Rebekah Webb is another one of those people (like me!) who has written a novel and put it out there in the world to sink or swim on its own. As part of the Orangeberry Summer Splash book tour we’re both participating in, I’m hosting an interview with her, right on this very blog all about his book, The Life and Times of Car Johnson, which is a hillbilly comedy described as an “insane romp.” (You can find it on Amazon)
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I’d go into the future and grab some futuristic space grub. That is if the future has any futuristic space grub. Otherwise, I’d just check out the future sports scores.
What is one book everyone should read?
The one book that speaks to them in a way no other book can. It’s up to them to find it.
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
The power to turn chocolate ice cream into a healthy treat.
Night owl, or early bird?
I’m a night owl, most definitely. Mornings are so uppity, with their cheery sunlight and loud alarm clocks.
Skittles or M&Ms?
M&Ms. I’m a chocolate girl through and though.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
How many other books have a cow fetus collecting wannabee country singer who thinks speed marriage counseling is a good business idea?
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I have two literary horror novels I’ve been working on. They’re a series of interconnected short stories and completely different from what I currently have out. My goals for them are to make sure they are the best they can be and either find a publisher or put them out on Kindle.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
Books. I remember as a very small child, before I could read, making up stories to go with the pictures in coffee table books and an anatomy book filled with pictures. I got hooked on creating my own stories and never recovered.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
That would be the time someone bought my book and sought out an online reading I was doing. It was the first time I really felt like an actual author.
What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?
One of my favorite books from when I was a child was Bronwen, the Traw, and the Shape-Shifter, a colorful picture book told in poetry that read like prose. It’s a book that stuck with me, even after I moved on to longer books. To my child’s mind, the book could only be describe in one way: Magical.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Don’t get discouraged if you make beginner mistakes when you first start out. Being a beginner is unavoidable. Some people might start writing early than others, but at some point, they were all beginners. You can only improve if you keep practicing and since writing is your practice, keep writing.
If you could choose only one time period and place to live, when and where would you live and why?
The Roaring Twenties in New York. It seems so lively, at least in the movies.
If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
Zeus. I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to throw around a thunder bolt and act all tough? Of course, I’d probably end up getting bored with all the thunder throwing and use the bolt to skewer fish, which would probably piss off Poseidon.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
I wanted to be a rock star, despite the fact that I couldn’t play an instrument and had a passion for writing instead of music. Oddly, I never really had a dream of having a novel until I was much older.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had?
The Life and Times of Car Johnson. It’s pretty much filled with crazy idea after crazy idea. But the craziest would have to be the cow fetus tea party. Sometimes I wonder just how my brain comes up with this stuff.
If you were a bird, which one would you be?
A parrot. I’d get a bunch of free crackers that way.
If you were a super hero what would your kryptonite be?
Procatinatonium. One exposure and I stop what I’m doing and watch Youtube videos.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
I’d buy a new house, one with a pool and basement made out to look like a secret lab. Of course, I’d need more than a million dollars, so I’d have to invest it in something lucrative.
Which authors have influence you most how?
My biggest inspiration has been Ray Bradbury. While my current novel isn’t the same style of his work, a lot of my other projects are, at least in emotional depth and lyrical flow.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
Why Are You Reading This? It would be a psychological experiment to see how boring a book would have to be before people put it down in disgust.
And don’t forget the free giveaways that are part of the Orangeberry Summer Splash blog tour. Go ahead and enter, you have nothing to lose but a few precious seconds of your life.
Thanks for hosting my interview.
Hey – it was a pleasure!