About the Book:
The kingdom is in great danger…can anyone save it?
The kingdom of Snee had always been a peaceful and happy place. But in recent years a terrible giant has tormented the kingdom and troubled the people. He storms unexpectedly from his lair in the dark swampy forest and destroys their crops, homes, and wagons. The King is desperate and sends out pleas for heroes to end the giant’s reign of terror. Mighty knights and heroes come from near and far, but none can defeat the giant. Then one day a smallish unimpressive boy answers the call for help. Brave Howie does not look like a hero in armor that is a little to large for his small stature, and the people doubt his offer. Can this unlikely knight defeat the giant? How can one so small make a difference? He is the only one that thinks he has a chance. Join Brave Howie in his dangerous quest into the dark and fearsome swampy forest. Will he succeed or meet his doom?
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Excerpt:
Author Interview:
1: Tell us a little about yourself and what got you into writing?
I was born and raised in the mountain valleys of the Rockies, earned an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a BS from the University of Utah. My career includes life as an investment banker and Chief Financial Officer as well as involvement in community and church ministry spanning five decades. My sweetheart, Leah, and I live near Salt Lake City, Utah, where we enjoy outdoor activities such as mountain and road biking and sharing our lives with our blended family of ten children and eleven grandchildren. We also enjoy travel and such things as cycling and scuba diving but when life and faith are enjoyed so completely there is no need to travel to find that which is already present.
I have always loved creating and telling stories to my children. During my financial career I was responsible for pulling together complex factual stories and presenting them to management and investment groups with demanding schedules and short attention spans. This prepared me well for the rigors of creating exciting stories with characters and in-depth relatable plots that pull the reader in and allow them to have an experience walking with the characters. After all, reading is not really about reading. It is about being transported into another world or time.
2: Do you have a favourite time and place where you write?
I enjoy writing early in the morning while it is still quiet. I have a lounge chair and will lean back while the sun slowly creeps above the eastern mountains and create worlds with interesting characters and dangerous adventures. I do this on a regular schedule each morning for a couple of hours. My research goes on at other times and I will make notes with new thoughts as the day goes on. Then each morning I return again with my notebook and the research performed and continue the story, rarely knowing where the journey of that day will end up.
3: Where do your ideas come from?
I believe authors see the world differently than most other humans. A simple moment, a picture is created in my mind and then I began to play with the idea. The Brave Howie story is particularly personal. One of my sons was diagnosed with spina bifida and Down’s syndrome while in utero. This was at a time and place many years ago when terminating a pregnancy was not allowed after the third month. We were counseled to terminate the pregnancy to be safe and not wait for a more definitive determination. It was the hardest, and also easiest, decision we ever had to make. We chose through faith to keep the baby boy. Much faith and prayers were answered when a few months later we were informed of a miracle. The baby boy would be born without any of the difficulties that were previously predicted. He is now a healthy 32-year-old father of three boys successfully making his own way in the world. I have always thought of him, like Harry Potter, as the boy who lived. He has endured extraordinary challenges in his life, not the least of which was being diagnosed with 3rd stage lymphoma while completing his undergraduate education. After six months of chemo and staying up in his college courses he was pronounced completely cancer free. He went on the next year to graduate at the top of his class. He has endured the death of close loved ones and a difficult parental divorce, all while enduring the typical challenges of growing up. His name is Howie, and I created a mythical hero that epitomizes the life of this ‘boy who lived’ with the traits that have made him an inspiration to us all.
4: Do you have a plan in your head of where the story is going before you start writing or do you let it carry you along as you go?
I don’t really set an outline per se. I like to write as if I am experiencing the story as the characters do. This means I don’t know what I will discover when I round the next literary bend. It makes it very exciting for me to write and I can hardly wait to get back to it. In a way, it is what I hope my readers experience when they put my book down. I hope they can’t wait to find out what’s next. This also keeps me from experiencing writer’s block. The poetry of this book also seemed to flow from one stanza to another with ease, as if it was already written somewhere in the stars and I just had to access it properly.
5: What genre are your books and what drew you to that genre?
Most of my books are fiction for either middle readers, teens, young adults, or adults. I love merging the factual and historical with the theoretical and fantastic. I think the combination of time travel, paranormal, impossible challenges, and mythology in a way that emphasizes the development of values and overcoming obstacles and threats captures the imagination of the reader. Then putting it all into a believable, historical context, with characters who must change to succeed and must reach deep into themselves and find their own greatness, makes my stories difficult to put down. The messages and the meanings will stay with my readers for a long time. It is very rewarding to write this kind of literature.
6: What dream cast would you like to see playing the characters in your latest book?
Brave Howie – Walker Scobell from the Percy Jackson TV Series on Disney
The Terrible Giant – Duane Johnson also known as the Rock
The King of Snee – Andy Serkis from The Lord of the Rings
7: Do you read much and if so, who are your favorite authors?
JRR Tolkien
Benson Bobrick
Clive Cussler
Dr. Seuss
Michael Crichton
CS Lewis
8: What books are you reading at present?
I just finished A Christmas Carol – The Original Unabridged version by Charles Dickens and Saving Bravo by Steven Talty. I am currently reading Condor’s Fury by Clive Cussler/Graham Brown
9: What is your favorite book and why?
I love “Angel in the Whirlwind” by Benson Bobrick. This follows George Washington through the entire period of the revolution and creation of the country afterward. This amazing man is arguably the one single person that not only gave the revolution heart and meaning but also prevented the newly created United States from immediately becoming a dictatorship. He is literally the father of our country.
I also have always loved JRR Tolkien’s works on Middle Earth. He knows how to develop characters that have depth and that come to be old friends. His stories make you care about the outcome for each character and the quest they are on. The good versus evil battles have become the heart of much of our modern fantasy and fiction genre.
10: What advice would you give for someone thinking about becoming a writer?
Take advice but don’t let anyone steal your voice and replace it with theirs. You will benefit much from the input of a good publisher, designer, editor, etc. Sometimes their advice and suggestions will be difficult. But your work will be better for it. Be careful to not ever allow an editor or publisher to rewrite your work to the point where they silence your voice and make it their story with their voice. This is counterproductive.
Be generous. Never hesitate to share your works with others simply because they cannot pay. Bring joy to people with unexpected acts of kindness. A free copy to a young fan who really cherishes the book but cannot afford it will always be remembered. A donation to a school or community library, a hospital or rehabilitation or behavioral health center will save souls. Share your talents and you will never be disappointed.
Remember that when you decide to become a published author you are creating a business from scratch. You will grow enormously through the process as you become adept at writing, illustrations, negotiations, motivation, communication, marketing, sales, manufacturing, accounting, product chains and delivery and a variety of other skills. If you don’t know some of these disciplines, don’t worry, as a writer just apply your research skills to learning the ropes.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people in the business. Most people in the business will offer suggestions and ideas. Walk into a bookstore and read the acknowledgement section of books in the genre you want to write within, you will see all the names and companies that authors like you are grateful to. Write them down, look them up and talk to them to develop your information and expertise. Be bold and yet kind. You will find you are not alone on your journey.
11: What are the best Social Media Sites for people to find out about you and your work?
Website: www.apieceofsilver.com
Website: www.giantsinthelandbook.com
Website: www.starpassagebook.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/clarkrburbidge
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/clarkrburbidge
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clarkrburbidge
About the Author:
Clark Rich Burbidge (1955 – Present) was born in Ogden, Utah grew up in the high mountain valleys of the Rockies. His long career as a banker, investment banker and Chief Financial Officer has always been balanced by his love of reading or telling a good story. This blossomed into a second career when in 2010 when he was fortunate enough to find others that wanted to make his writing available to the public. With his ninth book soon to be published and the last six books receiving international Mom’s Choice Gold Medal recognition and numerous other awards he is excited about the future. Mr. Burbidge loves to mountain bike and scuba dive but most of all he enjoys being out among his reading public and hearing of the power effect his books have on youth and adults alike. Clark especially loves taking his “Live with the Heart of a Giant” tour to schools, communities and faith-based groups to help others realize their full potential and how to overcome challenges. He shares this rewarding life with his sweetheart and blended family of ten children and six grandchildren.
Reading Nook 