BooksGoSocial

Interview with author Jameson Tucker

September 16, 2018

Here's the direct link: ​https://booksgosocial.com/2018/09/16/last-call-limbo-a-cosmical-pub-tale/

Last-Call Limbo: A Cosmical Pub Tale, an Interview with Jameson Tucker

BooksGoSocial

This week, we’re talking with Jameson Tucker about his new book, Last-Call Limbo: A Cosmical Pub Tale.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself!

Well, I did see a UFO some years back, if that counts for anything, plus there was that little near-death thing some years later, that was memorable.
 


Why do you write?

I’ve been down a few interesting paths over the years, known a lot of crazily interesting people along the way, and some of the resultant experiences have (in my humble opinion, anyway) given me a rather unique perspective regarding some of the really big questions of the day; you know, why are we here, what’s really going on out there with that crazy world we all live in now, like that. The whole writing thing is really more an exploration of it all more than anything else really, a search for answers if you will, which is where the whole Cosmical Pub series very much comes into play. Hopefully that’s a journey we can all take together, and maybe have a little serious fun along the way a little, too.
 

What book do you wish you had written?

There are a lot of really good genre works out there, but I’ve never looked at one and thought, “Gee, I wish I’d written that!” Rather, I’ve just always felt grateful that I’d stumbled across it for whatever reason and got to read it, because all of them have very much influenced what I write now, which is precisely what I’ve always wanted to write.
 

Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?

Well, some of those aforementioned experiences can give you some rather interesting perspective on things, as I said, and I believe you need to know the questions a little better before you can best define any prospective answers to them. Mix that a little with all the pop-culture influence and the like that we’re regularly exposed to now, and you’d be surprised at what the end result might be.
 

What do you enjoy the most about your genre?

I like to blur genres more than a little, but with genre fiction overall I believe you have a little more flexibility, sometimes a lot, to say the things you want to say, and in the way you best want to say them. Like exploring the whole UFO phenomenon, or the seemingly paranormal aspects of it all, for example; genre fiction is a great way to do that. That said, though, I do try to keep it all as grounded in real-world reality as I can, with the Cosmical Pub series, I mean. I’m talking about my own unique take on “reality,” mind you.
 

How would you describe your writing process?

I have a tendency to work on multiple projects at a time more often than not, especially in terms of notes or outlines and the like, but when fully immersed in putting a particular book together, I’ve pretty much settled into something of a three-step routine: The handwritten version, for starters, which I generally work on in the mornings and early afternoon when I can; then, doing whatever edits or corrections or whatever during the typing process, which I usually do later in the day at the computer; then, once I’ve at last completed and printed-out the finished typed-version, I do a final read-through/edit on that and make any last changes or revisions that might be necessary at that time. By doing everything this way, I’ve found that (for me, anyway) it helps the book to hopefully come out the best that it can possibly be.
 

What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?

Lots, actually. The actual writing process itself can be a bit of a solitary one, actually, and having the opportunity to see just what’s maybe going on with your work once you’ve released it into the wild, and getting to interact a little in the process, too, is really great for the most part, to say the very least. Plus, it helps to get the word (or words in this case) out a little more, which is always good.
 

How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?

I love seeing reviews, hopefully nice ones, mind you. Seriously, I think any review should be taken with a slight grain of salt, art being subjective and all that, but it’s always nice to get some feedback regarding what somebody might have thought or not thought about your finished end result. Plus it’s nice, too, to see that people are reading it and becoming engaged with it or whatever, hopefully in a good way!
 

What advice would you have for other writers?

My simple answer to that one would be write a lot, read a lot, and live a lot; maybe, but not necessarily, in that particular order. One way or another, it’s all going to (hopefully) come together in one form or another, but only if you let it, of course.

 
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?

That usually all comes to me in one way or another during the writing process overall; sometimes in the early stages if not before, but almost always long before I’ve reached the final pages.
 

What’s your next step?

Well, I can honestly say that Zack and the rest of the Cosmical Pub gang have a lot of craziness ahead of them as yet, there are a lot of unanswered questions yet to deal with after all, and to that end we will most definitely be seeing them again very soon now. What more can I add to that, really, except to say: Stay tuned!

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Sakura Publishing
The latest on authors, books, the publishing industry, and more!

Interview with Author Jameson Tucker
 December 12, 2017
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BOOK: The Cosmical Pub: A Twisted Barroom Tale, by Jameson Tucker

Here's the direct link:
http://www.sakurapublishingofficialblog.com/uncategorized/interview-with-author-jameson-tucker/

What is your book about?

After a seemingly otherworldly encounter takes place in a local cowfield, Zack Wells and his best-bud Dougie Dunn find themselves sucked into the middle of some seriously weird stuff involving cross-dressing cows, shadowy G-men, and a curious little piece of missing jewelry that everybody seemingly wants to find, presumably because it could bring about the end of the world or some such. You know, the usual.

Why should people buy your book?

Because there really is some seriously weird “stuff” going on out there, to say the very least; life in Twenty-First-Century Corporate America has become pretty much one big real-life X-File and then some, and I think a lot of people are desperately trying to make some manner of sense of it all. With The Cosmical Pub, beneath the humor and the sarcasm mind you, I’m attempting to do just that, to explore and to answer some of the seeming mysteries of it all, however bizarre some of the resultant “answers” might turn out to be. It’s a journey, I believe, that we can all take together, and maybe even find the piece of cheese at the end of the twistingly big cosmological maze.

Why did you write this book?

I’ve known a lot of diverse and crazily interesting people over the years, seen and done a lot of things in the process, been down a few intriguingly interesting paths, and I have a lot to say about IT ALL. And, yes, I believe I’ve gotten a bit of a bead on that aforementioned X-File thing, at that. Simply telling a story for entertainment’s sake alone is okay, sure; but with the whole Cosmical Pub thing, I have a definite and keen sense of just where I’m going with it all, and I’m hoping maybe we can get there together, like I said, and maybe answer a few of the really BIG questions in the process, like just what the heck’s really going on out there in that big wide world of ours and beyond. And, hey, somebody’s gotta do it.

Give us some insight into your main character, his/her motivations or whatever.

Oh, we’ve got to be talking about Zack here. Zack, like a lot of people, is just trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, what his place in that whole big crazy world is, maybe, while at the same time he just wants to get to his favorite hangout and enjoy the weekend a little. No such luck, alas. Zack, like the whole Cosmical Pub thing overall, has a considerable if not slightly twisted journey ahead of him, and it’s going to be interesting to say the very least.

What would you say is the overall tone of the book, or the intended feel of it or whatever?

I’d say humor, definitely, and no small amount of sarcasm, beneath the surface of which is a much deeper and more profound storyline playing itself out along the way. I like to tackle those big questions, as I said, you know, who are we, why are we here, is there really something living in the microwave that keeps turning my frozen burritos into rocks? And that whole X-File thing, of course. Sometimes, humor is the best way to do that.

What kind of response have you been getting so far, to the book and all?

Pretty good, actually. I’ve gotten some very nice reviews, it has a four-star rating on Amazon.com so far, and people seem to be really picking up on the whole humor aspect of it for the most part. As for that “deeper and more profound” aspect of it that I mentioned, we’ll be continuing to delve deeper into that part of the larger storyline of it all as we progress.

Are there any misconceptions that people have about your book? If so, explain.

For those that have yet to read it, anyway, I think there might be a bit of a misconception that it’s essentially just humor and nothing more, while there’s actually a whole lot more to it, just beneath the proverbial surface. That, and maybe that it’s essentially a “fantasy” story, while I consider it to be very much anything but. There’s a very precise and linear logic to it all, to all of it and pretty much everything in it, though I know it may not necessarily seem like it at first; rest assured though that it will all come together and make sense as things continue to progress, humor and sarcasm and all, and hopefully the reader will be able to kick back and have fun getting there along the way even as things continue to unfold.

Is this your first book, or have you written others?

I’ve written some shorter e-book fiction, as well as a more recent full-length work titled The Zombie Shuffle, which is about an ill-conceived kidnapping plot that goes a tad south when the incompetent kidnappers inadvertently zombify their shapely hostage with the stolen powder they’d used to drug her. There’s also some short-short fiction I’ve written for the No Sleep site on Reddit, which you can find a link to on my website. And, of course, I have a lot of other projects currently in the works, as well, at one stage of development or another.

What is your writing routine when writing a book, and is there anything that seems to work best for you?

I tend, to some extent anyway, to work on multiple projects at a time, especially in terms of notes or outlines and the like, but when fully immersed in putting a particular book together, I’ve pretty much settled into a three-step routine, of sorts: The handwritten version, for starters, which I usually work on in the mornings and early afternoon when I can; then, doing whatever edits or corrections or whatever during the typing process, which I usually do later in the day at the computer; then, once I’ve completed and printed-out the finished typed-version, I do a final read-through/edit on that and make any last changes or revisions at that time. I’ve found that, by doing the whole process in this way, it helps the book to hopefully come out the best it can possibly be.

Where do you get your ideas, or where do you think they come from?

The really good stuff, I think, comes from someplace deep, be it your innermost subconscious or secretive messages from the other side of the wall or whatever, or who knows, maybe you’re picking up psychic impressions from the neighbors’ cat. But, hey, if it works, go with it.

Any real-life experiences you draw from when putting together your ideas?

Lots. Seriously, I think that’s where it all starts really, the whole creative thing, life-experience coupled with just the right amount of inspiration and the like. With a little luck anyway, when it all hopefully comes together really well, the end result can be nothing short of awesome. And when you hit it, when you’ve really, really captured just the right chord with it or whatever, I think you know, you feel it, and you know too that it’s time to run with it to wherever it may take you from there.

How did you get into writing, and why?

This has always been my number one objective from as far back as I can possibly remember, and, the older I get, the more I realize that pretty much all of my life-decisions along the way, directly or indirectly, have been very much influenced by that, even if I did take a bit of a scenic route in ultimately getting here. I genuinely and honestly have no doubt whatsoever that I’m doing what I was born to do, and writing precisely what I was born to write. It’s a rather nice feeling, actually, even if it does get a tad demanding at times. Seriously, I can’t possibly imagine not doing it.

Any writing advice?

There is a LOT of writing advice out there these days, but one of my personal favorites came from actor/filmmaker Clint Eastwood, actually, in an interview he did; he said, essentially, that there’s a dozen different ways to tell a story, and the trick is to pick one and stick with it. I like that, because I find myself regularly inundated with so many different ideas, and so many varied ways and directions that I could go with them, and that simple little nugget of wisdom really kind of helps me to stay focused on seeing each individual project through to its completion. Thanks, Clint, wherever you are!

If you could travel back in time and tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

It would probably be something like, “Dude, you’re not gonna believe this, but, in the future, we have freakin’ time-travel!” Knowing my younger self, he would probably believe it.

So what’s next, or what are you working on now?

Well, let’s just say that Zack and the rest of the Cosmical Pub gang have a lot of craziness ahead of them as yet, a lot of unanswered questions yet to deal with, and to that end we will most definitely be seeing them again very soon now. And, yes, you can honestly say you heard it here first. Stay tuned!