Interview With Author Pat Bertram
1. What type of books do you write? I write mostly suspense fiction, though I have written one non-fiction book. The unifying theme in all of my books is the perennial question: Who are we? More Deaths Than One suggests we are our memories. A Spark of Heavenly suggests we are the sum total of our experiences and choices. Daughter Am I suggests we are our heritage. Light Bringer suggests we are other worldly. Grief: The Great Yearning suggests we are what we love.
2. What is your newest book about? Three years ago, my life mate/soul mate died, and the only way I could handle my overwhelming grief was to pour it out onto pages of a journal, letters to him, and blog posts. When I discovered how much those blog posts meant to people who had also suffered grievous losses, I compiled my writings into a book about my first year of grief called Grief: The Great Yearning, which, like all of my books, has been published by Second Wind Publishing.
3. What inspired you to write it? Grief itself inspired me to write the book. When I was catapulted into the world of grief, I found that so often people urged the bereft to get on with their lives without understanding that grief is how we get on with our lives. There is something dreadfully wrong with a society that expects the bereft to hide their grief after a couple of months simply because it makes people uncomfortable to see outward shows of mourning. Seeing grief makes people realize how ephemeral their lives really are, and they can’t handle it (which leaves the bereft, who already feel isolated, totally alone with their sorrow.) It also cracks the facade of our relentlessly glass-half-full society. I wanted to show the truth of grief, to show that however agonizing, grief was a normal process and can help one eventually find the way back to happiness.
4. What is the writing process like for you? Slow. Words come hard for me, so I’m grateful for whatever words I manage to get on paper. It’s amazing to me that with as sporadically and as slowly as I write, I’ve still managed to complete four and a half novels and one non-fiction book, along with almost 1,200 blog posts. I guess it just goes to show what one can do by plugging away.
5. What did you do before you became an author? Self-employed. I’ve always been sort of an iconoclast so it’s no wonder that all of my books try to debunk the myths we take for granted as truth.
6. How does it feel to be a published author? I wish I could say it felt wonderful, but although it is wonderful to be published by a small press, it just feels normal. As if it’s meant to be.
7. Any advice for struggling writers? Writing is not always about writing. Some authors can sit down and let the words flow and lo! There is a story! Other authors have to think about what they're doing. So ask yourself, what story do you want to write? Why? What do your characters want? Why? How are they going to get what they want? Who is going to stop them getting what they want?
8. Where do you see book publishing heading? I don’t know enough about technology to predict where book publishing is headed, but I do know that changes and shifts in technology will be reflected in the world of publishing. For example, people will be reading more on their phones, ebooks will eventually become multi-media --- comprising video, social networking, and other elements. My fear is that small presses will be squeezed between the juggernauts of the big six publishers and self-publishers, but my hope is that small presses will continue creating a pool of quality books for those who want well-written, well-edited, and interesting books.
Pat Bertram is the author of the suspense novels Light Bringer, More Deaths Than One, A Spark of Heavenly Fire, and Daughter Am I. Bertram is also the author of Grief: The Great Yearning, “an exquisite book, wrenching to read, and at the same time full of profound truths.” For more information, please consult: www.patbertram.com.
HAVING A BABY BY THE BOOK
I received a copy of a book that can help women address fertility issues and give birth to a healthy child, Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child, by Victoria Maizes, MD. It seems like a book that can address wellness for women overall -- and for those seeking a healthy pregnancy, it will be very useful.
The back cover summarizes it perfectly:
“The increase in environmental toxins, processed foods, and stress, as well as the advancing ages at which couples seek to have children, have made it difficult for women to conceive. In Be Fruitful, Victoria Maizes, MD, an expert on women’s health and the executive director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, delivers all the information women and their partners need to conceive with easy and confidence and to bear healthy children”
The book offers the following:
<A comprehensive self-assessment that helps readers identify the potential physical, emotional, and practical roadblocks standing between them and conception.
<A detailed description of the pre-conception doctor’s visit and how to make the most of it.
<Clear and easy-to-follow dietary, supplement, and exercise recommendations proven to lead to lasting health and optimal fertility.
<An analysis of the opportunities afforded by conventional fertility treatments.
<Information about the effects of stress and intelligent, simple ways to incorporate a mind-body practice into one’s life.
<A discussion of the benefits and risks of Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal supplements, Avurveda and other holistic treatments and spiritual practices.
There is no question that our health is linked to good nutrition, and this book supports the idea that it extends to your baby as well. For more information, please consult:
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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 blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2013
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