Gerald (Jerry) L. Guy
Palm Coast, FL
USA
Good morning, Gerald, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for book and art lovers. Can you tell us a little about what you've written so far?
I’ve written eight novels in several genres, including:
Sara: A Hero’s Story (Historic fiction)
Wolf Pact: The New Order (Fantasy, suspense)
Wolf Pact: Escape from Captivity (Fantasy, suspense)
Act of Kindness (Historic fiction)
Tree of Wonders (Historic fiction, YA)
Run Like the Wind (Western, YA, fiction)
Run to Danger (Western, YA, fiction)
Casing Gold (Western, YA, fiction)
What is your favorite genre to write?
I like historical fiction because I can get in there and bend history a bit to fit my story line. Act of Kindness is a good example when an evil spirit, the scorned wife of Alexander Hamilton, haunts one of the residents of a nursing home.
Favorite food?
Fresh seafood. Come on, I live eight miles off the Atlantic Ocean.
Tea or coffee?
My mornings always start with black coffee, but the rest of the day I drink ice tea, brewed in the beautiful Florida sunshine.
Pizza or ice cream?
I could eat ice cream every evening, but I don’t because I’m watching my weight. Pst: I make the best apple pie ice cream.
Wine or beer or soda?
I never drink soda, but there is nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day on San Sebastian (St. Augustine FL) wine at supper.
Where would you like to visit?
After reading Blue Lake, Tuscany sounds lovely. But I think Antiqua might be my next stop.
You are a sweet talker, Mr. Guy. Tuscany
is lovely. The Lakes region is amazing. Venice is pure magic. Go. Soon.
is lovely. The Lakes region is amazing. Venice is pure magic. Go. Soon.
Favorite musical artist.
I grew up listening to Motown but am a Country Western fan now. Garth, Reba
and the Oak Ridge Boys rock my world.
and the Oak Ridge Boys rock my world.
Last concert I attended.
Believe it or not it was a Chubby Checker concert here in Palm Coast three or four years ago. He was tireless and took me right back to my youth.
Do you listen to music when you write?
If I have music playing while I’m writing, it is most often classical.
What makes you laugh?
People, I can sit and watch them all day. We do the zaniest things when we think nobody is watching.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
The Mona Lisa. What is she thinking anyway?
How old were you when you started writing?
I started writing in junior high, was editor of my high school newspaper and then jumped right into journalism as a profession.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I generally know where they begin and how they will end. The middle comes from a mental outline that contains unique characters who become mini stories in themselves sometimes.
Describe your perfect evening.
Warm beach, soft breeze, fine wine and a finer woman.
Where do you get your inspiration?
They say there are a million stories in the naked city. As a newspaper editor I experienced many of them and they sneak into my writing. And I love history. “Run Like the Wind” centers on the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1870s. Chasing Gold centers on the lost treasure of Ferdinand Maximillian, the deposed European emperor of Mexico.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I sip bourbon at night and take long walks on the beach during the day.
Who is your favorite author?
I don’t read a lot of mainstream authors anymore. Although Nicholas Sparks is hard to pass up. I love the independents and up-and-comers. But here is a quick list: I would love to read every book Louis L’Amore ever wrote but I keep getting sidetracked by the likes of David Wood, Ernest Dempsey, Antoinette Stockenberg, Mary Jane Forbes, Emily Kimelman, Juliette Douglass, Michael Crichton and Clive Cussler. (I only stopped because I was out of breath.)
Best book you ever read.
The Stand by Stephen King
Best book of 2018:
Open Primary by A.C. Fuller, is the most intriguing tale I’ve read in a long time. It is about a presidential candidate who emerges from an internet contest to actually crack the two-party system. I couldn’t read it fast enough.
Last book you read.
Walking to Gatlinburg by Howard Frank Mosher.
Favorite movie.
Braveheart, the perfect mix of love and violence.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer? Photographer/Graphic Artist
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My parents were exceptional, strict but loving disciplinarians (I needed lots of discipline) who encouraged me to follow my dreams.
I think George Washington was fascinating and today’s world knows so little about his vibrant personality. Edgar Rice Burroughs was and interesting character, too. How does one dream up “Tarzan of the Apes?”
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Have fun. Write every day. Fear nothing. Create characters you love and hate. Let it all hang out on the first draft and then edit harshly. Invest in Microsoft Word 360 or Microsoft Office. They are an independent author’s best friend.
Things you are working on now:
I just finished “Chasing the Past,” the fourth entry in the Gus McIntyre series. It will lead to a fifth novel I’m sure. I’m also a couple chapters into Part III of the Wolf Pact sago and haven’t picked a title yet. I also have a murder mystery, “Altered Lives,” that is three-fourths completed but I keep getting pulled away from it by other projects.
The best way to become familiar with my novels and short stories is to go to my website – www.storiesbyguy.com
Do you have some other links for us to follow you?
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/storiesbyguy/
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/jguyone
Amazon -- www.amazon.com/Gerald-L.-Guy
Note from Jerry:
This cause is dear to my heart. All proceeds from “Act of Kindness” go to Alzheimer’s research. I raised more than $500 for the cause this year. Unfortunately, my father lost his battle with the disease in November. He is the central figure in “Sara: A Hero’s Story,” which documents the role of the venerable aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Saratoga CV3, in WWII.
Nice interview Jerry
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