Book: Fly Girl
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I was born and primarily raised in the State of Montana in the USA. I joined the Navy when I turned 18 and within a year I completed training to be a Navy SEAL. I remained in that job for the next 23 years. As a SEAL I travelled the world extensively which was great! As a part of that job I was able to participate in several sports if you will, that most people do for fun such as SCUBA diving, skiing, climbing, skydiving and many other outdoor activities. I am an instrument rated Private Pilot with more than 1500 hours and an avid sailor. Since 2000 I have travelled to 38 countries working primarily as a diving/instructor for Special Forces. Everything I have done in my life can be found in my writing whether its travel or the various adventures and activities my characters are involved in.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Fly Girl’ book?
The biggest challenge was getting started. The story resided in my head for a few years. My characters were well known to me as was the plot. But since I have a full time job it was a challenge to sit and actually take the time to write. Once I started it was virtually impossible to stop. The conversations were going on in my mind constantly. When a I felt something wasn’t perfect I consulted with my wife and we would talk through the issue until the way forward was clear.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Clive Cussler was a huge influence. His style of writing action adventure appealed to me. I found his stories easy to read and imagine. I wanted to write that same way so readers could see what was happening as they read.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
There is a highway that runs through the Rocky Mountains from Denver Colorado to Southern Utah. It is called Interstate 70. That particular stretch of road should be a Wonder of the World! The scenery is spectacular. The wildlife you see along the way is amazing! Americas greatest ski resorts are all along the route as well as Moab Utah. Someplace anyone reading this should google. The grave site of Colonel William F, Buffalo Bill Cody is just off I70 on Lookout Mountain. These are the kinds of experiences that cause my imagination to run wild. I feel it’s a must see for anyone visiting the American West!
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
To be honest. I have a pile of unfinished works that I started and abandoned prior to Fly Girl primarily because I didn’t understand the process. I had taken a few creative writing classes and that was the extent of my education. That said. I always knew in my heart I could and would write a novel. I will say with Fly Girl I literally learned as I went. I researched the requirements for a novel such as the one I was writing to learn the expected word count. I read about character development and other aspects of novel writing but beyond that I would just say I was extremely lucky to have such a well developed story in my mind waiting get out. And I was extremely lucky for someone so uneducated in the process of writing.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Fly Girl’ book?
Once I started writing in earnest it took about six months to write and another four months to finalize. At various times I would sit and write 8000 words in a day. Other times I would write as few as 1000. I spent a tremendous amount of time rereading and editing my work. Especially if I didn’t like a conversation or if I felt something wasn’t descriptive enough. Or if my wife read it and she wasn’t moved by it. Her input was invaluable especially when it came relationships within the story.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your book ‘Fly Girl’ to buy?
The book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle version.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your book ‘Fly Girl’?
The cover is a composite of a young woman who represents the main character, pilot Rawley West, The Grand Teton Mountains directly behind the Jackson Hole Wyoming Airport and an aircraft that is widely used around the world for the same purposes it is used in the story. A friend who has the requisite skills put the cover together for me. The title was just in my head from the beginning. It was always meant to be used in the story in a conversation. That’s how far ahead I was thinking before I wrote the first word.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
In the case of Fly Girl I tried to keep the story moving forward constantly and I tried to make the characters and action believable. I used locations around the world that I knew well and had visited. The subplots are ironically subplots in my current and past life. I quite honestly wrote about what I know from life experiences so that made it easy. Many of the vignettes I used are loosely based on actual events. The readers should feel like they have been around the world.They should feel anxious. They should learn some actual history. They should feel invigorated by the action. They should like some characters and dislike a few. I’m sure it’s a medical condition well known to some doctors but while writing the characters were very real to me. Their conversations were like a movie in my mind. I should say I’m back to normal now.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the books (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The biggest secret is that most of the event’s in this work of fiction are based on stories from military friends or things that my wife or I experienced during our military careers. I credited my wife Sali Gear as a Co-Author for her technical contributions and her insight as a former Navy Pilot during a time when women were not as accepted as they are today. In the novel our hero, Rawley reads a letter she had sent to her mother during her Navy flight training. That letter is an actual correspondence my wife sent home verbatim. My wife’s mother had returned every letter Sali sent home during that period and we read through them looking for inspiration. In the end we felt that specific letter had to be used word for word. It’s a fictional story but so much of it is real to us. Fly Girl is about an inspirational young woman who when challenged steps up and saves the day! If readers think she is too perfect, too calm, too skilled it’s because she is supposed seem that way. Real life women flying for the military are all that and much more. That’s what I wanted to convey with this story.
Book Is Available On Amazon
Sassy Reviews 