Pump Up Your Book Chats with C.G. Ayling, author of ‘Malmaxa I. Beltamar’s War’

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ABOUT C.G. AYLING

With children African, English and American, and myself born and raised in a country of five names, I consider myself… a citizen of the world.

My wife and four children think of me simply as a thorny old man – and thus my symbol…

One of the most influential people in my life was my Godfather. A man of absolute integrity, remarkable intellect, and fine character. He taught me tolerance, and intolerance, together. He showed me that every conflict has are two sides, if not more. It was thanks to time spent with him that I developed a guiding principle in my life, namely that the most fundamental sign of intelligence is the ability to change one’s mind. It is to honor him that I use his name as my pseudonym, yet I know my efforts fall far short of what he deserved.

In my memory, C.G.Ayling lives forever. Is that not as close as any man can come to immortality?

Visit his website at www.cgayling.com/malmaxa.

Find C.G.!

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————-INTERVIEW————

Q: Can you tell us why you wrote your book?

The truth is rather strange – but here goes! My mother, like most mothers in regard to their children, is not completely content unless she has something about which to concern herself. If nothing is wrong – well then, there is clearly something so serious that you’re unable to tell her, and she’ll worry about it until she discovers what it is. To circumvent this, I used to tell her I had a cold, or I was suffering from back pain – some trivial little thing, simply to satisfy her need care for her kids.

One day my mother asked, “What’s wrong, you seem down.” I made the mistake of answering, “Nothing, I’m fine, really.” Concern filled her voice, “You can tell me anything…”. {Well, you and I both know that the one thing you can’t tell your mother, is “anything”.} Realizing my error, my mind entered overdrive, lost traction, spun out of control and came up with, “I’m suffering from writer’s block.” In an instant delight replaced my mother’s concern, “You’re writing a book! Oh, I always knew you would!” What could I answer, but “…well, I guess I am…”

Q: Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

The part where I realized, with the aid of a wonderful lady named Amy Hayden of Linn Prentis Literary, that a 167 thousand word first novel would be impossible to sell. Though Amy declined to represent me, her rejection inspired me. I ended up splitting the first novel into two, then the second into two, which is where it currently stands.

Breaking my baby into neat halves… well, that was extremely difficult – but having done it, I now have twins, so all is once again good {until triplets}.

Q: Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

The book has multiple underlying messages – it is metaphorical with the situations and dilemmas presented in the series fully applicable to our times. That said, I must stress that I don’t make moral choices for others, or even attempt to guide them – all I’m trying to do in Malmaxa, is allow readers to accept that other views of reality than their own might exist. Finally, should the reader choose to ignore the underlying metaphor present throughout Malmaxa, they should still find the world intriguing, the characters complex, and the tale, I hope, enjoyable.

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

Shortly after puberty, when I realized un-requited love for my High School English Literature teacher consumed me – I started writing, in vain attempt to impress her.

Q: Besides books, what else do you write? Do you write for publications?

I wrote many technical articles about an obscure operating system named Pick. Now I restrict myself to tidbits and tweets, on Twitter. Indeed, that is probably the best way for anyone to reach me – by sending a message to @CGAyling – I try to respond. My twitter Biography has a link to my personal blog, which has a page dedicated to my Tweets, and another to Twitter.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

Only one!? Could I state three instead?

Cut the fat, and keep the mean… {I might tweet that…}

Try not to edit yourself, or restrict the flow when inspiration strikes.

Always listen to your heart – writing is an art, whose worst critic is its creator.

Q: Would you like to tell us about your home life? Where you live? Family? Pets?

I now live in Dublin, Ohio with my wife and our two younger children. Our favorite middle daughter also graces us with her presence, for which we are eternally grateful. We have a truly wonderful dog {I hesitate to call her a bitch} of mixed heritage, AKA a pound hound – her name is Bacon. Dannielle, our second daughter, has a cat named Kaya who tolerates our presence within her regal domain. Our son has two turtles, and our youngest daughter, Julia, or {JuliaGem} as I term her on Twitter, has a Guinea Pig.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your childhood?

Unfortunately, I can’t. Not from lack of desire, or from any dark secret the world should never know, but from the fact that most of it is simply inaccessible. I suffered something called a Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis during my twenty fifth year. After which virtually all memories earlier than age fifteen faded away – the silver lining of that, was that I married my nurse, we’ve been together ever since.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

In my bed, in the early hours, when I awake and hover on the border between dream and reality. I always have a voice recorder at my bedside, which I use to jot audio notes.

Q: What do you do to get away from it all?

I don’t. There is only a small part of “it all” that I’d like to get away from, and unfortunately, that is the part that puts bread on the table {no, that’s not my writing}.

Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promoting your book?

Tag! You’re it. I attempted to find reviewers, that’s about it.

Q: Are you familiar with the social networks and do you actively participate?

Besides my infrequent blog posts – only in Twitter, which I have linked to my FaceBook page, upon which I prominently state I’m really not there. If you want to find me, Twitter is currently the only place you will.

Q: How do you think book promotion has changed over the years?

In the traditional sense, very little. Major publishers probably do even less now than they used to, which brings us to the new sense. The new sense of book promotion is social media buzz.

Q: What is the most frustrating part of being an author?

The certain knowledge my words will reach few people, and touch the hearts of even less.

Q: What is the most rewarding?

The words of a reader, who cherishes the small part of my soul spilt upon proverbial paper.

Q: How do you think book publishing has changed over the years?

Up to now, very little – traditional publishers are struggling to maintain the status quo, and failing. Moving forward, I see enormous change, made possible by the successful implementation of Print-On-Demand. Electronic readers, of the dedicated and non-dedicated variety, will continue to consume market share from the major publishing houses. Without innovation, I see all major publishing houses collapsing – they simply don’t have anything worthwhile to offer the vast majority of authors.

Q: If you had one wish, what would that be?

What is a wish, save a chance to turn a dream into reality? Was I to be granted the transformation of any single wish into reality… My wish would be that everyone be granted the same…

Perhaps their dream, of a better world made real, might come true.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world other than where you are right now, where would that place be?

That place, would not be another place, but this place, improved.

Q: Your book has just been awarded a Pulitzer. Who would you thank?

My Mother, for being the stubborn, strong, sensitive person she is and has always been. My Aunt Francis, for be the amazing person she is. My Godfather, for a myriad reasons. My Granddaughter, Eden – for being the future.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview, C.G.Ayling. Do you have any final words?

Mmmhhh. Find me on Twitter, walk alongside with me for a while – we may find we’re not so different, than we at first seem. Visit my website cgayling.com and scan through the page marked [Sample], you’ll soon know whether my writing interests you, and if it doesn’t you’ll have spent nothing, save the most valuable thing any of us has – time.

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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