A few weeks ago, I spent a day with a Kodak video crew who interviewed and filmed me wandering about the Fingerlakes and Genesee Valley regions of Upstate NY, in prep for a clip that will appear on their http://www.printambassador.com/ website in a few weeks. They're going to giveaway ten free copies of Tremolo:cry of the loon for ten straight weeks, so I'll be sure to let you know when it starts!
It was odd being in front of all those cameras instead of behind a keyboard, but I have to admit I secretly enjoyed having a captive audience who wanted to hear about my life's passion: writing! Once I get started gushing about my characters, stories, and readers, it's hard to stop me. Oh well. That's just the way I am. ;o)
Maybe next week I'll tell you a little bit about Gus LeGarde, the protagonist of my first series? But that can wait for another day.
We spent October 9th touring the area near my home, and I shared the gorgeous locales that continue to inspire the my novels with the crew who kept me company all day. They filmed me walking along the foggy shore of Conesus Lake, reading from Tremolo, typing on my laptop perched on the edge of Letchworth Gorge (!), and interviewed in front of the fire at the historic Big Tree Inn in Geneseo, NY. Plus, they captured what I'm sure will be breathtaking footage of the lush area and the college town.
I won't spoil the final video that will be available soon by revealing too much, but I thought I'd share a few photos and the interview questions I answered while we finished up at The Big Tree Inn in Geneseo, the restaurant that inspired the scene in Upstaged where Gus and Camille dine at The Elderberry Inn.
It poured first thing in the morning, and we feared it would all be a washout. But shortly thereafter - amidst plenty of mysterious fog - the sun finally came out.
There was a lone boat in the distance in the fog - rather appropriate, since Tremolo: cry of the loon (the new release coming Nov. 15th) opens with a similar scene.
Tim, Tom, and Jonathan, my videographers and producer.
One of the many spectacular views of Letchworth State Park, "the grand canyon of the East." This is not unlike the scene Gus LeGarde describes when he discovered his first wife, Elsbeth, lying at the base of the cliffs - four years before the action starts in Double Forte'. Poor Elsbeth. When the book opens, Gus believes she jumped to her death. But life isn't quite so simple in East Goodland, NY, now. Is it?
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Okay, let's move on. Here are the questions I answered for the video clip. The actual video will only be 3-4 minutes long, so you won't hear more than 10 percent in sound bytes when it airs.
Kodak: Are there ways in which designing presses helps you write mysteries, and vice versa?
Aaron: At first thought, you might imagine that there could be NO connection between engineering and writing. After all, electrophotographic engineering involves the science behind the digital presses we design and manufacture at NexPress, the physics behind the toner, developer, imaging cylinders, and the hardware that work together to deliver prints. One might be hard put to understand how such work - data, science, formulas, and hardware - could be even remotely related to writing. But when I'm on a project, whether it's the development of a new toner to meet incredibly stringent standards, or solving a complex system problem, there's always a mystery that needs to be solved. It's that challenge, that incredibly exciting contest, that gets my blood pumping. And its a similar excitement that courses through my veins when I'm reading or writing a mystery, trying to solve it, absorbing or creating clues, and imagining "whodunnit."
Of course, no matter what one's profession, there's always human drama in real life to stimulate a writer's emotions and imagination. My colleagues have experienced appalling trials, and these traumas spark fears.
What would I do if I lost either of my baby grandsons? How would I deal with the sudden death of my wife? What if I experienced a life changing heart attack? How would I handle it if one of my daughters was being abused, or was in danger?
Those are the fibers that make up the cloth of every day life. As in news stories, they generate a germ of an idea that may blossom and grow into a storyline or an entire book Most of the themes I've used had come from my own life, but the influences of those around me cannot be denied.
Kodak: Why do you write mysteries as opposed some other genre?
Aaron: It's common wisdom that you should "write what you read."
I've always been a fan of mysteries, and used to devour them as a child. My parents would bring home boxes of books from auctions, and I'd be happily lost for weeks in series like The Hardy Boys. I graduated to books by Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, and Helen McInnes in the years that followed. As time went on, I progressed to my current favorite novelists, including John D. MacDonald, James Patterson, Dick Francis, Clive Cussler, Laurie R. King, Lillian Jackson Braun, Peter Mayle, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Tony Hillerman.
Kodak: What's the feeling when you think of people actually holding a book in their hands which you've written, sitting with it, holding it, turning the pages, reading the printed words?
Aaron: The feeling is rather humbling and most phenomenal. To think of someone sitting in their living room, inhaling the sights and sounds and emotions I've painted on the printed page, fills me with an indescribable sense of joy and... a little bit of nervousness, too. My readers could be in Australia, or Iceland. Africa or Dallas. On a boat or in a plane. In bed or by the fireplace. Anywhere. Any time. Reading my words. My words... my characters, in the hands of folks I've never met. It gives me goosebumps. My parallel universe is suddenly out there, exposed, being absorbed by someone else. It's a little bit scary, but it can also be validating when they ask for more. That's the best part!
Kodak: Ebooks haven't really caught on. Do you think it's because of that whole tactile experience - holding the book, turning the pages?
Aaron: Ebooks are a great value that open up a world of publishing to thousands of authors whose work might not be available through other means, and some folks just love them. However, the majority of my readers have told me they want print books. They want to hold the book in their hands, turn the pages, feel the accompanying sense of "progress" that comes with it, and be able to put the book on their shelf when they're done. They want to save it for their children, and know it's going to be there in a hundred years.
I feel the same way. I like to carry a book in my back pocket or briefcase, sit out in the sun without worrying about the sun glaring off a screen, or having to tote around a heavy laptop or ebook reader. I especially love the feeling of holding the book in my hands when I finish a great read. It feels like a more personal connection with the author, without electronic ads popping up in the background. I turn the book around in my hands and "savor" the look and feel of it when I'm done. It becomes like an old friend, and the experience is only completed after I place it on my favorite bookshelf. Plus I especially love it when I can get the author to sign the flyleaf.
Kodak: Print has obviously played a big part in your life. Could you expand on that?
Print has opened up the whole world to me, allowing me to connect with my readers in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. That's what it's all about - the connections. The people I've met at book signings or through email have been astounding. And oftentimes, there are moments that just floor me.
Take for example the case of Jamie, a very successful young entrepreneur, who contacted me after reading Double Forté. He told me Gus LeGarde had "shown him that cooking a pot of stew, reading a stack of books and watching the Bambi movie with the ‘little ones' in our lives is more important that studying statements, proformus, and packing for the next business trip." He said, "I feel as though Gus, through your words, is actually slowing me down a little bit. Tonight, because of your book, I spent a little extra time while tucking them in. reading an extra bedtime story, and rocking the little one in her bedroom for ten minutes or so." His feedback warmed my heart. Even though I write mysteries, Gus is a diehard family man, and the books are filled with warm moments between him and his grandson, for example. If just one of my books causes just one of my readers to spend more time with their children...that's more than enough for me.
Kodak: What do you think it means to be an ambassador for print? And how do you think that role, for you or anyone, will continue to drive the future of print?
Aaron: Being an ambassador for print means to engage, motivate, and inspire readers. By creating a mystery series that grabs readers who want to learn more about the characters, to delve into their past and future, to dig deeper into the mysteries and come back for more - that seems to inspire them to read more, and that means more printing.
And if my humble words can influence one single reader, like Jamie, then that is the most satisfying and validating part of the whole process. Let's face it, print is here to stay. And along with all the other authors on this planet, I'm honored to be a small part of that process.
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The photo at the top of this article was taken after a long long day of being "on" and having to look and sound like a witty author. It's hard to do for a rather simple guy like me. But I made it, and even though you can tell I was ready to drop, my daughter wanted to take a shot of me when it was all over. ;o)
Thanks, Allison!
Thanks for stopping by - and remember, for those of you who love to do so, write like the wind!
Aaron Paul Lazar
http://www.legardemysteries.com/
