The following interview was conducted by Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com.

To read Norm's Review of Better Days Ahead  CLICK HERE:  To read all of Norm's Reviews CLICK HERE

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Charlie Valentine, author of Better Days Ahead.

Good day Charlie and thanks for participating in our interview.

And thank you, Norm, for this opportunity to speak to your audience.   

Norm: 

Charlie, please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background. When did your passion for writing begin? What keeps you going?

Charlie: 

First and foremost, I have been happily married for sixteen years to my wonderful and highly supportive husband Roger. When we first met at GTE eighteen years ago, my career in telecommunications was just beginning. Shortly thereafter, it soared when I was named to the position of Technical Support Manager for GTE – West Coast. That was a prestigious placement, as I was the only female to ever hold that position. For me, it was an exciting time in the corporate world; however, when GTE offered management an early incentive package, I found it too good to pass up. So with Roger’s blessing, I opted out and used the money to open a cruise-only travel business.

My agency prospered for eight years, but suddenly came to a screeching halt after 9/11. To fill the void of unproductive hours, I began to write a story that somehow began writing itself. That story eventually became Better Days Ahead.

As for what keeps me going, I am as anxious to find out where the characters will take me in the sequel Harbor Nights. So far, they haven’t let me down.  

Norm: 

Why did you choose to write about 4 different families in your debut novel Better Days Ahead when you could easily have written a complete novel about one of the four?

Charlie:

I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times. Simply put, I never do anything the easy way; the more difficult the challenge, the more gratifying the reward.

Norm: 

It is said that if you want to write a good story or novel you need to create struggles of powerful descriptive individuals and not just issues. Through their accomplishments and travail, we very much comprehend the issues? Do you agree with this and how does it apply to Better Days Ahead?
 
Charlie: 

I wholehearted agree that this applies to Better Days Ahead because the characters come through loud and clear even before the issues are addressed.

Norm: 

You write with a very vivid style. Do you use any particular techniques to help with your writing? Are there any writers you admire or look to for inspiration?

Charlie: 

Since I do not articulate the same way that I write, I believe that my style must come from my childhood roots: twelve years of English in a parochial school. As for admiring another author’s writing, I do enjoy the manner in which John Grisham writes.  

Norm: 

Is there an underlying message in Better Days Ahead and if so, what is it?

Charlie: 

No matter how difficult the road may be, we always have the ability to choose an alternative route.

Norm: 

How did you get the inspiration for this book? Did you have a hard time fleshing out characters initially?

Charlie: 

I wished I could remember what inspired me to write, except that with so much time on my hands after 9/11, I had to do something productive. One day I just started typing and the next thing I knew, each character had taken on a life of its own. So much so, I began to feel as though I was merely the conduit in relaying their tale.

Norm: 

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing Better Days Ahead? How did you overcome these challenges?

Charlie: 

The greatest challenge was in trying to keep the dates of all the families sequential. Since the individual story lines are only repeated every fourth chapter, I was constantly backtracking to ensure that I didn’t overlap timelines. Obviously, during the last quarter of the novel when the families’ lives intertwine, the problem was alleviated.

Norm: 

How have you used the Internet to boost your writing career?

Charlie:

 I am reading this question in two ways:  the first for advertising and the second for becoming a more proficient writer.  1) Several websites including your own have provided noteworthy reviews of Better Days Ahead. Additionally, my own site charlievalentinebooks.com has given me publicity. 2) A dear friend once told me that author = authority. Because of that I was constantly searching the web to make sure that any item or statement mentioned in the fifties was cross-checked for validity. I did not want to write something that could not be backed-up factually.

Norm: 

Are there any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

Charlie:

 I am considering buying a billboard in downtown Seattle which would bare the cover of Better Days Ahead. If that should happen, hundreds of motorists would get exposure to a book that might otherwise go unknown. 

Norm: 

When writing your Better Days Ahead, did you ever have it in the back of your mind that you could turn it into a movie or television project?

Charlie: 

No, I honestly never did; however, I’ve lost count of all the people who have said that Better Days Ahead should be made into a mini-series. I admit that it’s quite flattering to receive that type of feedback.

Norm: 

When you wrote Better Days Ahead, did you have a particular audience in mind?

Charlie: 

Although one naturally would hope for a wide demographic, I assumed that people in their fifties and sixties would most appreciate this trilogy. Surprisingly, twenty-year-olds to eighty-year-olds have told me how much they enjoyed Better Days Ahead and are looking forward to the next two in the series.

Norm: 

How much real-life do you put into your fiction? Is there much “you” in there?

Charlie: 

Yes, there are a few tidbits from my life as a child. As for real-life situations, few scenes actually happened. I am blessed with a vivid imagination, as well as a dream-bank that truly delivers. Every morning I wake up having just dreamt (in color, I might add) what scene I should write next.   

Norm: 

Is there anything else you wish to share with us that we have not covered?

Charlie: 

I want to let your audience know that writing is my third and final career. After this trilogy is completed, I have my thoughts on yet another story, although it will not be fiction. All I am privy to say is that a well-connected man has asked me to write the story of his life; but that will be a couple of years into the future. In the meantime I am working on Harbor Nights the sequel to Better Days Ahead which will be released in ‘07.

Thanks once again and good luck with Better Days Ahead.