Tom's Interview With Douglas Sandler

Tom’s Interview With Douglas Sandler.

Tom: Let’s start off by introducing you to everyone. Tell us your name. What is your age?

Douglas: douglas sandler

Tom: Where are you from? Brooklyn, ny

Tom: A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

Douglas: graduated from Fla state univ, gulf coast state college and gulf coast community college. Dysfunctional family life, served in the us navy 1984-86 before non-service related injury ended career.

Tom: Tell us your latest book news.

Douglas: I am waiting to be able to afford the book cover to the last book in the Bad Memories series which is the prequel to the first book. The only reason it is the third book in the series is that it deals with the abuses that occurred at Pennhurst, Letchworth Village and Willow Brook and to have a protagonist fight for the patients that did not happen in real life.

Tom: When and why did you begin writing?

Douglas: I started writing 1999 and only started publishing my books in 2015. I wrote essays, papers and reports in college which helped my overall writing skills. I want to write as I can express myself better in writing that verbal, but I am getting better at public speaking.

Tom: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Douglas: when I wrote my first poem in 1973

Tom: What inspired you to write your first book?

Douglas: I don’t know I just decided to write it.

Tom: How did you come up with the title? The Bad Memories title came from the events the actual people suffered at those places and during the dark ages of mental health care and I realized that they would have bad memories. The A Kiss Before Strangling, well that came from the first book.

Tom: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Douglas: I just write and occasionally I do an outline but rarely and finding new stuff that I find interesting. I am focusing now on book sales and short stories.

Tom: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Douglas: The Bad memories series is based on real life events that happened and the western and A Kiss B4 Strangling is just fiction

Tom: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Douglas: The A Kiss B4 Strangling series the first two books were set in a fictious city I created from my mind. At the end of book 1 I had characters, city and background so I did book two in same city. I then realized that another author told me he wrote his books set in his home town, so book three I wrote in Panama City making my detective retire, but soon the serial killers find him again.

Tom: Who designed the covers? I buy pre-designed covers and just add title and my name to them

Tom: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Douglas: No not really I just want them to enjoy the stories and escape from their dull lives.

Tom: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you? 

Douglas: The only authors I like are Edger Allen Poe, David Eddings, Shakespeare, Michael Morris, George Orwell

REPORT THIS AD

Tom: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Douglas: no one does

Tom: Do you see writing as a career?

Douglas: no I don’t

Tom: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Douglas: no

Tom: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Douglas: no

Tom: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Douglas: don’t know

Tom: Any advice for other writers?

Douglas: do not quit and get a degree as when you have to write essays, research papers and a thesis statement it helps you learn to write and say what you mean to.

Tom: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Douglas: please buy my books. If you’re not an author, you don’t understand the sweat and tears you put into a book and that it is not easy to find a subject that hasn’t already been covered by others.

Tom: What book are you reading now?

Douglas: nothing now

Tom: Do you remember the first book you ever read?

Douglas: where the wild things are

Tom: What makes you laugh/cry?

Douglas: can’t think of anything

Tom: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Douglas: William Shakespeare to find out how he wrote his stuff and still remained popular for 600+ years.

Tom: Do you have any hobbies?

Douglas: stamp collecting and painting

Tom: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Douglas: Babylon 5, Burn Notice, Wiseguy, Count of Monte Cristo, Kill Bill

Tom: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Douglas: Chinese, Mexican, Greek food. AC/DC, Kiss, Joan Jett, Ozzy Osborn, Meatloaf, Led Zeppelin

Tom: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Douglas: can’t think of anything

Tom: Lists your blogs or websites below where readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I am on Facebook as douglassandlerauthor

I am on twitter as @douglas5102

First Contact

Aliens are coming to this world. But why? And what is their ultimate aim? Will our first contact with an alien civilisation be like this? Please note that this is fiction and not a discussion of UFOs, etc.

First Contact (SF)

By Hugh Ashton

Independent Publishing Platform

ASIN #B07CG99D1S

Price Free (Kindle)

Short Story

Rating 3-Stars

A ship explodes on the sea, and there’s no debris as evidence it ever existed. Then a huge Mother ship (UFO) comes from the dark side of the moon and settles on the water where it just floats for awhile. Finally, as military ships gather around the huge mother ship a text message appears all over the world. The aliens want to see the leaders of the world. At first every nation sends their leaders, the opposition parties, and general, etc, but the aliens blow them out of the water, and once again demands just the leaders.

The ending was a surprise, and the whole thing kind of curious, but it wasn’t really worth becoming involved with the story, as it offers very little imagination. Just a short writing experiment at best - maybe for a book club assignment. Maybe 15 minutes to read it, then another fifteen minutes to read a chapter of one of the author’s novels, which was also added. If you have a few minutes between books, take a chance, you might like it.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

Fate

Hong Kong, 1970. The Dragon Head (also known as the Mountain Master) of the Fanling Triad has died and there is a struggle to replace him among senior members of the gang. Normally, the Deputy Mountain Master is next in line, but this one is weak and ineffectual and has only survived because of the protection of the Dragon Head. Up to this point, the Fanling Triad has operated in relative isolation from neighbouring gangs, but the Dragon Head’s death has drawn attention to the area — and to its wealth. Other gangs start to make threatening moves and it’s obvious to the senior members of the Fanling Triad that they need a leader who can fend off the threats, unite the membership, and maintain their prosperity. There are several candidates. The least conspicuous is the White Paper Fan, their young administrator. His name is Chow Tung, but many of those who work with him already refer to him as “Uncle” . . .

Fate (Mystery)

By Ian Hamilton

House of Anansi Press

ISBN #978-1487003869

Price $15.95 (Paperback)

Price $9.99 (Kindle

304 Pages

Rating 3-Stars

“Boring”

This is the story of Chow Tung, known to friends as “Uncle”, a form of respect, though he’s still a fairly young man in his thirties.  His position in the Fanling triads is that of White Paper Fan because he’s good with numbers. It chronicles his escape from communist China to Hong Kong, then jumps ahead a decade when the Mountain Master of the Fanling triads is killed by a hit & run driver, leaving their leadership vacant. Basically the story follows the trouble of electing a new leader. How boring can you get?

Readers of Ian Hamilton have been familiar with Uncle through the Ava Lee series, about a Chinese/Canadian girl who follows the money in crooked deals leaving someone needing her help. One of her cases came to the attention of Uncle, and he uses his power to assist her. The early stories of Ava Lee were topnotch and interesting mysteries. But the last couple of Ava Lee stories were below par for the author, and left the reader less satisfied in her, and for some reason the author has decided to feature Uncle in his own stories. Unfortunately, this first entry was boring. We’re talking triads, and criminal gangs in Hong Kong, so you would think there’d be lots of action. There isn’t.  When there is action, there’s really no tension in the setting. We do learn the command structure of the triads, and even an overly long funeral for one of the leaders. We know from the beginning that Uncle will end up as the new Mountain Master, even though he’s trying to put someone else in the office. It’s Uncle that sees the problems and sets things on the right course, so he’s already performing as their leader. If you’re interested in the structure of the triad gangsters, this book will help you. Although I would suggest you read the early Ava Lee stories for that. If you’re looking for a good action novel, it isn’t here. Again, those early Ava Lee entries are your best bet.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA