Author Spotlight: Kevin E. Buckley

• a satirical author and musician

Readers, thanks for checking out another Author Spotlight Interview. Let’s give a good, hearty welcome to this week’s guest!

Kevin E. Buckley, author and musician, was once the student voted most likely to produce a book of such concentrated inconsequential meaninglessness as to win the tacit approval of all but the most ardently gloom-laden souls of the 21 st Century. And if you happen to be one of those people that needs more than just an artful read that slides easily across the genre lines of sci-fi, murder-mystery, and political satire, then The Secret Sign of the Lizard People can also be used as a personal flotation device.*

*In calm seas up to three miles from shore and with above-average swimming ability.

Kevin, thanks for agreeing to be here today. Most author spotlight interviews start off with the boring stuff, but I know what readers REALLY want to know.

If you could have any pet (real/fantasy/no-allergies/no worries about feeding it) what would it be?

I’ve given that a little bit of thought and I’m leaning towards a Least Weasel . . . mainly because it is a very real animal (in a fantastic sort of way); it does not suffer from allergies; and as the name implies, it’s very compact; it also doesn’t worry; and, last but by no means ‘least’, it not only feeds itself, it has been known – upon rare occasion – to bring back an Uncle Burger™, onion rings and a root beer for its kindly owner.

What a cute creature! (With a delicious habit — I hope?)

What do you write? And how did you get started?

Well, I write books and essays, but my main interest is in books. I actually enjoy the long, drawn-out
process of creating a book, and the luxury of not having to rush, coupled with the ability to think long and hard as to the routing of the story.

I had thought about writing a book for a few years and when I moved to a different home overlooking a magnificent northern lake, I finally took the plunge and used the inspiration of the environment to begin a historical novel. I used to get up early back then, and for the most part, that particular book was written well before work, between the hours of 3:00 & 6:00AM.

So glad you found the inspiration and path forward! And, what a coincidence 3-6am is exactly my… BLACKOUT WINDOW when I’m not going to be doing anything conscious.

What do you like to read?

To be honest, I hardly ever read books anymore. So concerned am I with maintaining some semblance of originality in my own writing that I prefer to proceed without any undue influences. I still read all sorts of materials, including books, but they are rarely of a contemporary nature. I used to be a voracious and addictive reader, with eclectic tastes ranging from Plato to Mary Shelley to Carlos Castaneda to George Orwell, and quite a few others in between.

When I started writing, I noticed that habit in myself. These days, I binge-read between drafts, when my beta readers are getting me feedback

Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice that doesn’t work for you

Making the main title of your book as short as humanly possible.

That says it all.

Ha! Different genres have different trends, but standing out is never a bad thing. YA and fantasy went through a ‘the [verb] of [noun] and [noun]’ phase for a while.

Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice that works for you

Indie pubbed authors need an editor.

Make absolutely sure that your manuscript has been examined by a professional copyeditor and also by a professional proofreader before releasing it to the world.

So true! It’s hard to pick out all your errors because you know so well what it’s SUPPOSED to say.

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Shameless Self-Promotion time!

The Secret Sign of the Lizard People

When partners in crime-reduction Jerry “Leafy” Green and Bill “Beefy” Goodness — two of the LAPD’s most skilled homicide detectives — investigate the bizarre killing of a fashion model at the Hollywood Sign it soon becomes clear that this murder is part of a much larger conspiracy that threatens not only the people of America, but the entire population of the planet.

As the case progresses, they recruit the help of a Jesus-lookalike ufologist, a streetwise Goth graffiti artist, a world-renowned geneticist, a super-nerd cyber investigator, and a fire-and-brimstone inner city reverend. The detectives and their motley crew of improvised freedom fighters must work quickly to take down the tainted global elite and avert the merciless enslavement of humanity that looms large on the horizon.

Check out Kevin E. Buckley across the web!

Website | Facebook | Friesen Press | Goodreads | Amazon