else.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love to read! For fiction, my favorites are Kurt Vonnegut, Barbara Kingsolver, Stephen King, and Niel Gaiman. My favorite non-fiction authors are Jared Diamond, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Doris Kerns Goodwin, and Bob Woodward.
What are you working on now?
Besides my Kindle Vella serialized book, “Triple Jack,” I am writing a fictionalized anthology about a World War II veteran who is attempting to bring heating oil to his young snowed-in family before they freeze to death. The narrative is interspersed with flashbacks from his youth, his coming of age, his war experiences, and his struggles to raise a family while working two jobs. He quickly learns war decorations have little value once the conflict is over.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still testing the promotion waters. I’ve used Booksy, Written Word, and Amazon advertising with mixed results. Having only one book to promote limits my reach.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new writer myself, although I’m not a new person. At age 74, I can only offer advice that many years on the planet bring: 1. Write what you know. 2. Be fearless, and don’t be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities. 3. Find as many beta readers as you can. 4. Listen to criticism, but follow your instincts. 5. Don’t fear failure.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Jerry Jenkins advises, don’t tell your readers, show them.
What are you reading now?
I just finished re-reading George Orwell’s 1984. I have read it twice in the past, the first time while still in high school. I’ve just started reading “Everything On It” by Shel Silverstein.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve got a story brewing in the back of my brain that will involve a Rock hound who finds a body part, a farmer suspected of murder, and the disappearance of a young woman who has been the victim of an abusive husband that happens to have a perfect alibi.
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?
If I can only bring three or four books, I’m not going! OK, I’ll answer the question: 1. Guns Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond 2. Catch 22, by Joseph Heller 3. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver 4. Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
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