Interview With Author Howard Gimple

  

1. What inspired you to write this book? I spent many years in the world of Madison Avenue advertising, which is chock-full of weird, crazy, funny and fascinating characters. I thought a struggling ad agency would be the perfect environment for a comedic mystery novel.    

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? Stew Gribnitz is a brilliant but hot-headed advertising copywriter with anger management and impulse control issues. When Stew’s creative director is found murdered after Stew did unspeakable things to his necktie the day before, Stew becomes the prime suspect in the murder. In an effort to find the real killer and clear his name, Stew gets into more and more trouble, until he winds up being hunted by the FBI, the mob, three police departments and a homicidal hitwoman. Get Gribnitz is written for everyone who likes a thrill-packed mystery with a lot of laughs along the way. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?  I hope readers will find themselves thoroughly entertained after finishing Get Gribnitz. I’d like them to have a smile on their face after reading the last page and think, ‘That was fun.’ 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I thought the title ‘Get Gribnitz’ evoked a sense of intrigue while putting the main character’s name front and center, eliciting thoughts of ‘Who’s Gribnitz? Who wants to get him? And for what? As for the cover: My designer and I felt that doing it in black and white, along with the bullet holes, would give it a noir feeling. The Madison Avenue street sign suggests the Advertising theme, and the one way sign pointing down was a quirky and fun way to illustrate the direction that Stew’s life was headed in.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Writing is hard. And writing a novel is harder still. Completing a 300-page manuscript is like finishing a marathon. The last thing you want to do is start all over. But that’s what you have to do. Go back to page one and edit yourself mercilessly. Then do it again. Rewriting is the key to good writing. The great James Michener said, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I see the book publishing world moving along the same path today as the film business did a while ago. There are a handful of major publishers who handle mostly best-selling and celebrity authors, much like the few large studios that make blockbuster films with A-list stars. Small presses have a similar function as independent movie producers, featuring up-and-coming artists. And self-published writers are like YouTube creators, working on their own to achieve their creative vision. Writers in both industries can move up and down the hierarchy based on their talent, their sales, their marketing prowess or their luck.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?   Stew Gribnitz is the most autobiographical character I’ve ever written. I modeled his Brooklyn upbringing after mine and many of his ad agency misadventures actually happened to me during my career. Several of the other characters in the book are also based on my friends and colleagues. Unlike Stew, though, I have never been wanted for murder.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?  I would describe my writing style as breezy. Donald E. Westlake’s Dortmunder books and Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbar series evoke a similar comedic mystery vibe with a heavy New York accent as do my books. Also Philip Roth’s Alexander Portnoy reflect Stew’s interior rebellion against his Jewish roots and the stereotypes associated with it.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Combining a true mystery-thriller with a laugh-out-loud comedy was a challenge. Mixing the  right amount of thrills, mystery and adventure with funny bits, sometimes concurrently, was the toughest thing I had to overcome. Hopefully readers will think I did a good job.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? With everything going on in the world right now the last thing people need in their leisure time is to read books fraught with pessimism, angst and despair. With Get Gribnitz readers will be transported to a world of laughs, excitement and adventure. Every time they pick it up it will be like going on a fun house ride.  

About The Author: Howard Gimple was a a copywriter and creative director for several New York ad agencies. He edited a newsletter for the New York Giants football team and reviewed books for the Long Island History Journal and movies for a pay-per-view television network. He was senior writer and sports editor for Stony Brook University’s alumni magazine. While there, he also taught two courses in the university's Department of Arts, Culture and Humanities, one on the bawdy side of Shakespeare, the other about the political influence of Classic Rock. For more information, please see:  https://howardgimple.com/books.

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,650,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 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.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum