Well, folks. We're back. We have yet another author that we'd like to shine our spotlight on and direct your attention toward. His name is Ken Williams and his newest book, Fractured Angel, is being published by independent book publisher, Sakura Publishing.
-Hi
Ken! Thanks so much for agreeing to speak with us today. Your newest novel, Fractured Angel, is due to be released
on June 7th, 2014. In writing this book, much did you rely on your
own experience in working with the homeless? Is homelessness a theme that can
be seen in any of your other works?
KEN: All
of my novels are inspired by events in my life, from the Vietnam War to working
with the homeless in Santa Barbara for thirty years. The heartbreak
of seeing literally hundreds die on the streets has inspired all my writings
and infused my novels, screenplays, poems and non-fiction articles with a
gritty realism that, at the same time honors those who have slipped quietly
into the gentle night. In fact I began my writings as a journal
when, during the AIDS and crack epidemics I was losing so many clients monthly
that I found that I was beginning to forget the individual in the face of so
much death. I was bound not to let the voiceless and the
disenfranchised die without someone documenting their passing. As
long as I remembered them in my journals and now dedicate my writings to them
and their tragic lives and deaths they will remain honored and not forgotten.
-Have you always been a writer or is
this a fairly new adventure for you?
KEN: I began writing screenplays when a Hollywood
screenwriter encouraged me to use my knowledge of the streets to write them. Having
heard a lecture that I gave he came up to me and told me the stories that I
included in the presentation were eye opening and extremely
moving. Novels soon followed, as did articles for the local media
and now an online news service.
-Many of this blog’s readers are new
authors still attempting to navigate the pitfalls of the publishing world. What
advice can you give to those of us just trying to get started?
KEN: My advice to new writers: Be prepared
to have constant rejections, and be humble enough to learn from your
mistakes. And by all means KEEP writing. Writing is a
skill. Like all skills the talent diminishes when not used. Don’t
give up hope but don’t expect overnight success. Writing is a
marathon, not a sprint. Good writing comes from within, it is not a
luxury but a necessity something that builds within you that seeks an
outlet. Listen to that drive and write! You must also
learn to trust your publisher and editor. The publishing of a novel
is a partnership. Never forget this. If you don’t trust
your publisher then you are in very big trouble. You need to
remember that you both have the same goal in mind and be humble enough to not
think you know everything. Egos sink more potentially successful
projects than any other vices. If you can’t communicate successfully
with your publisher how can you hope to do so with a general audience? And live
life! Not only your material, but also the inspiration to write
comes from the people around you. Don’t think you come up with new
material all on your own. People: how they live, survive, their
joys, triumphs and sorrows are the stuff of good literature. A good
writer also uses their own frustrations, desires, fears, heartache and setbacks
to reveal emotional truths. Too many writers I know quit living and play the
role of a writer thus depriving him or her of the challenges we all face in our
daily struggles for existence.
-One of the most difficult aspects of
becoming a published author is finding a home with a good publisher. Fractured Angel is your debut with
Sakura Publishing. Can you talk a little to us about how you ended up with them
and how you knew Sakura was a good fit?
KEN: After years of rejection I received two written
offers the same week and another publisher wrote me that he was interested in
the novel. Three offers in one
week! Perseverance. In fact, Derek Vasconi, the owner and
publisher of Sukura Publishing was the third offer that week. For me
honor and personnel connections are all important. The way he
approached me, with honesty and yet passion for the novel convinced me to pass
on the first two and go with him. Sukura was a great
fit! Derek knows not only the publishing world but also the Internet. He
is not only extremely professional but easy to work with. From what
I can tell he is also a good guy.
-Are you working on anything new right
now?
KEN: I have just completed another novel, Seven
Levels, Homelessness, A Combat Veteran, Mental Illness: A Love Story. It
is about a returning Afghan Marine Vet who is at a lose as to where he fits
once back in the states and his struggles with PTSD. Joining the
L.A. Sherriff’s Dept. he finds redemption amongst the homeless in an abandoned
warehouse used as an impromptu shelter.
I have also recently completed
a rewrite of a New Fiction novel written as magical realism: For
the Love of Death. This
novel is about a young woman who struggles in the aftermath of not only her
failed suicide attempt but also a violent assault by her
boyfriend. She is forced to confront the very nature of sanity vs.
the mysterious universe and what price she is prepared to pay for
love? As you can see writing for me is in fact a driving force and
not something that I can simply put down. I am always writing
something in a variety of formats.
-You’re a Vietnam Vet. Would you mind sharing
with us a bit about the process of writing China
White?
KEN: China White was written years ago. It
was an emotional scar that I had to find a way to expose to
light. One of the enduring myths—rumors—legends that we heard
constantly in Vietnam was that the bodies of dead Marines would be cut open and
their internal organs replaced with China White, the world’s most potent form
of heroin. The caskets would them be labeled as “Remains
Unviewable”. Once passed customs it would be arranged for someone to
intercept the caskets and remove the heroin. This particular rumor
was extremely unsettling to us. By putting it into words, it was my
way of dealing with a variety of emotional issues from the
war. China White also deals with the after-effects of that war, not
only amongst veterans but also the Vietnamese –American
community. This interplay between two American communities hugely
impacted by the war yet neglected in literature.
-Brief teaser for Fractured Angel?
How would you go about trying to
help your daughter who, suffering her first psychotic break at fifteen, is
chased by her wounded mind to the streets of Santa Barbara? That is the dilemma
that Lynne Swanson faces. Out of her element, and definitely out of her comfort
zone for this professional woman, she is forced to seek the help of Kerry Wilson,
a social worker for the homeless. Unfortunately for her, Kerry is a
rough-necked loner that has no inclination to hold the hand of a woman who he
feels is out for a lark at the expense of his homeless clients. The harsh and
deadly realities of the streets in one of the wealthiest cities in the world
and an attempt to close a homeless shelter just as winter sets in produces a
dramatic race against time with the life of Lynne’s daughter in the balance.
-Where can we buy Fractured Angel?
Thanks so much for speaking with us today, Ken. It's truly inspiring and an honor to hear your story and I know our readers are going to feel the same.
Please check out Ken Williams today and pick up a copy Fractured Angel. For all you new writers out there, I highly recommend you take a peek at Sakura Publishing and everything that they have to offer.
Keep checking back for more!
Love,
Holy Cow, I'm Writing A Book?!
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