Interview With Author Thomas Blackshear

1. What inspired you to write this book?
We have a broken child support system. Each state has its own set of rules for establishing support based on the parents' income. At the end of my story, I present a resolution that can be used uniformly nationwide to establish responsibilities to be shared by both parents based on the child's needs, instead of the current income based orders that vary from state-to-state. These laws may cause more parents to defy the laws than to comply.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?
The book is about what I went through dealing with the court, and the mother of my two youngest children. I was fighting a judgment that was not in line with the state guidelines, and I refused to pay what was ordered until it was modified to fit the state's guidelines. While my story is based on what happened to me in one state, parents in every state have similar stories. The book is written for all parents, including those that are in same sex relationships. You never know when that day will come and you have to part ways. I want parents to fight to establish a uniform support system based on the children's needs. These needs can be taken care of without any money being exchanged between parents, thus taking the court out of the picture, unless one parent isn't taking care of their responsibilities. It also keeps both parents actively in the lives of their children.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I hope they will understand what some parents go through trying to be a part of their children's lives and the obstacles they may face dealing with a court that doesn't take into account the children's need of having both parents in their lives. I also hope that they understand that you have to fight for your rights when an injustice has occurred. Some say that I left my children without their father when I went to jail and prison. I agree, but it was because I wasn't scared of the system. It shouldn't have taken so long to correct the injustice that had been done. I hope there will be more parents who step up to change the system.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
I became "The Child Support Felon" when I refused to pay the illegal amount ordered by the court for my youngest two children. At first, I wanted my picture that appeared on a wanted poster for "Deadbeat Dads" on the cover, but when I couldn't obtain a copy of it, I chose the design of the children looking hopelessly at their father in a jail cell. I think it shows how both the children and the parent feel about the situation.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?
If you are not picked up by a traditional publisher, which rarely happens if you are a first-time author, then self-publish your book. Do your research, locate a good editor, and plan on how to market your book. Going with a vanity publisher robs you of your royalties. Beware of the many scams before and after you publish.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
I am amazed at the many scams there are that target new authors.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?
Well, since this book was about my personal life, it was quite easy for me to be able to share my experience on this subject.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?
I would say my writing style is straight and to the point. I do not use a lot of big words that you need a dictionary for, which makes for an easy read.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
The fact that this was a life experience that brought me much pain, I had to overcome a lot of hurt that I suffered fighting this case. I also had to overcome the hurt that family members, including my kids, had to endure also. While parents fight over money, kids care more about spending time with both parents, and a lot of times they don't realize how hard one parent may be working to keep the other from being a part of their lives, or how hard another is fighting to be in their lives. So it took me years to be able to accept some of the blame for my actions and mistakes.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?
I provide an honest insight into the fight between two parents who are both stubborn and made mistakes. We both let our personal feelings supersede the needs of our children. This is not a topic that many people care enough about. I feel when some people see the topic of this book, they automatically pass over it because they may feel that I am only complaining about how I got screwed by the system. Let this be a guide on being a better parent if you are not together. You have to approach each situation with the mindset of what would we be doing for the children if we were still together. I know that I'm on the right track because the reviews posted seem to all come from women. That says a lot. 

About The Author: I am just an ordinary citizen who suffered an injustice because I wanted to be a father to my children. None of these children asked to come into this world and none came here by mistake. I looked forward to raising and teaching them about the world and also providing everything they would need to be successful. Unfortunately, my relationship with the mothers led us to part ways. That did not mean that we were relieved of our responsibility to raise the children.For more information, please see: https://www.newmansprings.com/release/?book=thechildsupportfelon

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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.