Interview With Author Elizabeth Snyder Reed (Liz)

 

 

1.What inspired you to write this book? Several factors. My grandchild and the death of my younger brother. My life work has been about inspiring others to create – I hope this book encourages and motivates others to use their creative energy. In recent years, I am seeing myself more as a witness to the changes of time on society and to the positive and negative impacts of humankind. Through this book I consider the remarkable inventions that occurred during one man’s lifetime.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It is an imagined story of the life time of John D Weaver, my great grandfather, who died when my mother was four years old. The evidence that he lived includes his father’s Naturalization papers, two US patents, his Civil War Pension records, his name on a Gettysburg monument and his descendants. He invented a hydraulic ram, which was used to pump water to cattle in the fields. Possibly this was inspired by watching folks carry it by the bucket full. Maybe he fetched it himself. It seems he had a life-long interest in water power. During his life time he witnessed incredible changes – electrical power in the home, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, telephone lines, the automobile, an elevator, the Fuller brush man, the department store. These now overcome by a jet, the iphone, Amazon, and escalator, etc.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope they will consider the coincidence of time - and their place in it and that young readers will consider what their contribution might be. At age sixteen, his father was too old and his brother was too young, but John D Weaver was just right to serve in the Civil War. I hope the young reader will consider that one plays the cards they are dealt. We have an opportunity and obligation to contribute to society by addressing the needs of our generation.

 

4. How did you decide on the book title and cover design? About fifty years ago, I was documenting family history. I sought out and interviewed an elderly relative in rural Pennsylvania, who I had never met before. I asked her about John D Weaver, who would have been the brother of her mother. She slowly shook her head and said, thoughtfully, I don’t think I know anybody by that name. I gently prodded her, saying I think he lived nearby. After a few moments of sifting through her memories, she looked up, a wide smile broke out on her face, and she said, “Oh my, my oh my. I think you are talking about Tinker - Tinker Weaver.” She told me precisely where his house had been and, furthermore, that he had built a water wheel next to it. She said as the wheel turned, miniature figures he had created, turned in his living room. She said that as a little child she visited often, as did all the neighborhood children. Hence, the title, Tinker. Weaver made his living as a clockmaker, as did my father and my brother. The cover photo is of an antique clock I own.

 

5. What advise or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?  For me, I had to learn and then to make a conscious effort to say “no”. “No” to the many distractions in life that can keep me from writing. My advice: When you’re in the flow, stay in the flow.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Certainly, self-publishing is one of the major changes. It has provided an avenue for many creative writers to be heard. Another is electronic books. And too, the impact of Amazon on book selling.

 

7. Were there experiences in your life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes, many from my early childhood. I remember my grandmother had an ice box and an ice man delivered a huge block of ice. Whenever I visited I helped her empty the drip pan underneath. And, too. There is a scene in this book where Weaver takes his children to a gorge. The gorge I was seeing as I wrote was a recollection from college, when a visiting geology professor from Texas took the class to a see a gorge in Pennsylvania. We stood there as he explained how time, a drip and then a trickle of water cut this gorge. I forgot his name but never forgot him. It seemed to me this had inspired his life work.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I am not sure. I think that as most authors I simply want to tell a story that captivates. This book is quite different than my previous books. In Part 2 of the Tinker book, he dies. Molly, who was particularly close to Tinker, has trouble dealing with his death and death for the first time. Her parents do their best. Molly tells them of a conversation she had with a wizard who visited her.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? I had two books going at the same time. For me this wasn’t very productive. I was getting nowhere. Finally, I set one book aside altogether and concentrated on Tinker, only then made progress. I’ve now resumed work on The Mist of Time, the final book of the Ancient Echoes trilogy.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Well, if you are over a certain age you may remember your mother hanging out laundry and using a wooden clothes prop - that will bring a smile to your face. For others, when an ice cube drops into your glass from the refrigerator or when you go in your laundry room, you will have a new respect for the labor- saving appliances there – and the advances made for us by diligent, determined creative souls and problem solvers – inventors.

 

About The Author:  Retired Art Director. Author of Ancient Echoes and Slipping the Grid: A Novel. Lived, worked and travelled in the Far East and Europe, teaching and advancing programs in soldier recreation through the arts for Department of Defense. Founding Executive Director of the Visual Arts Center of Alaska, a cross-cultural program for professional Native American artists and sculptors. Graduated The Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Art Education with advanced studies at Georgia State University. For more info, please see: www.ancient-echoes

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ 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.