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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Interview and Giveaway Egypt Rising by Stan Schatt

Description:

Egypt Rising Some ancient secrets should remain buried. An American teenager in Cairo finds herself in the middle of the Egyptian revolution fleeing militant Islamic extremists. She leads her worst enemy and the boy she thinks about much too often on the adventure of a lifetime. When she discovers an ancient artifact that was buried for thousands of years, she learns that very powerful people will stop at nothing, including murder, to learn the secrets of a long-dead civilization.


MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mr. Schatt

I read your article “Are You Being Manipulated as a Reader or Viewer?” What about writers? Are they manipulated by editors or commercial issues? How hard is to write (and keep in) what you think, feel, believe is good? What you must sacrifice when you want to publish your book?
Certainly I think writers are very much manipulated by editors as well as commercial issues. When one vampire book is successful, you immediately see all kinds of imitators rush to market with their own vampire stories of teen-aged angst. There probably are tens of thousands of writers trying to create complex worlds that mimic the Harry Potter series. I think it's important for a writer to have a vision and not just follow a template created by a best selling book. It is also true, however, that agents serve as the modern gatekeepers for major publishers. They are reluctant to take on writers whose work is too different. One told me recently that while he liked my paranormal detective novel manuscript, I'd have to remove the spirit in order to have the book fit into the more conventional genre he wanted to represent. I've decided to try smaller publishers and even publish the book myself rather than sacrifice the book's integrity.

I read also “Why Some Books are Worth Reading Twice”. Is very interesting and to the object. Do you consider that you respected all your observation in Egypt Rising?
Writers are much too close to their work to reply objectively to that question, but I'll try anyway. I did try to make my characters three dimensional and to give the book enough texture to make it worth reading multiple times. I wanted the book to be more than just plot. I think setting is very important in Egypt Rising, and I worked on that quite a lot, including making use of numerous guidebooks and maps.

I agree that there are good and bad books. But I also believe that “literary” category was artificially created and is no serious reason to exist. What is your opinion?
Today the distinction between "literary" novels and genre novels seems to be based on some hard to define criteria. I've read some recent novels that are classified as literary. Some had such complex texture and convoluted sentences that I felt they were clearly overwritten. There is an entire industry out there of writing professors and universities who encourage "literary novels" and then help place them with publishing companies.

I liked your idea to make a Discussion Guide about Egypt Rising! Why and for what purpose did you created it? Do you think that a lot of readers are superficial and they need some guiding lines?
I wrote a discussion guide for Egypt Rising and placed it on my website (www.stanschatt.com) because there are so many book clubs now where the members have to lead discussions. Many members are not teachers or public speakers and feel uncomfortable leading discussions. I tried to provide some structured discussion questions to make discussion leaders feel more comfortable in that role.

I’ll certainly read your book, but for those who just find about it, please, recommend Egypt Rising in two sentences.
Egypt Rising is about a teen who must rely on herself to survive in a hostile world where Western females are targets. It is a novel that mixes real Egyptian history and culture with ancient myths.

About the author:
Schatt Stan Schatt has written thirty books on a wide variety of topics including a chapter book for children, a YA novel, biographies of Michael Connelly and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and books on technology and career changing. His love for teaching is reflected in outstanding teaching awards he received from the University of Southern California and DeVry Institute of Technology. Rather than having one career, Schatt has had several. He has worked as an autopsy assistant, an English professor, a software trainer, a law enforcement administrator, a market research executive, and a sales manager.

Author's Giveaway

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/4/13   Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

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