Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Antler Dust

Author: Mark Stevens

ISBN:  13: 978-0-9774188-1-7:

             10: 0-9774188-1-2

Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Mark Stevens, author of Antler Dust.

Good day Mark and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

What has been your overall experience as a published author? Why did you become an author?

Mark:

First, thanks for your interest, Norm.

My “experience” as a published author is just beginning.  The most compelling feature so far has been the editing process – and confronting the notion that every word choice is real. That sounds funny, I suppose.  But the thought of printing actual books seemed to up the stakes. During the editing process, I worked with two very sharp editors who approached the manuscript with a great deal of energy and commitment to making improvements, catching inconsistencies, and questioning word choices.

I’ve been writing fiction for about 20 years.  I have three other completed manuscripts and I have had very good agents for three of the four books, but never managed to climb over that last mountain to publication – at least, until now.  I started writing fiction in the mid-1980’s after reading a column by Mike Royko about a situation in Chicago that seemed like the perfect plot for a book.  I wasn’t really looking for a plot, but the column just leapt off the page at me like a good structure for a story.  The column was only 500 or 600 words, but the story was there.  

Norm:

I noticed you were a newspaper reporter and a television producer. How easy or difficult was it to make the transformation to an author? Please tell our audience some of the similarities and differences in the way you approached your writing, particularly as it applies to Antler Dust?

Mark:

The cliché is that every reporter has the Great American Novel in his or her desk drawer. I’m here to tell you it’s true. I know many, many reporters who share the same goal of writing fiction. I would say the transformation was difficult because it took 20 years of work, but it was also challenging and fun to do. It still is challenging and fun. Journalism and fiction do overlap. Good journalism and good non-fiction writing employ all the senses and a keen eye. I’d point to writers like Ted Conover, Peter Heller, Sebastian Junger, Gary Kinder and others as prime examples of great non-fiction writers who see everything when they report. Then, they write in a way that pulls the reader along in a fiction-like manner.  There’s no doubt in my mind all these writers could pull off a great novel.

It’s challenging to finish a first draft – it’s even more challenging to keep working on that draft, to absorb feedback, and to keep re-writing and polishing.  I can’t say there was anything different in particular about writing Antler Dust compared to other three novels I’ve finished. When a plot gets into your head and you start writing, it’s not too much different, for me, than when you are reading a book over the course of a few weeks – it occupies part of you throughout the day or week but you still have to go about your job. 

Norm:

Do you have a local writing community or fellow writers that you look to for support and advice?

Mark:

I’m lucky to have many friends – writers and readers – who have willingly read and commented on early drafts.  Antler Dust has benefited from the comments of 20 or so readers.  

Norm:

How did you come up with ideas for Antler Dust? What methods do you use to flesh out your idea to determine if it’s salable?

Mark:

I guess I never approached the writing of the book thinking about the market.  Maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to do; I don’t know.  The idea for Antler Dust was sparked on a day-long trip in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. My wife and I were with a group staying at a guest ranch and we went riding one day up to this very high ridge overlooking a valley. It was one of the most stunning days I’ve ever experienced and it was pure Colorado. Our guide was this very striking woman who was quite smart, very well educated and was in school to become a veterinarian, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. We rode with her a few times and I returned on a trip with another hunting guide to visit hunting camps later in the fall. The whole area just seemed like a terrific backdrop for a novel and then the idea of mixing in some animal rights activists started gelling.  At some point in the process I was talking with some friends and the idea of “creative suicide” came up and then things started really falling into place so I thought I might have something that would work.   

Norm:

What would you say is your principal character, Coil’s greatest strength and weakness?

Mark:

Tough question!  Her greatest strength is her grit and tenacity.  She’s a survivor, obviously, but somebody who took charge of her life and made a dramatic change. She’s relatively fearless and empathetic, especially as seen in her relationship with Trudy Grumley.  I guess her major weakness might be gullibility.

Norm:

How did you derive the title of your book, Antler Dust?

Mark:

A writer friend of mine, Gary Reilly, found the phrase antler dust factory in the book and suggested that as a title.  I shortened it by one word. As a combination of words, it seemed to have a touch of darkness to it – two nouns that evoke some intrigue. 

Norm:

What obstacles did you have in trying to tell your story?

Mark:

There were many, all based on plot and character.  The major challenge was placing two fairly dramatic deaths at the beginning of the story and then seeing how the two events tangled up with each other – and how Allison Coil would sort them out. 

Norm:

I noticed you have devoted considerable ink to animal rights advocates in Antler Dust.  Is there a broader mission in Antler Dust than simply entertaining or storytelling? If so, can you talk more about that mission and what you hope readers will take away in terms of animal rights?

Mark:

I have no mission in terms of animal rights issues or anything along those lines.  My mission is to pull the readers along and introduce them to characters and a plot they will finding entertaining and, perhaps, thought-provoking.  I think animal rights activists have some positive, strong points to make and have been very valuable in helping us all raise our awareness about our place as human beings on the planet and the degree to which we exploit animals.  I also love a good steak and believe that the vast majority of hunters are engaging in an often difficult and challenging sport that does serve a purpose.  I’m fascinated by issues like this one, where strong arguments can be made on both sides. 

Norm:

How do you intend to market Antler Dust?

Mark:

I have book signing events set in Denver and Greeley for late March and I hope to schedule similar stops in the mountain towns near where the book is set.  I’ll keep the dates and events listed on my web site, www.writermarkstevens.com. I am looking for opportunities for interviews (such as this one; thanks!), writing workshops, book club visits, and more.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and what is next for Mark Stevens?

Mark:

My goal is to publish all three other manuscripts – and begin writing a fifth, which is now in the brewing phase.

Thanks once again and good luck with Antler Dust.

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Antler Dust

The above interview was contributed by:  NORM GOLDMAN:  Retired Title Attorney: Editor & Publisher of Bookpleasures. Here are  Norm Goldman's Reviews       

 To read Norm's Review of Antler Dust CLICK HERE

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