Interview with Chester Aaron

www.chesteraaron.com

First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server today…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.

Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

MY LAST YEAR IN THE ARMY IN COMBAT WHEN I WAS WITH THE TROOPS THAT LIBERATED DACHAU AND WROTE A LETTER TO THE ARMY NEWSPAPER. I REALIZED THE LETTER DIDN’T SATISFY, SOMETHING MORE HAD TO BE SAID AND DONE.

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

MY FIRST NOVEL (“ABOUT US”, MCGRAW HILL, 1967) WAS ACCEPTED WITHOUT AN AGENT, THEN AN AGENT (ELLEN LEVINE) SOLD THE NEXT 6, THEN 2 OTHER AGENTS SOLD THE NEXT 4 (ALL FICTION), THEN SHERRY ARDEN SOLD 2 NON-FICTION BOOKS (TEN SPEED PRESS, BERKELEY.)

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

TWO LAST BOOKS CAME OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. “HOME TO THE SEA” BY BROWN BARN BOOKS, IS ABOUT A MERMAID I ONCE X-RAYED; “WILLA’S POPPY” IS ABOUT A LOCAL FARM GIRL I KNOW WHO WAS SAVED BY THE BLOODHOUND SHE TRAINED.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

PATIENCE AND CONTEMPT FOR THE MARKET, THOUGH THAT MEANS AGENTS AREN’T INTERESTED IN WHAT I WRITE.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

ALL, BORN IN POLAND AND RUSSIA EXTERMINATED AND OR DIED NOW IN THE US. BUT YES, THOSE WHO LIVED TO SEE MY BOOKS WERE INDEED THRILLED. THEY COULD BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF A GOD AND OF A HEAVEN.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

SEX, EVEN THOUGH I’M NOW 83.

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW SO I’LL LIE.  I  TAKE MY VITAMIN PILLS, I EAT 2 RAW GARLIC CLOVES, I BRUSH MY TEETH.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

PILES OF BOOKS AND PAPERS.

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

TREE? A REDWOOD. COLOR? ORANGE. REASON: BECAUSE MY EX-WIFE HATED THAT COLOR.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

GARFIELD.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

GARFIELD.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

NOW. BECAUSE I’M ONLY INTERESTED IN THIS WORLD AT THIS TIME.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to?

COUNTRY AND IRISH FOLK.

Favorite musical artists?

JOHNNY CASH AND ANY IRISH VOCALIST.

Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

YES, CLASSICAL.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows?

NO.

Movies you watch over and over again?

OLDIES.

What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

DON’T BURP AT THE TABLE.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

2 NEW SHORT STORIES ABOUT MY LIFE HERE IN CALIFORNIA’S REDWOOD COUNTRY AND 2 FILM SCRIPTS OF MY 2 LATEST YOUNG-ADULT NOVELS.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!