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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