Author: Luther Knight
ISBN: 13: 978-1-58982-582-6: 10:1-58982-582-0
Publisher: American Book Publishing

Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Luther A. Knight Jr. author of Myrtle Beach.  Luther, after a four-year tour in the US Air Force, earned a BSE degree from Arkansas State College and a Master’s and PhD from the University of Mississippi. In 1968 he joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi and retired as a professor emeritus of biology, devoting over twenty years to environmental and science education and research at the University. In 1995, in recognition of his contributions to environmental biology, he was named “Mississippi Soil, Air and Water Conservationist of the Year” by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. Myrtle Beach is his third novel.

Good day Luther and thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

It is quite a switch from the world of biology to that of writing a mystery and crime novel. How did you decide you were ready to write Myrtle Beach? As a follow up, I believe Myrtle Beach is your third fiction-writing project. Did you enjoy the process?

Luther:

Thank you, Norm. As an aquatic biologist at the University of Mississippi I wrote a number of papers and reports that were published in scientific journals. These were written in a terse and straightforward style. Writing fiction forced me to use more descriptive prose and to place myself emotionally in the minds of my characters in order to get readers involved. Don Rast, a writer friend from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, edited some of my earlier work and, frankly, was quite critical of my efforts. I took his comments and suggestions seriously. When I had successfully satisfied him, I felt confident enough to begin Myrtle Beach. I might add, I owe Don much for the help he gave me. As to your question about enjoying the process, I generally found the experience to be satisfying. There were times, however, when I felt like quitting, but my wife, Jan, encouraged me to continue plugging along.

Norm:

Did you read any special books or do you have a local writing community or fellow writers that you look to for support and advice? As a follow up, do you have a mentor, if so, who and why?

 Luther:

I have no formal training in fiction writing. The University of Mississippi and Oxford, Mississippi, support a sizable community of writers.

I have called on some of them for help and advice. Two local authors, Ace Atkins (Devil’s Garden) and Neil White (In the Sanctuary of Outcasts) have provided encouragement. I am a member of The Heartland Writers Guild, Kennett, Missouri, and have received valuable help through association with that group. At this time, I do not have a mentor. 

Norm:

Do you write your book from your own experiences?

Luther:

The idea for Myrtle Beach came from an incident that occurred in the early 1950s near a small town in the Low Country of South Carolina. Two teenagers were murdered in a lover’s lane one night. The killings described in the book are fictional, although they are based on a real event. The book isn’t from my own experiences even though things I have witnessed and personal observations no doubt may be seen in the characters that are depicted in the book. Myrtle Beach is a composition of imagination and life experiences.

Norm:

Was Myrtle Beach improvisational or did you have a set plan?

Luther:

It was improvisational. I began with a loose outline but as the book took shape, I changed directions as circumstances warranted.

Norm:

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

Luther:

Both environment and background have colored my writing.  I’m the product of a cotton share-cropper family from the Great Depression of the 1930s in Arkansas. Characters such as Roscoe and Sarah Mooreland were patterned after folks I grew up with back in Arkansas. Some dialogue and descriptions of scenes and settings came from my memory of how folks talked and behaved in rural Arkansas when I was a teenager.

Norm:

What was the most difficult part of writing your book? Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Luther:

The difficult part of writing Myrtle Beach was putting emotions into the characters and making them believable to my readers. An author must write so that readers want read the book. I tried to accomplish this by making the story such that readers would feel that they were active participants.

Norm:

How did you go about creating Lucas Mackely and his two buddies Charles Kesterman, and JJ Phelps? Are  any of them based on people you know or have encountered or are they strictly fictional?

Luther:

High school, college, and the Air Force exposed me to a variety of unique individuals and valuable material to draw from in creating the book’s characters. Lucas, Charlie, and J.J. are composites of a number of people I have known or met.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Luther:

I tried unsuccessfully to get an agent, but after a number of rejections I approached publishers directly.  My first two books are self-published.
The publisher of Myrtle Beach, American Book Publishing, is considered a traditional mid list publisher. My understanding is they produce about 60 titles each year. 

Norm:

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)

Luther:

I have finished a manuscript that is almost ready to be submitted. It has been edited a couple of times but still needs some minor revision and proofing. It is a fiction account of a tornado that struck the small community of Duncan in Eastern Arkansas in 1945. I am also beginning work on a project about two elderly crows. I have ascribed human characteristics to these birds. One is a philosopher and the other is more the cynic. They spend their time hanging around the small town of Clarendon, Arkansas, of the 1950s discussing the foibles of the human race.    

Norm:

How can our readers find out more about you and Myrtle Beach?

Luther:

Readers will find more about Myrtle Beach and me by visiting my WEBSITE
(http://www.lutherknight.com)

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered.

Luther

I think we have pretty well cover things. I would like to encourage individuals interested in the Low Country of South Carolina and Coastal Mississippi to read Myrtle Beach and maybe even visit those parts of the country.

 Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors

Click Here To Read Norm's Review of Myrtle Beach

Click Here To Purchase Myrtle Beach