Author Talk – Andrew Joyce

Today we sit down with author Andrew Joyce so we can hear about his exciting new release, his work and his inspiration. He also provides some excellent advice for aspiring writers. Please enjoy. It’s an entertaining interview and the book looks like a great read that I may just check out myself as I love the subject matter.

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DM: What is the title and genre of the book you want to tell us about?

AJ: The title is RESOLUTION: Huck Finn’s Greatest Adventure. I reckon you could say the genre is Action/Adventure and Historical Fiction. It took a of lot research to get the details correct concerning the biggest gold strike in the annals of human history.

DM: Can you summarize your book in one sentence?

AJ: No!

Just kidding. How about: With lives at stake, Huck Finn races against time, nature, and man to save the day.

DM: Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

AJ: Everyone over the age of thirteen. Why they should read it? Because I’m askin’ pretty please?

Beyond that, they should read RESOLUTION to experience a special time in history and to learn what a man is capable of when his thirst for adventure drops him into one life-threatening situation after another.

DM: How did you come up with the title?

AJ: The title is in line with my first two novels. My first book, REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, started a continuation of the lives of our two boyhood heroes, Huck and Tom—who as adults in the Old West—saved the town of Redemption, Colorado, from the intentions of an evil rancher.

My second book, Molly Lee, was a spin-off of REDEMPTION . . . taking a minor character from that book and spinning another adventure story where Huck Finn weaves through the periphery of a story driven by a feisty female lead. In this, my third book, I’m giving resolution to the lives of Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and their favorite female, Molly Lee.

DM: Tell me about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image?

AJ: Glad you asked this one. Glendon Haddix of Streetlight Graphics does all my covers. He’s great!

This particular image proposed by Glendon captured exactly the setting and mood of RESOLUTION.

DM: Who are your biggest writing influences?

AJ: Jack London and John Steinbeck are the first two that come to mind.

DM: Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

AJ: That’s like asking me who’s my favorite kid. So, no comment.

DM: How about your least favorite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

AJ: The weather. At seventy below, your spit freezes a foot from your face. Your cheeks burn, your skin turns purple and black as it dies from the cold, and you are in constant danger of losing fingers and toes to frostbite. And make no mistake about it; the weather is a main character in my story.

DM: If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?  Why?

AJ: It just came out. Please give me a little time to become dissatisfied with something!

DM: Can you give us a fun fact about your book?

AJ: By the end of the book, you’ll know more about dog sledding than you thought possible.

DM: What other books are similar to your own?  What makes them alike?

I like to think that my books are unique.

Of course, I know my books are not unique because I’ve stolen . . . I mean borrowed . . . so much from other authors.

But, on a more serious note, we are all influenced by those we admire. Writers should strive to influence. I would feel as if my work missed its mark if it did not call to mind some of the influence of writers such as London and Steinbeck.

DM: Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

AJ: I like to drink a little too much vodka. Would one consider that a hobby?

DM: How can we find out more about you and your books?

AJ: Google Andrew Joyce Author or, on Amazon, go to books and type in Andrew Joyce.

DM: What can we expect from you in the future?

AJ: If the law doesn’t catch up with me and my liver holds out, I have a historical novel coming out about this time next year. It took a year to research, two years to write, and so far, eight months to edit. Still have a lot more editing to do.

DM: What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

AJ: They can leave a review (hopefully a positive one!) on Amazon. And if they enjoyed the story, they could tell their friends about it. Word-of-mouth always helps a book succeed.

DM: Do you have any advice for other writers trying to get published?

AJ: It took me almost two years to get an agent. And when I did, he was one of the biggest in the business. He got my first book published and even paid out-of-pocket expenses without asking to be reimbursed. However, there is only so much an agent can do for you in this new world of publishing. I was just one of hundreds of his clients. His client list is quite extensive and contains very, very famous authors. I was so honored to be listed among them.

But after a while, we mutually decided to go our separate ways. He’s a great guy and his company still sends me my royalties every month. However, I think it’s best to self-publish because no matter who publishes your book, you’re gonna have to do the marketing yourself. And that sucks, but it has to be done. When I finish a book, I put aside six months to market it. That means eight to ten hours a day, seven days a week, on the goddamn computer begging—I mean asking—people to review my book or allow me to write a guest post or do an interview. I have no luck with social media and if you think you’ll sell one damn book through Twitter, then you would be wrong.

That’s the long way around of sayin’, write a good book, edit it properly, and then go out for a set amount of time and sell it. Then start all over again. The writing is the best part. The research is enjoyable, the editing is tolerable, and the marketing will make you want to kill yourself.

DM: Can you give us an excerpt from your book?

AJ: I’ll give you three:

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The sled was the only thing moving. Except for the commands Huck issued to Bright, there was no sound. While mushing, the silence was not so evident, but when they stopped to let Jass get his blood flowing, the silence descended and enveloped them. The country became bigger; they became smaller—insignificant beings in an enormous universe.

And:

Huck looked at Molly and nodded.

She stood with such force that she knocked her chair backwards and it started to fall. She had her gun out and in her hand before the chair hit the floor. The scraping noise of the chair as Molly stood turned the men’s attention from the gold to the table. It was the last act of their lives. Molly had a bullet into each one of them before they knew they were dead.

And:

“Hence, in three days’ time—when the moon fills the sky—White Dog, my grandson, will be placed on the fire of the gods so that my people may live.”

Molly sat bolt upright. Huck knew she was going to say something and he tried to cut her off, but she ignored his look of disapproval. “Are you telling us that you’re gonna throw that little baby on a fire and burn him alive?”

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Thank you for having me over—I’ve enjoyed it.

Andrew Joyce

About Andrew Joyce (from his Amazon author page):

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written four books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and forty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, RESOLUTION. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny.