Thursday, December 1, 2011

Giveaway and Author Interview: Lost in Dreams


Welcome to Writing for Christ, Roger Bruner, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?



Ah, Casey, I hope you’re not fishing for any deep, dark secrets. God has already forgiven and forgotten all of those. *big grin*



Serously though, one thing most people don’t know is I had acute viral encephalitis when I was in the eighth grade. I was in a coma for several days. There was no cure, and the doctors said I might end up a vegetable. If I survived at all.



I did survive—as you can probably tell—and I can assure you that vegetables don’t make good book authors. Or even poor ones.



I’ll never forget my parents telling me that many people had been praying for me—people who didn’t even know me. So I consider my survival and successful recovery to be the result of a personal miracle brought about by prayer.



Although I’d been a Christian for several years at the time, that event gave my faith a jolt that continues working to this very day. I don’t know how many more days, weeks, or years God plans to keep me around, but He wouldn’t have kept me alive this long without a purpose, part of which is writing Christian fiction that tells other people about His love.



Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?



My favorite reads are suspense with a little speculative thrown in. My current favorites are books by Jim Rubart and Al Gansky. I’ve just discovered Bill Myers, whom I met recently at a novelists’ retreat. I just finished reading debut author Jon Wakefield’s new suspense novel, Fatal Reality, which was a real page turner. Oh, and let me not forget Tim Downs’ Bug Man novels.



I also enjoy romantic comedy—like Ray Blackston’s books—and even a bit of contemporary women’s lit, like anything of Deb Raney’s. I highly recommend Southern Fried Sushi, written by my good friend, Jenny Rogers Spinola. Even though my two published books are Young Adult, I don’t generally read in that genre. Nonetheless, I’ve read and enjoyed several YA books by such authors as Jenny B. Jones.



I don’t think of myself as a Young Adult author. My manuscripts fall into YA, women’s lit,  romantic comedy, and even one speculative novel. As much as I enjoy reading suspense, you’d think I might try writing it, but I don’t feel led in that direction. That’s not to say I never will, though.



As long as I can use my sense of humor and feel that I’m communicating an important message to my audience—my aim is to both bless and entertain them—I really don’t care what genre I’m writing in.



Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view about writing?



Uh, not exactly. But I can tell you something that made my first novel publishable and then express it as a nugget of advice I still follow.



Novelist and writing book author James Scott Bell looked at the first page of Found in Translation a few years ago. “Roger,” he said, “you didn’t even start with a scene.”



Gee, if that nifty opening describing the protagonist’s efforts to unfold a stiff, mothball-smelly blanket wasn’t a scene, what was?



But Jim was the expert—the published expert—not me. So I ended up cutting the first fifty pages—you need to understand that I work the hardest on the first fifty, so that was the biggest imaginable sacrifice—and writing a new beginning. Such a difference. Such an improvement. And so much more likely to hook an acquisitions editor—and subsequently book browsers who I hope will become my readers.



The nugget of advice? Don’t fall in love with any part of your writing so much that you refuse to give it up if you discover it ought to be cut. Remember that anything you have to cut was still excellent writing practice and should be set aside and saved for some other possible use.



The corollary to that nugget is cut anything and everything that doesn’t relate to and advance the story. That can be a toughie.



What do you enjoy most about being a published author?



I wish I could say that being published makes people recognize me when I walk down the street. Or that my seatmate on a plane is reading one of my books and then looks up and says, “Oh! That’s your book? Your writing is the greatest.” But I haven’t reached that point. And honestly, those things aren’t terribly important to me, no matter how fun they might sound.



What does matter—what thrills me, in fact—is the awareness that having published books allows me to touch thousands of lives in ways I would never be able to do in person. When it comes  to sharing my faith verbally, I feel like Moses. I express myself far better in writing. Being able to perfect the message instead of having to deliver it on the fly makes a whale of a difference.



Places for readers to learn more about you?

Your readers will be welcome at my website, www.RogerBruner.com,  where they can read sample chapters from my books—including my unpublished manuscripts, poetry, and short plays. They can see some of my favorite photographs—good thing I don’t print as many pictures as I take—and listen to some of my original songs. I’m on Facebook and Twitter, too, but I’m not as active keeping up with the social media as I used to be. I’m always open to friend requests, though, and I do respond to comments.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thank you, Casey. This has been a great pleasure, and you’ve been a most gracious hostess.
Readers here is your chance to enter to win Roger's novel!

Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:


~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber




Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on December 16th.

38 comments:

  1. What a great interview! I always enjoy learning about an author's influences.
    Best wishes and thanks for a chance to win this wonderful book!
    Chanticlear1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Longtime follower in GFC!
    Best wishes and thanks for a chance to win this wonderful book!
    Chanticlear1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm an email subscriber, too!
    Best wishes and thanks for a chance to win this wonderful book!
    Chanticlear1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Would love to read Roger's book. I know it will be a great read!

    plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a follower.

    plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  6. I subscribe by email

    plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  7. Having a serious illness when Roger was in the 8th grade must have been a scary experience for Roger's parents. God definitely had great plans for his life. I would be delighted to win a copy of lost in dreams.

    Blessings,
    Judy B
    judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am a GFC follower.

    Judy B
    judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am a subscriber.

    Judy B
    judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow! What a wonderful interview! So interesting to meet Roger here and learn more about him and his life as a writer and otherwise. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful! The authors he likes to read are some of my own favorites, particulary Jim Rubart.

    Please exempt me from the drawing, dear Casey. I am going to get this book on my own. Bless u both!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm a follower
    lgm52@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. email subscriber
    lgm52@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Enjoyed the interview...
    The book looks great!
    Thanks for the giveaway
    lgm52@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hadn't heard of this author before. Thanks for the interview.

    andrea2russia@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Follow on GFC

    andrea2russia@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm enjoying this blog and really enjoyed the interview. What a pleasure to read about Roger and his work. Sounds like a terrific book.

    meadowlark@loreepeery.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds like a great book! Thanks for the chance.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT ner

    ReplyDelete
  19. I follow you on GFC, Twitter, and Facebook

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  20. email subscriber

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a great interview. I want to read this book.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm a follower

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is the first interview I have read of Roger's and I do want to read his books. I love romance with mystery, suspense and HEA.
    Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveway.


    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am an old GFC follower


    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Old subscriber

    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Please enter me in the giveaway!

    frequentreader19 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Follower

    frequentreader19 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Subscriber

    frequentreader19 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Casey. I am a follower. I enjoyed reading about Roger's story and I'm so glad he survived this disease he had as a child so he could write books!
    Deborah M.
    debbiejeam at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sounds like a wonderful book!
    ~Marissa

    marissamehresman(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I'm a follower!

    jnwaldvogel@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am also a subscriber!

    jnwaldvogel@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for letting me enter into this contest..

    jnwaldvogel@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I enjoy getting to see what makes an author tick. Thanks for the interview and the giveaway.
    I'm a follower.
    Shirley
    beekeeper5(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks for the interview and giveaway!
    I am a follower and a subscriber.
    dymesich(at)juno(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wonderful interview! Loved Lost in Translation and excited to read this one.

    I'm a follower.

    Allison Martin
    allisonpaigegreen@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love to hear from those who traffic my blog! Have a wonderful day. :)