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GIVEAWAY!! Blog Tour – Spotlight: A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator by Robert G. Pielke with a guest post
A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator
written by Robert G. Pielke
published by Whiskey Creek Press LLC
find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Goodreads
About the book: Noam Chomsky argues that communication with aliens would be impossible. Stephen Hawking argues that it would be extremely unwise even to try. What if it were absolutely necessary to do so? This question arises with extreme urgency at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, in this time-travel, alternate-history trilogy, A New Birth of Freedom.
Every Free Chance Book Reviews is pleased to welcome Robert G. Pielke, author of the A New Birth of Freedom series, to the blog today. He is touring the blogosphere with Tribute Books and has prepared the following guest post and answered some questions for all of you.
I asked Mr. Pielke the following questions:
What is your process for writing a series of books?
Is it difficult to write them as a series as well as stand alone books?
Here is his response:
An interesting question! I’ve recently been discussing this with some of my readers, and opinions are sharply divided. Some of them feel strongly that each book of a trilogy should be able to stand alone. My reply has been to suggest that this may be true of a series – and I’m one of those who buys this idea for a series, but not for a trilogy. By definition, almost, a series is unending and theoretically, at least, a reader should be able to “enter” the series at any point. Each element of the series, therefore, has to contain within it, a beginning, middle, and end. A series, might eventually come to an end, but not necessarily, and even if an author does bring it to a close, “a close” is not the same as “a conclusion.”
The way I see it, a trilogy is kind of like a self-contained play with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Each part is linked to the other parts, structurally. A trilogy is one, long, story, whereas a series is, well, a series of stories. Whenever an author decides to transform a trilogy into a series, the effort almost inevitably fails. Remember Frank Herbert’s Dune? That was a genuine series – six book, I believe. Each one of them works alone as a story. But then there was Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, which started off as a trilogy with a book each year – 1951, 52, and 53. But his publishers urged him to write more, and he tried to “reformat” it as a series of seven. Alas for him, the later four books just seemed out of place, and engendered far less interest.
Now there’s nothing wrong with a series, but for me, that would just tie me down and prevent me from working on other projects with relation to my trilogy, A New Birth of Wisdom. I would find a series totally unworkable for me. [My original publisher suggested a series, but after seeing what I was doing in book one and two, she thought otherwise.]
Q & A
Where did you get your inspiration for A New Birth of Freedom? I take this question to pertain to the trilogy as a whole – which, after all, is a complete story in itself. There were many things that led to it, but it all came together when I realized that the underlying issue of the story was fundamental rights. What criteria should we use when deciding who has such rights. It was over this the fundamental issue that led to the Civil War and the issue that will arise in our eventual contact with extraterrestrial intelligent life. Stephen Hawking recently raised the issue again, when he counseled against having any contact with other ET species. Although my trilogy is an alternate-history and a time-travel tale, the story is driven by this concern.
Did you have to do a lot of research for A New Birth of Freedom? Absolutely! Writing successful “alternate” history stories is not possible unless they are based on meticulously presented “actual” history. Why would anyone read them if the history as we know it is mangled?
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. If you want to be entertained, surprised and forced to think, you’ll want to read this trilogy!
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? After I finish the trilogy, I’ve got two novels in the works: One is a science fantasy about discovering that there is a non-human and intelligent life form right here on earth that’s been trying to communicate with is for millennia. The other one is a traditional, contemporary novel about the relationship between Vietnam vets and former war protesters.
I see in your biography that you are a retired professor. What did you enjoy the most about teaching? What do you not miss about teaching? I never taught…there is no such thing as “teaching” – and never has been. It’s a meaningless concept. There is only “learning” and people helping them to learn. I enjoyed fully creating my classes around this idea, and then arguing and debating the issue all throughout my career. And I don’t miss at all the rigidity and stifling atmosphere of most educational institutions. [It’s actually pretty close to some of the ideas of Plato as well as Maria Montessori.]
What do you enjoy most about writing? That’s hard to say. But I do know that I’ve always considered writing as simple a part of who I am.
What is your favorite genre to read? I don’t have one. But I’ve always liked stories that involve a well-defined historical setting – ancient or modern or any time in between.
Who is your favorite author? I don’t have one of these either. I like many writers and for many different reasons. For example, I like the story telling of Ambrose Bierce, the atmosphere of John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac, the grittiness of Charles Bukowski, the flavor of Bram Stoker, the portrayal of aliens in Arthur C. Clarke, the use of language by Winston Churchill and Susan Sontag, the ideas of Richard Wright and Harper Lee, and so on…..
In your opinion, what is one book that everyone should read? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
I see that you are also a big fan of rock and roll. Who is your favorite band? “Favorite” to me means a momentary thing – it could be a long moment, of course, but it’s the product of mostly emotion. The most important and significant rock performers – for me are Elvis and The Beatles. That’s the essence of my book Rock Music in American Culture: The Sounds of Revolution.
Tell us three things about yourself that cannot be found on the internet…at least not found easily. You mean other than “sex, drugs and rock and roll”? Hahahahahaha Well, here are three, I suppose: 1) I don’t read anything when I’m in the midst of writing. 2) Ledo’s Pizza in College Park, Maryland, is the world’s best – bar none. And 3) I plan to live forever…so far, so good.
About the author: Robert Pielke, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, now lives in Claremont, California. He earned a B.A. in History at the University of Maryland, an M. Div. in Systematic Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and a Ph.D. in Social Ethics from the Claremont Graduate School.
He taught on ground and online for countless years at George Mason University in Virginia, El Camino College in California, and online for the University of Phoenix. Now happily retired from “the job,” he is doing what he always wanted to do since he wrote his first novel at ten in elementary school. It was one paragraph, three pages long and, although he didn’t know it at the time, it was alternate history.
His academic writings have been in the area of ethics, including a boring academic treatise called Critiquing Moral Arguments, logic, and popular culture. Included in the latter is an analysis of rock music entitled You Say You Want a Revolution: Rock Music in American Culture. He has also published short stories, feature articles, film and restaurant reviews. His novels include a savagely satirical novel on America and its foibles, proclivities and propensities, Hitler the Cat Goes West, and an alternate history, science fiction novel, The Mission.
Most recently, he has updated and revised his book on rock music, which is being republished by McFarland & Co.
He swims daily, skis occasionally, cooks as an avocation, watches innumerable movies, collects rock and roll concert films, is an avid devotee of Maryland crabs and maintains a rarely visited blog filled with his social and political ravings. His favorite film is the original Hairspray; his favorite song is “A Day in the Life”; his favorite pizza is from the original Ledo Restaurant in College Park, MD; and he is a firm believer in the efficacy of “sex, drugs and rock and roll.” Somehow his family and friends put up with him.
Find Mr. Pielke here: web, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
And now for the GIVEAWAY!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win an eBook copy of A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator!
Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!
6 Comments
by Bob Pielke
Thanks for the opportunity!
Bob Pielke
by The Every Free Chance Reader
My pleasure!
by Meghan
Thanks for the giveaway! Can’t wait to read it!
mestith at gmail dot com
by The Every Free Chance Reader
You’re welcome, Meghan! Thanks for stopping by and entering! Good luck!
by Tribute Books
Chrissy, thanks for the guest post and interview with Bob. What a great discussion between the two of you. Thanks for letting us all read it 🙂
by The Every Free Chance Reader
It was my pleasure! Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this tour.