Monday, July 8, 2013

Interview With Steven Nedelton, Author of ‘Nemesis’



What type of books do you write, Steven? My favorite writing genres are Suspense, Mystery, Crime and Noir—the basic, light reading and most popular entertainment novel categories. Occasionally, I venture into serious areas of social issues. I have to add that some of my books are written under my proper name and others under my pen-name, Ned Stevens.

What is your newest book about? ‘Nemesis’ is the Part II, the ending of ‘A Suitcase Mystery’ thriller. In a few words—a deadly secret is found in a suitcase full of stolen gold. Years later, it leads to a series of unexplainable murders while the FBI hunts for a top foreign killer spy.

The story starts in Latvia, near Riga, during the final days of the Second World War. A young boy Ben Kalninsh searches an abandoned coal mine tunnel for stolen guns the soldiers hid inside. Unfortunately for him, he meets an AWOL Soviet Army officer on the run instead. The officer is involved in a theft of a large amount of gold from one of his superiors and had it hidden inside the same tunnel. Unknown to him, one of the valises holds also a diary with top Soviet secrets related to espionage in the US. And so, by entering the tunnel, Ben sets into motion deadly events which will follow him into his adult life.
Years later, in Minnesota, his father is gunned down. And no one knows why. FBI agents approach Ben with the news of the murder of his father. Special Agent Miriam Dokes and Agent Book are assigned to the case which includes the torture and murder of his father’s doctor friend, Karlis Goulbis.
The FBI manager, Bob Sawyer, has a hunch there's something much more valuable than the stolen gold. Due to so many secret projects and so many years gone by, the affair becomes the proverbial search for a "needle in a haystack". In order to find the answers, Ben, the principal character, needs to go back to Switzerland, to a bank where the gold is hidden. And, from there on, Death stalks Ben and all other participants in the gold heist. Nemesis provides the denouement of the story.

What inspired you to write it? I met a Latvian man years ago and he used to tell me about his hard life during the Nazi occupation. I knew very little about Latvia except for the Riga horrors of the Second World War and thought the venue would be interesting to explore through a novel. It turned out I had a location and a character but nothing more. Like in my other novels, my imagination took over and conjured the rest.

What is the writing process like for you? Normally, I get an idea and then start writing. I don’t follow a particular schedule in the process. I write when I feel I have something to contribute to the story and I develop it as it progresses. My work process is dictated by the quality of my ideas. On occasions when I have the ‘ball rolling,’ I might stay late into the night. Other times, I don’t touch the computer for a day or two, even longer.       

What did you do before you became an author? I was always an avid reader but I am a Mechanical Engineer and I used to work in Aerospace. I hold a Master’s degree. I am also a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio.

How does it feel to be a published author? It is a great feeling until the book marketing headaches begin. I was published twice by a small publisher, with ‘Dangerous Trade’ (‘Crossroads,’  then) and ‘The Raven Affair’. But, since 2012, I am publishing my novels myself through Amazon.com. Presently, I have six novels and they are displayed on my website, www.snedelton.com.

Any advice for struggling writers? It depends on the problem. Writing is a matter of ideas, talent and of acquiring the skill. Some people develop it through reading; others are born with the gift. However, the most difficult part of writing is selling—the marketing of books and my expertise is not in that field.   

Where do you see book publishing heading?  It looks like the independent publishing is the future. It is also conceivable that the libraries will start carrying books by the independent authors. And that is where the writers’ steady income will come from. On the other hand, it appears that there will be a lot of people dropping out of the field because of poor sales.

The interested thriller devotees can find ‘Nemesis’/’A Suitcase Mystery’ on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and at a few other sites in e-book and soon, in paperback formats.  ‘Nemesis’ and ‘A Suitcase Mystery’ are displayed on my website too, at www.snedelton.com.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013







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