Author: Jeffery S. Williams

ISBN: 978-1-60264-654-4

Publisher: VBW Publishing

Click Here To Purchase Redeemer - A Novel



Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is once again pleased to welcome Jeffery S. Williams author of The Adventures of Anne Booney. Who’s To Blame and his most recent work, Redeemer: A Novel.

Good day Jeffery and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

What inspired you to write Redeemer?

Jeffery:

One inspiration would have to be my favorite crime thriller Se7en. I was so impressed with the film’s plot arc, the villain and the crime scene depictions. For those who read Redeemer, they will likely see some parallel, but will also see the villain delve much deeper into his motivations and logic for those he murders.

A second inspiration revolves around my having lived in Fresno, California since 1968. The central valley of California is a mini-Bible belt in an otherwise liberal state. Churches and fiery preachers proliferate here, and the possibility of some going off half-cocked is more not uncommon. As a city, Fresno is full of contradictions that seemed fitting for this story.

A third inspiration would come from my love of history, particularly the Renaissance and Reformation. Out of that time came the hysteria of inquisitions. Out of the inquisitions emerged some of the most haunting tortures devices known to humanity. Melding all those together sparked the idea for the novel Redeemer.

Norm:

Did you know the end of your book at the beginning?

Jeffery:

I had a vision of what the climatic scene would look like but I had several possibilities spinning around in my head. I like to think I made the best choice. So far the feedback I have received has been positive about the ending, which has been a relief so far. I have found over the years that so many books and films start out promising but struggle to find a satisfying ending. I respect the struggle since there are only a few ways to end most stories. The challenge is create the variation that satisfies.

Norm:

It appears from reading Redeemer that there is more to it than just a thriller. What do you want it to do-entertain, provoke thinking?

Jeffery:

Redeemer was borne out of a very painful time in my life. Writing it was therapeutic both as a distraction and as an interaction with spiritual and emotional issues I was confronting. While I wouldn’t say that I am Detective Kristen Cauldron, I do identify with her questions and confusion concerning faith and trust in God during the sorrowful times of life. So yes, the novel also seeks to explore the despair and desolation that people experience with loss, as well as the renewal of faith that can occur in a person’s heart out of an ironic experience.

Another purpose had to do with communicating my perspective on the city where I had lived since 1968, a city rife with paradox. For me, the city of Fresno is character in the novel.

All that said, my first hope is that Redeemer is an absorbing and entertaining psychological thriller for the reader, but also one that might prompt reflection.

Norm:

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Jeffery:

Having been a literature teacher for 24 years and a Sunday school teacher for nearly as many, my knowledge of Shakespeare, Dante and the Bible was more than adequate for what I intended with the story. My life Fresno made that part of Redeemer natural and instinctive as well.

On the other hand, my study of medieval and Renaissance torture devices required a fair amount of research time. I find that period of history fascinating for its creativity and blind conviction; how the inquisition could justify such torture devices is beyond me, and so trying to create a character that could justify murder with a clear conscience was an interesting challenge to tackle.

Norm:

What do you think over the years has driven you as a writer?

Jeffery:

I love hearing stories and telling stories. My grandfather and father were consummate storytellers, so I suppose it is in the genes. I have always had that “fire in the belly” to tell a riveting tale. And if my students or friends applaud a story I tell, that only encourages my addiction all the more. The same has been true of the novels I have written. Get enough positive feedback, and you are hopelessly hooked to find that next story that fires the mind with a range of possibilities. Writing is an adventure of the mind and spirit. I never cease to be amazed at the places my brain will take me. Countless times I have sat down with a few ideas in mind, but by the end of the session, I am surprised at where the writing process has landed me. It can be a kind of high.

Norm:

In fiction as well as in non-fiction, writers very often take liberties with their material to tell a good story or make a point. But how much is too much?

Jeffery:

In my first novel Pirate Spirit: The Adventures of Anne Bonney, I felt that tension constantly. Trying to write historical fiction that is true to the history but also tells a good story is challenge. Redeemer was a wholly different experience. The story is created out of my mind so I never felt I was ever going too far or doing too much; however, the historical part of the novel about the city of Fresno was definitely a struggle for me. I still wonder if I went to far at times in my observations. Time will tell if Fresnans embrace or lambaste Redeemer.

Norm:

What was the most difficult part of writing Redeemer and how does it compare with your writing of your other two books? Did you learn anything from writing Redeemer and what was it?

Jeffery:

The hardest part of writing the novel was working from the point of view of a woman in the third person. While I actually had some experience with that from my first novel Pirate Spirit: The Adventures of Anne Bonney, where I wrote in the first person perspective of Anne Bonney of the 16th century, for some reason taking on a modern woman felt more problematic since there is a higher expectation of blunt honesty. I also worked in the first person point of view in the literary comedy Who’s To Blame? In both cases I was employing more archaic language. For Redeemer it was an adjustment to write with a contemporary flair. Several times I would have to edit because I would find myself slipping into an old-fashioned voice, though of course the villain uses ancient religious language.

The easiest part of Redeemer was writing the dialogue and point of the view of the villain. Isn’t that always what actors and writers say? I suppose we all have some capacity for evil, and while people of integrity keep those impulses in check, I felt a liberating feeling in being able to create a villain with no holds barred. Frankly, it was fun to let his twisted logic and maniacal character play itself out.

Norm:

What books have most influenced your life?

Jeffery:

My classical loves are the Bible, Shakespeare, Chaucer and Dante — and those influences are obviously clear in Redeemer. I have always had a penchant for John Steinbeck’s work, particularly East of Eden, William Saroyan’s, Jack London’s and Ernest Hemingway’s short stories, and Steve Yarbrough’s novels. I like Albert Camus, Kurt Vonnegut, Aldous Huxley and Hermann Hesse, but I still relish a good classical read such as Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Voltaire’s Candide, and Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The most recently written novel I have enjoyed is Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.

Norm:

Do you have any suggestions to help our readers become better writers? If so, what are they?

Jeffery:

Read more than you write. Familiarize yourself with the masters and the classics. Read the top 100 authors and books that routinely listed. Out of those reading experiences will come a wealth of ideas and great insight into the craft of writing.

Norm:

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Jeffery:

I am not a best-selling author or anything. I treat writing more like a pastime than a career endeavor. My great love is teaching. However, I have received a fair amount of meaningful feedback over the years that has been encouraging and supportive. That has only fostered a greater love for writing.

One observation that is made about me…I cannot seem to land on one genre. My first novel Pirate Spirit is a historical fiction based on the life of female pirate in the 16th century (which by the way is now in movie script form and being pitched in Hollywood…fingers crossed).

My second novel is literary comedy and whodunit based on Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet. I created a sleuth team who investigated the tragedy and uncovered evidence that essentially changed the entire outcome of Shakespeare’s stories. Bold, I know. I call Who’s To Blame? a kind of sequel/spoof/satire and pastiche to boot. I had a lot of fun writing it, allowing me to indulge in my love of wit, irony and sarcasm.

My third novel is Redeemer — a psychological crime thriller.

So…what’s next? Harlequin Romance entitled Lust in the Dust? A Western? Science Fiction?

Actually, I am at work on another historical fiction novel set during the War of 1812 and America’s battle with Tecumseh and his Confederation. But I am in the early stages so I have time to change directions.

Norm:

Where can our readers find out more about you and your books?

Jeffery

http://www.jwilliamsbooks.com/

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=786707861

Thank you very much.

Click Here To Read Norm`s Review Of Redeemer

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