INSIDER AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

An Interview with Author Clifford B. Bowyer - Continuing the Passion

November 2009

The Insider is a Silver Leaf Books sponsored feature that allows the readers to gain additional information about the authors, books, and projects. This section will consist of live interviews with the authors, and their direct responses.

This Insider interview is with Clifford B. Bowyer, author of Continuing the Passion:

SLB: Normally a Fantasy author with your Imperium Saga series, Continuing the Passion is obviously a completely different type of book with a potentially different audience of readers. Did you always want to write in other genres?

BOWYER: Actually, I did. When I first began writing I had an idea for a romantic comedy of sorts, but I hadn’t written anything in years and wanted to refine my style a bit. I opted to go with Fantasy because it’s a world based solely on my imagination. If I wanted the sky to be purple and the grass to be blue, I could do that. When the Imperium Saga took off and I began getting such positive reviews and fan feedback, and excitement about all things Imperium in general, I sort of stuck with it. But I did always have that romantic comedy in the back of my mind.

SLB: But this is not a romantic comedy. It’s more of a family tragedy and perseverance book.

BOWYER: That’s right. The book features a family who is going through a hard time following the loss of Connor’s (the main characters) father. The readers will see what the family is going through, but also watch as Connor begins to make decisions that are geared towards honoring the memory of his father.

SLB: Which has something to do with baseball, right?

BOWYER: That’s right. Connor’s father had been a hall of fame baseball coach in Massachusetts. Connor decided that he wanted to honor the memory of his father by doing the same and by teaching the kids the passion for the game that he and his father shared. But of course he has his own way of doing it and brings people along with him.

SLB: This story hits close to home, doesn’t it?

BOWYER: Very much so. Well, the family tragedy part, not the coaching part.

SLB: Do you want to share a little about the motivation behind this book?

BOWYER: I lost my father very unexpectedly. Losing a parent is always difficult, I know, but my parents and I have always had such a strong relationship and bond. It was a very difficult time period. As an author, about two weeks after the day we lost him, I just had this burning desire to write a tribute in his honor. It was for family and friends only and had never been intended for the general populace. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but something I felt I had to do.

SLB: But obviously something changed. What made you decide to pursue publishing it?

BOWYER: My family and friends. They urged me to publish it. I was very reluctant to do so. I didn’t want people to feel like I was capitalizing on the death of my father. But in the end Silver Leaf Books did a great job making it the tribute to him that I really wanted.

SLB: How close to reality is it?

BOWYER: The family parts are extremely close. Of course the thoughts and viewpoint largely are mine….and I did worry about offending some people who might take my thoughts the wrong way, but everyone who has read it has told me that it was a wonderful tribute to my father. As for the rest of the book, that’s all pure fiction.

SLB: What was it your editor said about the book?

BOWYER: <chuckle> She said that after reading this she felt I was wasting my time by writing fantasy and not doing more things like this. Of course I mentioned that about a year after she edited it and she said she never said that…she said that it was just so good that she thought I should try writing more in the real world and not just fantasy.

SLB: So she wasn’t saying the fantasy was bad? Only this was really good?

BOWYER: Exactly.

SLB: Are you taking her advice?

BOWYER: I’ve actually written a pair of suspense novels, one of which in particular I’m quite excited about. So we’ll see. I won’t count Gen-Ops...I wrote that before she said anything.

SLB: Just for the sake of our readers, Gen-Ops is your Science Fiction book, right?

BOWYER: Yes. Fantasy was me “playing around” until it sort of mushroomed on me. But I was always more into Science Fiction over fantasy. Gen-Ops is a nice blend of military, espionage, and science fiction. I’ve started seeing some of the preliminary sketches for the cover and am getting excited about it finally coming out.

SLB: It has been in the pipeline for a bit. Getting back to Continuing the Passion though, there was about a full year’s gap between the book being edited and you returning it. What happened?

BOWYER: Well, I was doing the post-editing proofread and got right up to the chapter where my father died. Then I just stopped. It was like I couldn’t face it. So it sat there collecting dust until I began getting questions from family almost weekly about when it’s coming out. Going through that chapter was so difficult. I couldn’t stop crying the entire time. It was hard to go through. This book definitely would not be my first pick for doing a book reading of.

SLB: Do you think others who do not have the personal connection would find it as sad?

BOWYER: I really didn’t know, but then one day I got a phone call at work. One of my colleagues had bought the book. It was her birthday, she was at the beauty parlor, and she called up in tears because she was reading the book. That was the first person who told me that. I’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback since about it being sad. You know, when I stop to think about it, I’m an avid movie watcher. Most movies I see are “good.” But a movie that can generate an emotional response to gets elevated to “great.” I can’t tell you how it makes me feel that something I created causes such an emotional reaction in others. I definitely poured my heart and soul into this one.

SLB: Do you have any events planned where people would be able to meet you and talk about the book?

BOWYER: Yes and no. For this book, I’m afraid I’m too close to it to really put it out there and try to promote it. I have a pretty thick hide, so if someone checks out my books and keeps on walking by, it doesn’t bother me. But this book is too personal. I don’t really want to put myself in a position where I’m focusing on this book and people might not want it. I’m still doing events for my fantasy stuff, and I bring Continuing the Passion with me, but I’m not pushing the book.

SLB: Well, from a publisher’s standpoint, the feedback on Continuing the Passion has been overwhelmingly positive, and truly is a remarkable tribute to your father.

BOWYER: Thank you. I appreciate that.

SLB: Is there anything else that you want to add before we leave?

BOWYER: I just want to thank all of my readers and fans for their continued support. I know that there has been a bit of a gap between releases for the Imperium Saga, but there is quite a bit of stuff that will be coming out shortly, beginning with Ilfanti and the Orb of Prophecy in February. 2010 should see all current books in print finally reach the same point (from the Fall of the Imperium trilogy, the Adventures of Kyria, the Ilfanti book, and even the Tales book). Things have been sort of on hold while the releases all caught up to each other (chronologically), and this does it. Looking at 2011, there will be some new releases to get people excited about. More about that later though. I just want you to know that even though there has been a pretty decent gap between the release of The Siege of Zoldex and now that I have not stopped writing and there will be more on the way where you can see what happens to your favorite characters.

I also want to thank all of my family members and friends who were there for me during a particularly difficult time in my life, and for all of your faith and excitement for Continuing the Passion and how much it means to me. I don’t know where I would be today without all of you.