Lets welcome Nick Pollotta to
Julie's Book Review. Nick is giving away an autographed copy of his new
Paranormal Romance, "Gentlemen Prefer Witches", so don't forget to check
out the rafflecopter to the right of the pg.
Welcome to Julies Book Review. Can you tell me a little about yourself?Sure, happy to. I'm married, live in Chicago, and write three novels a year. I've held the mandatory thousand-and-one odd jobs, everything from a ditch digger to an inorganic chemist. I love books and reading. My wife recently gave me a Kindle, and I had a ball loading it up with hundreds of favorite novels. Now, I am never without something wonderful to read. It's great carrying an entire library tucked under your arm.
What kind of books do you write?A little bit of everything, Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA, Horror, Action/Adventure, Romance ...but my best books are a mixture of Fantasy and Humor, such as the 'Bureau 13" series, my Steampunk novel, "That Darn Squid God!", or my Paranormal Romance, "Gentlemen Prefer Witches".
Newest release?That would be "Gentlemen Prefer Witches". So far, the reviews have been excellent...although many folks seemed surprised that a guy could write a decent romance. That pleases me greatly. I love surprising people. I'm already hard at work on the sequel.
What should we expect in your book? Action/Adventure, drama etc.?Action, humor, and sex, are always fun. But complex characters are the meat of any story. William Faulkner once said that there is truly only one plot in all of fiction, the human heart in conflict with itself. I totally agree. It's sort of like the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Whatever the ultimate outcome, the side-effects are going to be spectacular!
How do you get ideas for your books?Mostly from life, just from wondering what happened, and what could have happened? I often watch a movie, and think to myself 'now, I would have done that scene differently'. On the way home my mind starts cooking, and soon I have another novel roughed, and ready to go. My mind never really stops working. Just can't turn the damn thing off.
Anything in your stories based on real experiences?
Historical events, of course, but also anything true in life. When I write a romantic scene, I must 'open my veins' as they say. I must reveal my own cowardice in the hero to make his rise dramatic, and so on. I'm only the spark, the characters are the flame.
Toughest criticism?Early in my career, before the easy access to the Internet that everybody take for granted these days, I asked a friend in the military to tell me about a weapon. Smiling, he did - but everything he said was wrong. Deliberately wrong. he thought my editor would catch the goofs and I would look silly in private. Unfortunately, she didn't, the book went out, and took a lot of heat from critics for not doing my due diligence. Mia culpa!
This mistake has never happened again. I now use the same rules that journalists do, I want three, independent sources, to confirm the information, before I use it. Once burned, twice shy, as my Scottish ancestors liked to say.
Best compliment?I'm a big fan of musicals, and one critic called me the 'Gene Kelly' of fictional combat, crafting amazingly beautiful chaos. I cut it out and framed it for my office wall. Kelly is a hero of mine, to compare us, well...!
Any advice for aspiring authors?Be true to yourself. Write from the hip, so to speak. Don't try to outwit the market, or jump on a passing bandwagon. Ignore fads and trends. Just write about things you truly care about, and readers will respond.
How about some fun stuff?Well, I like to have my earlobes nibbled...too much? Sorry. My wife and I watch as much live theater as we can afford, and once a week we meet with all of our friends at a local restaurant and spend the evening talking, and laughing. It is always the highlight our of our week. We're thinking about having T-shirts made with a logo.
Dogs or cats?Cats! They don't bark to go outside and disturb me while writing. Cats are quiet. That's a good thing for a working author.
Fav book? Why?Whew. Tough question. If pressed for an answer, I would say..."Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. It is a Fantasy/Comedy set in a China-That-Never-Was, as if all of their complex mythology was 100% true, with ghost ,and demons, and gods, everywhere. It is exceptional clever, funny, wise, touching, and I nearly burst into tears at the wonderful-wonderful ending. Damn, what a book!
Favorite place to travel?Boston is nice, as is Philadelphia. But in truth...I'm a ham. I love going to conventions where I'm the GOH, signing books, talking on panels, doing dramatic readings, holding seminars for new writers. I live a quiet life...punctuated with brief bursts of wild showmanship.
Fav author? Why?That would be a dead heat between Lois McMaster Bujold, and Robert B. Spencer. Both of them write exceptional complex characters that are always entertaining. Inner conflict is the fuel in their jet engines.
Lois writes about a physically weak man who must use his mind to survive, while Robert writes about a physically powerful man whose strength is often not enough, and he must reason out a proper solution. It is the classic formula of mind over muscle. Love it!
Is this your full time job? If yes, anything else you want to do? If no what else do you do?Yes, writing has been my full time job for nearly 20 years. No, I'll never stop writing. My mourners will hear the keyboard clicking through the lid of my coffin.
Where can we find you and your books?My health is not great these days, so I only go to conventions in the Midwest, driving distance from Chicago. My books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc. etc. I've got a lot of fans in Australia and Russia. http://www.nickpollotta.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Gentlemen-Prefer-Witches-ebook/dp/B007XJ6ZDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358096257&sr=8-1&keywords=gentlemen+prefer+witches
Thanks Nick. It has been a pleasure. I hope you are healthy and well very soon. Good luck with all you do and If you need any more reviews you are always welcome here on JBR!
Julie Ramsey
administrator of JBR
Welcome to Julies Book Review. Can you tell me a little about yourself?Sure, happy to. I'm married, live in Chicago, and write three novels a year. I've held the mandatory thousand-and-one odd jobs, everything from a ditch digger to an inorganic chemist. I love books and reading. My wife recently gave me a Kindle, and I had a ball loading it up with hundreds of favorite novels. Now, I am never without something wonderful to read. It's great carrying an entire library tucked under your arm.
What kind of books do you write?A little bit of everything, Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA, Horror, Action/Adventure, Romance ...but my best books are a mixture of Fantasy and Humor, such as the 'Bureau 13" series, my Steampunk novel, "That Darn Squid God!", or my Paranormal Romance, "Gentlemen Prefer Witches".
Newest release?That would be "Gentlemen Prefer Witches". So far, the reviews have been excellent...although many folks seemed surprised that a guy could write a decent romance. That pleases me greatly. I love surprising people. I'm already hard at work on the sequel.
What should we expect in your book? Action/Adventure, drama etc.?Action, humor, and sex, are always fun. But complex characters are the meat of any story. William Faulkner once said that there is truly only one plot in all of fiction, the human heart in conflict with itself. I totally agree. It's sort of like the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Whatever the ultimate outcome, the side-effects are going to be spectacular!
How do you get ideas for your books?Mostly from life, just from wondering what happened, and what could have happened? I often watch a movie, and think to myself 'now, I would have done that scene differently'. On the way home my mind starts cooking, and soon I have another novel roughed, and ready to go. My mind never really stops working. Just can't turn the damn thing off.
Anything in your stories based on real experiences?
Historical events, of course, but also anything true in life. When I write a romantic scene, I must 'open my veins' as they say. I must reveal my own cowardice in the hero to make his rise dramatic, and so on. I'm only the spark, the characters are the flame.
Toughest criticism?Early in my career, before the easy access to the Internet that everybody take for granted these days, I asked a friend in the military to tell me about a weapon. Smiling, he did - but everything he said was wrong. Deliberately wrong. he thought my editor would catch the goofs and I would look silly in private. Unfortunately, she didn't, the book went out, and took a lot of heat from critics for not doing my due diligence. Mia culpa!
This mistake has never happened again. I now use the same rules that journalists do, I want three, independent sources, to confirm the information, before I use it. Once burned, twice shy, as my Scottish ancestors liked to say.
Best compliment?I'm a big fan of musicals, and one critic called me the 'Gene Kelly' of fictional combat, crafting amazingly beautiful chaos. I cut it out and framed it for my office wall. Kelly is a hero of mine, to compare us, well...!
Any advice for aspiring authors?Be true to yourself. Write from the hip, so to speak. Don't try to outwit the market, or jump on a passing bandwagon. Ignore fads and trends. Just write about things you truly care about, and readers will respond.
How about some fun stuff?Well, I like to have my earlobes nibbled...too much? Sorry. My wife and I watch as much live theater as we can afford, and once a week we meet with all of our friends at a local restaurant and spend the evening talking, and laughing. It is always the highlight our of our week. We're thinking about having T-shirts made with a logo.
Dogs or cats?Cats! They don't bark to go outside and disturb me while writing. Cats are quiet. That's a good thing for a working author.
Fav book? Why?Whew. Tough question. If pressed for an answer, I would say..."Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. It is a Fantasy/Comedy set in a China-That-Never-Was, as if all of their complex mythology was 100% true, with ghost ,and demons, and gods, everywhere. It is exceptional clever, funny, wise, touching, and I nearly burst into tears at the wonderful-wonderful ending. Damn, what a book!
Favorite place to travel?Boston is nice, as is Philadelphia. But in truth...I'm a ham. I love going to conventions where I'm the GOH, signing books, talking on panels, doing dramatic readings, holding seminars for new writers. I live a quiet life...punctuated with brief bursts of wild showmanship.
Fav author? Why?That would be a dead heat between Lois McMaster Bujold, and Robert B. Spencer. Both of them write exceptional complex characters that are always entertaining. Inner conflict is the fuel in their jet engines.
Lois writes about a physically weak man who must use his mind to survive, while Robert writes about a physically powerful man whose strength is often not enough, and he must reason out a proper solution. It is the classic formula of mind over muscle. Love it!
Is this your full time job? If yes, anything else you want to do? If no what else do you do?Yes, writing has been my full time job for nearly 20 years. No, I'll never stop writing. My mourners will hear the keyboard clicking through the lid of my coffin.
Where can we find you and your books?My health is not great these days, so I only go to conventions in the Midwest, driving distance from Chicago. My books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc. etc. I've got a lot of fans in Australia and Russia. http://www.nickpollotta.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Gentlemen-Prefer-Witches-ebook/dp/B007XJ6ZDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358096257&sr=8-1&keywords=gentlemen+prefer+witches
Thanks Nick. It has been a pleasure. I hope you are healthy and well very soon. Good luck with all you do and If you need any more reviews you are always welcome here on JBR!
Julie Ramsey
administrator of JBR
I haven't read any of these authors yet, but they all sound interesting. Thanks for the post and contest.
ReplyDeletermwyer at shaw dot ca
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Nick and thank you to Julie for hosting this interview.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen Prefer Witches sounds like an awesome story!
I will be adding it to my TBR List.
I haven't read Nick or Sara yet, but will be sure to rectify that ASAP!
I have never read any of these authors, but I love discovering new authors and I really love that Nick is from the Midwest where I live. Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit. I can't wait to read Gentlemen Prefer Witches. Thank you JBR for adding new authors to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteGreat Review!!
ReplyDeleteThis is another new author for me, thank you for introducing us Julie!
Nick may your health turn towards the better.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete