Blog Tour: The Gathering: End's Beginning by Randy Lindsay

*Interview*

Tour Schedule

Book Description:

Robert Williams didn't expect an early honorable release from his mission, but upon his return home, he sees the reason for the surprise decision. Unemployment, rampant violence, and frequent food shortages have put the United States on the brink of another civil war. As the threads of society unravel, the Williams family must adapt to drastic changes as the long-foretold gathering begins to take place.

Author Interview:

*What inspired you to write The Gathering: End’s Beginning?
Part of it is that apocalypse and post-apocalypse tales are my favorite kind of story. But I also noticed that all prophecies about of the future picture a grim fate. I wanted to put together a story about an average family who face the apocalypse and survive. I wanted to create a story that gives my readers hope no matter what situation they face.


*Who is your favorite character in your books, and why?
 
That's easy; Calvin McCord. I'm not much of a fan of politics. Calvin is an old soldier who is now serving his country in Washington. He's the kind of person I would like to see representing us in government. For him it's all about making this country as great as it can be and he's not afraid of stepping on a few toes to make that happen.


*What are your hopes/goals as an author, and what other projects do you have in mind?
My goal as an author is to entertain people. Anytime someone tells me they laughed, or cried, or got chills from what I wrote, I know I succeeded. My hope is that I can write a story that really connects with my readers. Something that they will remember even years from now.

As for projects, I have a dozens of stories I want to write and hopefully get published. I'm about half finished with what I call a murder-comedy about two friends who solve mysteries in Hollywood. However, my wife keeps urging me to work on my story about Mormons in space. I won first place for it in the LDStorymakers First Chapter contest in 2011.


*Do you have any unusual habits while you write?
 
I talk to myself. Well, really I'm just reading dialogue to make sure it sounds good. Other than that I don't really have any unusual writing habits. However, I am unusually creative. My wife routinely points out that EVERYTHING is a story to me. And she's right. Tell me a joke and there's a chance I turn it into a story. Mention the title of a song to me and thirty seconds later I have an idea for a novel. The result is that I have too many exciting projects to work on.


*What do you like to do when you're not writing?
 
Mostly, I like to hang out with my children and play board games. When I'm not doing that I work on family history. I am the official historian for my family.


*What is your favorite book, and why?
 
I have read Damnation Alley six times. Since I generally don't read a book twice, that is quite the distinction. Damnation Alley, by Roger Zelazny, is a post-apocalyptic story with armored vehicles, roving bands of lawless bikers, radioactive monsters, and a mission to save humanity. What isn't there to like about it?


*Do you like having books you enjoy made into movies? What is the best/worst adaptation you've seen?
Not really. I read. I watch movies. I don't feel a need to have one transitioned over to the other. On the other hand, I am probably a minority with my view on movie adaptations. It doesn't bother me if a movie is different from the book. Having put together a treatment for my first novel I understand that they are two seperate beasts and what works in a book doesn't usually work well in a movie.

That being said, I think the Harry Potter series was one of the better adaptations and the old 50s version of The Lost World, by Arthur Conan Doyle, was the worst. The only connection between the two seemed to be a remote location that had dinosaurs. And it was a horrible movie.


*If money were no object, where would you like to go, and what would you like to do while you are there?

Ireland. My family came over to the U.S. from Ireland. I know the city they are from, but haven't been able to dig up much more than that. I would poke around and see if I can pick up the family history trail there and visit the area to see what my ancestors saw.
 
About the Author:

RANDY LINDSAY is a native of Arizona. From an early age, his mind traveled in new and unusual directions. His preoccupation with “what if” eventually led him to write speculative fiction. According to his wife everything is a story to Randy. And it is. Although this is his first novel, Randy has been published in a variety of science-fiction and fantasy magazines. He lives in Mesa with his wife and five of his nine children. If you want to find out more you can check him out at RandyLindsay.net.

Title: The Gathering: End's Beginning
Author: Randy Lindsay
Publisher: Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: January 2014
ISBN: 1462113737

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle