Interview with Steven Nedelton

www.snedelton.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 toda…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?

Thank you, Jen. It is appreciated.

I started reading at twelve, I believe. I was in a hospital, sick in bed, and my grandfather gave me this thick red book as a present. I think that book made me wonder about writing. So, my writing goes way back to my early teens when, together with a few of my school buddies, I began to pen short stories and critique. My first successful creation was a short story based on a true paranormal life experience. It was published, but much, much later.

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

It was a complicated one. Initially, I tried to get an agent and spent six months before getting a fairly questionable one. And, of course, she did not work out. Then I tried a POD publisher, though at the time I thought they were a legitimate publishing company. I left them three months later. After a very positive review from an online reviewer, and as per her recommendation, I decided to have my book edited. Several months later, I got my first publishing contract.

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?

My latest published book is a five stars suspense novel The Raven Affair. The paperback was published in April. It is in Kindle format too. Here is a blurb:

A man on the run. Anton was on the run for the past twenty years. Italy, Spain, Ireland, America. What is he running from?

Two priests living in San Francisco, Father Dominic and Father Joe, had never heard of him, but the action starts with them. Interpol agents are hunting for Anton when their employer suddenly and unexplainably stops them. They are unaware that one of them is leading a double life and operating clandestinely as a high priced hit-man ‘Raven.’ And then, there are Mick and Lynnie in San Fran. Mick, ostensibly the very popular maitre d’ at the Westin St. Francis’ Michael Mina Restaurant and—unknown to Lynnie and his employers—a dreaded underworld figure codenamed ‘Clerk.’

I am quoting my latest reviewer, J. Knox, a professor of Creative Writing, a fiction editor at Our Stories Literary Journal:

“….The Raven Affair is destined to be adapted for the big screen. I found myself envisioning the scenes as I went along--quickly--unable to put the damn thing down.”

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

I get my ideas from the everyday news, from the everyday events. My novel Crossroads was based on a sentence I read in a local newspaper, in 92. The Raven Affair was based on the TV news about a court case/court proceedings in California, in the 90s, I believe. I do like suspense.

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

I doubt that children read their parents’ books. Actually, my children are pretty quiet about the affair. If I remember correctly, my daughter did mention my books once, I’m so sure of it. Once! It was one of those enthusiastic, semi-casual observations. I know she does not read much, she is too busy for that, but she writes very well. She has to, she’s with lawyers all day long. She’s a natural. My son, who loves all good movies and books, doesn’t say much. Occasionally he’ll mention a book he considers worth my time. Like, “Hey, Dad, I’m reading this novel….it’s great.” Glad to hear it, son. Let them discover another writer’s world, they already know mine. I doubt that children read their parents’ books. It’d be sooo un-cool.

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

Now we’re getting somewhere. I’m not a fussy eater. I like all good food and almost anything tasty will do. Starting with Pizza. By the way, I’d love to participate in a pizza eating contest and some day I might end up in one. I’m a Pizza addict. But, in these sweltering summer days, cold watermelon’s the king, naturally. Still I’d go for a thick burger from Burger King, with a frosty bottle of beer anytime.

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

Shower, do some exercise and have my breakfast while watching one of my favorite movies. Not always in that order.

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

So, you think I’d let you snoop around in my closets? Ha,ha. Try again, Jen. There are secrets in those deep dungeons of manhood, Jen. Big secrets. Guns, guns, guns and ammo. All caliber, all sizes. I’m a suspense writer after all, ain’t I?! And I do carry a faithful little Bersa 38 all the time. Thun--derrr! 380. Jus’ kidding. Or, maybe, I ain’t. Well, for one, unlike Steph King, I don’t keep mummies, vampires and dragons in my closets (filthy habit). At least not yet, anyway.

It’s funny but you’d be overwhelmed with smells of my freshly cleaned underwear, shirts, clothes. Ha-ha. Yup, I’m funny that way.

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?

My favorite color is red, red’s so popular. If I could, I’d make all my book covers big red, and I’d be the best seller in a jiffy.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Don’t read ‘toons anymore, I’d say it’s Politicians. But I’d vote for Goofy. So endearingly reminiscent of our Presidents.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

None, I’m too mean for those cute creatures.

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?

Old Rome. Times of Cicero, Caesar, Cleo. I’d love to see her rolled out of that filthy rug. Sit right next to my ancient cousin Julius and watch him drool. Those were the times…

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I like all good music. Especially the sixties and seventies. Best music. Best singers. All of them.

Rarely, but I do listen to it while writing.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

None. Hate TV except for good movies. Too many politician-liars on it, plus all the cookie-cutter shows. Yes, too many. Movies? Good ones? Can’t recall, have them all at home.

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

Don’t read the junk the poor writers manufacture to get rich on writing. It’s a brainwash. It’s for dummies. It’s for babies. It’s like bad food, it corrupts your finer instincts. Turns you into a mushroom. Ha-ha. And you end up thinking like one too.

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

My next novel is called Dawn for the fearless/Fear Factor. It was submitted in April. I started Tunnel, another suspense, but I am too busy to work on it right now.

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

And thank you, too, Jen.