Tuesday 18 February 2014

Bucket Full Of Lies by Robert K Swisher Jr

Robert K. Swisher Jr. has been writing contemporary fiction since 1967. Twelve of his novels were published ranging from young adult, contemporary, to historical fiction and seven of these books are still in print, of which three have been converted to e-books. He has received reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and many others. Recently he has gone indie and released a four book mystery series, Bob Roosevelt and his snide guardian angel - BUCKET FULL OF LIES, TROUT FISHING FOR BODIES, DOUBLE BOGEY MURDER, and, FROGS DON'T CROAK IN THE WINTER, and, a funny golf book - CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOLF GOD. Today he's popped over to my book blog to answer a few questions about A Bucket Full of Lies.

 
1)  Please describe BUCKET FULL OF LIES in twenty words or less:

Funny, sarcastic, a detective looking for love in all the wrong places and his guardian angel who is only looking for a good time - he thinks his boss is boring.

2)  What is your writing process from inspiration, editing, to feeling your books are ready for publication?
I normally have about ten ideas running around in my head.  I write them down and then one day I realize the ending for the idea.  I then work toward the end.  Each book is its own journey that I have no idea where it will take me when I start.  After writing the initial draft I go over the book four or five times, let it rest for sometimes up to a year, go over it again and have had enough.  I now use a professional editor for many reasons - my spelling is terrible and I don't like a lot of punctuation.

3)  BUCKET FULL OF LIES is one of a series of four mysteries. can you tell us more about the series and how you came up with such interesting titles - TROUT FISHING FOR BODIES, DOUBLE BOGEY MURDER, and, FROGS DON'T CROAK IN THE WINTER?
I had an idea about a detective that was looking for love and his center.  I wanted him moral and upright, kind of a strange concept in our modern world, but then he has a Guardian Angel that is a defrocked 14th century monk - he was caught having sex in return for forgiving sins.  While the Guardian Angel is God driven to protect Roosevelt he really wants to be the Guardian Angel for a rock star.  The mysteries are filled with banter between the two - they have a love hate relationship.  The mysteries are a look at our modern life and intended to be funny, thus the titles.  I have one more in the works - BEACH BUM TANGO.

4)  You've written in various genres, can you tell us which is your favorite genre, if you have one, and why?
Fourteen of my novels were published before I went indie.  I wrote historical fiction, contemporary fiction, young adult, a book of poetry, and a book of fables.  Eight of these books are still in print and the publisher has released three as e-books.  They are all serious and received many good reviews from Publishers Weekly, Mis-west Book Review and others.  Right now I am enjoying writing humour but I also have six finished novels, five serious and one funny.  I write what moves me now - so no I really don't have a favourite - I like writing and the process - it keeps me from taking up a life of crime.

5)  Do you have a favourite writing place or a routine you follow?

Any place works but I write five or six hours a day and I take the weekend off.  I have been doing this since 1967 and have learned you have to take time off...writing is a calling but it is also a job. I do spend one afternoon a week on promotion.  I am not a closet writer I want people to read my words,

6)  What do you think a new writer should no before attempting to write their own book?I taught a class called THE REALITIES OF WRITING...the first thing I told people was to write a book you have to put your rear in the chair and start.  Don't be afraid, don't copy, write what is in your head.  People have a tendency to over complicate the process - just do it.  If what you start to write you don't like throw it away.  I have written over thirty novels, placed 19, have six in boxes, and threw away the others and I am working on two now.  Also, don't take too much advice, most people who give the advice are teachers - they are not writers.  Writing cannot be taught, spelling, grammar, punctuation and all that can - if you have a story tell it.

7)  What are your writing dreams for the future?I want to put out the books that are ready...one I really like titled HOW BRIDGE MCCOY LEARNED HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU - a guy that walks two steps forward and then one backward but when he tries to tell the lady he has fallen in love with he starts to choke.  And to write more books.  I would like to sell enough to move to the islands and try my hand at being a beach bum for a few months.

For all you writers...keep at it... don't give up...bad reviews are as good as good reviews and they invented editors to fix there, their, it's, its, too, to, and all those other pesky little devils.

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