As Good As Can Be by William A. Glass

 Please welcome William A. Glass author of As Good As Can

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

As Good As Can Be

byWilliam A. Glass

 

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GENRE:   Coming of Age/Historical Fiction

 

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INTERVIEW:

1.     Q.  What or who inspired you to start writing?

 

A.     My inspiration to write As Good As Can Became from an inner need to tell my story.  I think many people have a story to tell, either from their imagination or based on personal experience.  So, it’s largely a matter of prioritization.  For me getting this story down, once I figured out how to approach it, was at the top of my bucket list.

 

2.     Q.  What elements are necessary components for this genre?

 

A.     With historical fiction, accuracy is the essential component.  If you mention a song playing on a jukebox in a scene that takes place in 1963 and that song did not come out until 1964, the book immediately loses credibility with the reader.  

 

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

A.    I dreamed a story about a washed-up, alcoholic businessman.  It was so vivid and had such a great plot that I got up in the middle of the night to write it down.  Later it hit me that the main character in the story was me and that I could write a novel about how the man ended up on a barstool based on my own experiences.  

 

4.     Q.  What expertise did you bring to your writing?

 

A.     I’ve been a voracious reader my whole life.   That’s my primary training as a writer.  I knew that I could write clearly because, during my business career, I was often praised for my written and verbal communications.  Of course, creative writing is entirely different.  That’s why it took close to ten years to get this book done.  I had to learn to write creatively by rewriting As Good As Can Beover and over again.

 

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

 

A.     I turned my life around by finding ways to work around the mental issues that always plagued me.  My wife, who is a no-nonsense person, was a huge help.  I’m also proof that the Lord’s mercy is extended to the wicked as well as to the righteous.   

 

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

 

A.    Now that I’ve written one book, ideas for other novels keep popping up.  Before starting on one of them, I need to finish polishing the sequel to this book.  I hope to have it ready for publication next spring.  The title is Knights Plutonian Shore.

 

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

 

A.    Well, the novel’s main character is based on me, and I don’t think I’d want to go through my life again.  So, I’ll choose Mike Gilder, a character who only appears briefly, but who’s based on a kid I knew in high school who was a fun guy to be around, but always behaved like a gentleman.  

 

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

 

A.   Sure!  The following snippet captures what school mornings were like for the family described in As Good As Can Be:  

 

Colonel Knight goes onto the front porch to look for the school bus and sees it halfway down the hill at the far end of Boardman Lake. The vehicle is the same color as the fall leaves on the poplars that line the shore. Their reflections dance like flames in the choppy waters of the pond. 

 

Back inside the house, Knight goes to the foot of the stairs. “It’s almost at the Durhams’,” he shouts. “Hurry.” 

 

But upstairs all is pandemonium. Dan is furiously pounding on the bathroom door while inside Marie stares into the mirror applying eyeliner. She’s in the seventh grade now and has discovered that boys aren’t just for beating up. 

 

Meanwhile, Dave’s in the basement ironing a shirt. He gives it a couple finishing touches then slips it on while running up the stairs. “Have you seen my book bag?” Melissa asks. 

 

“Isn’t that it next to the door?” Dave replies.

 

The bus pulls up in front of the house, and Melissa grabs the book bag. Knight hands her a bacon-and-egg sandwich as she goes out. “Tell the driver to wait,” he asks. Then one-by-one the other Knight children rush out while the driver insistently honks his horn. Finally, Marie comes downstairs, gets her sandwich, and strolls down the front walk, arms full of accoutrements. As she climbs aboard, the enlisted men’s dependents in back sarcastically applaud. Marie ignores them, and once seated she uses a can of hairspray to laminate her teased tresses. She pays no heed to mounting protests from others on the bus who object to being gassed this early in the morning. 

 

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

 

A.    I belong to a book club and Goodreads.  Reviewing other author’s work is a big help.  I learn about things that I can do to improve my writing and mistakes to avoid.

 

10. Q.   Anything else you might want to add?

 

A.     Yes, I want to say thank-you for featuring As Good As Can Beon your website!  When I worked in marketing, our main objective with a new product was to create awareness.  You are helping me with that, and I truly appreciate it.  

 

BLURB:

 

Dave Knight is a wayward child growing up in a military family during the 1950s. His older sister wants to kill him but settles for regularly beating him up. Other siblings join in the mayhem while their alcoholic father contributes to the chaos with his unique approach to parenting. 
As the Knight family moves from one army base to the next, Dave develops a give-a-damn attitude that often leads to trouble. In high school, he joins other delinquents in a series of escapades, some dangerous, others funny, and a few that would be worthy of jail time should they ever be caught. 

After barely graduating, Dave is drafted into the army and sent to guard a nuclear weapons depot in Korea. There, he gets into trouble with his sergeant and tries to avoid dishonorable discharge.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Two rocking chairs are arranged in front of the fireplace. On the mantle is a signed photograph of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Mr. Lawson takes the picture down and shows it to Dave. “My pappy rode with Forrest,” the old man says. “He killed a lot of Yankees, you know, in the war.” Mr. Lawson looks at Dave expectantly but is disappointed by the uncomprehending expression on the child’s face. Carefully he places his prized possession back over the fireplace.

 

Dave and Melissa return to Gram’s house in time for lunch. After eating, the Knight children have another quiet time. Then Ethel comes up with an idea. “Let’s take a ride out to the river,” she suggests.

 

“What for?” Knight asks.

 

“I want to see if the rain the other day caused it to rise.”

 

“Who cares?”

 

“Come on, it’s something to do,” Bobbie says impatiently.

 

The family piles into the Plymouth and rides a short distance to where the Trinity River flows. Knight parks on the shoulder of the highway, and they all go onto the bridge to peer at the muddy water. It’s an evil-looking stream, full of snags and home to alligators, cottonmouths, gars, and snapping turtles. No one in their right mind would go swimming in the Trinity, so all the natives can do is look, check the water level, or maybe drop a line in to see what manner of creature takes the bait. “Can we go now?” Marie asks.

 

“Hush. Gram wants to look,” Bobbie says. 

 

“At what?” Dan asks.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Bill is a retired business executive now living in South Carolina with his wife, Bettina.  She teaches high school German while Bill coaches soccer at a small college.  Their three sons, Alex, Robert, and Gordon, have all graduated from college and moved away to pursue careers.  

For recreation, Bettina and Bill enjoy hiking and camping out.  Usually, they take their dog, Scout, along.  When the weather permits, Bill commutes to work on his motorcycle. 

https://williamaglass.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20170818.William_A_Glass

 

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/As-Good-Can-Be-ebook/dp/B086MB11FZ/

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3520