Author spotlight on Mark Ewig

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

ON

MARK EWIG

I am delighted to have the opportunity to interview Author Mark Ewig, here on my blog. So here we go:- 

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am thirty-three years old from Mount Prospect, IL. I am married to my wonderful wife, Jackie. Together, we have two kids – Samantha & Austin. I work as a Financial Analyst, the most exciting job in the world…. Zzz, I know! I am an easy-going guy. Typically, I go with the punches and I am friendly with everyone. Very optimistic and I look for the good in everything.

Tell us about your latest book/series. 

Wind Down is my first book. It is a standalone book. However, I do have ideas for a sequel and prequel. The book follows the life and possible death of Aaron Starks. No one knows what happens once a person dies. Wind Down proposes that the mind keeps going after we die. For the person that died, in their mind, it is as if the world around them is still happening.

Here are a few quick quotes from my book where Ju’van, a shaman, is explaining to the main character about the Wind Down process:

“Life is like a battery. The younger you are the more energy you have. The more energy you have, the more the spirit has to draw upon.”

“If you are young and die suddenly, you will continue on as if you lived. Many times, the mind will convince itself it was just a near-death experience. The mind continues on even though the body has perished.”

The quick synopsis:

Aaron Starks survived a near-death experience when he was stabbed by an unknown assailant. All of his college roommates were suspects. However, investigators could turn up nothing to catch the attempted murderer.

Fifteen years later, Aaron is all grown up with a family. Things are going great until he starts experiencing strange blackouts and other paranormal visions. During the blackouts, he still interacts with others, but he cannot remember anything he said or did. Doctors are unable to provide an answer. 

He then has an odd encounter with Ju'van, a local shaman, who tells him that he is actually dead and everything he is going through is a figment of his mind. Ju'van informs Aaron that he is in a wind-down process and time is limited before his mind runs out of energy. Aaron struggles to know if Ju'van is right or if he is simply going crazy. He is sent on a journey to meet up with all his old roommates to discover the truth on what really happened the night he was stabbed in the back.

Tell us about your Work in Progress.

I have a rough outline completed and a few pages put together for a side-story to my first book, Wind Down. Without giving anything away on my first book, it basically will trace another individual and their story of going through a Wind Down process. There may even be some tie ins to the original Wind Down book, but I am not telling!!!!

What inspires your writing?

My dreams…….. I occasionally have very vivid dreams. Some of them, I wake up thinking that that could make a good book. I race to grab a pen & paper to scratch down as much as I can remember and then build a story off of it. I probably have around 6-7 ideas that would make a good book. I just need to find the time to fully develop. Once I have an idea – I have to be in the right mood to right. I find it best to write when you feel the mood. If you are not in the mood, just skip the day and see how you feel the next day.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I have two kids that take up most of me free time. My daughter is four years old and she is involved in many activities – swimming, gymnastics, and dance. My 20-month son is in swimming as well. When I am not with the kids, I personally like to run outdoors and play video games on the PS4.

How hard was it to get your first book published?

My book is self-published. The actual process of publishing it on Amazon was quite easy and a simple process of a few buttons. What was hard was all the prep work of getting the book ready. PROOFREADING!!!! Nothing like reading through your book four-five times to make sure everything is spelled right. I also had my wife go through the book a couple times and that took time.

Did you find it hard to think of names for your characters or did they just pop into your head?

For this book, I actually did research for the names. I was aiming for the characters to be in their 30’s. So, I went to the Social Security site for baby names and searched by year for names. From there, I picked the ones that I liked.

Do you prefer stand-alone or series?

I mainly prefer stand-alone books. When reading, I want to have a story line that finished. There are many series out there that just go on and on. However, it is a good way for authors to develop a following. So, I totally understand why it is popular on both ends for authors and readers alike.

Do you read the genre you write about or do you prefer something different?

I definitely like the paranormal/sci-fi genre. While my book is not horror – I would throw that into the mix and something I enjoy.

Now tell us about your absolute favorite book that you have read, and why it is special to you.

Dean Koontz – The Taking. It is just a crazy paranormal book that fits my style. An apocalypse setting, where the world just seems to be collapsing. For me, the odder, more unique, the story line – the better.

How to you get your books to the attention of the public?

This has been my biggest struggle. After I published my book, I didn’t do much marketing. It seems like many self-published authors out there mass-blast posts on Facebook and other social media sites. I tried doing that and I occasionally put posts out, but they have not been very effective. Right now, I am trying a different route by trying to get some bloggers to read/review my book. My hopes are that their blog posts will entice some of their followers to check out my book.

Do you have a street team or the likes?  If so would you like to share the link so our readers may consider joining?

I wish I had an arsenal of people that are helping me with promoting, but sadly I do not. If there is anyone out there that does, please contact me!!!! 

For now, I do have a Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarkEwig

My Amazon page for the book: http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Down-Mark-Ewig-ebook/dp/B00O6P2OUY

And my Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23474840-wind-down