Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of three books: The New Individualism: Personal Change to Transform Society, a non-fiction social commentary, used in over 100 colleges and universities across America, favorably reviewed in The Midwest Quarterly and other scholarly journals, and winner of the S.C.P.H.C. Gold Award for Philosophy in 1996; Leah’s Way, my first novel, which received a rave review in the February 1st, 2004 edition of Library Journal; and Reason for Existence, my forthcoming science fiction novel. I have a B.A. and M.A. in Government from California State University, Sacramento, graduating with honors.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Reason for Existence. I am a big fan of genre benders, those novels which combine multiple categories of fiction into one work. So Reason for Existence combines science fiction, philosophy, thriller, and romance elements into the novel so readers have an opportunity to read a highly original story. Most category fiction is formulaic and often boring. I think readers deserve more and should be both entertained and challenged in their reading.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only that I still use pad and pen for the early layouts instead of organizing software. I suppose I can be considered a dinosaur.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the simplicity of Ernest Hemingway. Of course I love great science fiction writers like Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and Huxley. But I also recognize that science fiction depends greatly on the state of science in our time, so I read lots of non fiction as well.
What are you working on now?
My next book will explore consciousness in novel form. I believe that Consciousness Studies will be the next great academic discipline since it points directly to the true nature of reality and leads inexorably to the existence of a Great Consciousness or God.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The website for Reason for Existence is www.wpcbooks.com. Bloggers and Reviewers are also great for spreading the word.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice is to have the right motivation to write. You should write because you like to be creative, not to sell lots of books and become rich and famous. The latter won’t happen. The publishing industry is largely broken. There are way too many books on the market because self publishing has caused a proliferation of titles. And traditional publishing is a corrupt system that rewards only famous authors and celebrities. Big publishers are disconnected from quality and long ago sold their soul for quarterly profit.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“All battles are won before they are ever fought.”
Sun Tzu
What are you reading now?
Lots of non fiction as research for my next novel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to write a novel exploring consciousness as a theme.
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 Sun Also Rises
Brave New World
The Fifth Discipline
The Great Stagnation
Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Botelho Website
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