Thursday, May 2, 2013

Interview: James Callan

Let's get to know a little more about James Callan and his new book, A Ton of Gold.


1. What was you inspiration for this book? 
Two things came together as this developed. I had long wanted to use a character who was involved in Informational Retrieval, partly because I did research in this field when working on a Ph.D. in mathematics.  Then, one day I read an old folk tale.  I began to wonder how a folk tale could affect lives today.  The two ideas percolated in my head for some months until A Ton of Gold evolved.

2. Would you classify your writing as plot driven of character driven? 
I would have to go with character driven.  While I feel the plot is important, I want a central character that the reader will care about.  If I can’t make the reader feel something about the character I have failed.

3. Can you tell us a little about your main character?
In A Ton of Gold, the main character is Crystal Moore.  Crystal is a young, brilliant computer researcher who two years ago was abused  psychologically.  She does excellent work, but mere mention of the man’s name completely destroys her confidence, her self-esteem.  As she struggles with this, another more devastating problem arises.  

4. Which of your supporting characters was the most challenging to write?
Crystal’s 76 year-old grandmother and Crystal’s street-wise housemate were so much fun that I can’t classify them as a challenge. But Mark O’Malley, a former bull rider, was more difficult.  Mark is Crystal’s boss and owner of the research company. He has his own problems with venture capitalists. At the same time, he would like to help Crystal. But the more time Crystal spends on her problems, the further behind her project falls, just as the venture capitalists come to visit. So Mark is torn between his feelings for Crystal and her problems and his need to keep the company afloat.

5. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book. 
Unknown people attack Crystal’s only living relative, the grandmother who raised her. Crystal has no idea who these people are or why they would be trying to kill a 76 year-old woman who lives in the middle of a forest. And while the grandmother believes someone is trying to kill her, she won’t hide.  

6. Why did you choose this genre? 
I have always loved to read mystery and suspense novels. So it made sense to me that I would write those.  I’ve had several non-fiction books published, but mystery/suspense is where my heart is.

7. What do you hope readers take away from this book? 
I hope they will see that we cannot let someone else determine how we view ourselves.  Our self-worth, self-esteem, must come from within ourselves.

8. Who are your favorite authors?
I enjoy David Baldacci for his intriguing plots.  I appreciate Dick Francis for the smoothness of his sentences and paragraphs.  I like Jory Sherman for his ability to paint pictures with words.

9. Do you have any interesting rituals or habits when you write?
Not really.  Perhaps you should ask my wife that question.  I write mostly at night after all of the activities of the day are finished.  I don’t want something to interrupt me once I get going. I write as fast as I can and polish after I’ve finished the book.  Social media, blogs, etc. can be done earlier in the day, where interruptions are not as disruptive.

10. Can you tell us about any future projects? 
I have a sequel to A Ton of Gold written. A little more polishing and it will be ready to submit to a publisher.  I have a sequel to Cleansed by Fire nearing the finish line. 



Connect with James online at his websiteblog, a book site

A Ton of Gold is available now from Amazon and Oak Tree Press.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

19 comments:

  1. Jim,
    I'm looking forward to reading "A Ton of Gold." I was surprised (and glad) to read that you have two other novels nearing completion. I've always been a morning writer but maybe I should rethink that. You're certainly producing a lot more than I am. :)

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    1. I was excited to hear he's got another couple books in the works as well. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Thanks for stopping by, Patricia!

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    2. The sequel to A Ton of Gold is complete. I've got a little polishing to do yet, but it should go out before long. Thanks to both Patricia and DelSheree for that encouragement - that an author always seems to need.

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  2. Jim, I love that she has a strong grandma. So do we.. 82 this year. I'm currently reading Deadly Recall :)

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    1. The grandma was a great character! I really enjoyed her. Thanks for stopping by Heather!

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    2. The grandmother was a fun character to write. Not only did she bring a smile to Mark's face each time he talked to her, she brought a smile to my face for each scene she was in. And she will play an important role in the sequel to A TON OF GOLD.
      Thanks for the comment.

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  3. Deadly Recall by Donnell Ann Bell, sorry :)

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  4. I am such a fan of mystery/suspense books and movies. I haven't heard f this and now I'm really curious, so I entered the give a way :)

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    1. Good luck in the giveaway! I think you would enjoy this book :)

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  5. I admire Jim's hope that readers will have the takeaway that we cannot let someone else determine how we view ourselves. Sounds like a great read. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. That was a great theme in this book. Readers will really root for Crystal. Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks, Cynthia and DelSheree. That was a strong part of the book for me. You cannot let others control you self-image. I've seen it happen in real life all too often. It is a struggle for Crystal, but she has gotten stronger. And continues to get stronger in the sequel.

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  6. This sounds like a great book to read. I would be willing to provide a review for the book if the author is interested.

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    1. I'll let James know, Christy. Thanks!

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    2. Christy, I'd love to have you do a review. Send me an e-mail at: jim@jamesrcallan.com and we can make the arrangements. Thanks. And thanks, DelSheree, for hosting me and helping with this.

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  7. I am about to start a new book and haven't decided which one to read next. I have a few that I downloaded a few weeks ago on my phone.

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    1. I have a long list of books I need to read on my phone too! Hopefully I'll catch up this summer.

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  8. The Rafflecopter was acting up today and not accepting entries. I'll check out the list of entries and add anyone who didn't get a chance to enter. Sorry about that! Thanks to everyone for their comments :)

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