Pump Up Your Book Chats with J.W. Nicklaus
Author Interviews, Featured — By Dorothy Thompson on November 27, 2009 at 10:05 pm
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Editor’s Note: J.W. will be right in this very spot live on Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m., answering any questions you may have about his book. Leave a question or comment (along with your email address) and you may win a free copy! One lucky reader has until 11 p.m. eastern time on Dec. 1 for a chance to win a FREE autographed copy of his book, The Light, The Dark & Ember Between. The lucky winner will be announced on Dec. 2. Thank you and good luck!
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J.W. Nicklaus maintains his own personal space between the soul and soft machine in the arid southwest amongst the snowbirds and the Arizona Diamondbacks. After graduating with an Associate of Arts in Journalism and Photography and a B.S. in Telecommunications he’s spent the better part of twenty years experiencing life and working in trades as varied as a small advertising firm to a litigation service bureau. Between writing for his blog (avomnia.wordpress.com) and other side projects, he spends time with his son enjoying the baseball season. He’s had two poems published in anthologies, and his debut collection of short stories. The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between is available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and PDBookstore.com, and soon at independent bookstores.
Thank you for this interview, J.W. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?
J.W.: I remember taking a stab at three different short stories, written on an actual typewriter—and electric one at that! If memory serves, I never finished any of them. I didn’t come back to writing creatively until my early thirties. At that point I was drawing upon a much deeper well.
My first published piece was an opinion in a Tucson newspaper. It had something to do with disposable diapers versus diaper service. Really! I don’t have the piece anymore, but I remember being shocked that it got published.
What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?
J.W.: My perspective is probably much the same as the majority of others. The most frustrating would be the promotional side. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sour grapes. Through my efforts at self-promotion I’ve learned much I never knew before, and met or talked to others I never would have otherwise. That part is always interesting. But it’s also a lot of work—truly a labor of love. In a brutal economy it’s been a tough go.
The most rewarding is easy: Knowing that people enjoy your work. Better yet, hearing that you’ve been able to evoke emotion from someone. Would I like to make a tidy sum off my writing? Duh! I’m not deluded enough to believe that will happen. But I will gladly take, in money’s stead, a whole lot of readers who enjoyed my work.
The Light, The Dark & Ember Between (click on cover to purchase for gift giving!)
Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?
J.W.: I am single. I also work full-time, so I write when I have time. I try to keep a fairly balanced life, so I read, enjoy time with my son, watch a smattering of television once in a while, etc. My support network largely comes in the form of folks who read my blog. Mom and dad, of course, are always on the lookout for people they know and they help me get the word out.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?
J.W.: I haven’t vacationed in a long time! The last “vacation” I had I was in San Diego working with a law firm, but one weekend my son flew out and we spent the weekend walking around downtown and toured the USS Midway. If you’re ever in San Diego I recommend the Midway tour! Fascinating stuff if you haven’t been in the military.
In my spare time II read, listen to music, and during baseball season spend a lot of time practicing with my son. I’m assuming that sleeping and eating go without saying ;^)
If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?
J.W.: Wow! What a question! See, my problem here is that I’m a Virgo, so I can lean towards being a touch analytical. Conversely, I can also be passionate. So within that dichotomy lies the answer . . .
If I could be anywhere I wanted—right now—one hour would not be long enough to be there. I think that pretty much goes for anybody.
Who is your biggest fan?
J.W.: Probably mom. Dad is a close second. I hadn’t told them about the book until a few months before it was published. Since then they’ve almost always got a story about someone they know who’s read it or is going to read it.
Where’s your favorite place to write at home?
J.W.: (Laughs) The only place I have to write—at my desk! I live in an apartment, so my bedroom is only large enough for my bed. My living room doubles as an ersatz office.
What’s your favorite library and why?
J.W.: Easy: The Library of Congress, Jefferson Building.
If you’ve seen or toured the building, you know why. It’s beautiful. After the British essentially burned Washington to the ground in 1814, Thomas Jefferson sold his entire collection of books to Uncle Sam for around $23,000. Jefferson was a voracious reader, and is estimated to have had the largest known collection in the country at the time.
The building is gorgeous. I’ve been there twice and could easily go every week the rest of my life and never tire of it. If words move you then this building is your American Parthenon.
What’s your favorite bookstore and why?
J.W.: There’s a local independent bookstore called Changing Hands. It’s been around for quite some time, and they do a lot of work with new authors such as myself. I did a talk/signing with them back in July, but I’ve been going there for many years prior to ever having been published. Just a great little bookstore.
Do you have any pets?
J.W.: Just my peeves.
What are you reading right now?
J.W.: I just finished David McCullough’s John Adams (awesome!). I’m a few chapters into Confederacy of Dunces, and about half-way through When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris.
Tell us a secret no one else knows.
J.W.: I don’t wear pajamas to bed. And for all you naughty boys and girls, no . . . I don’t sleep naked either!
What’s the first thing you notice when you meet someone?
J.W.: Their smile or their eyes. Both never lie.
Have you ever won anything?
J.W.: I’d like to say “a heart,” but alas . . .
The first thing we all tend to think of when asked this question is “Did you get something of material value?”—money, a car, a trip, etc. But winning, at its deepest level, pertains to having had something given to you which you likely didn’t have before, something which in some manner enhanced your life.
By that definition I’ll offer up these two instances: A few months ago I was given the opportunity to read and review American Lion – Andrew Jackson in the White House. Being an early American history buff, I jumped at it. I got a copy of the book for free! I don’t usually do book reviews, but it was American Lion, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. That was a win for me.
On a more familial level, I’ve been able to watch my son play first base and pitch this past Spring and Fall baseball seasons. That was something no amount of money or prize drawing could ever give me. A big win for dad.
What’s on your to-do list today?
J.W.: Eat. Sleep. Look for more book promotion opportunities. Oh yeah, shower. And of course, look forward to interacting with my readers :^)
I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in December via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?
J.W.: Traditional readers still love to get their reviews via magazines and newspapers, and that’s great. But the pace at which information is disseminated now is mind numbing, and it is all moving to the internet. It’s genuinely scary how much our lives depend on the timely and accurate shuffling of 1’s and 0’s.
As more and more people become accustomed to getting their information—even entertainment—from the internet, they’ll also turn to it for getting the lowdown on just about anything a consumer could want. It’s happening already, and moving faster than we know. Given that all my guest posts, interviews, reviews, blog posts, etc., are all archived that means more opportunities for folks to find out about me and anyone else willing to work to get their name into the search engines. Dorothy and her PUYB crew have been of priceless assistance to me, so while this is my second tour with them I’m certainly hoping it isn’t the last.
Thank you for this interview, J.W. Good luck on your virtual book tour!
J.W.: Well, thank you for the well wishes, but given my prior experience with PUYB I know that I’ve a lot of good folks helping me through it. It’s a two-way street, and I don’t plan on disappointing them or any of my readers!
Further information about J.W. Nicklaus’s writing can be found at his web site. www.avomnia.com. He also blogs about whatever is on his mind at http://avomnia.wordpress.com.
If you’d like to see where J.W. will be traveling on his virtual book tour in December, click here!
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24 Comments
Hi Jeff…thought I would get this party started a little early. I understand you also work offline. What do you do?
Hey Jeff,
Glad to see you on tour again. These interviews can be so insightful…and revealing. Oh, and that secret, you better keep it because I don’t want those visuals this early in the day. :)
Seems like you read books I enjoy too. I think I have the John Adams book on one of my shelves somewhere, but at this point who can find anything. The floor of my office is littered with books right now and I had to move one of my bookcases upstairs just to make room for more downstairs. If I love a book I hate to give it away. I don’t even like to let people borrow my books. I am an Ebenezer Bookworm. :)
I’ve got a couple of questions for you. Can you tell me about the cover? Who designed it and why it works well with the collection? It’s a beautiful cover. Oh, I guess that was two questions already, so here’s a third: do you have a favorite story out of the group or one that sticks out in your mind more than the others?
Thanks. Good luck with your tour.
Cheryl
“Honey, I’m Home!”
I’ve been looking forward to this tour for quite some time. My first go ’round, and subsequent involvement with the blog group has been a lot of fun. This will come as no surprise, but the success of these tours is due in no small part to how much work all of you put in on our behalves. Thank you, all of you, for your spirit and suppoirt!
Now, on to those questions . . .
On working offline . . .
I told Dorothy in passing once that I left my prior job back in May for the opportunity to spend more time with my son, as opposed to thinking I had the chance and then having to work from home. So the new job I do is waaaaay less stressful, and commensurate with the drop in stress is a likewise drop in pay–but I have been able to spend so much more quality time with my son as a result, so it’s been a good thing.
I work within a data center doing cleaning and light maintenance. It’s a heck of a lot more exercice, which is good. I also get more time to simply think about projects I have in mind while I’m working.
I don’t think there are many people I work around who know, or would guess, that I write. There’s a certain ‘goodness’ to that kind of anonymity.
Cheryl,
Take your time going through John Adams so as to savor it. It’s a lengthy read, but brings to light so much about so many people in early American history. I like that sort of thing, so I found it irresistably fascinating.
I don’t have books piled like you do. I don’t know where you find time to read, what with all the work you do for Pump Up and your daughters, and then family life in general. Do you, perchance, fly an invisible plane?
The book cover was something offered to me by the publisher’s designer, Jen Rade. She was wonderful to work with. The initial book cover concept was indescribably off the mark, and I told marketing as much. What wound up on the cover is the result of Jen and I working together and making only a few small tweaks. I wanted something simple and yet elegant–something that evoked at least a little intrigue. It is so simple, yet absolutely speaks to the overall theme of the stories. I asked to ahve the rose placed on the cover because of its outright iconis nature; we associate a red rose with love. I asked her to place the rose at the edge of the circle of light as a symbol of how often our emotions, both love and hope, tend to walk between those two worlds of light and dark, pain and joy. I think that concept is something of a visual glass slipper that fits the story collection perfectly :^)
Choosing a favorite isn’t as easy a task as one might think. Each story is different in some way, and writing them required a different persepctive or even emotional culpability. I really enjoyed writing Emissary, and the playfulness between Daron and Brenda in One Washington Diner was just plain fun to write. But I’ve been asked this question before, and I can’t escape the feeling that deep down my personal favorite is Requiem For Linny. It was tough to write because its underlying theme is about loss. Doesn’t matter in what way–it’s a difficult thing to dredge up. But for that very reason it was made a little more cathartic for me.
Thank you so much for dtopping in, Cheryl. I know how busy you are, so taking the time to drop by means a great deal!
Thanks for answering my questions Jeff.
No invisible planes or sparkly costumes for me. I don’t have the bossom to hold that costume up. :) I’m glad you came back to tour with us again. It’s nice to see clients return and a friendship nurtured from what was once a business transaction. Dot is excellent at making people feel special.
I read every night when I settle down in the tub. After spending numerous hours on the PC, I need to relax my body so that I can sleep properly. Reading that late is dangerous though because last night I was so into this book that I stayed up until 2:30 and then had to get up at 6:30 with the girls. UGH!
Here’s another question, where are you in the picture above? I love those little jukeboxes. They remind me of my childhood, oh so long ago.
Hope others check in soon too.
Cheryl
Hi JW. :) Would you say that having such supportive parents helps you keep on with your writing and promoting it when you have doubts?
Cheryl,
I am actually in a diner. I just seemed so appropriate a setting, especially as a nod to One Washington Diner. I rarely like my own visage, so I couldn’t see myself sitting for a classic portrait. I wanted something natural; wanted it to seem like the reader was sitting there with me. What better way to do that than sitting across the table at a restaurant :^)
Hi JM! Thanks for coming by!
Support of any kind is certainly part of the equation. I believe support should notd just be positive, but honest.
I belong to a writer’s group, and we gather once a week to read through and critique whatever someone may bring. Before we started up we met to set the ground rules, and one of the biggest ones was we all had to vow to be honest. Frankly, not one person in that group is ever going to write anything terrible, but as individuals–just as any reader would–we all approach the writing aspect with a slightly different eye. We are very supposrtive of each other, but we do so out of respect for what we know each person is vapable of. I have learned much through those folks.
Support also extends to forums like this–groups of folks I’ve never met, yet they’ve all been very helpful and indeed supportive when called upon.
If I may say one more thing about Dorothy and her crew: It’s a business, to be sure, but it’s not the money they focus on–it’s the individual. Proof positive that whether it come from family, friends, or even business partners, support is not just good, it’s necessary.
I’m back! I’ll be reviewing your book soon, but what is next for you, J.W.?
Dinner :^)
Actually, I keep trying to get to finishing another short story I’d started a while ago, yet always get pulled away for something else. Once that’s completed, though, I’m really hoping to be able to focus more on my novel, currently entitled Eden.
It needs some serious re-working right now, and I’m only about a quarter of the way through it, if that. But I’m really hoping that ‘Eden’ is the next book I bring through PUYB’s doors.
Hey Jeff,
Great interview! I am a huge David McCullough. I loved his book on Adams.
I was wondering what your biggest challenges were during the writing process and how you handled them?
Tony
Good evening, Tony,
That’s a great question. One one hand I find that story transitions can be challenging for me. By that I mean, it’s very easy for me to know what I meant or had intended to impart, but sometimes that can get lost because I’m too close to the material.
More profoundly, I think, is the challenge of self-doubt. There are always the endless array of nagging questions that seem bent on derailing your process: “Is that good enough?”, “Did that character speak within context or was it out of character?”, “Too descriptive or not enough?”
How to handle that? For me, it usually involved letting something sit for a while before I returned to it. IF something wasn’t working right then it always jumped out at me when I came back to it. I always read my writing aloud and listen to how it sounds. Perhaps most importantly, I try to actively listen as a reader.
I’ve often paced the floor talking aloud to bring the creative juices to the surface. That’s helped too.
Hey Jeff,
Enjoyed your interview. I learned some new things about you, which is always nice. This virtual book tour is interesting. Keep those creative juices flowing!
Judy! What a pleasant surprise to see you drop in. Now you know what I was up to when you all were meeting :^)
I’m sorry I missed your next chapter, but I’ll get caught up next time.
I hope you get the chance to check some (or all) of these stops out. It’ll give you a good idea of what to expect.
Glad to see you here!