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author’s answers as direct quotes.
Q. How long did it take you to write The
Clovis Chronicles?
A. From
the time I got the original idea until the first copy of book one was published it took about
two and a half years. During the time that it took me to write the book, I had also
enrolled in and completed some fiction writing classes. It took me about seven
months to write book two.
Q. In this day and age of digital
technology and multiple formats have you considered making your book available in
additional forms such as ebooks and audio books?
A. I'm glad that you asked that, yes-I've considered such things
and the book is actually availble in three different ebook formats and an audio book will
be produced very soon.
Q. What are the different ebook formats of
your book?
A. My
publisher, Lulu Press created a downloadable version of my book in the Adobe Reader (PDF)
format. Amazon.com has a new ebook reading device called the Kindle which is selling like hotcakes and so The Clovis Chronicles is now available in that format and can be
purchased through the Amazon.com Web site. Finally, my book is also available in the
Mobipocket version (www.mobipocket.com) which is a very popular format that can be read on
PDA's and cellular telephones. I've tried covering all of the bases format wise.
Q. How many additional books do you plan on
writing for the series?
A. At
least four but that number could go higher. For one thing, I think it will depend on the
popularity of the series.
Q. Why did you create The Clovis Chronicles series?
A. Up
until this book, I had only written non-fiction. When the idea for the plot came to mind,
I just couldn’t get it out of my head. Once I sat down and started writing Boomerang, book one of The Clovis Chronicles, I
found that I really enjoyed writing fiction.
Q. Why did you choose the Christian fiction
genre to write in?
A. First
of all, my book has a Christian theme. Secondly, at present, Christian fiction is the
fastest growing segment of book publishing.
Q. Why is that do you suppose?
A. I
think folks, Christian or not, are very tired of reading books that are filled with
obscenity, sex, and violence. Books are the same as movies; they don’t have to be
filled with “garbage” to be entertaining.
Q. Why did you choose Clovis as the setting for
your book?
A. It didn’t take me long after arriving in
Clovis in the late 1980’s to discover what a rich history that the city has for
itself. The longer that I lived here the more interesting historical facts I came across.
I’d then start sharing some of that knew knowledge with others and they always seemed
quite surprised that Clovis had such an interesting past.
Q. Are the historical references about Clovis
and the rest of the world accurate?
A. To the best of my knowledge
they are, I tried my hardest to keep the historical facts on target.
Q. What sources did you utilize to document the
historical facts about Clovis?
A. I
pulled information from previously published articles in the Clovis News Journal and from
the online archive of the News Journal. In
2007, Freedom Newspapers of New Mexico published a book to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Clovis and it contained a lot of
valuable information and so I extracted a lot of information from that source as
well.
I also managed to purchase a copy of a rare book entitled The Clovis, New Mexico, Story which was published in 1966. Finally, Mr.
Don McAlavy, Clovis historian extraordinaire was a great source of information for which I
will be forever greatful.
Q. What message or messages are you trying to
convey with your book?
A. A
lot of messages; like that of hope, encouragement, faith, courage, and one of the biggest
being that one is never too old and it’s never too late to fulfill the destiny that
God has for them. Also, the primary plot of the book deals with the ways the world and the
forces of evil try to thwart everything of God and that most folks don’t have a clue
as to that reality.
Q. Did Buddy Holly really record some of his
albums in Clovis?
A. Yes,
he did. Some of his biggest hits such as Peggy
Sue and That’ll be the Day were recorded at Norman Petty Studios in
Clovis. Petty wasn’t the only successful musician to record in Clovis either. Stars
such as Buddy Knox, George Tomsco and the Fireballs, Roy Orbison, and Waylon Jennings all
did some recording in Clovis.
Q. The two main characters in your book who are
Christians have some pretty bad things happen to them– why is that?
A. During
my lifetime I’ve encountered both Christians and non-Christians alike who for some
odd reason believe that once a person becomes a Christian, they are supposed to suddenly
have some kind of supernatural force-field around them that protects for the rest of their
lives. That kind of thinking can truly wreck havoc on a person’s faith in God.
Q. What are your thoughts on UFO’s and
visitors from other planets?
A. I
do not believe there has ever been in existence, verifiable proof that flying saucers come
from another planet. I believe that all UFO and supposed alien encounters is all of human
manufacture and has a direct connection of some kind with the occult and quite possibly
Satanism. I believe
that the UFO/Alien interest that is generated among mankind is simply a way of distracting
people from the truth about God and his plan of salvation. Whether it’s a well
organized operation or just a way of thinking that infects a person’s mind, I do not
know.
Q. Do you believe in miracles?
A. Absolutely.
I have witnessed with my very own eyes the miracle healing of individuals. In fact,
I’ve had several personal experiences with miracles myself, both with physical
healing and in supernatural situations and divine appointments.
Q. Do you believe that the end of days is truly
near?
A. I
personally believe that it is quite feasible for the Lord to return for His children at
any second now. I believe that any and all events that were required to occur prior to the
end of days, has already happened and that there is absolutely nothing preventing the
return of Jesus Christ, right now.
Q. What else have you written in the past?
A. Up
until The Clovis Chronicles, I
had only written non-fiction items. I started out by writing a weekly newspaper column for
a number of years. I then wrote a book on how to harness the power of Internet Explorer
and how to make the most of one’s access to the Internet. In the past few years,
I’ve written a large volume of poetry and I’ve made some of that work available
both in a printed book and an audio book form. My lastest project was to create a 30 day
devotional–it’s the first of a series.
Q. How long have you lived in Clovis?
A. Off
and on for over twenty years. I moved here in the summer of 1987. Upon arrival, I quickly announced that
I’d only stay a few weeks. You can see where that got me.
Q. Throughout your book there are references to
angels and demons; have you yourself ever seen an angel or a demon?
A. No,
I haven’t. In the
past though, I’ve met some folks who have and I have absolutely no doubt that what
they encountered was the real thing.
Q. So, you personally believe in angels and
demons then?
A. I
sure do. There are so many references to them in the Bible it would be impossible to deny
their existence.
Q. What church do you attend regularly?
A. While
in Clovis, my wife and I attend Legacy Life Family Church.
Whenever we are in northwest Florida, where I grew up, we attend the River of Life Family
Church in Niceville.
Q. Could you provide some facts about your
family situation?
A. My
wife Susan, whom I met in Clovis, and I have been married nineteen years. Between the two us,
we have eight
children and sixteen grandchildren. Susan is the best part of my life–she’s the
sunshine of my heart.
Q. You provided your testimony in the back of books
one and two and we
were wondering why you did that?
A. A
few years ago, a good friend of mine who is in the ministry, told me that she felt
compelled by the Holy Spirit to tell me to always put my testimony and contact information
in whatever books I publish. We see it as a form of ministry and obedience.
Q. So, can people who have read your book
freely contact you?
A. Absolutely,
I always provide my personal email address in my books. It may take me awhile to respond,
but I will endeavor to personally answer each and every one of them, that is, until the
amount I regularly receive is just too much for me to handle. |