| Muses Review Writer Interviews Winter 2006 - Jan Feb Mar |
| Featured Writer for February 2006 Brian R. Smith: Interview Conducted by Andrew Angus |
| Brian R. Smith: Writer from Illinois |
| Muses Review Winter 2006 (Jan Feb Mar) Table of Contents Editor's Message Editor's Poem Poems Poem Reviews Book Reviews Interviews Book Ads |
| The long interview is cut short. The whole interview will be published in the printed edition of Muses Review. |
| Interview is Copyright 2006 by Muses Review. All rights reserved. |
I. Your opinion 1. Muses Review: Tell the readers something about your latest novel - Losing Innocence. Brian: Losing Innocence is a lot of things and touches people differently. It's a heartwarming love story, but at the same time, it is a story of ultimate betrayal, manipulation and the ease innocence is lost. It explores the extent to which a person will go in an effort to achieve a goal or protect a way of life, combining elements of romance and suspense capturing the imagination as well as provoke thought. Two of the main characters, Lance and Mia, are single parents, both recovering from past abusive relationships, who meet on a blind date. Neither show much inclination toward marriage, let alone a normal relationship, but both find themselves altering their perceptions as their heart and minds heal. The happiness they experience together is jeopardized due to Mia's ex-husband, Jeff, and the influence he yields with the children. Sadly, like many real life cases, the children become a powerful pawn in the ex-husbands scheme, which goes horribly wrong leaving physical and emotional casualties. 2. Muses Review: Who chose the design of your book cover? Why the design? Brian: Here is a unique, somewhat funny answer and 100% honest to God truth. Shelley Baar designs all my covers. Shelley Baar is my editor. Shelley Baar is my girlfriend. Shelley Baar is the person that believed in me and still does. Shelley Baar is my second ex-wife. We always collaborate, working closely with what we want to identify from the story. An early scene inspired the cracked ceramic mask on the cover of the book, before Mia met Lance, where Mia is at home admiring the ceramic mask collection hanging on her wall, reflecting on the many masks she wore over the years. One mask in particular captures her attention with a faint crack-running top to bottom. 3. Muses Review: Where can people buy your books aside from Publish America? Brian: People can purchase my book at any major bookstore and on Amazon by requesting the title or using the ISBN: 1-4241-0038-0. 4. Muses Review: Do you like to travel? If yes, what countries have you been so far? Brian: Yes, I love to travel. I've visited South Korea, Denmark, Germany, Mexico and Canada all very gracious and beautiful. 5. Muses Review: Is the novel pure fiction or based on someone you know or based on your life or a combination of fiction and true events? Brian: Losing Innocence is a combination of fiction and true events that compromised a real life couple's happiness. Very little fiction was necessary, making the characters believable. 6. Muses Review: Why do you like to write novels? Brian: The freedom of telling a story, the therapy provided, the weaving of characters and hopefully leaving an impression. 7. Muses Review: Can people make a living out of writing novels when he is new in the literary scene ? Brian: I would never say impossible, in fact, I'm sure it is done all the time, but I think it is a difficult thing to do and the odds are terrible. Some of the most talented present day authors self-publish their first books just to get their story read. Everyone has heard stories of the breakthrough new bestseller author, but if you think about it for a second, how many of these breakthrough new authors a year are there? I can think of seven in 2005, but let's just say one per month, twelve. In a market place of new authors numbering in the many thousands, that isn't very good odds is it. 8. Muses Review: What are your favorite themes in writing novels? Brian: I'm writing my third novel, The Tree, now and it too deals with abuse issues, conquering, rebuilding what is left behind when raised in an abusive environment. Because all of my books deal with the theme of abuse in some way or another I joined up with RAINN - Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network sharing my proceeds with them to help stamp out abuse. 9. Muses Review: Why should people read your novel ? Brian: Of course, I'm bias, but I think Losing Innocence is a terrific suspenseful read and the feedback I have received from readers confirms that. Over and over, I hear from readers that they couldn't put the book down, finishing it in days, and that it made them laugh and cry. It's a story filled with raw emotion and believable characters. Your put smack dab in the middle of a family's turmoil and it is easy to relate since readers have experienced many of the same things. 10. Muses Review: What is so good about being a novelist? Brian: Being able to create and receive feedback that my story touched someone. I've enjoyed readers sharing with me how Losing Innocence touched them personally. 11. Muses Review: What event/s triggered you to go into writing? Brian: I don't think any specific event triggered me to go into writing. I have always wanted to write; growing up I always told people someday I would write a book. 12. Muses Review: How do you see yourself in five years time as a writer? Brian: Still writing, but with twenty books under my belt. 13. Muses Review: What company is helping you distribute your books? Brian: Ingrams is the distributor used by my publisher. 14. Muses Review: Your official website address: Brian: http://www.brianrsmith.net 15. Muses Review: What makes a novel, a bestseller? Brian: A good story, a terrific marketing plan and most importantly, readers! 16. Muses Review: Name your favorite novels which you did not write? Brian: Mystic River, Kite Runner 17. Muses Review: What do you like about writing ? Brian: Entertaining, knowing that others are experiencing my novels rather than just read. I've enjoyed my readers comments and hearing they were up all night because they couldn't put my book down. 18. Muses Review: Did you attend writing workshops? Brian: I'm not so sure it would classify as a writing workshop per se, but I studied under Chicago author, Jerry Cleaver, for a year. 19. Muses Review: What are your next projects in the pipeline- books, booktours, etc. Brian: My second book, The Bastard's Plaything, is scheduled for release in March or April of 2006. My third book, The Tree, will be released later in the year. 20. Muses Review: Any advice to aspiring novelists? Brian: Don't give up, it's a negative business, you have to believe in yourself and your work. Don't get caught in the edit trap when writing your first draft, keep plowing ahead, get the story told and save the editing for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th draft. Touch your work everyday. 21. Muses Review: Who is your audience in your writings? Are you targeting only the abused as audience in your novels? Brian: My readers are young adults and adults. Readers that have contacted me tell me they related to the story due to similar life experiences. Women seem to be the majority of my readers. My target audience isn't only those that have experienced abuse. The story is appealing to everyone and hopefully teaches people how easily innocence can be stolen away. |
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| Book Review by Andrew Angus Author: Brian R. Smith Title of book: Losing Innocence Year Released: 2005 Rating: 5 laurels out of 5 laurels. 5 = Excellent. Brian R. Smith's debut novel Losing Innocence is about a man and a woman lured to each other by the same background of domestic abuse. Brian combines romance and suspense in his work. Brian R. Smith skillfully intervweaves the lives of two people from two different backgrounds but with the same denominator of physically and emotionally abusive relationships. Lance's father beats him up as a way of discipline. Mia separates from her husband because her husband beats up her children. Lance separates from his wife because his wife is a substance abuse case. Lance and Mia starts to fall in love. Their romantic interlude heats up as Mia's husband continues to harass and threaten Mia and her two kids. Brian's characters are set in a internet period of dating and romance. He also uses some symbolisms in his novel like the cracked white ceramic mask. His characters are set in Illinois where the writer also lives. Brian is inspired by the muses of romance and tragedy. He was able to write a novel about romance and tragedy mixed with suspense. I interviewed Brian why he likes to write novels. Brian replied: "The freedom of telling a story, the therapy provided, the weaving of characters and hopefully leaving an impression." Brian grew up in Iowa but later was moved to Illinois. He learned how to write a novel from his mentor from Chicago for a year. I asked Brian: Are you targeting only the abused as audience in your novels? To which Brian answered: "My readers are young adults and adults. Readers that have contacted me tell me they related to the story due to similar life experiences. Women seem to be the majority of my readers. My target audience isn't only those that have experienced abuse. The story is appealing to everyone and hopefully teaches people how easily innocence can be stolen away." What are Brian's favorite themes in writing novels? Brian reveals, " I'm writing my third novel, The Tree, now and it too deals with abuse issues, conquering, rebuilding what is left behind when raised in an abusive environment. Because all of my books deal with the theme of abuse in some way or another I joined up with RAINN - Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network sharing my proceeds with them to help stamp out abuse." Brian's novel reminded me of ancient Greek tragedy but set in modern setting. The novel is a good read and worth recommending to other readers. |
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