Evil Winds: Tradecraft Phase Two
1. What really inspired you to
write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a
book?
Not
too unlike the main characters in my book who were inspired to act after
witnessing atrocities committed in front of them, I draw inspiration from my
experiences. They’re the basis for my writing. The things I’ve seen through my
travels, the people I've met, the stories I've listened to others tell, the
events I've witnessed — I’m moved by these interactions. I feel compelled to
write about the world I live in and I want these stories to be heard, so I
share them — albeit through the lens of their fictionalized
retelling.
2. What is it about and whom
do you believe is your targeted reader?
Evil Winds explores the current plight of Darfurian
refugees through the eyes of the displaced Darfurians themselves, as well as
those who would both help and harm them. It shines a light on
the humanitarian crisis currently occurring in the region in an effort to
make that a greater part of the global political conversation.
Its
target audience encompasses pensive readers who appreciate realism and want to
know more about the world around them. My books are works of fiction, but the
characters, emotions, struggles and scenes are plausible, realistic and
identifiable to the reader. I hope to stir the reader’s emotions as well as
stimulate his or her intellect through thought-provoking, realistic thrillers.
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 when my readers put down Evil Winds, they do so with greater
understanding of the bigger picture, which is that people are living their
lives throughout the globe in much the same way, even if their circumstances
are different. The experience of good and evil, of love and despair, is
universal — and each person is trying to make it through their day in much the
same way, trying to meet their basic needs and achieve their dreams of a better
life.
4. What advice or words of
wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
Develop
a routine and schedule protected time to write every day. Keep true to your
passion and never give up on your goals. Like many writers, I have had my fair
share of rejection letters. I analyze the advice and criticism I receive and
use it to improve my writing, but I never allow external feedback to derail my
goals of bringing my finished story to the readers — and neither should other
writers.
5. What trends in the book
world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
I
can be a bit old-school in my thinking about books and book publishing, and so
I've been very surprised by the success the ebook versions of my Tradecraft
thriller titles have seen. In the beginning of 2018, I ran a promo in which the
first title in the series, Vector: Tradecraft Phase Zero, was free to
download on Amazon for 5 days — and over 4K people downloaded the book. That
was shocking to me. And I think it really means times have changed. People are
reading ebooks more and more these days, and these digital version of print
books certainly aren't going away anytime soon.
6. What great challenges did
you have in writing your book?
I
struggled to find an agent early in my writing career. It was at a time when my
writing skills were not as developed as they could have been, but I learned
greatly from the process and focused on improving my writing through workshops,
conferences, and reading. When I finally found an agent, our goals were not
aligned so I chose to self-publish. It’s been a long road, but I’ve been happy
to maintain my own voice and style as my writing has matured.
7. If
people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
The
topic is relevant and provoking, not only emotionally, but intellectually — and
it's exciting. In the book, an eager young journalist and a disillusioned NGO
doctor make it their mission to reveal the truth in Darfur regardless of
personal or professional cost. The characters are sympathetic and the story
itself both entertains and informs, while remaining realistic and relatable.
People should pick Evil Winds as their read this month if they want to
both be entertained and gain a deeper insight into a part of the world they may
not know much about.
About Michael Shusko, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACOEM: He is an author,
medical doctor and decorated Marine and Naval officer who has worked on
intelligence and medical missions across the globe. Fluent in Arabic, he holds
a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern studies from Rutgers University, Medical
Degree from Wake Forest University, and Masters of Public Health from Harvard
University. His Middle Eastern experience and language skills coupled with his
background in special operations and intelligence keep him busy deploying
around the world and he has been awarded the Bronze Star twice for service in
Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently lives in Japan with his wife and 18-year-old
triplet sons. For more info, please see: http://www.michaelshusko.com/
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Brian
Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas
expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or
anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and
email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when
discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©
2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.
This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
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resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America
and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute
Conference.
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