An Interview with Stephen Parrish
Stephen Parrish has been an online friend for a couple of years now. The
first time I clicked on his sometimes-humorous and always-insightful blog, I thought man, this guy can write!
I knew he had written some fiction, and I figured it was only a matter of
time before he landed a publishing deal. When he did, I knew it was a
book I would have to own.
May 1 is the official release date of The Tavernier Stones, but it is available now at many bookstores and through online retailers.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Stephen a few questions regarding
his past, present, and future. I think you'll find his answers
interesting.
I know you live in Germany, but I never heard the story of what brought you there.
The U.S. Army. Signing up was the second best thing I ever did, after
becoming a dad.
Is there any chance you’ll ever move back to the States?
I'm homesick. But having so many exotic cultures within a short drive is a fantasy
come true. Once when I had business near the Dutch border I decided to
drive home by cutting through Holland, then Belgium, then Luxembourg,
before crossing back into Germany. Four countries in one afternoon,
just for the hell of it. Try doing that from Indianapolis. My favorite
city, London, is one hour away by air, and I can get a round trip
ticket for a hundred bucks. Come to think of it, maybe I'm not so
homesick after all . . .
What are some of the difficulties living in Europe and trying to promote a
book published in America? Will there be any sort of American book tour?
The Atlantic Ocean is an obvious impediment to book signings, but I think
the practice is dated and on its way out. The internet is exponentially
more efficient at reaching people. I'm also convinced that ebooks will
soon be the norm, sooner than most people predict, and print rights
will be treated as subsidiary, like audio rights are today. You can't
autograph an ebook.
When it comes to book marketing in general, I'm highly suspicious of conventional wisdom, and especially of what
appears to be a prevailing notion that writers need to promote
balls-to-the-wall in every arena they can. Some arenas are efficient,
some are inefficient, some horribly so.
Where did the title The Tavernier Stones come from?
My editor chose it. It's the fourth title the book has worn. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
(tavern-YAY) was a seventeenth century Marco Polo who traveled
frequently to the Orient and brought back many gemstones to the court of
Louis XIV, including a large blue diamond that would later be recut
into The Hope. My novel capitalizes on the legend of his final voyage,
during which he mysteriously disappeared.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
Two of my passions are maps and gemstones. When it occured to me to marry the two, to conjure up a treasure map and make
the treasure a cache of priceless jewels, I couldn't resist. Mind you, I
tried to resist; my ambitions have always leaned toward literary
fiction. I refused to touch the project for several years after
conceiving it. But it kept nagging me.
I know you have a background in mathematics. When did you first become interested in writing fiction?
Literature is my first love. I've read omnivorously, particularly fiction, as far back
as I can remember. When I say I would rather read a good novel than do
anything else, and I mean anything, people think I'm exaggerating. I'm
not. Math is another story, a parallel life I'm living.
What authors influenced you? Was there ever an author you considered a mentor?
Hemingway is probably tops. When he was good, no one was better. It can also be said that
when he was bad, no one was worse. That suck-in-a-deep-breath moment
near the end of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is, to my way of thinking,
what we're all trying to achieve.
When I was very young I got swept away by Leon Uris. I still think Mila 18 is one of the best
novels ever written. It was Leon, more than any other writer, and
probably more than all of them combined, who inspired me to be a
novelist.
You signed up for NaNoWriMo last year. What became of that? Would you recommend it?
I signed up two years in a row. I won't again. It's not for me.
Do you have any advice for newbies trying to break in? What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I'm still a newbie myself. There's a lot of good advice out there,
particularly about seeking and paying attention to criticism, and
aspiring writers should listen to it. The one thing I would stress is:
Don't Give Up. Lucky people aren't getting book deals, stubborn people
are.
As for self publishing, well, you can do it if you want, but I won't buy it or read it.
I know you landed your publishing contract without an agent. Have you
tried to get an agent since signing with Midnight Ink?
No, I'm exercising patience. Tavernier was represented unsuccessfully, and
I ended up having to sell it myself. I learned that the expression
"getting an agent" woefully lacks a critical adjective or two.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on now?
A juvenile delinquent is given a choice: remain in detention for the final six months of his sentence, or
go to work on a vineyard.
Why should someone browsing in a bookstore buy The Tavernier Stones over the
hundreds of other choices on the shelves? What makes your book stand
out in the crowd?
It's got a shit-hot cover! All I ask is that people read chapter one. It's available in its entirety on the
Amazon page by clicking the "search inside this book" option. If
it doesn't make you want to read further, you have my gratitude for
giving it a shot, and I hope we cross paths again.
Shit-hot indeed!
You can learn more about Stephen and his debut novel on his website.
Also, he is sponsoring a contest, based on the novel, where you can win a
one-carat diamond here.
Thank you, Stephen, and best of luck with the book!
first time I clicked on his sometimes-humorous and always-insightful blog, I thought man, this guy can write!
I knew he had written some fiction, and I figured it was only a matter of
time before he landed a publishing deal. When he did, I knew it was a
book I would have to own.
May 1 is the official release date of The Tavernier Stones, but it is available now at many bookstores and through online retailers.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Stephen a few questions regarding
his past, present, and future. I think you'll find his answers
interesting.
I know you live in Germany, but I never heard the story of what brought you there.
The U.S. Army. Signing up was the second best thing I ever did, after
becoming a dad.
Is there any chance you’ll ever move back to the States?
I'm homesick. But having so many exotic cultures within a short drive is a fantasy
come true. Once when I had business near the Dutch border I decided to
drive home by cutting through Holland, then Belgium, then Luxembourg,
before crossing back into Germany. Four countries in one afternoon,
just for the hell of it. Try doing that from Indianapolis. My favorite
city, London, is one hour away by air, and I can get a round trip
ticket for a hundred bucks. Come to think of it, maybe I'm not so
homesick after all . . .
What are some of the difficulties living in Europe and trying to promote a
book published in America? Will there be any sort of American book tour?
The Atlantic Ocean is an obvious impediment to book signings, but I think
the practice is dated and on its way out. The internet is exponentially
more efficient at reaching people. I'm also convinced that ebooks will
soon be the norm, sooner than most people predict, and print rights
will be treated as subsidiary, like audio rights are today. You can't
autograph an ebook.
When it comes to book marketing in general, I'm highly suspicious of conventional wisdom, and especially of what
appears to be a prevailing notion that writers need to promote
balls-to-the-wall in every arena they can. Some arenas are efficient,
some are inefficient, some horribly so.
Where did the title The Tavernier Stones come from?
My editor chose it. It's the fourth title the book has worn. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
(tavern-YAY) was a seventeenth century Marco Polo who traveled
frequently to the Orient and brought back many gemstones to the court of
Louis XIV, including a large blue diamond that would later be recut
into The Hope. My novel capitalizes on the legend of his final voyage,
during which he mysteriously disappeared.
How did you come up with the idea for the book?
Two of my passions are maps and gemstones. When it occured to me to marry the two, to conjure up a treasure map and make
the treasure a cache of priceless jewels, I couldn't resist. Mind you, I
tried to resist; my ambitions have always leaned toward literary
fiction. I refused to touch the project for several years after
conceiving it. But it kept nagging me.
I know you have a background in mathematics. When did you first become interested in writing fiction?
Literature is my first love. I've read omnivorously, particularly fiction, as far back
as I can remember. When I say I would rather read a good novel than do
anything else, and I mean anything, people think I'm exaggerating. I'm
not. Math is another story, a parallel life I'm living.
What authors influenced you? Was there ever an author you considered a mentor?
Hemingway is probably tops. When he was good, no one was better. It can also be said that
when he was bad, no one was worse. That suck-in-a-deep-breath moment
near the end of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is, to my way of thinking,
what we're all trying to achieve.
When I was very young I got swept away by Leon Uris. I still think Mila 18 is one of the best
novels ever written. It was Leon, more than any other writer, and
probably more than all of them combined, who inspired me to be a
novelist.
You signed up for NaNoWriMo last year. What became of that? Would you recommend it?
I signed up two years in a row. I won't again. It's not for me.
Do you have any advice for newbies trying to break in? What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I'm still a newbie myself. There's a lot of good advice out there,
particularly about seeking and paying attention to criticism, and
aspiring writers should listen to it. The one thing I would stress is:
Don't Give Up. Lucky people aren't getting book deals, stubborn people
are.
As for self publishing, well, you can do it if you want, but I won't buy it or read it.
I know you landed your publishing contract without an agent. Have you
tried to get an agent since signing with Midnight Ink?
No, I'm exercising patience. Tavernier was represented unsuccessfully, and
I ended up having to sell it myself. I learned that the expression
"getting an agent" woefully lacks a critical adjective or two.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on now?
A juvenile delinquent is given a choice: remain in detention for the final six months of his sentence, or
go to work on a vineyard.
Why should someone browsing in a bookstore buy The Tavernier Stones over the
hundreds of other choices on the shelves? What makes your book stand
out in the crowd?
It's got a shit-hot cover! All I ask is that people read chapter one. It's available in its entirety on the
Amazon page by clicking the "search inside this book" option. If
it doesn't make you want to read further, you have my gratitude for
giving it a shot, and I hope we cross paths again.
Shit-hot indeed!
You can learn more about Stephen and his debut novel on his website.
Also, he is sponsoring a contest, based on the novel, where you can win a
one-carat diamond here.
Thank you, Stephen, and best of luck with the book!
Views: 9
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by I. J. Parker on
-
Smart man! Especially about living in Europe and old-time promotion. A very interesting interview.
Welcome to
CrimeSpace
© 2024 Created by Daniel Hatadi.
Powered by
