Today’s special guest is debut novelist James Edward Webb and we’re chatting about his new veteran western, Tom’s Revenge.
Bio:
James Edward Webb was born in 1981 and grew up on ranches around the western United States. With his father’s employment as a cowboy, James developed a lifelong fascination with the Old West. The charm of the rugged sophistication in the lives of those who lived in the westward expansion, was driven further with several experiences. Aside from growing up on the ranches where his father found employment, he had a chance to explore some of the remnants of that history. When James was 19, he joined the Army. In 2001 he married his wife, Tera, 2003 was deployed to Iraq, and in 2007, after his separation from the military, they moved to Michigan where they have been raising their three children. He attended college and received a degree in art. He finds that writing is good therapy for his PTSD. In Tom’s Revenge he uses his love for the Old West to bring a deeper understanding of this disorder by expressing what he, as a veteran, deals with internally and externally. Other therapies that he uses are art and cooking with his wife, creating and trying new foods. From cover to cover Tom’s Revenge is his first published work including the cover art.
Welcome, James. Please tell us about your current release.
Tom is a civil war veteran who also deals with PTSD. After the war he did not go home because there was nothing left to go back to. Aubrey is the woman he was in love with before the war began, a chance meeting between the two brings back both good and bad memories for him. When the train she is on is hijacked, he goes into rescue mode. Will he be able to save her and start a new life?
What inspired you to write this book?
The inspiration for this book was that it was for therapy. I am a combat veteran that suffers from PTSD and writing is a therapeutic technique that I use in order to work through both the trauma as well as any situation that is bothering me.
What exciting story are you working on next?
A person has to take care of not only the physical and mental aspects of their being but also the spiritual side as well, my next novel is geared to working on that area of my life as well. I have got my soul right to be able to get over the trauma that I have experienced in my life.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I have been writing off and on since the eighth grade, those have been things like short stories, or the bedtime stories that I made up to tell my children when they were little to poetry. I have always found solace in writing. I did not really consider myself a writer until this book was first released on the first of February.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I do write full time, however writing is not a nine to five kind of job for me. I am constantly writing, not always on a computer or with pen and paper but in my head. I will get the story stuck in my head and knowing what I have written first I consider what the characters are going to do and where the story leads to get to the outcome that I want. So I will typically write a full chapter in my mind and then get it written physically. I find that if I sit and try to get it done that way it feels as if I am forcing the story and then I do not feel as though it is going the way it should be going. So I will work on other things that need done around the house until I feel as though I have enough of it to warrant sitting at the computer to write.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I would say that my most interesting writing quirk is that when I get writer’s block I get in the kitchen with my wife and we create dishes inspired by different cuisines from around the world to feed the family. It is my way of getting the characters of my story to stop talking and allow me to clear my mind. When I get back to the story I am clear minded and find that I can work out the problem without the block.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid I always wanted to be a chef and to own my own restaurant and create some of the most tasty and interesting foods along with some of the most decadent classics of fine dining. I always figured that there was a peace in food, all food no matter where in the world it was from, a true testament to mankind.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
My wife and I are into our second decade of marriage and have three wonderful children. We reside in the state of Michigan where we enjoy nature walks and camping. In the summer months we garden and try to stay outside as much as possible because Michigan winters keep inside.
Links:
Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Readers Entertainment | Indigo Chapters | Sahara Foley | Tuscany Bay Books
Miss Haselton,
Thank you for having me as guest.