Please welcome Travis Haugen author of Soup the Future Is Past and Present
Travis Haugen will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
SOUP The Future Is Past and Present
by Travis Haugen
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GENRE: Adventure/Mystery
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INTERVIEW:
What or who inspired you to start writing?
The book started from a song. The song started from loneliness. It was never my intention to write a book, let alone a series of books, but that’s how it happened. It seemed to come out of thin air, really. I wrote the song, went to sleep, bolted upright in the night, and started typing like a Mad Hatter. it was just there, and right from the start, music played a big part of the story.
What elements are necessary components for this genre?
In any genre, the important thing is to develop strong characters that the readers can identify with. This particular genre is unique to itself in that it interacts with music, from a website. The music is not meant to be played in the background, the lyrics and the melodies are part of the story itself. The overall effect is to create a sense of mystery and suspense, and family drama, and to tie the characters to each other, and the reader.
What expertise did you bring to your writing?
I spent 40 years of my life touring through Canada and the US as a professional musician. I spent hundreds of hours in recording studios and have written hundreds of songs. Although a different format than writing a book, writing songs brings a similar artistic value to the process.
What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
In 1980, I was declared legally blind after a series of eye operations to attempt to correct my vision. I see fine, folks, but I have not driven since 1980. I get around on a bicycle 360 days a year, rain, snow or shine. This has presented me with a completely different view of life and kept me in pretty good shape for an old dude! Lol.
As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
My niece Candy, and myself, are working on getting the second book of the series, Hedley,published. We are also working on the prose and the music for book four.
If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
That’s an easy one, Scott Yonge. Scott’s life is drawn from my own personal experiences on the road. Scott Yonge is not so much who I am, but who I would like to be, except the part where he dies of course!
Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
No. I did attend a writers group, but when I explained how I work and what I was doing, they shot me down and said I would never be a writer. Let’s hope they are not right!
An older woman approached me afterwards. She was a poet. She told me to ignore them and work from the gut. You have to feel your story the way you feel it. That is the only way you are going to reach people.
When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
That is another easy one. I never really took it seriously until Candy made me realize my writing means nothing if it is sitting on a shelf in my living room. I would have been content to write another book, and more music, but Candy convinced me to focus on completing SOUP and getting it into readers’ hands.
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I just start writing. Mostly it seems like I am channeling it, rather than writing it. It comes in spurts and continues at a mad pace. Sometimes it seems as if I am reading it rather than writing it.
How do you maintain your creativity?
I don’t maintain my creativity, it maintains me. Most of my writing, be it prose or music, occurs while I am away from my musical instruments or my computer. The creativity happens in the background while I am doing something else, a lot of the times, it happens while I am riding my bike. Many of the creative impulses come out of conversations with Candy, and churn around in my head. When I get home, it is simply a matter of getting it down, through guitar or piano, or through typing into my computer.
BLURB:
Scott Yonge exploded onto the national consciousness at the 2001 Garrett Awards and quickly rose to legendary status on the wings of his music and his whirlwind romance with independent film actress Michelle Zoe. What should have been a perfect life was interrupted by an ultra-right wing militant group called the American Freedom Force and its leader, Colonel Randall, who forces Scott to choose between his life and that of his son. After his heroic sacrifice, his family is left to pick up the pieces and forge ahead to a future in the vacuum he left behind.
Now, in 2021, his son Hedley inherits music for himself, becoming a star in his own right as technology gives new life to the medium. Scott's daughter, affectionately known as Soup, throws herself into unravelling the mysteries of her family's history. Michelle commits herself to keeping them all together and trying to make sense of life without the one she loves. Through it all, the AFF looms in the shadows, threatening to resurrect the pain they have just begun to overcome.
Now, in 2021, his son Hedley inherits music for himself, becoming a star in his own right as technology gives new life to the medium. Scott's daughter, affectionately known as Soup, throws herself into unravelling the mysteries of her family's history. Michelle commits herself to keeping them all together and trying to make sense of life without the one she loves. Through it all, the AFF looms in the shadows, threatening to resurrect the pain they have just begun to overcome.
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EXCERPT:
August 25, 1967
The weekly outing had become something of a ritual for them. Friday nights, after supper, they would head out to the country with their hearts pumping and the radio blaring, riding on a wave of blinding optimism. They’d drive for hours, most times talking and laughing about nothing at all. Other times they’d settle into a comfortable silence, speaking without speaking.
They’d been silent for some time when the boy was drawn in by a pretty song on the radio. She was lost in it too, absorbed as though in a trance. The boy looked to his mother. She looked back with warm sadness in her eyes. He felt her love wrap around him as she smiled. She was about to say something when the crunch came. The boy could almost hear the sound of her silent scream as her head snapped to the side at an impossible angle. That’s all there was. He never got to hear what she wanted to say.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Travis was born and raised in the prairies of Saskatchewan, lived in Calgary for over 25 years and presently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Travis Haugen has spent forty years of his life touring on the road as a musician and has spent hundreds of hours in recording studios. Travis spends much of his time writing songs, writing stories, playing music and spending valuable time with his family and close group of friends.
Links:
Where Soup Is Sold:
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Travis Haugen will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteGood morning, everyone. Thanks for having us on your site. Hope the weather is good. We have a glorious day out here in Winnipeg!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Angels! Both Travis and I are very happy to guests on your blog.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Angel's blog. I hope you have a great tour. Allana Angel
ReplyDeleteMy family and I all appreciate you bringing to our attention the book description of another great book to read. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteThank you James for checking in!
DeleteHi Danielle, this is the first book out of a series to be published. There are many interesting aspects of the book we hope will entice readers to take a look at the project.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the release!
ReplyDelete--Trix
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks, Trix. Good to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteHow did you come up for the characters names in your book?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to explain. When I get in a zone, the writing flows very fast. When a new character comes along, he or she seems to come with the name attached. The name is just there. I don't really think about it, it's just there, almost as though I was reading the book instead of writing it. The writing seems to channel through me insted of coming from me. It's almost as though I'm a third party watching instead of the first party doing. I'm on automatic when I write. Thank God for peanut butter sandwiches, cause I don't like to stop once I start.
DeleteThanks for sharing the great post and awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria, for participating.
DeleteHi Folks,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for having us on the tour, and thanks to everyone for dropping in to visit.
Have a great summer, everyone! Hope to see you all again.