Pump Up Your Book Chats with Gregory Earls, author of Empire of Light

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When Gregory Earls isn’t eating at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, he pays the bills by taking up space at 20th Century Fox in the Feature Post Production Department. He’s a proud graduate of Norfolk State University and the American Film Institute, where he studied cinematography. He’s an award-winning director who has amassed a reel of short films, music videos, and (yes) a wedding video or two. Steadfastly butchering the Italian language since 2002, he hopes to someday master the language just enough to inform his in-laws how much he loves their daughter, Stefania, who was born and raised in Milan, Italy. Gregory currently resides in Venice, California where he goes giddy every time he spots that dude who roller skates and plays the electric guitar at the same time. During football season, he can be found at the Stovepiper Lounge, a Cleveland Browns bar in the Valley where he roots for the greatest football team in the history of Cleveland.

Visit his website at www.gregoryearls.com.

About Empire of Light

Jason Tisse is in over his head. As a young black cinematography student at LA’s notoriously tough American Film Institute, he’s got the vision, but not the balls to battle the ruthlessness that is Hollywood. After a failed year at AFI, which includes nearly electrocuting a fellow classmate, Jason embarks on a trip to Europe to hunt down the works of his favorite painter. Armed with an enchanted camera gifted to him by an eccentric film professor, Jason is prepared to master the art of light and shadow as depicted in the infamous baroque artwork of the original Emperor of Light known to the rest of the world as Caravaggio.

What Jason doesn’t expect, however, is that the innocent-looking Kodak Brownie camera he’s been given holds remarkable powers, capable of miraculously bringing his idol’s artwork alive with each snapshot. Caravaggio’s work, packed full of sex, religion, violence and some outrageous hilarity, explodes to life and sends Jason spiraling from one escapade to the next. Spanning the bright lights of Paris, the grand churches of Rome and the cutthroat alleys of Naples, Jason must overcome his inhibitions—even at the risk of life and limb—if he is to one day rule his own Empire of Light.

The Interview

Thank you for this interview, Gregory. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

A: My earliest writing effort was with my best fiend in 5^th grade, Jimbo Kaplan. We wrote and drew a comic book, and it was a hit with our classmates. Years later I saw Simpson’s episode where Bart and Millhouse did the same thing. It was a warm moment.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

A: I find very little frustrating with becoming published. I’m really just happy to just be in the room. But I’m a newbie and I’m sure the seasoned writer has much to complain about. I hope to someday be that incredibly annoyed novelist with a dozen books under his belt and tired of the game. …Great problem to have. The most rewarding side? My mom was in a Barnes and Noble with her reading group. She asked the sales clerk about my book, he found it on their site, spun the monitor around to show ‘em the cover. Making mom proud. Seriously. Can’t get better than that.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

A: This is a great question. My fiancée, Stefania, is from Italy and she just arrived in the states on the K1 Fiancée Visa (the same day Empire Of Light was released). She’s never been around when I had to write, so this is going to be interesting. She’s incredibly supportive, so I suspect she’ll have my back.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?

A: Well, I’ve of course spent a helluva a lot of time in Italy and I love that country. Much of the book takes place in Rome and Naples, two of my favorite places on the planet. I use to study Italian for fun, but now it has become incredibly necessary to learn since my future in-laws don’t speak English. We can barely talk to each other. Or maybe this is a good thing? (Kidding.)

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

A: Oddly enough, Cleveland. I bet you don’t get that answer very much. I love that town and the people. I was born and raised there and I do miss it, as strange as that damn place is.

Who is your biggest fan?

A: I know this is cliché, but it’s a tie between my mom, dad and my big brother.

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: In the living room with my Pandora Dave Brubeck channel playing.

Do you have any pets?

A: Not now. My dream is of a spacious home with a couple of Border Collies.

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

A: My pop worked for NASA (retired) as a Nuclear Physicist. The only time he worked Mission Control was Apollo 13. If the craft blew up on the launch pad, his job was to help evacuate the area and clean up the debris. Did Apollo 13 have a nuclear payload? Hmmmm….

What’s on your to do list today?

A: This is my first day with my fiancée in our home. You don’t have enough bandwidth to hold the to-do list this very insane person has drawn up.

Now I’ve got a couple of fun questions for you. If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, unearthed a copy of your book, how would that help him find a way off the island?

A: I read this question and immediately imagined the skeleton of Tom Hanks, on the beach, holding my book.

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi and the newest addition, Ellen DeGeneres, to determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay where you’d make millions of dollars. What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your author photo – and why?

A: My author’s photo would get me the bum’s rush by Fox security. The book cover is very cool, but if an excerpt doesn’t trump the cover art I’m in trouble.

You just got word that your book has received the 2010 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony to give an acceptance speech. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. What would you say and who would you thank?

A: Well, they say the quickest way to get a book read is to censor it, so I think I’d tell J. K. Rowling to pound sand up her (bleep), walk of the stage, go home and watch my Q rating soar.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in September via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

A: I’m new at this game, and I’m a good boy, so when my publisher says jump I ask, “how high?” Since I really have nothing to compare it to, a virtual book tour just seems like the right thing to do. It’s the future, so let’s get it on!

Thank you for this interview, Gregory Good luck on your virtual book tour!

A: Thanks to you. A presto!

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach