Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Interview With Author Ken McGorry


Ghost Hampton

1.      What inspired you to write your book? My wife and I drove past a nice old house in Westhampton Beach, NY, a few years ago. She happens to work in real estate and said, “That house is haunted. The buyer told me after he moved in that a ghost girl visits his young daughters in their room at night.” That immediately got my wheels turning, I was looking for a new topic for a second novel. Then she added, “The place used to be a brothel back in the 1800s.” …and I was on my way.

2.      What is it about? Ghost Hampton is a novel set in the present day in a fictionalized Bridgehampton, NY. “Lyle Hall,” the protagonist, must face his demons, both real and imagined, after seeing an apparition of a young Victorian-era girl outside an old former brothel now facing demolition. The ghost girl wants his help in some way. And she shows Lyle an appalling vision: his own daughter’s headstone, her engraved date of death only four days away! In his desperation, Lyle inadvertently leaks his ghostly encounter and a media frenzy results. Into this scene strides “Silk,” a scheming TV reporter who preys on Lyle Hall’s Achilles heel – beautiful women.

3.      What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? It’s nearly impossible to rehabilitate your reputation. Bad acts can reverberate long past your own time on earth. Family: you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

4.      What advice do you have for writers? Believe in yourself and your talent – and prove it every day by how hard you work.

5.      Where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Remember Napster? Eventually, many apps like Spotify devoured a monolithic music industry. Pent-up musical creativity found its way out into the world. Unsigned unknowns could compete with the U2s and the Beyonces. Something similar is happening with traditional publishing. Unsigned, unknown authors are taking the bull by the horns and using digital technology. 

6.      What challenges did you have in writing your book? I think so many challenges boil down to being time-and-money problems. It’s so difficult to have both simultaneously. So many nascent writers toil away at “day jobs” they don’t love to support what they do love. Then, when you’re lucky enough to get the breathing room to sit down and write…you have to pray that your muse will be present.

7.      If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? Oh…Ghost Hampton is more than one book. Maybe a book-and-a-half. It has intertwining stories: a broken family, a broken protagonist, a “haunted whorehouse” that becomes a cause celeb, and a murderous drug-and-prostitution gang. It has a cast of memorable, believable characters who interact in realistic settings. Even the paranormal activity is rooted in gutsy reality. And, since so many characters know each other all too well – especially the controversial reluctant hero, Lyle Hall – you can enjoy the “Larry David”-style contention that comes to the fore in nearly every scene. Ghost Hampton is the first in a planned trilogy, and you don’t have to look too hard to spot where the next two stories are going!


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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. 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 © 2016

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