Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I produced ‘books’ of lined sheets of paper stapled together, with illustrations by the ‘author’ at age 4! The subject matter was usually my dog! Later, once I developed a lifelong love of comics and pop culture thanks to growing up in the 1980’s and being surrounded with so many now-iconic TV and film franchises, I began first submitting to locally-produced newsletters and fanzines, as well as semi-professional student-body newspapers. In junior and senior years of high school that was a newspaper called ‘High School Happenings’, which featured some of my earliest poetry, and that led to having the confidence to submit reviews and articles to the provincial newspaper ‘The Telegram’. I followed that with articles in ‘The Herald’, which is akin to the provincial ‘TV Guide’. I collaborated with friends on multiple fanzines, everything from spoofs on ‘The Weekly World News’ which we entitled ‘Stranger Times’, to a fanzine of original science-fiction and fantasy stories from myself and those who submitted, entitled ‘Random Access’. I have written one book professionally, ‘His Soldier’s Coat: Private Gabriel Ryan And The Knights Of Columbus Fire Of 1942’.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘His Soldier’s Coat: Private Gabriel Ryan And The Knights Of Columbus Fire Of 1942’. The main title takes it’s name from a poem from the American Civil War that my grandfather, who is the subject of my book, enjoyed as a fellow soldier himself. It is a nonfiction account of my grandfather’s harrowing and life-changing experiences being trapped inside a raging inferno during a dance that took place at the Knights Of Columbus building in 1942. This event was attended by many soldiers of different Allied branches all stationed in or furloughed in St John’s, Newfoundland, now a Canadian province but during World War Two under the auspices of the British Empire. To this day, there is heavy debate as to the exact cause of the fire; many suspected sabotage from Axis influences, though this has never been proven. Due to the confined spaces, the shape and age of the structure, and the blackout conditions imposed against enemy bombings at the time, escape was not an easy option whatsoever. My grandfather chose to help as many people as he humanly could to be saved, and in so doing was injured, struck by a falling beam that affected him physically the rest of his life. Growing up I had heard snippets of the story over the years but my grandfather was reluctant to discuss it openly; he was at heart a quiet man and preferred not to dwell on his war experiences. Finally, when I was approximately 12 years old, my mother cajoled him into documenting the bulk of his experiences, and to soften the subject matter, he peppered his memoirs with anecdotes of his youth growing up in a very small and remote community of Newfoundland, and of childhood adventures with his family. This material, combined with research into the time period, I would later utilize and rely on greatly to fashion the book itself, which I primarily wrote in tribute to him not long after his passing. I have been grateful for the attention it has gotten and I am honoured to have been able to bring his own words and memories of not just the horrific events of the fire but his own life experiences growing up during an economically depressed time in Newfoundland to life. Everything in the book is either his own words or my extrapolation from them. It will likely go down as the most personal and most important work I ever undertook.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have never viewed writing or the act of producing creative work as a ‘job’…the second that creeps into my mind, I have to put any written work aside, as going to a mental and emotional place inside my heart and mind during the writing process is not one in which I can bring forth on demand. I have to ‘feel’ what I am writing, be passionate about the subject matter and have a vested interest in doing as good a job as I am capable with the work. Thus, I likely wouldn’t ever be able to ‘phone it in’ or write to a deadline! Writing for me centers me and balances me and is close to a spiritual experience. So in terms of ‘unusual’ as writing habits, I would have to say I have the rare ability to put something away and not obsess over it or feel I am not being ‘productive’ by forcing words out. If I am not ‘feeling’ what I am writing, then I’ll revisit it later.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many to count! I grew up with the vivid tales of comic books, which I feel is fully underrated and undervalued for the educational and communicative tools they truly are and always were. Though I wouldn’t ever claim to be in the same league as he, I greatly value the work of Alan Moore; from ‘Swamp Thing’ to ‘Watchmen’ to ‘V For Vendetta’ and others, Alan Moore has demonstrated he is a literary genius. Harlan Ellison is also a major influence; his prose flows like water over a lake. However, limiting ‘influences’ to established writers or even to books does the written word a disservice. I could be influenced by a well-written Facebook post from a friend, or even a pithy bumper sticker! The entire world is an influence. Life itself is an influence.
What are you working on now?
I am in the process of adapting my book ‘His Soldier’s Coat’ to an audio-book format. I also have been perusing a collection of poetry that I have compiled over the years that I had entitled ‘Houdini’s Remains’ which I am polishing up for a potential release.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Twitter is effective to at least spread the word with appropriate hashtags. Instagram also helps, though both require a great deal of time and attention. My book ‘His Soldier’s Coat’ is on the Amazon of several countries, and generally sharing the appropriate link to potential buyers in those markets has been effective. The subject matter of military history has also opened up a lot of doors metaphorically; the public tends to view it with respect and dignity, which is gratifying.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t become obsessed with the notion that you ‘must’ produce words on a page or a screen every day just for the sake of saying you did so. Writing is an art, it is a skill, and while it must be practiced, even the largest bodybuilders take time away from the gym. Don’t worry if a day, a week, or a month or more goes by without you producing something that you feel is ‘worthy’. Let those who work on deadlines in magazines etc worry about deadlines. Robert Frost was an elderly man before he became famous for his poetry; clearly, he took the time to enjoy other aspects of his life as well. Once you decide to be a writer in your heart, then that’s what you are, but unless you are under some form of imposed deadline, don’t worry about producing ‘all’ the time. Let your words breathe and live in your mind before forcing them out.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to an informed opinion. Nobody is entitled to be ignorant’. – Harlan Ellison.
What are you reading now?
Hundreds of different things monthly. I pour through stacks of comic books, whether to finally finish the runs of those I collected haphazardly in my youth, or current titles. My tastes vary: in terms of books, I am currently reading a ‘Doctor Who’ novel entitled ‘Molten Heart’ by Una McCormack, a collection of stories revolving around Wayne Gretzky entitled ‘Facing Wayne Gretzky’ by Brian Kennedy, and I’m listening to an audio-book entitled ‘America Before’ by the wonderfully academic maverick Graham Hancock.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To finally adapt as a novel a ‘Doctor Who’ fan-film script I co-wrote in 1992 and that was only partially completed as a fan-film, entitled ‘The Oracle Of Time’. With the mainstream appeal now of ‘Doctor Who’, the time appears to be right to do so, and as is would be purely for the creative endeavor of doing so as I certainly don’t have the rights to that or any SF property, it would hopefully be a charitable effort, with proceeds going towards a registered charity. Other than that, the aforementioned audio-book version of ‘His Soldier’s Coat’ book which I will narrate myself, which is quite a powerfully personal experience for me and a great joy to tell my grandfather’s story in his grandson’s voice.
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?
Without a doubt, ‘Absolute Watchmen’ the over-sized recent edition would top the list. Not merely for the extra material, interviews with creators and personnel involved in that masterpiece of a graphic novel, but also as the original comic series reveals something new every time I read it; it is the most nuanced and articulate expression of just how powerful a medium comic books are. Next, the autobiography of the hockey player Phil Esposito, ‘Thunder And Lightning’; it is a laugh-out-loud account of the man’s hockey career, including his infamous experiences playing in the Canada/Soviet Union ‘Summit Series’ of 1972. It is written in a boozy, breezy style and Esposito pulls no punches, which is quite refreshing in a current political climate in which far too many tremble and cower at the thought of offending anyone. Lastly, I found ‘Inside Star Trek: The Real Story’ by Herbert F Solow and Robert H Justman to be a fascinating read. A combination of historical document detailing the story pitches that led to the creation of the original ‘Star Trek’ TV series, with biographical information on key personnel involved, a broad overview of the state of affairs in North American television production practices in the mid-1960’s, and a blow-by-blow account of the day-to-day production duties and mishaps of two men intimately involved in helping to produce what has become a cultural touchstone for generations. I am fascinated by behind-the-scenes stories such as those.
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