Lisa: We’re so pleased to have author John Inman joining us today to celebrate the release of his latest novel, Nightfall, from Dreamspinner Press. Welcome, John! Why don’t we get right down to business with a writing question: when you sit down to write a book, how do you know whether it will be in first person or third?
John: For me, that has always been something the characters tell me. I mean, right off the bat, I think I know how the story will read better, and how the characters will come across if it’s told in either first or third person. First person is a little limiting, since that character can only report on what he sees, so I don’t use it too much, but I do use it. In comedies mostly. In NIGHTFALL, however, I chose third person because there’s so much action going on. It would be too limiting to see it all through the eyes of one person.
Lisa: What are your least and most favorite things about being an author?
John: My most favorite things? That’s easy. I love almost everything about it. I’m kind of a loner, so I really love the solitude of writing. I love having a publisher I trust with Dreamspinner Press, and I love having an editor that understands what I write and always knows exactly how to make it better. I’ve been writing since I was a kid, and that’s a lot of years. To finally be published and to know there are real people out there choosing to read my stories when they have so many other authors they could be reading, humbles me and makes me thankful every single day. But mostly I just really love the physical act of sitting down and putting a story together out of thin air, and hopefully breathing life into the setting and the characters. My least favorite thing about being an author goes back to that loner thing. I hate putting myself out there, trying to sell myself, or God forbid, doing a reading in front of a live audience. Heart attack time. I would much rather be in the background sitting at my computer, picking cat hair out of my coffee, and plinking away at the keyboard.
Lisa: If I were to interview some of your main characters what would they say about YOU?
John: Haha, that’s a good one. Let’s see. They’d probably say I drag them onto the computer screen way too early every morning. Long before the sun’s up actually. They’d probably say I pick at every little thing they do and say until they’re ready to reach around behind the screen and yank the cables out of my Mac. They’d probably say when things are getting exciting and haste is required, I still poke around typing in the words because I’ve got a cat trying to sleep on the keyboard and I don’t want to wake it up. And they’d probably say that during those intimate moments when they are finally able to enjoy a little one on one man sex with their significant other, I keep moving their body parts around until they are so damned confused they don’t know which end is up. Literally. Come to think of it, I can’t blame them for that one. I would hate it too.
Lisa: What would you say was the most intimidating thing about publishing your first book?
John: There’s kind of a funny story about that. About 8 years ago I had all but given up on being published. Hadn’t sent anything out for ages. Then one day I accidentally stumbled on the Dreamspinner Press website, and after reading a few blurbs and excerpts of their books, I knew this was exactly what I had been writing my whole life. I contacted the publisher and asked her if I could send a ms. She told me yes. I asked her if I could send it on paper because I didn’t know anything about computers, and I swear I could hear her head hit the desk from 23 states away. But eventually she said yes again, promising me that if she liked the book she would find someone on her end to put it in a digital format. But the main thing to me, was she was willing to look at it. As soon as I got the go-ahead I got pushy and sent in two books instead of one. And lo and behold, she bought them both. Those two books were A HARD WINTER RAIN and THE BOYS ON THE MOUNTAIN. Needless to say, after that I took some crash computer courses and never had to send in anything on paper again. But it goes to show how accommodating Dreampsinner Press can be to a writer who doesn’t know his ass from a iPad. By the way, since then, we’ve published more than thirty five books together, and the staff at DSP from the boss on down are still just as accommodating and nice as they always were.
Lisa: What inspired you to write your latest book, NIGHTFALL?
John: A couple of things actually. I had never written science fiction, and that appealed to me. Turns out it’s a little harder than you might think because for all the science-y stuff you put in it, you need to have a groundwork of fact. You can’t just do something impossible. So I had to do a lot of research on planets and space and the environment. Another thing that appealed to me was the fear factor involved in my characters suddenly waking up one day and finding themselves in a world without light. And not just them, but everyone around them. The whole planet, in fact, plunged into darkness. That aspect of the story was really creepy to me. The final thing I wanted to do, was write a love story between two damaged men and put them in the middle of all this action. I really fell in love with Joe and Ned. They’d had so few breaks in life, it was wonderful to see them blossom as soon as love actually found them. And they weren’t action heroes, you know. They were simple guys. But the way they found their bravery in the midst of all the carnage going on around them was wonderful. And their romance, I thought, was very sweet. Those two really did almost write themselves. And I’m proud to have them in my book.
Lastly, I just want to say thanks to The Novel Approach Reviews. I appreciate them giving me a chance to talk about NIGHTFALL. So keep reading everybody! And thanks for stopping by.
Lisa: You’re most welcome, John, it’s been a pleasure!
About Nightfall
Joe Chase and Ned Bowden are damaged men. They each bear scars from surviving the world they were born in. Deep scars, both physical and emotional.
When fate offers its first kind act by bringing the two together, suddenly their scars don’t seem so bad, and their lives don’t feel so empty.
Yet that kindness comes at a price.
Just as Joe and Ned begin to experience true happiness for the very first time, the world turns on them again.
But this time it turns on everyone.
Nightfall is available now from Dreamspinner Press and these Online Booksellers
About the Author
John Inman is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over thirty novels, everything from outrageous comedies to tales of ghosts and monsters and heart stopping romances. John Inman has been writing fiction since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He and his partner live in beautiful San Diego, California. Together, they share a passion for theater, books, hiking and biking along the trails and canyons of San Diego or, if the mood strikes, simply kicking back with a beer and a movie.
John’s advice for anyone who wishes to be a writer? “Set time aside to write every day and do it. Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve written. Feedback is important. When a rejection slip comes in, just tear it up and try again. Keep mailing stuff out. Keep writing and rewriting and then rewrite one more time. Every minute of the struggle is worth it in the end, so don’t give up. Ever. Remember that publishers are a lot like lovers. Sometimes you have to look a long time to find the one that’s right for you.”
I love Mr Inman’s books but this is without a doubt the best book by any author I have read this year! I loved it!
Thank you so much! That made my day.
Oops, sorry. That wasn’t meant to be anonymous.