Book: Cloud Cover
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hello and thank you for the interview. I live in Toronto, Canada, and I work full-time in the back office of a bank. My first love is film; I tried to make it as a screenwriter, but nothing came of it. Then I turned to writing books.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Cloud Cover’ book?
The book is focused on a man named Tony who has mental health issues, specifically an eating disorder. The biggest challenge was accepting that readers who were my family and friends would probably figure out the character was based on me. It took a while to get over the shame I used to feel. And of course, the never-ending hours of writing is always exhausting and sometimes demoralizing.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Some books that have changed my life include The Color Purple by Alice Walker, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, and Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler. Other writers I love are James Baldwin, Douglas Coupland, Andrew Pyper, Maya Angelou and Sylvia Plath.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
Any tennis court in Toronto. My parents taught me how to play when I was 8 and I’ve been addicted for 30+ years ever since. Being on court on a warm sunny day and hearing the balls hitting the racquets and the birds in the trees makes me feel like a kid again.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, depending on what I’m writing about, I try to do a lot of research about the topic and make a loose outline of the book before doing the actual writing. But there’s no real step-by-step process to it – I kind of just try to organize myself and then go with the flow when needed.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Cloud Cover’ book?
It was long! I would write a bit, then not touch it for months, even years at some points. But if remove all the breaks I took, probably about 3 and a half years.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Cloud Cover’ book to buy?
It is on Amazon, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. There is a link on my Instagram and Facebook bio that takes you to all that.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Cloud Cover’?
I came across the cover of an album called Upstairs and Eric’s by Yazoo that I really love. It has a male mannequin sitting at a table, with his body cut in half. It’s very contemplative. I thought the idea of a mannequin would suit my book’s theme of trying to fit oneself into some ideal mould, so I went with that direction.
As for the title – the main character often thinks he is cursed in life, that there is a cloud always over his head, following him. Like him, I couldn’t make sense of all the events that happened to me. The only reason I could come up with as to why these things occurred was so I could have a story, and maybe share it with others who are experiencing the same. Maybe it would help them. Maybe it would help me. I so wanted to make my pain and grief mean something, and it turned into the book.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I always surround myself with books, poems or other pieces of writing, songs, and even visual art during the writing process for inspiration. You never know where your next idea could come from.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
It may not seem like it from the blurb or the first few chapters, but there is a lot of humour in the book. One of the characters is a drag queen – I had so much fun writing the scenes in the drag bars! Also, anyone who works in an office will probably laugh at – and relate to – the ridiculous absurdity of corporate culture, brought in by the main character’s boss
Book Is Available On Amazon
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