Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob.
Hi Bob, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Being a writer of any sort has been a dream my entire life, more of a pipedream for most of it really. The obligations and realities of this world have made writing more of a long-time hobby and creative outlet than a way to make a living. Still, the words I’ve put to paper over my lifetime mean more to me than anything outside of my family.
Actual publishing happened late in life for me. Evolving technology and services such as Amazon made it feasible for people with creative ideas to turn them into real, physical books. It was also around this time that my young daughter Erin was having trouble sleeping. Nightmares were invading her slumber and she wasn’t able to get through a night without waking up. We came up with the idea to help use her imagination to have her mind ready for these monsters before she went to sleep. Thankfully, the concept was a success and my wife said that the experience would make a fun children’s book. This is what became my first published work, The Sleepy Gift. I didn’t have the spare money to work with a professional artist, so I used one of the creative service websites to find the services of a graphic designer overseas. Not being the most technically savvy guy, I thoroughly enjoyed working through communicating my ideas with someone so far away and finally getting the project completed. Nothing gives me a better feeling when I’m out peddling my books and people see The Sleepy Gift and tell me that they are having the exact same problem, I hope a few of them have the same success that we did.
I was one of those kids that grew up watching monster movies. I fell in love at a young age with the black and white classics: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, Phantom of the Opera, Godzilla etc. I had the glow in the dark models, the posters, comics, everything. Very slowly, over time, my own character evolved. In my mind, he is himself black and white, living in a very dark basement. Eventually, in the spirit of all my beloved monsters, he became The Embalmer. He is a monster, but he is the ultimate victim. He is also my only full-length book, but the second volume is already written. I’m hoping to have it published within a few months. With evolving technology, what a dream it would be to see my characters come to life on the screen.
My wife has been in elementary education for over thirty years. When I see the younger children get lost and absorbed into a book, there is a sort of wonderful magic that happens. We all remember the pictures and illustrations that have stayed in our minds from our childhood reading, that’s where my third book, There’s a Frog In My Sandwich began. I teamed up with local Jacksonville, Florida artist Chris Sellers to make a playful verse come to life and hopefully, leave some long lasting, fun images for their curious minds.
All of this being said, despite starting late in the publishing world, I am very much a child at heart. There is no reason to stop now!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve never relied on writing as my livelihood, so I haven’t been the typical starving author. Has that made it a smooth road? Not exactly. Writing songs, short stories and longer works were an unfulfilled dream for most of my life. There have been raised hopes and countless disappointments along the way. Writing is my outlet though; I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My highlights and best memories are from when I’ve had the opportunity to do freelance work for ad agencies and other business contacts. There’s no better feeling than seeing your work on television, print or hearing it on radio. Songwriting is another passion, and though I’ve never profited from it, hearing an idea that was in my head coming out of a speaker in the form of music is an indescribable feeling.
My biggest business venture was to follow through with my dream to open a tavern, my own little bar and grill. Ultimately, the business closed, but the memories, experiences and friends that are still with me are treasures I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Family. Nothing I’ve written or published would have been possible without their support. It sounds like a simple response, but the older I get, the more thankful I become.
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