Rogue's Angels Present: Bob by Tegon Maus

Please welcome Teagon Maus author of Bob.

Tegon Maus will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

BOB

by Tegon Maus

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing? 

My wife and I joined a dream group. Everyone wrote down their dreams and brought them to group every Sunday morning at 10:00.    We ate, drank and laughed and read our dreams. My wife encouraged me to write mine down because of the intricacy of my stories. As it turns out I am a very convincing lair, I’m very good at it. Given the chance to tell a story and slowly get my audience to follow and then believe me… better than you can imagine !  How else could I compete with flying or standing naked at the checkout at our favorite store !!

 
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?   

A little lie… or a rumor that everyone has heard and the general belief system that appeals to everyone… and then stand it on its head… great fun !

3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?  

For BOB it was a story on tv about the lights over Arizona. When the governor made a joke out of it I was pissed.  Over the next week I wrote the core story for BOB.

4. What expertise did you bring to your writing? 

I’m a little over 65 and did I mention one hell of a lair ?  That’s all the expertise I need !

5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio? 

That’s a tough one… at first blush I can’t think of a thing.  I think they would have to read me… there isn’t anything I could say that would sway them one way or the other in regards to my writing.     

6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?  

I have several projects in the works. Chief among them is THE CORDOVIAN EFFECT its book 3 in my Eve Series.  It’s about the death of Ben Harris and his resurrection as an android… one of the 85 that escaped Warwick  and all the ramifications that entails. Just to make it interesting someone is killing them off one at a time… and it’s not the government.

7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why? 

 As it turns out I am all of my characters… at least some small part of me is a part of each. In this insistence I would have to say Bob. For me, he’s the most interesting, a little shady, a little mystery with him and has no fear. If anyone Bob would be the guy.

8. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book? Sure here’s an excerpt…

9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing? 

No… no groups, no outside writing partners.  As a rule I don’t read other authors while I’m writing.  I don’t want a good idea to turn out to be someone else’s.  

10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?  

 When I was younger I wrote my first book. I was so full of myself… I was young, a smart guy, fast thinker, had all the answers. I sent it off to dozens and dozens of people… agents, publishers, critics, reviewers… anyone that had anything to do with the printed word. What I got back crushed me… it was like getting hate mail from people you admire, like getting it from family, your parents.  They said my writing was derivative, trite… not fit for toilet paper.  It took me 20 years to try again and to realize they were right.  My wife is far more resilient. At the time I worked a couple of jobs. She would come with me at night and read to me, book after book. Each was like watching tv in my head as she read them to me and I loved it.

As time went by her eye sight started to go so I started to make stories up to entertain her. She convinced me to try again… to get publish.  

11. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)   

As dull as it is my best advice would be SHOW DON’T TELL. This is the corner stone of all my stories.  The worst advice was HOW TO WRITE A BOOK IN 28 DAYS.  I tried it… not for me.

12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?  

As a rule I know the beginning and the end of a story before I start. I like the ebb and flow of a story as I go along so I am very much a by the seat of my pants kind of a guy.

13. How do you maintain your creativity?  

I’m  generally writing 2 or 3 books at the same time. When I run out of ideas for one I turn to one of the others.

14. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why? 

Bob !!  Who wouldn’t want to be Bob ??

15. Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?  

I’m not clear on what this means. If it means… is creating a story line or thread easy or difficult then its right in between. Some parts are easy and some not so much so… it wouldn’t be worth-while if it were any other way.

16. Anything else you might want to add?  

BOB is a very funny book… not in the way you may be thinking but it will make you laugh because it’s not happening to you.

BLURB:

The first time I heard it, I thought nothing of it at all... nothing. I've been in the newspaper game for more than twenty-seven years and that kind of experience gave a guy an edge but even that didn't prepare me.
I'd been beaten, shot at, even stabbed a couple of times over the years but I always got the story... always. But this one... this one was big... too big perhaps... Maybe we were ready, maybe not. Either way, it wasn't my call.
None of which filled me with the fear, the trepidation... the anguish of five little words that still haunted me today...
"Is okay. I have cousin."

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EXCERPT:

I blinked in disbelief, too stunned to speak.

Standing in front of me, dressed in black jeans, a dark blue tee shirt with a picture of Bob Marley and a backward baseball cap was a small, no more than 5' 2", twenty something, black man.

"Hi.  I'm Pete," I said, offering my hand.

"Ahh, is sad story.  Bob's cousin not speak English," Bob said pushing my hand away.

"Awhhh," the little man breathed hoarsely, turning away, his arms swung loosely in response.

"Bob, he just said dude to me when he came in," I said, pointing an insistent finger at the little man.

"He tries, broken English not so good.  Is Fred," he answered, spinning his hand playfully in the air, pointing, draping a large, affectionate arm over the man's shoulder.

"Fred... your Russian cousin?"

"Da," he answered simply without blinking.

"Bob... he just spoke to me and it wasn't Russian," I protested.

"Ahh, Bob's friend generous, not make Bob's cousin self-conscious.  You good man, but Fred speaks no English," he argued, folding his arms.

"Ahhh, damn it, Bob.  You promised me... you said I could talk this time.  Shit man," Fred cursed in a raspy whisper, stomping his foot, turning away.

"Nyet, nyet," Bob scolded, grabbing Fred.  He began to speak Russian, shaking his finger in the other man's face.

Fred's shoulders slumped.  His head swung loosely from side to side, avoiding Bob's gaze.

"Da," he said dully, turning in my direction once more.

"His English not so good," Bob added, wiggling his hands dismissively.

"Sounded damn good to me," I said honestly.

"Bob understands.  Bob's friend speak Spanish?" he asked with a little annoyance in his voice, threading his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Nope.  Can't say as I do," I answered, folding my arms.

"How you say... no speak Spanish?" he asked, folding his arms as well.

"No habla Hispano."

"AAAHHH, to Bob, Bob's friend sound like native.  Bob thought he smelled burritos, heard waves on beach.  Very impressed.  Bob's friend has gift for language.  Sure not speak Spanish?"

"Fred," I said flatly, stepping directly in front of the little man.  "Do you speak English?"

"Da. Fred speak no English," he responded dully, tilting his head from side to side, his arms hung slack, swinging loosely as he spoke.

"Very sad, like Bob say.  Fred's parents live too close to nuclear plant.  Sure, sure, rent very cheap but Fred... no brain for English," Bob said, closing his eyes, shaking his head in a pretentious, melancholy way.

"Bob," I started.

"Very late.  No time for Fred's story.  Bob's friend want to see house tonight or no?" he asked, pushing himself to stand between me and Fred.

"Alright, have it your way.  Let's go," I demanded now irritated, angrily grabbing my coat off the back of the chair.

"Nyet, nyet.  Bob's friend almost forget," he said, turning his back quickly, wriggling his fingers.

"Dear God.  Money?  Now?"  I said, throwing my coat across the back of the chair again.

"Business before pleasure... makes good fences."

"The saying is, 'good fences make good neighbors' not..."

"Bob's friend knows what Bob say.  Not want money to be sticky bug between us."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it.  How much this time?" I asked aggravated, removing my wallet.

"Bob not know about such things.  Must speak with cousin," he said, wrapping a huge arm around the tiny man, pulling him to the other side of the room.

"Bob, you gave me your word," Fred whispered forcefully, sending a pointed finger into Bob's chest.

"Fred say, must think about it.  Fred likes Bob's friend Peter, wants give good price," he said, smiling in my direction and then began to speak rapidly in Russian.

"Damn it, Bob.  You promised me," Fred whispered disappointedly.

"Fred say, four hundred dollars," Bob said, holding up four fingers of his right hand, all the while maintaining his grip on Fred's shoulder. 

"Three hundred," I countered, folding my arms, returning my wallet to my hip pocket.

"Oooh, Bob's friend breaks Bob's feelings.  Bob's friend would steal bread from Fred very mouth?"

"It's not in Fred's mouth just yet... three hundred," I insisted.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was raised pretty much the same as everyone else... devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends I could conjure. Not that I wasn't friendly, I just wasn't "people orientated". Maybe I lived in my head way more than I should have, maybe not. I liked machines more than people, at least I did until I met my wife.
         The first thing I can remember writing was for her. For the life of me I can't remember what it was about... something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years after inventing games and prototypes for a variety of ideas before I got back to writing.
         It wasn't a deliberate conscious thought, it was more of a stepping stone. My wife and I had joined a dream interpret group and we were encouraged to write down our dreams as they occurred. "Be as detailed as you can," we were told.
         I was thrilled. If there is one thing I enjoy it's making people believe me and I like to exaggerate. Not a big exaggeration or an outright lie mine you, just a little step out of sync, just enough so you couldn't be sure if it were true or not.  When I write, I always write with the effort of "it could happen" very much in mind and nothing, I guarantee you, nothing, makes me happier.

Amazon

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Tegon Maus will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn host.

Please use this rafflecopter code

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1084/