Friday, June 9, 2017

Interview With Author Sean Kennedy

Into the Fire: Poems from Australia 

Sean Kennedy is an Australian geologist who has spent much of his career exploring minerals in the outback. He discovered lime and gypsum deposits—the latter being sighted on a commercial flight from Adelaide to Melbourne. During quiet times in the resources sector, he taught geology in South Australia and Scotland. He currently lives in Adelaide and is married with two children and four grandchildren. For more information, please see: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Fire-Sean-Kennedy/dp/1524520063

1.      What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? I belong to a tennis club.  After each evening we played, we were asked to contribute an item. Some chose to sing, others ran a general knowledge quiz.  A friend of mine, a leading expert on the dung beetle, presented to us on his profession. To commemorate this, I composed a poem on his work.  This is in my book.  Other poems followed and soon there were enough to launch my poetic memoir “Into the Fire,” which highlights the small but significant moments in my life.

2.      What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? My book, “Into the Fire,” comprises 21 poems on a variety of topics that focus on my life in Australia. True stories from my outback experiences as a geologist, the psychology of queues, ballads on fictitious characters, experiments with poem forms, the game of cricket, the terror of bushfires. Seemingly small and insignificant moments that provide a glimpse into my life.  My targeted readers are anyone who would wish to learn about life in Australia.  To that end, I have included map of the local area to show where these poems take place.

3.      What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? I hope that readers would inquire more about my life and inspiration for “Into the Fire.”  I hope that they find I am a guy with a good sense of humor.  They might even be inspired to book their next holiday in Australia. 

4.      What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? Choose a topic in which you have personal experience or a topic on which you possess a strong affection.  The poems may flow out of you, or they may be hard to come by.  In any event, do not be afraid to edit the poems, sometimes several times over.  Some poems from my book took six rewrites!

5.      What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? The emphasis towards online publishing has been going on for some time. If you look close enough, you will notice a return to printed books, just like a return to vinyl records has been manifest in the music scene. I believe this can only be a good thing.

6.      What great challenges did you have in writing your book? Sometimes I will only half complete a poem before it is time to retire for the night, but then I lie awake thinking of the next line or two. When my Eureka moment comes I jump out of bed to scribble them down. his behavior is not designed to encourage domestic bliss!  Sometimes the rhymes pour out of me, faster than I can write them down.  Other times, I pore over a half-finished verse for hours.  Sometimes the advice of a friend is offered to escape a rhyming conundrum. This can be useful, or it may be counterproductive.  The trick is to recognize which. 

7.      If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? “Into the Fire” is a poet’s creation which shines like a beam among offerings from other poets.  The shear scope of the works reflects the inner musings of a man who has had more than his share of adventure on the planet.  The various crises are described in lively detail.  Above all, my sense of humor, is conveyed to the discerning reader.

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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 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs 

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