Author Spotlight on Peter H. Green

Today I interviewed PETER H. GREEN, a writer, architect, and city planner with an impressive background.
Peter is a member of the Real Lives Team, a sub-group of Books Go Social.
He told an interesting story about why he became a writer.


Short Bio
PETER H. GREEN, a writer, architect, and city planner, found his father’s 400 World War II letters, his humorous war stories, his mother’s writings and his family’s funny doings too good a tale to keep to himself, so he launched a second career as a writer.
His first book recounted the often hilarious antics and serious achievements of his father's World War II adventure, Dad’s War with the United States Marines, Seaboard Press, 2005.
It was reissued as Ben’s War with the U. S. Marines in 2014 by Greenskills Press.
His first novel, Crimes of Design, a Patrick MacKenna mystery, an intrigue of murder and sabotage set in St. Louis during the highest flood of record, which first appeared in 2012 from L&L Dreamspell, was republished, along with the second in this series, Fatal Designs, by Greenskills Press in Spring, 2014.
He lives in St. Louis with his wife Connie, has two married daughters and three very young grandchildren.
The story of the last pet his family owned, “The Night We Ruined the Dog,” can be found on his website.


1. What inspired you to become a writer?

It started with my parents, a homemaker and an ex-Marine, both writers and publicists, a grandfather who was a construction contractor and me, an architect that has seen plenty, and who just loves to tell stories.
My dad did a lot of writing for his radio and ad agency jobs, and Mom had always wanted to be a writer and never went through with it.
They had always said I had the ability to be a writer, and I’d always wanted to but needed to earn a living.
In a way, I felt I owed it to them and to myself to finish what they started.
And in my profession, my favorite activity was always describing the projects and getting people excited about hiring our team.
I gravitated toward the marketing side of the business, writing proposals, reports, and publicity for my firms.
This resulted in millions of words cascading from my pen and then from my computer screen over the years.
That’s a lot of writing practice when you think about it.

2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Other than some early expressions as a child, and some early interest but few thoughts of a writing career, it all started with a college class reunion.
The bravest of our classmates tried to answer the provocative question: What are you going to do with the last third of your life?
The prospect of all that time of relative ease stretching ahead of us beckoned like an unexplored continent.
On that reunion trip, my wife and I also visited Mary Oates, one of her college classmates, a writer and editor herself, in Andover, Mass.
I happened to mention that I spent the summer of 1945, when I turned six, just up the coast with my mother, sister, aunt and her family in a rented seaside house at Annisquam, while Dad was off to war.
Two days later she drove us to Gloucester and we found the very seaside cottage where we’d stayed that summer.
That night, over much wine and good seafood, we were reminiscing about wartime problems, like coastal blackouts and rationing, when Mary blurted, “Peter, you’ve got to do it—write your dad’s story!”
I said, “Gosh, I can— I’ve got Dad’s letters!”
In the basement was an old cardboard box my mom had given me with 400 of my father’s World War II letters, which she had saved in their postmarked envelopes.
Adding to these, his humorous war stories, my mother’s writings and my family’s often hilarious doings, I realized I had a story too good to keep to myself.
I decided to launch a second career as a writer.
After years of architectural work, report preparation, promotional copywriting and proposal writing for my design firms, I went back to Washington University to study creative writing with such accomplished authors as Catherine Rankovic, Robert Earleywine and Rick Skwiot, resulting in the release in 2005 of my biographical memoir on the hilarious antics and serious achievements of my father’s World War II adventure, Dad's War with the United States Marines, James A. Rock & Co., Seaboard Press (Florence, SC), reissued in 2014 as Ben’s War with the U. S. Marines.

3. What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

My biography and family memoir, Dad’s War with the United States Marines, was just handed to me, from the letters and other family lore I had at my fingertips.
Why I write mysteries is kind of a mystery to me. But I can tell you this:
Both my parents were avid readers, especially of mysteries, a habit that fueled their interest in writing and life in general.
They loved clever plots, like Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter.”
A good mystery was always passed around the family with Mom’s urging to “read it right away.”
One time she gave me a mystery-thriller called Loophole, about an architect who was so broke he planned a bank robbery—and got away with it. Whenever we were in a hotel room, Dad was fascinated with how a murderer could defeat the locks through the connecting doors to the adjacent room and leave undetected.
When Mom died, she left a bookcase bursting with mysteries—she shamed me.
I guess I felt that I’d been too busy earning a living and was way behind on my reading.
Besides the recent reads on her shelves, she had read every mystery writer out there—including Mary Roberts Rinehart, Raymond Chandler, Ernie Pyle, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, John S. MacDonald and William Macdonald.

4. Where did the inspiration for your books come from?

My choice of architecture as a career was a matter of interest and aptitude, but it also had something to do with finding a “practical” way to earn a living.
And for a long career, I have designed buildings, planned development sites and promoted my firm.
On that journey through the world of design and construction I’ve met real estate developers, bureaucrats, politicians, office rivals–all human, mind you, many of them honorable and even noble–but with a few bad apples that undo the hard work of all the good folks just trying to make life a little better for the rest of us.
Throughout my career I saw enough close calls, suspicious acts and outright skullduggery to wonder, what if?
In a way, I wished I could have been taller, more handsome, more heroic than I was.
In second-guessing my life, I wondered what would have happened if, instead of becoming the cautious, conservative person that life teaches most of us to be, I wondered, what if I had taken more risks, been braver, more outspoken and more confrontational than I was?
So I created someone who was all of these things, even though he is a perfectionist, far from perfect—with a weakness for beautiful women—architect Patrick MacKenna.

In Crimes of Design, he discovers the body of the staunchest advocate for his controversial flood-protected dream project in the site’s storm water pumping station during a record flood in St. Louis. He is forced to become an amateur sleuth to save his career, his family. and his very life.
Before the first chapter of the book is over, he’s in all kinds of trouble.
I wanted to see what would happen if my main character was larger than life, the kind of person who, when challenged to the breaking point, did what had to be done.


. How long did it take you to put your first book, the World War II biography story together?

Ben’s War with the U. S. Marines was a five-year effort, requiring historical research to set my father’s story in context, going through eighteen drafts. Although I’d been pondering a second volume for a decade, Radio: One Woman’s Family in War and Pieces, came together in less than three years.

. Can you share a little about your latest biography with us?

Radio: One Woman’s Family in War and Pieces, by Alice H. Green and Peter H. Green
This eyewitness account of World War II social history weaves women's progress since the Great Depression, the Golden Years of Radio, women’s heroic role in the war and the postwar housing shortage into one woman's humorous and poignant autobiography of her family struggles and her attempts to fulfill her creative dreams., richly illustrated with 50 historical photographs and sketches.
This was the book my mother always wanted to write.
She started it several times. but somehow life always got in the way.


What has surprised you the most about the whole process of getting your book on the market?

I’m constantly amazed by how long it takes to write, revise and perfect a book and how large a team of beta readers, fellow authors, publishers and news media I’ve had to enlist to help me with this project.
While writing’s creative cycle begins as a solitary pursuit, it’s not complete until it has been launched by a big group of players and shared by a large audience.
It seems it takes a village to raise a novel.

Now that your book has hit the stores, describe how you feel in one sentence?

I’m thrilled that our story is being well-received by those who have read it, but I’m anxious about how well I’ll be able to communicate my enthusiasm for this story to the wider world of readers.



Would you like to share what the reviewers are saying about your book?

Here’s my favourite so far:
Rating 4.5 for humor and a true story that needs to be told.
“He loved me, he treasured me, and he pampered me—and then he left me for the Marines.”… “He finally had to admit….that I was his equal.” —Alice Green
This is a wonderful gift book. Alice Green’s writing is fresh and at times laugh-aloud funny, parts of it reminiscent of Cheaper by the Dozen. Thorton Wilder instructed Alice in creative writing.
I recommend this book to all readers who enjoy a good laugh.
The section “We Bought a Crooked House” was hilarious.
Co-written by Alice and her son Peter, I enjoyed snippets about the history of radio, radio advertising, and the home front before, during, and after WW II.
Throughout the book, Alice endured her share of problems.
She was born at a time when women totally acquiesced to their spouse’s wishes, a time when women did not have the vote.
During WW II, Alice raised two youngsters while dealing with rationing and a reduced income.
Her ordeal can be compared to being hand-fed through the wringer of her new electric washing machine. She emerged changed and stronger.
This book will appeal to readers who love the true story of a woman of Irish Catholic heritage, a product of Chicago, as she was strengthened by trial and tribulation.
Alice progressed from a shy wallflower to a woman who supervised countless volunteers for the American Red Cross.
I intend to buy a copy of this book for a dear aunt.—Paula B., Amazon reviewer


How many books have you written?

Four, although the first, entitled Dad’s War with the United States Marines, 2005, was improved and reissued as Ben’s War with the U. S. Marines in 2014. Those now in print are:

Crimes of Design, A Patrick MacKenna Mystery, 2012, 2014
Fatal Designs, A Patrick MacKenna Mystery, 2015
Ben’s War with the U. S. Marines, 2005, 2015
Radio: One Woman’s Family in War and Pieces, 2016



What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?

My wife and I enjoy visiting our daughters’ families in Houston, I like swimming and golf, We attend theater, art galleries, concerts and the Missouri Botanical Garden, enjoying St. Louis’s rich cultural stew.



Connect with Peter H. Green on

Facebook
Linked In: Peter H. Green
Twitter
Website
Blog
Email: writerpeter@peterhgreen.com

Interview with Author Brenda Mohammed by Quotesrain.

Short bio or SYNOPSIS here on writing as your passion

Brenda, a multi-genre author, lives in the beautiful tropical island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. A former Bank Manager and Insurance Professional, she turned to writing after she retired from the corporate world. Brenda loves to travel and enjoys a game of Scrabble when she is not writing, or reading books by other authors.
She has written thirteen books: - five memoirs[one on her travels], one children's book, three short story collections, three kindle short reads, and one book on spirituality.
One of her short story collections is a zombie mystery trilogy.
“My Life as a Banker – A Life worth Living,” is her own autobiography. “Retirement is Fun – A New Chapter,” is a sequel to My Life as a Banker and describes the author’s new travels and experiences after she left the job at the bank.



How long have you been writing and what inspired you to do it seriously?

I wrote my first book, ‘Memoirs of Dr. Andrew Moonir Khan” while I was still employed at the Bank. I did that book out of love for my deceased father who was a Great Educator. I thought that his life was worthy of recording. However, I did not publish the book. I revised it in November 2014 and published it in both kindle and paperback.
I started writing seriously in the year 2013. My first book was a children’s story, “Adventures of Squeaky Doo.”
It was about the adventures of a teddy bear with a wonderful family.
I was inspired to write this book in the hope that if I had grandchildren they would read it and remember me.
This is what one reviewer said, "It makes exciting reading for children and teaches the value of love even for inanimate things.”
Another said, “It should definitely be on the reading list for children.This book will enchant both adults and children."

When choosing a name for your characters, what do you consider about them that determines what you finally call them?

I think about the role I have planned for my characters before I name them. For instance, in my latest book, Revenge of Zeeka – A Trilogy, I introduced a female robot, and named her Miranda. One reviewer could not help but refer to her in his review.“The highlight is Miranda (oh, Miranda!), whose presence gives a lot of weight and realism to the futuristic theme and setting of 2036.”

Did you have a collection in mind when you were writing them?

I wrote three collections of short stories. “Heart- Warming Tales,” “Stories People Love,” and “Revenge of Zeeka – A Trilogy,”
At first I wrote several stories as kindle short reads, but later on I put all the stories into the above books.

How did you choose which stories to include and in what order?

The first collection, “Heart-Warming Tales,” are four stories based on real life events.
One reviewer had this to say about the book,“Heart Warming Tales is a short book of stories with intriguing plots and pleasant characters. Although each story is set within the real world, there seems to be a fantastical quality to each. The style of the writing is satisfyingly simple and easy to follow.”
The second collection, “Stories People Love,”contains four short stories of crime, adventure, and love.
One reviewer referred to this book as “a collection of stories all connected by the common theme of hope.”
Another said, "This is a neat and extremely readable collection and shows an author who is able to write fiction and non-fiction elements seamlessly. It's not an easy combination and yet the author pulls it off admirably."
The third collection, “Revenge of Zeeka – A Trilogy,” was only released on 4th May 2016.
The story, which is set in the year 2036, is told in three parts, which are also available as Kindle short reads.
It is all about Zeeka, and his intent on revenge for something that occurred twenty years before.
Zeeka and the Zombies is an intriguing introduction to this multi - layered zombie story, which leaves you wondering what will happen next. In Zeeka's Child, the plot gets more complicated, and after many twists and turns, Zeeka is revealed.
In the final episode, Zeeka Returns, this very exciting three part series concludes in a most surprising way.

Do you have a “reader” in mind when you write stories?

I write for young adults but my books are suitable for all audiences.

What do you do to get book reviews? What is the best review you ever got?

I depend on purchasers of my books to do reviews, but that does not always happen. I had several Free promotions on Amazon Kindle Publishing, and had thousands of downloads, but I received no reviews from these promotions.
I received Five Star reviews for most of my books from verified purchasers, and it is hard to say which is the best review I ever got.
However, I liked the following review of Revenge of Zeeka – A Trilogy by Kato’s Revenge very much:

“Zombies. A mad scientist. A cool detective. Cool brains (and brains all around) and a cool head needed for the enjoyable trilogy By Kato's Revenge on May 5, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition
This is a solid collection of zombie stories from author Brenda Mohammed. I have read each of the three stories in turn, so for potential readers looking at this, I offer a capsule review of each tale, followed by a summary of the series as a whole.
I: Revenge of Zeeka Who is Zeeka? Why is he revenge-ing? What would your government’s response be to zombies waddling around, mixing with the locals? It’s all here in the first book. I love the author’s descriptions.
The dialogue can be a little weighty at times, but it’s all part of the set-up. It’s an intriguing horror that slowly pulls you in. ‘These different plot lines keep you reading, and keep you guessing.
Despite its length, I did not read this book in one sitting.
I wanted to absorb the cleverly interlinked plot lines. In fact, there's not a lot of the mysterious Zeeka of the title in this first story, and I think that's a clever decision by the author.’ Summary: Here is an author stepping out onto a new genre and scoring high. It’s not the best in the series, but it sets up an intriguing premise.
When read back along with parts II and III, I think it is a story that gets better with successive re-reads.

II: Zeeka's Child Oh. It had to happen, didn’t it? It’s not enough to have adult size flesh eating zombies running amok on a small island…we have to have kiddie sized versions too? Or do we?
‘When book one ended, there was what I would call a 'soft' cliffhanger, in that readers would not be annoyed that there was a cliffhanger in itself, because it was a complete tale in itself.
Now with Zeeka's Child, the plot revolves around Raynor and Janet, and the serious nature of having to raise a child that is not his own. This is an interesting concept to feature in a zombie story, which would at first appear to be nothing more than a skin bursting sideshow, and I was a little (just a little) put off by the initial chapter because it seemed more like a romantic interlude than anything else.
This is actually a very clever piece of writing by the author, because it is like she is saying, 'hey, you know this is a zombie tale, I know it's a zombie tale, but let's confuse the hell out of the readers by focusing on contemporary romance for a while.' This could be the first ever zom-contemp-rom, unless you know of another story like it.’
Summary: The best thing about Zeeka’s Child for me was the beefed-up story re the two cops, Wildy and Cole (hey, give these two their own spin-off series!). The author doesn’t drop the threads of book one.
They are skillfully integrated into this story, and it works. It’s a much more deeper and complex story than book one, some achievement in such a short story.
III: Zeeka's Return Oops. Zeeka is returning, and the island of Gosh is not happy about it. He is also revealed to be, as everyone knew, as Brian Cameron (of course, he isn’t, I made the name up because you don’t want the reveal spoiled, do you?)
I expected mayhem in this final third and we do get it. The highlight is Miranda (oh, Miranda!) whose presence gives a lot of weight and realism to the futuristic theme and setting of 2036. The ending is unexpected but enjoyable.
'Zeeka Returns is the pleasing third installment in the Zeeka and the Zombies series. What I have observed through reading each tale in sequence is a significant level up in terms of writing style and character development. That is no easy task in a short story format, and given Zeeka Returns is the longest of the three, it should be noted that it is still a short story. One wonders how our antagonist from book one is going to prevail - or not, as the case may be.'
Summary: Zeeka is a series that could have run on, on…, and into self-absorbed oblivion. A good author knows when to wrap a story up. Zeeka is a trilogy that is done, dusted, and edited well. There are few multi-layered zombie stories out there, so this is a gem readers will enjoy.”

What does the word “story” mean to you?

A story is an account of real or fictitious events. The plot and characters must be appealing to readers.
When I write, I bear this in mind.

What are you working on now?

I have started a new story, “Zeeka’s Ghost.” I have already written four chapters and hope to complete it within a month or two.

Do you have a special time to write, or, how is your day structured?

I write between the hours of 8.00 pm to 11.00pm. It is a quiet time for writing,after all the day’s chores are completed.

How do you promote your work? How does Quotesrain help you in your book promotions and sales, would you like to refer this platform to your author friends?

I advertise my books on My Facebook Author Page, Twitter, My website, Blog, and on other platforms such as Readers Gazette, Quotesrain, Goodreads, and Ask David. I also promote them on several Author and Reader Groups.
I recently became a pro-member of Quotesrain and I am very impressed with their promotion of my books.
I have a fantastic website, which displays all of my books, and I can create impressive book teasers to promote on Twitter.
I can also schedule tweets to be displayed on Twitter.
I definitely would like to refer this platform to my author friends. I recommend it to all of them.
I am constantly donating books to the National Library in Trinidad, and to my church, when they need to raise funds for charitable purposes. I also sell some of my paperback books printed by Create Space, privately in Trinidad.
My paperback books are available on both Amazon and Create Space.

Would you like to share something with your Readers and Fans?

I want to encourage my readers and fans to continue to read my books and do reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Your reviews will help me to be a better writer. Please follow me on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and visit my website at Quotesrain for continuous updates. Without readers, there is no point in my writing. I need every one of you. I do not only promote my books. I promote those of other authors as well.
You will read reviews and post of books by other popular authors when you visit my pages.