Roy L. Pickering Jr.

Feeding the Squirrels Author Roy L. Pickering Jr.

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

RLP: Literary fiction. I'm also a freelance journalist, primarily of sports. And since I've entered the blogosphere I suppose you could call me an essayist as well.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

RLP: I'm fascinated by the innumerable aspects of the human condition and explore those foremost in my thoughts at any given time through my fiction. Some of the stories pretty much demand to be written. Others need to be coaxed a bit.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

RLP: I was an avid reader from the get go. The first full length novels I read were by Jules Verne. After journeying under the sea and to the center of the earth via the gift of his prose I became determined to one day transport people to other worlds with my own writing.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

RLP: Although works of science fiction initially put the idea of becoming a writer in my head, it wasn't long before I grew far more fascinated by stories about regular people in relatively common situations because there was so much more to learn about the process of living from such writing. Literary fiction reveals us to ourselves. This struck me as being a far greater trick than dazzling readers with fantastical descriptions of imaginary places. I understood early on that I did not merely want to entertain with my writing, nor did I wish to follow any set formula. I wanted to teach and to learn, to explain and to question, to moralize while simultaneously playing devil's advocate and demonstrating appreciation for points of view on every side of a dilemma. I did not wish to create heroes and villains so much as I desired to illustrate bad intentions within the hearts of good people and to show that people capable of evil deeds are also capable of confounding kindness. I wanted to explore contradiction and irony and the paradox of our time on earth. Life is complex so that is what I strive for my writing to be, because above all else, writing is a mirror made of words.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

RLP: One of my resolutions, and it isn't my first time making it but hopefully this will be the last time I need to, is to come up with and stick to a regular writing regimen. At present I do far too much of my writing only when inspiration strikes especially hard and free time is conveniently at hand. I understand far too well that in order to achieve lasting success at this profession I need to carve out time each day (or at least each week) and that writing is merely 10% inspiration. The other 90% is perspiration.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

RLP:I feel about the same as a woman feels while in the process of giving birth, I imagine. But I have no idea what the word for that feeling is. I suspect it cannot be found in the dictionary.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

RLP: I watch my 21-month old daughter explore and figure out the world around her. It's absolutely fascinating to see the commonplace through a brand new set of eyes that have yet to become jaded or bored by experience. Seeing the familiar in a new light is also why I love to read, and hopefully is an experience that occurs when people read my stories. Other than being a dedicated family man I'm also a big sports fan and catch NY Knicks and Jets games as frequently as possible. When the weather permits I am obsessed with playing the magnificent game of tennis. Trying to master the racquet and ball definitely has similarities to conquering the pen and paper. Both activities require mind over matter.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

RLP: I have completed my debut novel - Patches of Grey - and hope to find a traditional publisher for it in 2008. I am about 2/3 of the way through my second novel - Matters of Convenience. Depending on how things play out, perhaps my second book will end up in print before the one that was completed first. It makes little difference to me. In 2007 my novella "Feeding the Squirrels" was published in electronic format by SynergEbooks. This was my second ebook publication. A couple years ago I had a collection of short stories published in a single volume under the title - Enigmas of Desire. Unfortunately the web site that created this ebook is now defunct and did not leave an archive of epublished material behind. I have authored about 50 short stories, many which have appeared in journals and magazines, some that have been published in anthologies, and a considerable number which can be found online at various ezines. My personal web site http://www.roypickering.net/ provides links to the cyber locations of my short stories that are currently available on the world wide web. My favorite tale always seems to be the one most recently written until the next one comes to mind and takes its place at the front of the line.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

RLP: I wouldn't quite say that my characters are based on real people. Rather, different aspects of them are taken from different aspects of various people I've encountered, including myself.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

RLP: I love to hear from my readers and can be reached at roylpickering@verizon.net. Those wishing to learn a little more about me and my writing are encouraged to stop by my web site. A copy of Feeding the Squirrels can be purchased either at http://www.synergebooks.com/ebook_feedingthesquirrels.html or http://writeronlinebooks.com/book/feedingthesquirrels.htm. It is also available at Amazon.com.

CA: Thanks so much for the interview Roy. In my lovely career as a reviewer, a while back ago I had the opportunity to review Mr. Pickering's Novella. For the review visit my book reviews blog: www.bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com

Roy is a wonderful person and is an exceptional writer. So make sure to leave a comment and he or I will get back to you ASAP!