Ordinary Girlz interviews author Glenn Synder as part of his One Moment
in Time Virtual Book Tour.
Tell us a little about your book, what it’s
about?
Glenn: One Moment in Time is a story about how one person can change
the world. It’s a story about Jack Barrett, an average person who after a
horrific accident has a new outlook on life. He sets out on a series of
adventures that leads him to become one of the world’s greatest
citizens.
What genre is this current book, do you write in any other
genres?
Glenn: Literary Fiction would be the best genre. It’s my first novel, but my second novel (in progress) will also be a literary fiction story.
When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer, at what age?
Glenn: I was twenty-four when I really thought about writing a
novel.
Do you have a day job or do you write exclusively?
Glenn: I wish I could write exclusively. By day, I’m a finance director at a large financial services firm. I actually really like my “normal” job, and it provides me the resources to be able to travel, which is where I do my best writing.
When did you start writing your first book?
Glenn: January 2002. I had just graduated from MBA school, which
I did while working full-time. I figured that I was used to extra hours on
top of my finance career, so this was probably going to be my best
opportunity.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Glenn: Since I’m only writing part-time, it takes awhile. I wrote half of One Moment in Time in my first six months writing, but then I started teaching at San Francisco State, my other, other job. It took me another two and a half years to finish the first draft. After that, I re-wrote the book three more times with the help of a wonderful editor. After a total of six and a half years of writing, my novel was ready.
Do you have an outline when you write or Do you just write and see
where it goes?
Glenn: I do a little of both. I like to have a general idea of
where I want the story to go, but when I start writing, I let the writing flow
and sometimes the story changes in the moment.
What is your writing process like, do you have any weird quirks when
writing?
Glenn: The weirdest quirk is that I have a hard time writing at home —
too many distractions. So I write when I travel. I occasionally travel on
business, but whenever I take a trip somewhere, I write in the airport, on the
plane, in the hotel, and sometimes, if I’m by myself, I write while out at a
nice restaurant enjoying dinner.
What kind of research went into this book, tell me a little bit about that process.
Glenn: I was very surprised at how much research I had to do. I
traveled totally for three weeks, Mexico for eight days, Pacific Grove for a
weekend, and Sonoma for a week. I know, that sounds more like vacations
than research, but I experienced almost everything my characters did.
While in Mexico, I interviewed the U.S. Consulate, met with the Mexican agency
for adoptions, and spent time at an orphanage. I even traveled to Mexico
City to interview people at the office of the INS. I wanted my story to be
as authentic as possible.
What is the most interesting thing you learned about while writing your
books?
Glenn: Besides how incredibly hard it is to write a good novel? Actually, there were so many things I learned it’s hard to pin point one. Maybe it was the tedious process on adopting a child from another country, or it could be that as charming and beautiful Venice, Italy is, the city is completely geared towards tourists and has very few Italians living in there.
What motivated you to tell this story?
Glenn: The story actually came to me in a dream. It was one of those dreams that you remember every detail long after you wake up and go through your morning routine. I was so excited about the dream that I instantly knew that was the story I wanted to
write.
How have you marketed this book?
Glenn: Being a finance person, marketing has been much more difficult for me than the writing. I have a website (www.OneMomentInTimeNovel.com) and have tried social media. I’m on Goodreads, LibraryThing, Facebook, Twitter, and Shelfari. I’m pretty new to the social media “thing” so please drop me a note or like my page.
Do you have any other work out?
Glenn: This is my first novel, although I did publish a supplement to a corporate finance text book through McGraw-Hill.
What projects are you working on now?
Glenn: I am about two-thirds through my second novel. It’s a story about a successful stock broker whose wife is poisoned. His life begins to crumble, as he’s accused of the murder. The press hounds him and the publicity costs him his job and friends. He’s in a fight for his life, all the while trying to grieve for his wife that he dearly loved.
What has been your toughest criticism? What has been your best
compliment as an author?
Glenn: The toughest criticism I received was that my story started too slowly. It took me a long time to figure out how to re-work the story, but I really like the way it is written now.
The best compliment has been my readers telling me how much they loved Jack. I tried to create a person who people would really care about, and it gives me great pride when I hear that I achieved that
goal.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Glenn: I’m a season ticket holder with the Oakland A’s, and I play racquetball a few times a week. I also enjoy traveling and seeing new countries and new parts of the U.S. Unfortunately, my wife and I have a hard time getting away as much as we would like.
What do your friends and family think of your writing, have they been
supportive?
Glenn: My wife has been my number one fan and supporter. She’s been an unbelievable sounding board, and I certainly wouldn’t be in this position without her. The rest of my family and friends have been incredibly supportive as well. It actually makes me laugh that I have a few really close friends who bought the book because it was my book, but they have yet to read it. I guess support comes in all shapes and
sizes.
Do you hear from your reader much, what has the feed back been like?
Glenn: Occasionally, I get a note or a posting. I love to hear directly from my readers, because it gives me an unbiased assessment of my writing. My readers can email me through my website or any of my social media sites.
What was your favorite book growing up?
Glenn: It was probably A Tale of Two Cities, but The Little Engine that Could was tops on my list for a while.
Tea, coffee or hot chocolate
Glenn: Definitely hot chocolate (with marshmallows)
Cat or dog ?
Glenn: There’s nothing like the unconditional love from a dog.
Print book or e-reader which medium do you prefer?
Glenn: I’m a print book person, but I’m warming up to e-readers.
Worst fear
Glenn: Dying before I get to achieve some of the things I’ve set out to do.
Greatest wish
Glenn: To make a difference in other people’s lives.
If your book was made into a movie what actors would you choose to play the parts?
Glenn: So I had to enlist my wife’s help on this one. Harrison Ford would be good for the old Jack, maybe Ryan Gosling for the younger version, and Katie Holmes to play Maggy.
Glass half empty or half full ?
Glenn: Half full, I’m definitely an optimist.
Favorite color
Glenn: Deep forest green
Favorite place
Glenn: Marin Headlands – It sits just over the Golden Gate Bridge, and on a clear night with the moon shining off the bay, it’s the most beautiful place on Earth.
Light or Dark
Glenn: Dark – for sleeping and watching TV, Light for baseball day games.
Most embarrassing moment
Glenn: I think I will keep that one to myself.
I would like to thank Glenn for taking the time to answer our questions, I know he has spent a lot of time getting prepared for this Virtual Book Tour, and we appreciate the time taken to spend with us. We wish you much success with your writing career I can’t wait to see what the new Novel brings.
You can find out more about One Moment In Time by clicking on the following link
http://www.onemomentintimenovel.com/
Nov 15, 2012