AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH ALAN NAYES

Alan Nayes was born in Houston and grew up on the Texas gulf coast. After attending medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he moved to Southern California where he divides his time and energies between medicine and writing. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed biomedical thrillers, GARGOYLES and THE UNNATURAL. His most recent release is BARBARY POINT, a love story.

         An avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast, he is one of only a few individuals to  ever swim across Wisconsin’s chilly Lake Winnebago. When not working on his next project, he enjoys relaxing and fishing at the family vacation home in Wisconsin.

BARBARY POINT 

When Kelly English flies back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to close out her father’s estate, the last thing on her mind is falling in love. Again. Kelly is twenty-eight and engaged to an older man who is quite wealthy. She’s happy, and only desires to make the trip back brief, sell her deceased father’s place, and return to her stable life in Los Angeles. However, while taking care of business in Oshkosh, Kelly meets a fishing guide, launching her on an emotional journey she never could have predicted or foreseen. BARBARY POINT is Kelly’s story of what happened that one magical week in May on the shores of Lake Winnebago when the ducklings hatch and the walleye run.

Tell us about Barbary Point  in a few sentences.

BARBARY POINT is about  a young woman from Los Angeles who is engaged to a wealthy older man. When her father whom she never knew because her parents were divorced when she was quite young suddenly dies, Kelly must fly back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to close out her deceased father’s estate.  She only wishes to make the trip brief and get home to her stable life in Los Angeles, but unexpectedly, Kelly meets a fishing guide and falls in love.

How did you come to write this particular book?

The story came about because of the many years I spent at our family vacation cottage on the shores of Lake Winnebago. I always wanted to write a story with the lake and cottage as a setting but never had the right ingredients for a thriller or mystery. An agent suggested I attempt a love story—BARBARY POINT is that love story.

If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?

For BARBARY POINT, Kelly English is my favorite character. She’s intelligent, beautiful, ambitious, and caring—everything a male writer could fall in love with. My overall favorite character is one from my first novel GARGOYLES—Amoreena Daniels. She overcame hell of some odds to survive until the last page. In fact, Kelly and Amoreena could probably be good friends—as long as neither had eyes on the same guy.

Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?

BARBARY POINT is set in Oshkosh Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Winnebago. My family has owned a comfortable quaint cottage there for decades and it’s always a great place to go when you want to fish or boat or just plain relax and enjoy the scenery. Or write!

How can people buy your books?

My first two novels are available on Amazon  and Barnesandnoble.com. GARGOYLES and THE UNNATURAL are biomedical thrillers. BARBARY POINT is available at www.xoxopublishing.com.

And I’ve just had a short story published on http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=503955  and http://www.pinkflamingo.com/pages/The-Red,-White-and-Blue-Kitty-by-Alan-Nayes.html titled, The Red, White and Blue Kitty. 

What qualities make a successful writer?

I guess that depends on how you define success. Personally, I think anyone who sets out to write a novel and actually finishes it is successful. Monetary success is another issue. I believe three qualities make a successful writer. The individual must possess some talent. More important the individual must be persistent—rejection letters mount far faster than acceptance calls. And third, I firmly believe there is that intangible entity we call luck involved in every success story. But in order for luck to happen a writer must work hard, be persistent, believe in one’s project and above all—never give up.

To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?

Needless to say, grammar and spelling are as important to a writer as fast hands and power are to a boxer. In many cases editors and agents won’t consider a manuscript if it’s chalk full of grammatical and spelling errors.

How much revision of your MS do you do before you send it off?

I revise and revise and revise. Can’t emphasize this point enough. REVISE.

How long does it normally take you to write a (novel, book, play, poem, story)?

It usually takes me about a year to complete a full length novel—this includes the first draft and subsequent revisions. I could work faster but I have a full time job. Oh well…

Is there any aspect of writing that you really enjoy?

By far the most enjoyable part of writing is when I finish the first draft. Yes, I realize there will be multiple revisions, but I find it far easier to rewrite than face a blank page—all that white space—that’s frightening.

What single piece of advice would you give to writers still hoping to be published?

Persistence. Persistence. Persistence.

What are you writing now?

I’m working on two projects. HEMLOCK POND  is a horror story about a young woman who brings her terminally ill child back from the dead. THE LEARNER is a paranormal love story that I’m still in the process of hashing out. It will be compelling, though. More to come.

Do you have a website or a blog that readers can visit?

My website is www.anayes.com  and I can be found on facebook under my name.

Enjoyed sharing my thoughts with everyone.