Author Interview: The Wolf’s Moon by Patrick Jones,

The Linden Chronicles: Book 1

I had a couple of hours in between the next hurried crowd of people that wanted a signed copy of “The Wolf’s Moon.” All I wanted was to rest my hand and have a quiet cup of coffee and a cigarette.

I picked the grill and pub called Blazers. In the book I called it Barkers but if you are from the area, you know the place. It had great food and even better patrons.

There was an open corner table and I rushed to get it. The crowd at the bar was two or three deep and tables were at a premium.

Dana brought me a cup of their finest coffee as I settled back in my chair to reflect over the last couple of days. Like most Indie authors, I chose to self-promote the book and did I ever. Flyers announcing the book signing were placed in every window in three surrounding towns. I went to the newspapers and coaxed them into interviews. The Managing Director of The Ozark Regional Libraries bought five copies to place in each library.

Yes, the previous week or two were full days.

A young man about twenty-five walked up to my table asking if I was the author. I told him I was. He said that he expected me to be dressed as I was on the back of the book, wearing a camo blouse and my shotgun, instead of the sweater slacks and sport coat. (Note: the original book cover had a different cover and author photograph…but that is yet another story on the blog http://wp.me/p2Oumz-dw ). He introduced himself as Jeff and asked if he might join me. His short cropped hair and “whitewalls” announced to me that he was active duty…probably Army.

I pointed to a chair and he sat down. Even before he settled, a lovely young lady with dark hair and doe-like eyes sat next to him.

Jeff said he wanted to be a writer and wondered if I could give him some tips.

I smiled thinking that I was the last person he wanted to ask for help.

“Ask away,” was all I mustered.

“Well sir, how did the idea for the book come to you?”

“That is an interesting question. I go with my wife twice a year when she speaks at seminars down at the Lake of the Ozarks. She gives talks on medical technology subjects and they take place on Sunday mornings. While sitting at breakfast, I just started writing the prologue with a pen and paper.”

“By the time breakfast was over and it was time to join my wife for the ride back home, I had written most of the prologue. I shoved it into my pocket, found my wife, Sandy, and before I knew it we were headed back home.”

“During a gas stop, I pulled the papers from my pants pocket and handed them to her to read. The next half of an hour, she read the papers several times before telling me she really liked what I wrote.”

“The next few days I didn’t do anything with the idea. Then one morning, I read it again. I grabbed a note book and a pen and started writing. My typing skills at the time were really bad but I figured if H.G. Wells wrote with pen and paper who was I to say different.”

“That was October. I worked on it every day. Some days it was all day while at other times it was just a few hours. There were days when I worked from the time I got out of bed until I fell asleep never realizing that I hadn’t eaten all day.”

“It took months before I finished the story. I rewrote chapter after chapter until I felt it was right.”

“In the meantime, my wife retired from her job. I let her read the manuscript asking her when she finished, if she liked it enough, could she type it. Otherwise it was going the way of so many other stories I wrote…right to the trash can.”

“The more she spent time on it, the more she liked it. She liked the story and especially the characters. In her mind she saw what I saw. Soon Sandy became a part of the book, not just typing it but making subtle suggestions here and there. Not really changes just clarifying points.”

“Before I knew it, it was a completely typed manuscript. If you think I was excited, you should have seen her. Understand, neither of us knew the first thing about publishing a book. I sent letters to agents who rejected me as fast as they received the e-mail. I was an unknown and no one wanted to spend the time and find out if both my story and me were worth the risk.”

“There was only one option left: self-publishing. So that was the route we took. Sandy worked long hours trying to find out everything we needed to know. We found the money and went from there. Here we are today with all of these amazing people, like yourself, who want a copy of my book.”

The girl asked, “What exactly is your story about?”

“It is a suspense thriller, set in the Ozark region of Missouri. Some people think it’s about werewolves but it’s not. The story is about something MUCH worse and the beast is killing residents of Crawford County. Mark Lansdowne and his pal Warren Skruggs are put in a position that they have to hunt the animal down only to find that there are more than one.”

Dana ran past with the coffee pot refilling my cup and asking if the man and woman sitting with me wanted anything. They both ordered Cokes and she returned a couple of minutes later. I told her to put them on my tab. As she left, she smiled at me and with her sparkling blue eyes let me know it was my day.

“Do you have any more books in the works?” the pretty girl asked.

“Several actually. I try to work on each one when ideas come along. I have some short stories as well. Right now my main concentration is on this book. I want readers to feel that the story was worth the money spent. I’ll find that out soon enough. Still, I’ll keep writing the stories as they come to me.”

“Will there be more books using the same characters?”

“Many of the characters will be back along with new ones.”

“Where do you find the characters in you stories?”

“Look around in here. Each person has a story to tell. Remember that in writing fiction, you can make that person anybody you want. That is what’s nice about fiction; it’s just that, fiction, but write about things you know.

“When you’re not writing what do you do?”

“Hobbies? I do woodworking or restoring some antiques. I’ve always loved the feel of wood. My favorite woods to work are cherry and walnut. God or nature put a special grain and pattern into each piece and all I do is try to bring it out. I also like to hunt and fish. The thing I most like to do is spend time with my family.”

Sandy waved getting my attention. The line at the signing table was forming again. People came from as far as Saint Louis to buy a copy of the book and it was a nasty, rainy day.

I felt so honored.

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