Come Selahway With Me…

It is definitely blog tour day, because I’ve got another excellent new title for you to check out and pad your summer reading list with!

Title: Linear Shift

Author:  Paul B Kohler

Published:  April 7th, 2015

Publisher:  Global Endeavor Publishing

Genre:  Sci-Fi Thriller

Synopsis:  No one said time travel would be easy.

Peter Cooper, a widowed father of two whose life is crumbling around him—until a bizarre encounter with a desperate Army general launches him on a risky mission: to go back to 1942 and change a moment in time. The repercussions will almost certainly alter the conclusion of World War II. But will the ripple effects stop there? And what kind of life will Peter return to?

Unknown Consequences:

A successful mission may not have the success he had intended.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

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Paul has graciously joined me today for an interview on his writing process and genre writing, so let’s get to it!

SJ: Every writer has some sort of process. Give us a glimpse into yours. Do you meticulously outline? Do you write depending on what calls are out there?

PBK: I try to plan as much of the plot line out as I can. I’ve written for weeks on some stories, and only to find myself stranded, in a corner, with no way out. After the third of fourth such abandoned stories, I decided that an outline is a must, even if it is a crude, one line per scene kind of thing.

SJ: Are you a meticulous planner or do you believe in the muse? Where do your ideas come from? Do they filter in through your dreams? Do they show up at inopportune times and whap you upside the head? Do they result in a shady deal with a dark power?

PBK: I have a love/hate relationship with my muse. The bastard seems to be absent most of the time, and I have to hunt for him constantly. When I have complete control of him, the words seem to flow like wild fire. Those days seem few and far between though.

SJ: What’s the book/story that’s closest to your heart? Is there a piece that you clearly feel is a piece of you? Do you play favorites?

PBK: Although I tend to include a bit of myself in each of my stories, I don’t do it on purpose. It just kind of ends up like that. Peter Cooper from Linear Shift probably has the most of me in his character. Writing him sometimes feels like I am writing from personal experiences, even though none of the experiences are real.

SJ: If you could only write one genre ever again upon pain of being sacrificed to Cthulhu, what would it be and why?

PBK: I am a huge sci-fi fan. Both reading and writing, although the writing sometimes frustrates me because of the science aspect. There are a lot of sci-fi fans that will skewer me if I get the details wrong. Still, I think sci-fi would be my first choice.

SJ: What’s your biggest frustration as a writer? What do you consider the downside, or is there one? Is there any cliché that makes you want to wring people’s necks?

PBK: I think the most frustrating part for me is the waiting. After I release a book into the wild, the waiting to hear if people like it or not is so hard. If the reviews come back positive, all is well, and I feel accomplished and am able to move onto the next story. If the reviews come in badly, I feel like I am wasting my time, and end up shutting things down – sometimes for a few days to a few weeks. That really is the hardest part.

SJ: If you had to be stuck in one of your own books/stories for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? If you had to stick a loved one in one of your own books, what would it be and why? An enemy?

PBK: I wrote a short story called Borrowed Souls, where there is a “soul collector” as the main character. I could be him, if I had a choice. He gets to life 8 times as long as the normal person. Sounds kind of fun, right?

SJ: Do you think it’s possible to develop a sure-fire recipe/formula for success as a writer? Would you want to, or does that compromise the art or the fun of it?

PBK: If there was a sure-fire way, then everyone would do it. I think there are a lot of trial and error, as well as just getting lucky. I’ve read some really crap books out there that have made millions, all the while I’ve read some real gems that have such low visibility. I think the majority of success lies in the ether. If the right person at the right time picks up a particular book and says “Hey, I like this” and the right people are listening, a best seller is born.

SJ: Everyone has words of wisdom for young writers, so I’m not going to ask you about that. With a few unknown writers becoming success stories, a lot of people seem to think it’s an easy career choice. What would your words of wisdom be to these people?

PBK: Keep at it. I spent nearly 18 years, starting and stopping, and never finishing anything. After I published my first story, I felt invincible. I felt like I could do anything. The truth is, you can do anything, as long as you put in the time, and stay focused on what it is that you want.

SJ: It seems like everyone likes to gang up on certain genres as being inferior, less meaningful, or cheap entertainment (especially if it’s speculative in nature). Make a case for the genre you write.

PBK: I like Sci-fi because it is a no-holds-barred arena. I can make up just about anything I want, and it would be true to the story, no matter how outlandish. It is equally rewarding to the reader, because it allows them to explore strange new worlds. Regular life is so ordinary. Why not experience something a little extraordinary from time to time.

 SJ: What do you want people to instantly think of when they hear your name or your work mentioned?

PBK: That dude seriously knows how to develop his characters! Almost as good as Stephen King does. 😉

SJ: Please tell us about your latest/favorite work or a little bit about what you’re working on right now. It’s plug time, so go for it!

PBK: My latest work is Linear Shift. It’s the culmination of my last 18 months of writing effort. I started the story after I had such a vivid dream about a single scene. That scene actually doesn’t come along until much later in the book, but it was so moving at the time, I couldn’t deny the effort to tell the whole story. I hope you enjoy an action packed ride to the past.

 

 

Paul began writing in 1998, shortly after the birth of his daughter. His first short story, Amy, was written in November of that year, but went unpublished until November of 2013. That was when Paul found the courage to publish.

Despite the 15 year lag, Paul has written many unpublished works throughout the years. Linear Shift, Part 1 (September/2013) was his first published story, and was the kick off to his four part serial novel. Part 2 followed up in December of 2013, and Part 3 is planned for a May/2014 release.

Aside from his Linear Shift series, a number of Paul’s short stories have been included in anthologies. Amy, was included in “Something To Read On The Ride”. Lookout Mountain and Gold Rush were both included in “Something For The Journey”. His short story Alone has been submitted to another anthology, but has yet to be published.

When not writing, Paul is hard at work in the field of architecture. He has been in the field of design since 1992, and loves what he does. He lives with his wife and daughter in Littleton, Colorado, where he was born and raised.

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There’s also a tour-wide giveaway for a $20 Amazon Gift Card, which you can enter by going to the Rafflecopter here!