General Background Questions

  • Who or what inspired you to become an author?

People have advised me for many years to write a book about my experience.

  • How have your life experiences influenced your writing?

My condition prevented me from writing anything substantive for a number of years. Instead I wrote as if it was all a journal until I was mentally in a place where I could tie the whole thing together.

 

  • What motivates you to keep writing, even on tough days?

I have kind of a unique situation, with everything that I work through, I don’t push being able to write every day. I do it when I feel calm enough to put my ideas in writing.

 

  • Do you draw more inspiration from personal experiences or imagination?

My personal experiences and my imagination are all mixed up together. Its difficult to tell the two apart. For the most part, I don’t try to keep them separate. I integrate my imagination into the stories.

 

Writing Process and Craft

  • What is your writing process like, from idea to finished manuscript?

I have written my story as a journal, to mostly log what I’m thinking at a given time. From there, I write when I think I have something to tie it all together.

 

  • How do you handle writer’s block or lack of inspiration?

As I stated, my condition requires me to start and stop quite often to process other things that are happening.

  • Do you have a special place, routine, or time of day for writing?

I tend to write in the middle of the night, sometimes writing all night. I put on headphones to drown everything else out.

  • How do you use research in your writing?

I have spent years researching Beatles material, as well as Christian material. There are various “easter eggs” interspersed into the book, as well as clues throughout the book as to the ultimate solution to “Paul is Dead”. I designed it to be able to read it more than once and get “clues” that make more sense once the book has already been read.

Characters and Storytelling

 

  • Are any of your characters based on real people?

By design, it’s a fictional book. So as it is normally said, any similarity to various characters can be regarded as coincidental.

  • How do you decide on character names?

Some are based on Beatles song characters. Others are intended to be biblical. Some just sound cool to me.

  • What’s your favorite scene you’ve written, and why?

I like the “Easy Rider” send up, As much as I love the movie, I always thought that they take themselves too seriously and a little comedy is appropriate.

  • Are there characters or stories you regret creating?

I have gotten the cold shoulder from several people close to me. I wouldn’t call it regret, but it’s been a wake-up call.

Publishing and Career

  • Did you self-publish or go the traditional publishing route, and why?

I self-published. I was worried about the visual materials so I looked for an organization that would work with me on that.

 

  • What’s your favorite and least favorite part of publishing?

I love the feedback I’ve gotten, both the good and constructive. I have had to get used to publishers working on projects other than mine, I’m very into the process and sometimes they have to deal with clients other than myself. I’ve tried to adapt.

 

  • How do you use social media as an author?

I have had a WordPress blog which I agreed to overwrite in order for the book website to be used from my blogging domain. I also have a forum called MysteryTramp that I now operate by myself, but it contains years worth of clues regarding the Beatles and other Pop Culture references. My beliefs in the supernatural ultimately didn’t lend itself to a group environment. I am also a member of other Beatles forums and participate there from time to time.

 

  • How do you handle negative reviews or criticism?

I appreciate good feedback. My one regret is receiving it after I finished the book instead of during. That wasn’t from lack of trying. Several people did not believe I could do this; a few did.

The Book (possible spoilers)

  • Are you right about the Beatles mystery?

I believe I am. When I first posted that I went live with the book, 35 people almost instantly logged onto my forum, while I watched. I believe the surviving Beatles know about this and are watching also. This answer, I believe, has been alluded to but otherwise buried for 60 years.

  • Do you believe in demons?

God and Demons. I have spent a lot of time researching and musing about the interplay between God and Demons. I think there is a system there that is not fully known.

  • Have you been hospitalized because of these beliefs?

4 Times, plus over 20 years of therapy.

  • Did the Michael Jackson/Prince thing really happen?

In my mind, both things happened. I posted the story about Michael Jackson to my forum on the morning of April 21st, 2016. An hour later, Prince went into cardiac arrest in an elevator (reminiscent of “Let’s Go Crazy”). It is on page 28 of the 922 thread on my MysteryTramp forum.

  • How long were you homeless?

2.5 years. We spent most of that time living in a tent in the woods of Traverse City, Michigan. We also spent some time in Homeless Shelters, and when it got really cold, which was often in the wintertime, we slept on church floors while keeping our tent intact.

  • What is your relationship with God now?

I actually pray daily and spend a lot of time talking with Him throughout my days. Everything still goes on and I hear from God or Demons many times during the day (or my imagination, depending on who you talk to). I think God forgives, and I need it.

  • Did you know Madonna’s brother?

Yes, I knew Anthony. We slept on the same floor when it got too cold to stay outdoors.

  • Are the Beatles forums receptive to your ideas?

There is definitely a friendly competition between what I believe and what the “Paul is Dead” crowd believes. Nothing is Real in particular has a wealth of Beatles-related material. The characters Apollo C Vermouth and Iamaphoney are real.

  • Was Apollo C Vermouth really Apple Records head Neil Aspinall?

I believe so; there is a reference to Neil’s death on the Nothing is Real forum, where a group of posters insisted that Apollo was in fact Neil.