Today our guest is Randy Mixter, he has written several books and I came across Randy when I read and reviewed “Summer’s Passing” click here for a reminder of the review. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2SQ
Let’s find out more about Randy;
1) Where is your home town?
I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. I now live outside of Annapolis, Maryland with my wife, Veronica, and our five cats.
2) How long have you been writing?
I began writing as a teenager, poetry and short stories mostly. I went on to write movie reviews and articles for a local newspaper. My first published novel was The Boys Of Northwood, an autobiography in short stories about life as a teenager in Baltimore. Since then I’ve written and published seven additional books, with more on the way.
3) You went to Vietnam as a member of the military police, tell us about your book “Letters from Long Binh”
While I was in Vietnam, I wrote letters to my girlfriend (now my wife) on an almost daily basis. When I returned home, I discovered she had kept every one of them. A couple of years ago I had the idea of incorporating some of those letters home into a book that reflected my daily experiences as a military policeman in a faraway and dangerous land. Letters From Long Binh was the result. I believe the novel accurately represents my year in Vietnam with selected incidents remembered, and forever preserved, in words.
4) You have at least 11 books available for purchase on Amazon in a variety of styles; short stories, memories, novels, which do you enjoy writing most?
I enjoy writing fiction novels and short stories. Each one is an adventure that I undertake with the characters of my stories. Quite honestly, most of my books begin with a simple plot idea and expand from there. I like to create unique characters and send them off to strange places where mystery and intrigue hide behind each shadow. In other words, I let my characters do my work for me. I’ll put them in certain situations and let them work their way out.
5) Tell us about the detective series featuring FBI agent Jack Stanton.
I introduced Jake Stanton to the world in my novel Swan Loch. In that book he was a secondary character, but I liked him so much I decided to give him more to do. I wrote Sorcerer based on his exploits with an eccentric magician and a device that allowed time travel. I also put him on the trail of a serial killer in the short story, Red Moon. Next up for Jake, A Gunman’s Destiny, about a master criminal and his personal vendetta against the FBI agent.
6) “Summer’s Passing” has a mix of two stories, one from the past which twists with the present, have you considered a sequel to tell us more of the character’s stories?
I recently published a sequel of sorts to the story in the novel involving Rachel Cain and the adventurer, Morgan Reid. The novel, Scarlet And Gold, concerns their adventures at land and sea during a time of the pirate wars long ago. The book is the first of a planned trilogy. The second chapter, Coronado’s Treasure, will be released in early 2014.
7) Several of your books relate to the 1960’s, tell us briefly what going up in that time period in America meant to you.
The years of my youth were spent in the community of Northwood which had everything a young man could want; a woods nearby, ball-fields, shopping centers, and alleys to play in. The 1960s were magical years of innocence and mystery, where adventure was as close as the summer morning outside the door of your home. I have always believed I could not have grown up in a better time and place.
8) Would you say that you have passed your memories down to the next generations in some of your work? Which of your books in particular relate to this?
I would like to think that the books I write now will be my legacy for many years to come, passed down by family member who many years from now might say, my great great grandfather was a writer and this is one of his books. I think The Boys Of Northwood will be remembered because the book relates to a specific time and lifestyle that no longer exists. I’d like to think that Letters From Long Binh would also have meaning in the years ahead when, hopefully, war is but a distant memory.
9) Do you self publish your work? What are your experiences with getting your work to an audience? Is it changing rapidly?
Although I have had some of my earlier works published, I felt that self-publishing was the best way to present my books to my readers. I now have complete control over the book’s content, cover art, etc. I enjoy promoting and advertising my stories. I make certain that all my works the best they can be, and are properly proofread and edited before they are published. I owe my readers that much.
10) What are you working on at the moment? Do you have an expected publication date?
At the present time I am working on a novella entitled A Girl Of The Paper Sky. It is about a young girl and her ability to visit a dreamworld where there is much beauty, and possibly a dangerous malevolent evil. I hope to have the story published later this year. Then its on to the sequels of Scarlet And Gold and Sorcerer, with others to follow. No rest for the weary, but I love every second of it.
Thank you Randy, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.
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Rosie Amber 