1.
What
inspired you to write this book?
I always had a way with words when
they were applied to paper. I achieved high marks in English classes and school
work came easy. The problem that arose, was that I did not carry the passion
that was necessary to be a writer. Every time I made the effort to write, the
boredom set in, and the words would not cooperate with my fingers, and I would
end up abandoning the project.
In my mid-twenties I had met a
neighbor who was a decade older than myself. She was an English teacher. We had
some similarities in the having fun department, so we began spending much of
our free time together. There was an evening we had planned to spend dining and
drinking together, but unexpected plans popped up at the last minute and I was
forced to cancel. Having no way of reaching her I left a note upon her door
explaining my absence. The following evening she approached me. She was wondering
who wrote the letter that was left on her door. After explaining that it would
be strange to have another person write such a personal note, I notified her
that I was the author of the message. With a bewildered look upon her face, she
expressed her opinion that the way I wrote was nothing like the way I spoke.
She then added the information that I needed to write more.
I was young and wanted to keep her
close, so I began to write. I was hoping to impress her and keep her around. As
the years rolled by our relationship didn’t work out and we went our separate
ways, but the writing persisted. I may have started writing Girls, Ghosts, and
Guilt for the wrong reasons, but after working on the text a much desired
passion grew. Over the years I became diligent in my work and began to enjoy
the ability to care about writing. The boredom that normally ensued began to
disappear and a new fondness of writing took control.
2. What
exactly is it about and who is it written for?
Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt is a story
of self-struggle. It is about an insecure person searching for acceptance
amongst his peers. Terry is the main character and he goes on a journey that
brings hardships, and dives into a world of complete madness. He is exposed to
a reality that is far from the norm. He sees and senses things that are not a
part of the average human life. He is tormented by the dead and has to battle
to keep those he loves, safe. He fights with the notion that he despises liars,
but in the end, he is a hypocrite, for his secrets are far more demoralizing
than the average white lie.
The story is written for anyone who
feels lost in their own skin. For those who do not feel worthy of
companionship. Those who do not understand why betrayal, disloyalty, and hate
have so much power in our lives. It is a tale to lose yourself in non-reality
and let someone-else deal with the consequences as you observe. It will let you
see how one deals with their form of reality, and let you scrutinize your very
own.
3. What
do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I would like for the readers to be
able to put themselves in Terry’s position. To lose the ideals of a normal
reality and ponder on the significance of, there is more in the world than
meets the eye. I have written the book in a way that lets the reader learn with
Terry. As the story ensues, Terry is educated about what he is capable of, and
what the other realms hold for him. The reader will have the ability to feel
his pain, as he deals with many common, human emotions.
Many of the circumstances
throughout the book, are those that we all have dealt with at some point in our
lives. Besides the ghost parts, the journey is relatable by a majority of the
readers. The struggle through the loss of loved ones, the insecurity that
blinds Terry, and the torment of true love, are all the scenarios of a normal
life.
4. How
did you decide on your books title and cover design?
It took a few years for the
creation of the title. When I first began writing I was still searching for the
drive and passion. The first few years were quite slow moving, and the story
was yet to progress into what it has become. The early stages it was referred
to as, A Journey Through A Yong Man’s Mind. As I became more interested in the
actual writing, I was more than half-way through the book, when I brain stormed
the current title. Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt seems to sum up the importance
elements of the concept, and has a nice ring to it.
The cover was left up to Dorrance
Publishing. When the design was shown to me, I felt intrigued and found it
quite mysterious. Liking the illustration I approved it on the spot. It has
since come to my attention that some find it dull and pointless to the actual
story. So you either love, or hate it.
5. What
advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?
In my experience I discovered that
there is nothing more fulfilling in creating something of importance than
having confidence in yourself. I always had a dark cloud of insecurity over my
head. The cloud brought darkness upon my state of mind and made it impossible
to achieve any kind of greatness with the things I created. My writing was
mediocre, there was something special about the way I added words to paper, but
there was something missing. Over years of searching for my inner self, I
discovered that I relied deeply on what others thought of me. I believed that
impressing people was the way to be liked and thought of fondly. It may have
taken up quite a bit of my life, but I discovered that the one person that
needed to believe in me… was myself.
Once I stopped caring about what
others thought, I began to develop a whole new personality. All the anxiety and
stress that consumed my every waking moment, vanished. With clear air in my
surroundings, I found a way to achieve acceptance. I accepted myself for who I
was, which released the passion necessary to complete my projects the way they
were meant to be.
My advice to anyone that believes
they have stories that will entertain the masses, is to find
your inner self. Write about what
you know or have interest in. Write for yourself and believe
that what you are writing has
worth. Step away from your work for a lengthy period of time, and when you
return, read it as if you are someone else. If you can be interested in your
own writing as if it is new to you, then you more than likely have written
something that others will find intriguing.
6. What
trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book
publishing industry is heading?
I have been writing, in one form or
another, for most of my life. Early years were spent on song writing and not
much else. I wrote a screen play in my early twenties and was planning on
filming it with a group of friends. Each character was written strictly for the
personality of the person in mind. Unfortunately getting people to do what they
say they’re going to do, without providing a cash pay-out, is nearly
impossible. Once I started writing Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt, I was well into my
thirties. As I mentioned before, I was not yet enthusiastic about writing and
many years passed before I was able to express my thoughts the way that I can
now. So, to get to the point… even though I was active in writing I was not
really present in the book world. I only read books that I had to read for
school, work, or any other activity where it was mandatory. As I became fond of
writing, I began to reach out to other authors and read their work.
What I have seen and learned in the
last ten years, is that the rise of self-publishing is on its way. I am a
self-publisher simply because I was not able to get the attention desired to
attract a traditional publisher. I was turned down continuously without any
reason to why. The few publishing firms that did take the time to explain their
denial, would tell me that it was because I was not educated outside of high
school. So for me to publish my material I was forced to do it on my own. Back
in the early days that was not an option, so authors had to forge on, and
rejection was a normal part of the business. Now days anyone with an extra
dollar in their wallet has the opportunity to get published.
Audio is another form of the book
world that has flourished in the past few years. It is quite convenient for a
reader to listen to a book being read to them on their way to and from work.
The issue with most people is the lack of time. So being able to listen to a
book is a fantastic way to get the attention of people that would normally not
give the time of day to a book if it needed to be opened and read.
Social media is one of the biggest
ways for an author to promote him, or herself now days. In the past it was up
to publishers and agents to promote, but it is a new day in the industry, and
the saying “if you want something done right, do it yourself,” has taken on a
whole new life.
The book publishing world is headed
in a direction that makes the author have to work even harder to get noticed.
It is simple to get published in the modern world, with the availability of
self-publishing, but it is a relentless task to get noticed. The issue with
self-publishing is the fact that there are so many books being published that
it is difficult to filter through the unworthy books and find the ones that
truly deserve a read through. In the past the traditional publishers had the
power to regulate the good from the bad. The problem with that method was that
what was considered good or bad, was in the hands of a few individuals. We all
know that none of us are the same and what one may love, another may not.
So, in the industry today, an
author must find a way to stick out from the crowd. In my personal experience
that is a much harder task, since my social media skills have much to be
desired. I have always been a person who thrived on the idea that my work speaks
for itself, but in a world overwhelmed with volume, it is difficult to be found
without self-promotion.
7. Were
there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when
writing this book?
Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt is a
fictional story that deals with crossing into other realms and dealing with the
dead. There are many situations in the story that most of us have dealt with at
some point throughout our lives. There are tales of lost love, death of loved
ones, dealing with mixed emotions, and much more desires that represent human
nature.
I was an extremely insecure person
as I grew through life. My family members were not available on an emotional
level. The words I love you, were unheard of as I grew up, and if they were used
there was an extreme amount of hostility and embarrassment. There was not many
words of encouragement, but every second available to bring up faults was
utilized. As I grew older I felt alone and anytime I tried to relay my feelings
I was beat down on an emotional level. I find family in people I meet
throughout my life, and have the right to pick and choose. Trust is the most
important thing, for me, when it comes to relationships. The problem that
occurs is that I find it very difficult to trust anyone because, from my
experiences, I have discovered that it merely takes time for true disloyalty to
present itself.
The main characters personal views
on life are based off of my own experiences. The way that Terry thinks and
feels about things are my views and feelings in my own life. I have met some
extraordinary people in my life and was able to adapt their stories into my
writing. Unfortunately some of those stories have turned for the worse, but
that is a life lesson that one seems to have to learn again and again. As I
write Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt, I am able to vent personal experiences as I add
extra drama and fictional parts for added excitement. My own emotional journey
has been a large influence on the book.
8. How
would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing
similar to?
I write in a very descriptive
manner. My goal is to get the reader to be able to put themselves in the shoes
of the characters that live in the story. By describing certain elements
vividly, I give the reader a better chance to lose themselves in the tale. I
believe that if you are able to imagine a scene in the same way the author sees
it, then it makes it any easier task to let your imagination run away with it.
It is important to me that the reader has the ability to feel what the
characters feel, and that they may learn things about themselves while reading
my stories. An emotional connection between the reader and the characters is my
goal as I write.
I believe that the worlds I create
in my writings are similar to those of Stephen King. Obviously, King has such
an extensive collection that I am speaking of those novels that deal with the
unexplainable. One of my favorite authors is Simon R. Green. He has quite a
large collection as well, but he has a series called ghost finders. Our stories
of the dead and what they are capable of, are quite different, but our
similarities lie in the way that the characters usually learn as the story
progresses.
9. What
challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
I learned to be able to write for
myself. Even though the truth of the matter was that I started the book to
impress a girl, the reason for writing the novel as I continued to pluck away
at the keys… changed. As I wrote this book I was able to release the thoughts
that have kept me up at night. It became a form of self-therapy. I have always
struggled with being accepted by others, and I truly believed that it mattered
how others saw me. As I continue to write I have found a sense of self-worth. I
have learned that if I can become content with what I write that is what
matters most.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week
or month, why should it be yours?
Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt Volume 1,
brings together the unexplainable with elements of everyday scenarios. We all
struggle with self-confidence and find that our emotions will take control of
our lives, if we let them. This book allows the reader to compare their lives
with Terry and focuses on problematic situations that we all have to deal with.
If you want to lose yourself in a story that surpasses a normal reality and
allows you to take your mind on a trip through utter-insanity and come out safe
on the other side, then Girls, Ghosts, and Guilt Volume 1 is for you.
About The Author: Terry is the
protagonist in the story. A young man who is discovering that his life is
filled with unbelievable circumstances that make it impossible to lead a normal
existence. He is bewildered by the complex issues that take place, and fights
with the fact that honesty and sincerity have no place in his world. Terry is
confronted by issues that most humans have to deal with in their life time.
Besides the unexplainable Terry must power through the loss of loved ones, the
fact that he is not able to be honest with those he cares about, and the guilt
and frustration that occurs from the tactics he must use. As the story progresses,
Terry discovers more of his capabilities which allows the reader to learn and
grow with him through the journey. Terry unwillingly sees ghosts and is
constantly haunted by what he does not understand. He meets certain souls down
his path of life that try to help him through his journey, but his
insecurity’s, and emotional damage makes it a tough for anyone to get through
to him. He tries to do what he feels is the right thing, but events that take
place make it impossible for him to determine right from wrong.
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About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
