Please give a warm welcome to author Robert E Crull!
First off tell us a bit about yourself and your book “Dream State”. Straight into the personal questions, I love a woman that gets right to the point. Alright, here goes. 48 years old, Aries, married almost 28 years, one grown child, 4 lovely dogs, and two spastic cats. That’s me in a nutshell, except I forgot to mention I like longs walks on a moonlit Caribbean beach, and relationships with no pressure.
Dream State was one of the most successful learning experiences of my life. I learned how to string words together in a way the created responses from the reader. The story told is of a man that commits heinous crimes with no repercussions for the better part of his life, until... Well folks will just have to read it to gain a better understanding.
Did you always want to be a writer?Honestly, No. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a writer until the story line came together one Sunday afternoon. From that point forward I’ve been hooked. The incredible emotional rush I got when it all fell into place was unbelievable. I currently have a second novel in process that hopefully will have the same rush as the first, but it is still in its early phases of character development.
What inspired you to write “Dream State”?
There is something about the myth of the perfect crime that drew me in. We have all heard of this or that being the perfect crime, Drew, the main character, lived his life that way. I wanted to create a serial killer that was beyond capture, better yet was so good that he was never investigated. Again, to see how he did it all is saved for the reading.
Describe your writing process. How long did it take? Favorite part? Least favorite?I tend to rough out entire scenes then embellish them with dialogue, detail, and back stories. I want to know what happened in someone’s past that may provide an explanation for what they are doing in real time. Or read of a past experience that provides rational for who they are. In my opinion it lends to the credibility of the character. I try out a lot of scenes to see how they can be linked together to create a flow, once the flow is established I go back and add in more back story, more detail, etc.
What was your reaction when you found out your book was going to be published?My first reaction was, “Really?” From there I got super excited, then scared to death. The book is not for the timid or the tame, and I suffered an initial panic that I would be unfairly judged by the prose I produced. The key thing I had to realize is that it is pure fiction, except the locations, everything else is a hodge podge mix of different people and their characteristics, both mental and emotional.
If your book was made into a movie, who would you see playing some of the characters?That’s a very appropriate question as one of my past times is converting Dream State into a screenplay, hopefully, to be done by years end. To answer the question, Juliam McMahon, from Nip/Tuck would make an excellent leading man, and I would love to see Sandra Bullock play his opposite. As for the remaining characters I couldn’t say. Though I do know they would need to be emotionally intact to play the roles. Again, it’s not for the tame or timid.
If you could co-author a book with any living or dead person, who would it be and why?Historically, I would love to be able to serve coffee to Thomas Jefferson and work on any topic he saw fit. As for the living, it would be a blast to co-author with Stephen R. Donaldson. I am currently co-authoring a short or two with a good friend that pushes the limit of what I am willing to endure. But it’s a great exercise in writing and I love where the stories can end up.
Favorite author(s) and book(s)?I am a huge fan of Neale Donald Walsh and the Conversation with God books, they have brought me more peace than I can describe. I love the absolute despair that Donaldson creates in the Thomas Covenant series, the newest book cannot get here soon enough. I have to give props to Dan Brown, I have not read anything from him yet that did not transport me into the world in which he so painstakingly describes.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?I am currently working on a paranormal thriller that will leave everyone questioning convention.
Any tips for aspiring writers out there?Write, write, then write some more. Use a pen and paper as often as you can to get the feeling of thoughts flowing from your mind onto paper. Don’t judge your own work. And finally, remember that as writers it is our job to tell a story to the best of our ability, it is the editor that makes what we produce into a book.
*****************************For more information visit Robert's website
here.
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Twitter.
Here's the blurb for Dream State:
By day a predator harbors gruesome thoughts that he wraps in a cloak of secrecy . . . at night he unleashes them without restraint.
How much of ourselves do we reveal to the outside world? Is it just enough to accomplish what we need to in our daily lives … domestically, socially, and professionally? Where does the rest of the human puzzle fit in – the sinister, shadowy pieces? Some of us conceal these facets so that they never see the light of day. But others express them during the chilling hours of the night. You will be captivated and mesmerized by the story of Drew, an eccentric man who by sunlight lusts for power, and by moonlight performs horrific, deadly acts. Dream State is a compelling tale that tackles human nature, reveals human longings, and exposes human vulnerabilities. Will self-absorption and personal cravings push Drew to act out as the ultimate predator? Prepare yourself for a spine-tingling adventure as you read Dream State, an absorbing novel of venomous lust.
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