Wednesday, April 17, 2024

INTERVIEW: Suspense Author Bruce A. Fleming

 


 Bruce A. Fleming

Medway, MAINE

 USA






 

Good morning, Bruce, and welcome to Vision and Verse. What have 


you written? 


A novel series set in the vein of old-school television dramas, Dallas


 and Dynasty, titled MillikenMillsThree novels in: Pressing Matt,


 Last Will & Punishment, and Battle Lines DrawnI have also written 


some poetry and suspense novellas




What is your favorite genre to write? 


Soapy drama or suspense.




Favorite food. 


Sweet n Sour Chicken.                      




Tea or coffee? 

Coffee though I rarely drink it. 




Pizza or ice cream? 


Can’t have both? I do eat pizza more 


these days. 




Wine or beer or soda or what? 


Don’t drink alcohol but used to be a Diet 


Coke addict until I had open-heart 


surgery (unrelated). 2 ½ years “sober” 


now. 




Congratulations. That is no small accomplishment, Where would you 


like to visit? 


Italy, Greece, Ireland (but have never flown and probably won’t.) 




Go. Seriously. Go soon. Go now. Don’t put it off. 


Favorite musical artist. 


Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert. 




Do you listen to music when you write? 


Yes. 


What? 


80’s music.It’s the best decade!




What makes you laugh? 


Pets doing stupid things. 






This is an Art and Author website, 


so I am obligated to ask: Favorite work 


of art or sculpture. 


I don’t really have one that is a favorite, 


but I am a fan of murals that can 


brighten a location.




 





How old were you when you started 


writing? 


I remember writing a “play” about 


finding a mysterious object at my 


neighbor’s house when I was in third 


grade.



 

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? 


I often breakdown plot points ahead of time. For Milliken Mills 


sometimes plot out “scenes” by chapter before jumping in to write 


them out.


 

Describe your perfect evening. 


A quiet evening snuggled with a good book and cats. (okay…that 


sounded a bit sad.) 




It depends on the cat, Bruce. Where do you get your inspiration? 


For Milliken Mills, it has been from decades of watching soap TV 


operas. Other stories can be from movies or crime shows on television.





What do you do when you get a writer's block? 


I’ll let myself take a break. I’ll spend evenings reading and eventually 


I will start thinking about how I would have written a particular part or 


chapter differently than it was. Then my mind will get back to what I 


was working on. Hopefully, with different ideas. 




Who is your favorite author? 


So many. I suppose I should say Stephen 


King since I’m a Mainer and lived in 


Bangor for many years while he did. My 


tastes vary from Agatha Christie to Dean 


Koontz to Jackie Collins to Jack 


Kerouac. Depends on the mood. 




Best book you ever read. 


“And Then There Were None” by 


Agatha Christie. 




Last book you read. 


“Boardwalk Empire” by Nelson Johnson. It’s about the growth and 


corruption of Atlantic City, New Jersey. I’m headed there for a few 


days in a couple of weeks. 




What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer? 


I still have a “real job” now and that is in the hospitality industry. 





Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most 


and why? 


I try to influence myself the most by blocking out opinions of others. 


Other people lifting you up or knocking you down can be for their own 


reasons and have nothing to do with you. I try to focus on my own 


goals, small or big. 





If you could sit down and have a 


conversation with ONE person, 


living or dead, real or fictional, who 


would it be and why? 


Agatha Christie so I could find out 


how this sweet seeming lady was all 


about murder and mayhem. She 


would probably be fun! 






What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 


Keep working at it. There are so many ways to get your writing out 


there now blogs, literary magazines, self-publishing. Always take steps 


to improve your writing. It can be grammar tips online, reading articles 


in writer magazines, or reading what established writers have to say 


about writing.














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