William Snyder Day 1

Welcome William Snyder.  We are so glad to have you here on JBR.                                         
We are having a give away going on what item are you giving away? (Anyone can win the item by going to the rafflecopter on the right hand side of the pg.)

I will give away a hardcopy and ebook of "Songs of Icarus.".

First why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

After living in Merida, Mexico for almost 3 years I moved to Denver, CO for open heart surgery on an emergency basis. I don't recommend sitting in an airplane after a heart attack clutching a nitro inhaler while hoping you don't have to use it. Not the best of reasons to move but things have worked out. I owe my life to my heart surgeon, my sons and a Mexican woman.

Most of my earlier workdays were spent with computers. Long ago at a class we were asked to give 

our classmates a brief view of ourselves. When the instructor's turn came he said, "I have a degree 

in classics from Yale majoring in Greek and Latin. You might be wondering what the hell I'm doing 

here teaching Operating Systems...it's just another language." I spent my college days majoring in 

English. So why computers? To repeat...'just another language' and a better way to raise kids given 

the salaries of English teachers. I wanted to be a writer but didn't think I knew enough or had lived 

enough to write what I wanted to write. I think I know enough now.

Newest release?

"Songs of Icarus" is the result of having experienced enough to know what I consider the most important lesson I learned growing up - following the path mapped by others took me somewhere I didn't want to go. In the novel the model I used to illustrate the lesson learned is the myth of Icarus. He was told by his father Daedalus to follow him in flight, but Icarus loved to fly and came too close to the sun. 

Considered a tragedy by many, the myth of Icarus has become a call-to-arms by the romantics among us. It is no coincidence that the son of Daedulus is the model for Jim Collins, the main character of "Songs of Icarus." 

What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance,sex, blood and guts?

Action, drama, romance, sex, blood and guts. All of it. Although "Songs of Icarus" is mostly a coming-of-age novel I love suspenseful detective novels and have used some aspects of them to write this story.

Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? and Why?

Bill Evans, the legendary jazz pianist, is my favorite character in the novel. A jazz lover, I met Bill briefly at the Village Vanguard. I consider him to be the Fredric Chopin of the 2nd half of the 20th century. He was someone who carved his own niche in jazz history and influenced so much of the music I love. His life was a testament to art. He too flew too close to the sun. His flight left us the beauty of his music and his belief in the responsibility of the artist to be true to himself and his art. 

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

The book was re-written to avoid copyright infringement. I had used over 100 partial song lyrics to show what was going on in the mid of Jim Collins on his journey. They had to be removed.

My life imitated my art. Like Jim Collins I fell in love with a Latina while writing the book. 

As much as people deservedly put down Philadelphia for its obscene sports fanatics, it is a city rich in culture, food and art with some of the best laid out landscape and architecture in the USA. Without "Rocky" the Ben Franklin Parkway and Art Museum steps would still be an unknown treasure. Paul Le Cret, a French architect, was responsible for much of Philadelphia's architecture and landscape.

The Barnes Institute has been the subject of a film documentary "The Art of the Steal" as a result of the breaking of Albert Barnes' will by the state of Pennsylvania. The college I attended bordered the Barnes but I never went there until I wrote the novel.

Has there been any other authors who have inspired your work or helped you out with your stories?

I am particularly fond of writers who have mastered stream of consciousness in their work. James Joyce and Virginia Woolf are at the top of the list.

Quotes from V. Woolf "Language is wine upon the lips." "You cannot find peace by avoiding life."

Quotes from J. Joyce "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." "Nations have their ego, just like individuals."

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

1) Buy another copy and give it to a friend or enemy for that matter. 

2) Review it with 5 stars on Amazon. 

3) Send me an email. Any one of these will do.

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Read and follow the "I Ching."

Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?

Lao Tzu. "The Tao Te Ching" contains all the truths needed to live by.

Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable?

Family friends lost a seven year-old to Reyes Syndrome who was a playmate of my sons. I wrote a poem to share in their grief and celebrate the all-too-brief beauty of their son's life. The poem was taped to the door of the fridge by the boy's Mom.

Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your work

From paying attention to what's going on in the world around me.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like to share?

Hobby - Rooting for New Zealand's All Blacks rugby side Pets - Dogs of all kinds, but Rotties Rule Story -Goldilocks and the 3 Bears 

Favorite places to travel or visit?

1) Santorini, Greece - sitting in a cafe overlooking the Aegean at sunset 

2) Slieve League, Donegal, Ireland - maritime cliffs where I felt my Celtic ancestry and blood like no other place in the world. 

3) The bosom of my beloved. 

Thank you for sharing a little about yourself with us.