Guest Author Louis K. Lowy
In the interview below, the highlighted words are hyperlinks. You can click on them and go to the website represented, either an author site or book or even, thanks to Louis, a YouTube video of him and the band Hemlock performing in the 1980's. Find the online book review in one of the links.
Q
& A with Louis K. Lowy
When I first met you, you had written some
short stories with very real characters and dialogue. Now you have three full
novels published. Tell us about the development of your work.
First off, thank you for giving me the opportunity
to be on your site, Neil. It’s an honor to be included. Regarding how I
transitioned from short stories to novels, it was more a natural progression
than a conscious effort. My short stories started out around 6-8 pages and
gradually increased to forty-eight pages, which is venturing toward novella
territory. When I started my first novel, Die Laughing, it was
intended to be a short story, but as wrote it, I kept finding new avenues to
explore. About fifty pages into it, I made the decision that it was going to be
a novel. Of course, I had no idea how I was going to do that, but I kept
plugging away.
Yes, indeed. I’m very excited! As to how you set it
up, welcome to the business of
writing. Basically, it boils down to contacting Books & Books, speaking with the
person in charge of events and working out the details; contacting the caterer
and working out the details; contacting the publisher and making arrangements
to have the books; sending out notices via word of mouth and social media; figuring
out what you’re going to present and then practicing it. There are numerous
details in-between, but that’s the basic steps. It’s sometimes uncomfortable
and time consuming work, but in the end it’s wonderful to see friends and book
lovers gathered to hear your work. I also love the question and answers, I
never know what’s going to pop up—or for that matter how I’m going to answer.
One other thing, let me throw a special shout out to John Dufresne, he’s graciously agreed to do
my introduction.
Do
you have an agent? How did you find your first publisher?
I don’t have an agent. I found my publisher—IFWG Publishing—the old-fashion way.
Hard work. First, and most importantly, before sending out my manuscript (or
any of my work, for that matter) I made sure it was as perfect as I could make
it. That includes edits and typos. When I felt confident the manuscript was
ready, I researched publishers and how to contact them. There are great online
resources these days. I also researched how to write a query letter and put one
together. I sent it to many publishers and was fortunate to find that IFWG was
interested in work. They’re great to deal with. Word of advice, you’re going to
get a lot of rejections. I won’t lie, they sting, but the key is persistence. Remember,
it’s not the amount of no’s you may receive, it’s only that one yes that
counts.
I see some very active social media campaigns
promoting your work, on your website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, for
example. Do you do all that yourself?
Mostly, but not all of it. This is my third novel
and I’ve made some wonderful acquaintances along the way in person and online.
They’ve been generous in supporting me, reposting, retweeting my notices. I
would be negligent if I didn’t mention how supportive the South Florida writing
community is. My creative writing alma mater, FIU, has been particularly encouraging,
that includes the staff, fellow grads, and the instructors.
Has
your background as a musician helped you with the literary arts? Tell us about
your music and bands. Do you still play professionally?
Playing music has definitely influenced how I write.
I tend to think about the rhythmic structure of words and sentences, which is a
throwback to my music. I unconsciously throw in bands and music in nearly all
of my stories—certainly in all of my novels. I also think of playing music and
writing in similar same terms. Both take discipline, constant listening (or
reading), and practice.
Regarding bands—the most well-known was a group
called Hemlock. We were signed to
Warner Brothers Records and had a minor dance hit called “Disco Break.” This is super-embarrassing, but here’s a YouTube link
of us playing it on a local TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKoYsKjmdV0
I played in original bands after Hemlock and loved the creative process. In
most of the groups I was the go-to guy for lyrics, which helped later on with
my writing.
I don’t play professionally anymore because I love
writing too much. I do have to admit, though, that writing is like being in a
one man band. You make all of the decisions about timing, structure, pacing,
feel, and length. When it works, it’s very satisfying creative wise.
What
are you working on now?
I’ve recently completed a fantasy novel about a
gambler on the brink of death who gets a chance to save his soul, and a late Victorian
era horror story. I’m current working on my sixth novel - a crime story that
takes place in Florida, circa mid-sixties.
What
sells best for you, print books or eBooks? Do you have to format your own
eBooks?
Hmm, I don’t know. It’s probably a combination of
the two. I’ll have to look at my publisher statements closer.
As far as formatting eBooks, I don’t do anything
involving the actual process of publishing, including formatting. The publisher
handles that. I do get a say on the interior look and the cover, which I’m
always happy about.
In addition to their support, the beautiful thing
about the Creative Writing program is that it saved me time. Through their
classes I was given the opportunity to learn the craft of writing, and to avoid
a lot of trial and error. Not all of it, of course, but more than if I had
worked on it without any guidance and instruction.
Who
are some of your favorite authors and books?
Charles Dickens – Great Expectations, James Joyce - Dubliners, Jane Austen – Pride
and Prejudice, Stephen King – Carrie,
etc., Ray Bradbury – R is for Rocket,
Stan Lee – his Marvel comics body of work, William Gibson – Neuromancer, Louise Penny – Bury Your Dead, J.R.R. Tolkien – Hobbit, etc., Haruki Murakami – Norwegian Wood, Ernest Hemingway – To Have and to Have Not, and the one I’m
currently reading, J.D. Salinger – Nine.
What
is your schedule like this year?
Busy! Between my writing schedule, preparing for my
book launch of To Dream, keeping up
with my writing groups and sending out queries for my other novels, days zip
by.
Do
libraries carry your books? Where do they get them? (Direct from the publisher
or through Ingram, for example)
Some libraries do carry them. Sometimes I’ll make
the acquaintance of librarians and they’ll get the book through me, other times
they’ll order them through the publisher, I suppose, but possible Ingram, too.
It’s my most ambitious piece to date. Four key
storylines are going on in different centuries and different planets, but they
all intertwine and affect each other. As to the actual plot, I’ll quote from
IFWG Publishing: “Guilt ridden over the death of her 17-year-old son, Jay,
scientist Niyati Bopari heads a team that creates a Humachine (human machine)
for mega-corporation Ameri-Inc. Niyati dubs the Humachine J-1 and creates it in
Jay’s image. She secretly infuses it with Jay’s DNA. J-1 is the most
sophisticated robot ever created and its purpose is to replace human labor.
Before J-1 and his blueprints can be transported to Ameri-Inc. headquarters a
rogue Ameri-Inc. agent attempts to steal them.
“Anatomy of a
Humachine is a science fiction epic spanning two centuries and crossing two
planets. Book I: To Dream centers on
J-1, an artificial intelligence struggling to find his humanity; the grieving
scientist who created him; the ruthless head of the corporation who owns him;
and the iron-willed leader of a rebel force seeking revenge for the death of
her family and the destruction of her planet.”
Do
you write every day?
This is my writing schedule: Monday through Friday,
minimum three hours a day (though I rarely go over three hours). I’m strict
about it and only break it if I have no choice.
Who
are some local writers and artists you’d like to see featured at Miami Writers
and Books?
There are so many amazing local writers, including,
but not limited to, Mike
Creeden, Jan Becker, Marci
Calabretta Cancio-Bello, Corey
Ginsberg, Fabienne Sylvia
Josaphat-Merritt, Nina
Romano, M.J. Fievre, Rita
Fidler Dorn, Cathleen Chambless,
Laura McDermott, and, of course, John
Dufresne, Lynne Barrett, Julie Marie-Wade, Campbell
McGrath, and Denise
Duhamel.
What
else would you like to say to readers interested in your work?
Check out my website,
follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I’m easy to find and love to hear
from anyone interested in reading and writing.
The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon is probably the most famous tale of outside interference in a US election. Communist Chinese have brainwashed American soldiers captured during the Korean War and transferred to a secret "re-education" center in Manchuria. One of the Army officers is the son of a wealthy politician running for president, and he is the main target, brutally conditioned by torture and hypnosis to become a sleeper agent and assassin. The book has been in print for over fifty years, and made into two tremendously popular motion pictures. My favorite is the 1962 film starring Frank Sinatra, Lawrence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Henry Silva, and Academy Award winner Angela Lansbury.
