Rogue's Angels Present: Serpents and Doves by G. Lloyd Helm

Please welcome G. Lloyd Helm author of Serpents and Doves.


G. Lloyd Helm will be awarding 10 paperback copies of the book to10 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. (international giveaway)

Serpents and Doves

by G. Lloyd Helm

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GENRE:  Literary Fiction

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I can only think that God, or perhaps some demon first inspired me to write. In the book I talk about a particular professor who inspired me but that is mostly fiction and it was a different professor than the one in the book.

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

That wasn't hard at all. I just took my own life and bent it a little, hammered it some, stuck it in the fire some then hammered it some more. Came out different that my real life, but if you know what you are looking for you can see me in there.

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

None in particular. I have been a voracious reader since I was a kid so whatever expertise I picked up through association is pretty much all there is. I do have a pretty good musical ear and that helps listening and transcribing dialogue.

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

Not much really. My CV is pretty straight ahead. Not mentioned much is that I have been a singer/performer for much of my life. I started choral singing when I was a child and have been in many choirs and groups since. I actually was in a choral concert at Lincoln Center in New York a few years ago, and I played several small clubs in Europe when I lived there. I mostly don't put that in my bio. It is also a part of Stephen Mitchell, the protagonist of Serpents and Doves.

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

Future plans are to keep at it. Not like I got a choice really. I have told many people that so far as I am concerned the urge/need to write is a sickness. I picked it up when I was a kid and I can't seem to get well. In the immediate future I hope to get a movie script of my novel Other Doors finished and produced, but I also have a couple more books in various states of completion.

6. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

Stephen Mitchell is a naive church boy from California who goes off to college at a small church college in Tennessee during the time of the Civil Rights movement. He has never known many black people in his life and is surprised and a little nervous when he finds out his roommate is black. Through this association Stephen finds himself at the edges of the Civil Rights movement. Also, Stephen becomes involved with a Baptist Student group and falls in love with one of the girls there, only to have his heart broken, and only to discover that the Baptists are not all he has been led to believe.

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

Not currently. I ran a critique group called the Unknown Writers of the Antelope Valley for a long time and I may start it up again but I don't know. There is a lot of pressure on someone who leads such a group and I got to the place I didn't want to take the pressure any more. But, as far as help a good critique group, honest critiques, can be very helpful. But you have to go in with a tough heart and mind because if the group is any good and trust worthy they will be willing to say, No this is not good. It needs this and that and the other, and you need to get tough enough to know they are talking about your work not you personally. Too many people take criticism of their work as criticism of themselves.

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

The best advice I ever got is a variation of a line from the Clint Eastwood movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Tucco the bandit shoots a rival who has been jabbering on about how he is gonna kill Tucco, and as Tucco looks down at the corpse of his enemy he says, 'If you gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk.' Same with writing. If you're gonna write sit down and write, don't talk about it.

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

No I don't outline. I tried it once and it just didn't work. I have in mind where I want to start and where I want to go so I sit down and go there.  I have heard other authors --more experienced and successful than me--say they outline, but when they get finished the book doesn't look anything like the outline. Seems like a waste of time and brain power to me, but I guess it is like a military operation. Ya make a plan from which to depart when the shooting starts.

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

They are all my favorites. This is gonna sound strange, but most authors feel this way whether they admit it or not--In my books I am God, and as God I love all my creations, but sometimes when they depart from righteousness I end up having to kill them off and I hate that. I hope you don't think less of me if I tell you that when I have killed off characters, even characters who were not "Good Guys" I have cried.

Thanks the Angels

Thank you Angels.

BLURB:

Stephen Mitchell did not know what he was getting into at a small church college in Tennessee. Sex, protest, friendship, and Civil rights. The title “Serpents and Doves” comes from the warning Jesus gave to his disciples as he sent them out to preach the gospel, knowing the dangers they were going into. He said “I send you out as sheep among wolves, therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Stephen Mitchell learns first-hand what that warning means when he goes to a Tennessee church college in the midst of the turbulent 60’s. He learns about friendship, war, protest, the sexual revolution, and civil rights.

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EXCERPT:

Ethan’s suicide rocked the school, but not nearly as much as Stephen expected. The New Jersey and New York folks mostly didn’t know anything about Ethan or the BSU so they noted the suicide as a bit of news, but it didn’t effect them much.  There was some anti-homosexual noise and the inevitable nasty jokes, but Ethan Patrick’s passing caused no more than a ripple for the most part.

There was some noise and protest from the Mason First Baptist Church when Billie Jo asked them to hold the funeral service, but finally they said they would bury him, but not in the church cemetery. They ignored the fact of his suicide and the reasons for it and held a small service. Stephen debated with himself whether he should go.   He had about decided not to when Cathy Powell cornered him and asked if he would go with her.  “I really don’t have the strength Steve,” she said. “I’m just a wreck. Can’t you please come with me?” 

Stephen seriously thought about saying, Why don’t you go ask David Hall? But didn’t say it.  “All right. I’ll meet you at the church.”

She smiled sadly, but Stephen thought he saw just the smallest glimmer of triumph in it.

The coffin was set across the aisle in front of the altar. Closed. It was silvery gray and looked more like a large tin can than a coffin. The congregation was small, mostly people from the BSU but a few from Beacon’s faculty including Dr. Conners and Dr. Marchant. Having the Pope there was no surprise. Probably here to make sure the sumbitch is really dead, Stephen thought, and then felt bad about thinking it.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

G. Lloyd Helm has been writing for 40 years, having published poetry in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers including “The New York Poetry Anthology,” “Stars and Stripes News,” “The Los Angeles Times,” “The Antelope Valley Press,” and “The Antelope Valley Anthologies,” among others. 

… Has published short stories and memoirs both in the US and in England in such journals as “Pligrimage” which published the memoir “Football” in spring 2005, and a second memoir “4 April, 1968” in the winter of 2008.  He has published short stories in “Citadel” the literary magazine of Los Angeles City College,” “Delivered Magazine,” which is based in London, “Short Story Library,” The University of S. Illinois’ “Eureka Literary Magazine,” “Tales as like as not,” and London’s “Black Gate Magazine.”  Recently published “Even Up” a Civil War Ghost story at www.ruthlesspeoples.com, an English on line magazine, and the short story “A Lovely Elephant” in “Delivered Magazine” an English fiction journal. “The Other Fellows Shoes,” Pulp Empire III, Metahuman Press, Cedar Rapids, IA Nov. 2010. Is being published in an on line experiment from Alfie Dog Publishing in England. May 2012.

…Has published three novels in the F&SF field, 1) OTHER DOORS, From MousePrints Publishing, and 2) DESIGN from American Star. 3) WORLD WITHOUT END from Rogue Phoenix Press, www.roguephoenixpress.com  OTHER DOORS, originally published in 1997, was published electronically by Rogue Phoenix Press in July 2010. Also Published a literary Romance novel called SOMETIMES IN DREAMS, from Siren’s call. Most recently a volume of short stories called TRAIN WHEELS, FLYING SAUCERS, AND THE GHOST OF TIBURCIO VASQUEZ. Many of these stories appear on the Alfie Dog site.

…Is in process of publishing an adult literary novel called SERPENTS AND DOVES with Rogue Phoenix Press, which will be out in May 2016.

LINKS:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2809594.G_Lloyd_Helm

http://www.amazon.com/G.-Lloyd-Helm/e/B007QEJNDI

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

G. Lloyd Helm will be awarding 10 paperback copies of the book to10 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. (international giveaway)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1644