Interview with Robert Giel, MACARASTOR

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

It is a story of revenge and how it changes the main character as he progresses on his quest to track down those responsible for his loss. It is not part of a series. When you read the novel, you'll understand why.

Do you have a favorite character?

I have two favorite characters, the two protagonists in my first novel. I conceived the plot and the characters of that one when I was twelve-years-old but I did't write it until I was much older. As a result, those characters grew up with me and I with them. They became old friends.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I've only been writing in earnest for about eight years. Most of that has been a learning curve. Since I write primarily traditional Western novels, I felt that the market for that genre was small and that traditional publishers would show little interest in my books. I chose self publishing as a way to get my books in front of the public quickly and at minimum cost.

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first or latest book.

The idea for my latest novel woke me up at two in the morning. I had to start writing it then and there. When it was finished (a labor of love), I entered it in a contest given by a review magazine. It received a five-star review and was a finalist in the contest. I presented it to three traditional publishers and was offered a contract for publication about a month after submission.

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

My daughter is a graphic designer so I engaged her to design the covers for my self published books. She read each book (she is also my initial editor) and we worked together to come up with covers that helped tell each story.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I recently joined a group of diverse writers who meet once a week and share our writing. Each person reads a passage he or she has written and the group reads along. Then the group critiques the passage. They have helped me immensely, in particular with point of view and becoming more concise.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I write in silence. That way, I can hear my characters talking, either within the story or to me.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I'm an outliner. I have to have a fully shaped story line and fully fleshed out characters with which to start writing. Having said that, there have been times when the spirit moved me to stray from an outline to more fully develop the story.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Edit. Edit. Edit. While, at some point, you have to call a halt to the editing process, every time I edit one of my works, I make changes. Ask others to read it and comment on it. Don't submit it until you feel confident it's the best it can be.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

Since I'm retired, I write full time. However, recently, I discovered Cowboy Action Shooting and that has become my past time passion. It's like playing cowboys when I was a kid, only with real guns and real bullets. But don't worry, it's perfectly safe.

Author Bio:

Born in New York City and living now in New Jersey, I've lived in several areas of the Midwest but have never resided in any area that could be termed the West. However, I've absorbed so much of the West through books, movies and TV that I feel like I have been there. The colors, sounds and images stay vividly enough in my mind that I can believe I have experienced them.

I have loved the western genre since I was a kid. The grit and the determination of the people that carved a way of life out of the frontier have helped to shape the way I live my own life. Because of that era, I keep my word, I finish what I start and I'm a true friend. When I retired from the business world, I made up my mind to begin a writing career and never looked back.

The links to all my books can be found on my website, www.bobgiel.com