Author
of The Ties That Bind
1.
Warren,
what is your newest book about? It is about the concept of torture, from the
point of view of burned out actual ex torturer working for the CIA and a family
on New York’s west side who discover that their child’s tutor is a jihadist who
is instrumental in kidnapping their daughter. By an odd coincidence they join
forces and try various ways to get the child back. It deals with all facets of
the torture question and the resultant aftermath. I hope lots of people will
read it. It is one of the projects being developed for film as well.
2.
I
know you can’t compare your books against one another the way parents can’t
pick out a favorite child of theirs, but where does your latest book fit in
your body of work? I would characterize it as an intelligent
suspense thriller much in the tradition of others I have written, like
Trans-Siberian Express and Serpents Bite and many others. They deal primarily
with the revelation of character under stress. I have written many books with
this in mind, all of which are both character and plot driven.
3.
What
inspired you to write it? Did you overcome any challenges to pen it? Many of my ideas come from the fact that I am
a news junkie and a committed reader and various issues are under constant
study as my subconscious seeks ideas for stories that suddenly spring to life.
The writer’s imagination and influences are difficult to explain. Ideas emerge
and sometimes one never understands the how and why. Once committed a story,
characters and plot take on a life of their own. After many, many years of
writing, I understand the process and enter the adventure with my characters
never knowing how the story will end.
Indeed, if I knew I would never bother to write the novel.
4.
How
are things progressing with the development of the Broadway theater version of
your masterpiece, War of the Roses? The
producers have not hired a director as yet. They have a year to go on their
option. I keep my fingers crossed. Nevertheless the play, based primarily on my
novel, has been produced in many foreign venues to great acclaim. It will open
soon in Rio and there is now interest in Russia and China. It is a proven
international phenomena and will one day find its Broadway audience.
5.
What
do you know now that other writers fail to do when it comes to promoting and
marketing their books? Most novelists have very short staying
power, even if they are best sellers. They are quickly forgotten. The
traditional publishing business published 27 of my novels. I decided to become
my own publisher in the nineties long before ebooks took off. Since I have
published more than 20 books under my self-publishing indetia with seven or
eight written scheduled over the next few years. My goal is to keep my authorial
name alive beyond my lifetime, perhaps in the seventy years after my death that
my copyright will remain in effect. I
continue to use every marketing tool at my command to keep my name out there
and have signed over my movie and television rights to my sons company. They
now have eight adaptations in active development with more to come. I remain
optimistic about the long term prospects of my books worldwide well aware that
I will never know the results of this process. That is my mission. It amazes me
that at the ripe old age of 88 I am still in the ballgame writing every day. As
long as the spigot remains open I intend to immerse myself in the flood.
6.
Now
that ebook sales are down and print books are up, what do you make of the
future of the book publishing marketplace? Sorry Brian, that is a false premise. If that were true
then Barnes and Noble, the nation’s biggest chain would be soaring instead of
shrinking, meaning closing stores at a fairly fast clip. At this moment the
industry is living on “celebrity” books written by people who are active on TV
or the movies and, therefore, are promotable. Their books are mostly of the
moment and have a good chance for a quick return. It will not do much for the
fiction writer and will in the long run adulterate literature, shrink serious
readers of imaginative fiction and boost the visual business of television and
movie. The publishers are, in my estimation, living on junk food, and we all
know what a diet of junk food does to the body.
7.
Does
it anger you that someone like comedian Amy Schumer gets eight million bucks
from a Big 5 house when so many other authors can’t even get a book deal or a
decent advance? Anger? Good for Amy whoever she is. It is
all part of the desperation of the publishers seeking pop stars to gain
immediate traction or so they think. It baffles me that anyone would care about
her life or what level of importance her book will bring. Actually, I don’t
give a damn about others people’s success or failure. I am committed to my
mission, enjoying the process, grateful that my talent has endured and hope
that people are reading my books a couple of generations ahead. If not, cest la
vie.
For
more information, please consult:
Book # 7 of the Fiona Fitzgerald mystery series
Book # 7 of the Fiona Fitzgerald mystery series
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