Pump Up Your Book Chats with John Knoerle

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John Knoerle was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1949 and migrated to California with his family in the 1960s. He has worked as a stand-up comic, a voiceover actor and a radio reporter. He wrote the screenplay for “Quiet Fire,” which starred Karen Black and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, and the stage play “The He-Man Woman Hater’s Club,” an LA Time’s Critics Choice. John also worked as a writer for Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”

Knoerle’s first novel, Crystal Meth Cowboys, published in 2003, was optioned by Fox TV. His second novel, The Violin Player,won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction. Knoerle is currently at work on The American Spy Trilogy. Book One, A Pure Double Cross, came out in 2008. Book Two, A Despicable Profession, was published in August of 2010.

John Knoerle currently lives in Chicago with his wife, Judie.

You can visit his website at www.bluesteelpress.com.

About A Despicable Profession

May, 1946. America is basking in hard-won peace and prosperity. The OSS has been disbanded, CIA does not yet exist. Rumors swirl about the Red Army massing tanks along the Elbe in East Germany.

Former OSS agent Hal Schroeder gets an offer from Global Commerce LTD to be a trade rep in Berlin. He flies to New York to meet his new boss. Hal’s jaw drops when former OSS Chief Wild Bill Donovan strides in. Schroeder, who survived perilous duty behind German lines, says he is no longer interested in being a spy. General Donovan assures him that’s not part of his job description.

Hal comes to doubt that when he meets his immediate superior in Berlin. It’s Victor Jacobson, the case officer who sent him on repeated suicide missions in WWII.

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

I love the style of the classic hardboiled writers like Raymond Chandler and Dash Hammett. And I love the substance of spy novel masters like Charles McCarry and John le Carré. I, foolishly, wanted to attempt to marry the two together.

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

The plot line is always the hardest part for me. The only part that could possibly be described as ‘easy’ is the final polish after the book is completed. Unless you come upon a gaping plot hole of course.

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

This is Book Two of the American Spy Trilogy. It takes place in 1946, at the very beginning of the Cold War. I hope to give readers a feel for the complexity of conducting espionage during that dangerous period.

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

Not till college. I fell in with a comedy troupe, The DeLuxe Radio Theater, and found I could pen sketches that made people laugh. But progressing from writing two-page sketches to three-hundred page books was a very long journey.

Q: What’s the most frustrating thing about becoming a published author and what’s the most rewarding?

Promoting your book can be tiresome. Authors are loners as a rule. Pressing the flesh doesn’t come easily.

The most rewarding part is a good review. Face-to-face appreciation from a reader is even better!

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

Writing is re-writing. It’s never going to be brilliant the first time around so stop expecting it to be!

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

I live in Chicago with my wife Judie. We’re in the Bucktown neighborhood, which is a trendy area favored by twentysomethings. There’s plenty to do but it does make us feel a tad elderly sometimes.

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

I prefer to write at Club Lucky, a venerable restaurant and bar a few blocks from my home. I’ve written the better part of five books there.

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

I love all kinds of travel, foreign and domestic. I’ll be going to Romania soon to research Book Three.

Q: Were you the kind of child who always had a book in her/his hand?

Not really. My favorite type of imaginative activity was staging mock battles with my big collection of toy soldiers.

Q: Can you remember your favorite book?

I loved the Hardy Boys’ Mysteries.

Q: Do you remember writing stories when you were a child?

No.

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

A Pump Up Your Book blog tour!

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

I’m on Facebook but don’t use it much. I’ve done book giveaways on LibraryThing and GoodReads. I also post on RedRoom.

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

Obviously the internet has made niche marketing easier by facilitating connection with small groups and individuals who appreciate your type of writing.

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

That people don’t stop reading books!

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

Geeze, I dunno. I’ve always thought living in England would be interesting. Maybe an idyllic hamlet in the English countryside.

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

My wife, Judie. She’s my first line of support. And a damn good editor.

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"Oh, awesome!! Thank you so much! You ran such a lovely tour. Those images are great, I look forward to using them and will miss seeing the regular postings on Twitter ;-).
I really appreciate your steadfast and ongoing support. It means a lot!!"Palmer Pickering, MOON DEEDS

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Maria Andrade, DEFIANCE AND REDEMPTION

"Everyone did an excellent job. The blog pages were beautiful, and the trailer was so clever and funny. Thanks for sending these lovely "souvenirs" from my tour. I will be able to use all of these posts on Twitter. I enjoyed this so much and look forward to my next tour!"
Irene Woodbury, HONEYMOON ROULETTE

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Arabella Sheraton, THE LORD BLACKWOOD REGENCY ROMANCE SERIES

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Wendy Leighton-Porter, THE SHADOW OF ATLANTIS

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M.B. Lewis, THE PILATE SCROLL

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Kathleen Shaputis, HIS KILT DROPPED HERE

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Joni Ankerson, TO KILL OR BE KILLED

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Aiken Brown, SON OF A SOLDIER

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Laura Preble, ANNA INCOGNITO

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Lena Gregory, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES

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Jennifer Chase, FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

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Elysia Strife, A PROMISE IN ASH

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Miri Leshem-Pelly, SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR

"I think you did an excellent job last time, thank you!"
Shami Stovall, KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST

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Suzanne M. Hurley, THE TEDDY BEAR EYE CLUB

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Sharon House, BRIMSTONE AND WATER

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Christine Donovan, BLACKJACK

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Michael Allan Scott, GREY DAZE

"Just wanted to thank you for putting together a great tour for You Won't Remember This. I think the author was pleasantly surprised and overall very pleased."
Bacon Press Books

"Dorothy, thanks so much for another great VBT!!! The Twitter-Party was a new feature this time that I particularly enjoyed. I will continue to recommend PUYB to my writer-friends, because you are simply the best!!!"
T.M. Wallace, WINTERGARDEN

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I’m in the middle of my third book and will definitely call on you again when it’s time to market it."
Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

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Ashley Fontainne, GROWL

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Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

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Lee Papa, TEMPLE OF ALL KNOWING

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Madeline Wynn, DAUGHTER OF THE FALLEN

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Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

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Karen-Anne Stewart, ASH TO STEELE

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Lauren Carr, Best-Selling Mystery Author of Mac Faraday, and Lovers in Crime, Mysteries

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Monique Roy, ACROSS GREAT DIVIDES

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Kaylin McFarren, BURIED THREADS

"Thank you for a great virtual book tour. I thought it went really well and it was great to have a wave of PR that flowed through the two month period of my book release. I'm working on my next book - and will definitely reach out to you when it comes time to market! You were a delight to work with and really made me feel looked after. As I've mentioned before, I just don't know how you do it all."
--Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

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--R.K. Avery, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

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--Carol Nicolas, THE SIXTH POWER

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--Sandra D. Bricker, ALWAYS THE BAKER, FINALLY THE BRIDE

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--Jo Sparkes, THE BIRR ELIXIR

"I just wanted to let you know that tonight Steven Manchester's Twelve Months became The Story Plant's first #1 Kindle bestseller. This couldn't have happened without you. Barb's cover is an absolute showstopper, Sue's copyediting boosted the overall work, Jackie's proofreading kept all of us honest, and Tracee Gleichner's blog tour started what has become an avalanche of great reviews."
-- Lou Aronica, STORY PLANT

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--Mary Ann Loesch, NEPHILIM

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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.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach