Interview with Author James Walter Lee

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?
The relationships in Charles Webb’s novel The Graduate always intrigued me. I wanted a similar dynamic for my novel, Kilómetro Cero, but unlike The Graduate, I imagined a young male protagonist who falls for and chases an older woman who, in my novel, is an associate of his father’s, and whom his father secretly desires.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?
It’s about a young man who is at the point in his life where he’s about to take a major step into adulthood. He’s still immature, but wants to be taken seriously, as he sees how people respect and admire his father. He’s also handsome and finding girls to sleep with comes too easily for him, so he lacks respect for women, especially around his age. Although Kilómetro Cero is, at its center, a romance story, it should also appeal to readers who enjoy family sagas, erotica, and literary novels.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
The aim of Kilómetro Cero is to entertain, make people laugh, and consider the different shapes love manifests.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
Kilómetro Cero is a marker in Madrid, Spain, which marks the geographic center of the country. It’s also the location in the story that marks a turning point for the main character, Nick Evers. For the cover, I wanted Spanish tiles incorporated into the design. I worked with Ebook Launch, who did a fantastic job designing the cover.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?
Study your craft. Be intentional about everything you do. Read work by brilliant authors. Read novels by Nobel Prize or Pulitzer Prize winners. Some of my favorites are works by John Updike and Kazuo Ishiguro.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 
I think, not to anyone’s surprise, the trend of self-publishing or small press published authors is going to continue to grow.

7. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?
When I wrote Kilómetro Cero, I was reading John Updike’s Rabbit Is Rich and Couples. I found it interesting that Elmore Leonard once said that he didn’t read fiction when he was working on a novel, because he didn’t want to be influenced by another writer’s work. If Updike’s writing subconsciously influenced me and his style made it into my novel, I wouldn’t mind it one bit.

8. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
Managing time with family was the biggest hurdle. I wrote and finished Kilómetro Cero in 2021, along with another novel that I’m currently editing titled A House of Cranes.

9. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?
For readers who love romance, erotica, family sagas, or literary novels, Kilómetro Cero offers an unconventional love story where two people struggle against societal norms. There's plenty of family drama, love triangles, and spicy sex scenes to entertain anyone. 

About Ther Author: James Walter Lee is an American author. His debut novel, Kilómetro Cero, released in November 2023, won a Literary Titan Award. He is also an INDIEFAB Awards finalist for his short story collection, Tooth and Talon. He holds a Master’s in Fine Arts from The New York Academy of Art and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the College for Creative Studies. James is also an avid photographer and lives in Pennsylvania. For more info, please see: https://jameswalterlee.com

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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.