Pump Up Your Book Chats with Malcolm Petteway

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Malcolm Dylan Petteway is a senior military analyst, a retired military officer and a twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He flew B-52’s as an Electronic Warfare Officer and has 3,000 flight hours and 300 combat hours. In his distinguished career, Malcolm has used his knowledge in the art of war, military weapons and combat defenses in planning over 400 combat sorties. Besides his Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and numerous other awards, Malcolm is the recipient of the U.S. Air Force Air Medal and the U.S. Air Force Air Achievement Medal for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Malcolm Petteway is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and California State University.

His latest book is Homecoming – Osguards: Guardians of the Universe (Book 1).

You can visit Malcolm at http://www.ragebooks.net.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Malcolm. Can you tell us why you wrote your book?

When I was young, I was fascinated by science fiction stories on T.V. in the movies and in books. I was so fascinated by science fiction; I made up my own stories about two sisters running away from a war on their planet only to find themselves in the antebellum south. Their descendants are then plucked from Earth and given the reigns to a universal peacekeeping organization…like a U.N of space. I would play these stories in my head on long car rides during family trips down south or when I was alone during the day and had nothing to do. To me at the time, this was just daydreaming; a way to pass the time. When I was in high school, I enrolled in creative writing classes. There I took my favorite science fiction characters and used them to spawn a couple of my projects. Boy, did I get razzed by the other students, but the teacher commended me for well thought out and very creative characters. During the Academy, on those long lonely nights, wondering what the hell did I get myself into, those characters and those scenes lulled me to sleep and gave me encouragement to put up with the rigors of the coming day. This continued well into my adult life. These characters and the action sequence, I placed them in, began to invade my dreams at night, where I no longer controlled the outcome. Now they were telling me the story. They were old friends, and I welcomed them as part of a peaceful night’s rest. One day, in 2000, I had a setback in my Air Force career. At which time, I received some sound advice. Do something to keep your mind busy. So I decided to write down the stories that plagued me. Every day for three months, after work, I would lock myself in the office and type away at the keyboard. Until one day I emerged from the dark pit of imagination and dropped on the kitchen table a 450 page manuscript. I felt a sense of accomplishment. Now after eleven years, over a dozen edits, two publishing attempts, three editions and countless hours of work, Homecoming is now nationally recognized by the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival with an Honorable Mention and a 5-star rating from the Midwest Book Review. Over the years, I’ve received some glowing support and calls for more adventures with the Osguards. I also found I had more to write. Therefore, I continued the series with Revelations, Armageddon and Revenge. In summary, my life experience, my family and friends as well as the need to tell a story with positive protagonists, is why I wrote Homecoming.

Q: Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

The first chapter, especially the first page is the hardest portion of the book to write. The first lines are perhaps the most important part in the whole book. The writer must capture the imagination of the reader and draw the reader into the story with the first words, the first line, and the first chapter. In writing Homecoming, the entire first chapter changed three times and the first paragraphs changed several times more. The first chapter originally jumped into the story with character development. I didn’t have the attraction in the first draft to draw the reader into the story. Once I realized this, it took several iterations to feel comfortable that I could draw the reader in and let them know they were about to embark on a wild and thrilling action adventure.

Q: Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

When I wrote my first draft of Homecoming, I was witnessing a disturbing trend in T.V. movies and books. The popularity of the anti-hero characters in the entertainment media was insidiously becoming more and more popular. Gangsters, mobsters, and other criminals, including crooked cops and politicians are becoming the protagonists, invoking sympathy and encouragement from the audience. This emotional rollercoaster was once reserved for true heroes. Lately, superheroes are making a comeback. But then, the good guy or girl didn’t always win the day. I write science fiction to inject positive protagonist into an entertainment media that was, and to some extent still is, bombarded with negative characters that somehow have become role models. I wrote Homecoming, the first book in a four-book military science fiction series, Osguards: Guardians of the Universe with this goal in mind. Osguards: Guardians of the Universe is a gripping ride through time and space, detailing the horrors of antebellum south, the strife of the post reconstruction era, the grit of U.S. urban life at the turn of the century and ultimately the terror of an escalating war played out in the heavens above present day unsuspecting Earth–all surrounded by complex military and political stratagems for power. Homecoming is a detailed military science fiction book, framed in American History, peppered with intrigue, filled with adventure and coated with technical wizardry. The entire series is written in the same fashion as Star Trek, Star Wars and Stargate; with protagonist like Captain James T. Kirk, Han Solo and Colonel Jack O’Neil

Q: Besides books, what else do you write? Do you write for publications?

I don’t write professionally for any publications, but I have a blog called Rage on Science Fiction, found at www.ragebooks.blogspot.com. The purpose of this blog is to provide interesting thoughts on science fiction in the movies, on television and in books. The blog discusses science fiction as entertainment, as a business and as a sub-culture in America. On this blog, I write book and movie reviews as well as provide commentary of science fiction in general. I invite others to participate. I challenge people to be visionary enough to recognize new voices…different voices, cutting down the ivory pillars holding up the old institutional thought. There is a quiet revolution taking place in the sci-fir world. There is a new generation of science fiction fans, touched by advanced technology. Today, technological hunger, personal experience and raw attraction are what define this audience. I created this blog to capture the energy radiating from this audience.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

Never quit. I’ve only quit one thing in my life. That decision has altered my life and maybe even my very soul. Never quit. Fortitude sends a better message of who you are and what kind of character you have. Because once you quit, it becomes easier to quit again. Then all you are doing is quitting every time you are challenged.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your childhood?

I grew up in Waterbury Connecticut. It is a small New England town with the picturesque downtown green containing statues and small monuments celebrating the country and the sacrifices made by the local populous in times of war. When I was growing up, Waterbury was just shedding its manufacturing roots. The local factories that attracted so many to migrate to Waterbury in the early to mid 20^th century were just starting to disappear. I grew up in the seventies, where crime and drugs were making their introduction into the town. Seeing the transition from hardworking, tight knit families to families trying to survive the onslaught of unemployment, crime and drugs is one of the motivators that shaped my writing voice. My family survived, but had its challenges, and the Osguards, the main characters in my book, Homecoming, are based on a loose adaptation of that survival, set in a science fiction fantasy world.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

I have two different personalities. I have a fun-loving, carefree family personality and I have an all-business, take-charge professional personality. Therefore, I write in my home office. I have an office, complete with desk, chair, computers, fax machine, printers and other equipment. It helps shape the business/work atmosphere I need to keep me motivated with little distraction. It sets the mood, allowing me to think of writing as a job and not a hobby, which caters to my professional personality. It allows me to set a schedule, prioritize my task and execute my plan. When I am behind the closed door of my office, I am focused and determined.

Q: Are you familiar with the social networks and do you actively participate?

I am familiar with social networks and use them (LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace) for most of my on-line marketing. You can follow me on Twitter and FaceBook under the username RageBooks, or LinkedIn and MySpace under my name, Malcolm Petteway. These social network tools are the new technology shaping the world. Social networks like these have recently aided in toppling governments and ushering in new regime changes. These tools help fight crime, save children and much more. They are powerful, flexible and can drive momentum if used properly. The key is mastering them. This takes time and effort to fully utilize these social networking tools to their full potential. However, once you master them, getting the word out about a great award winning book, like Homecoming, is simple.

Q: What is the most frustrating part of being an author?

Before I decided to start my own publishing company, the most frustrating part of being an author was trying to capture the attention of literary agents and traditional publishers. After finishing the first draft of Homecoming in December 2000, my wife and I shopped it around for a couple of months. I received many reject letters. Some said nothing important, but a couple indicated that if I changed my main characters, they would reconsider. I thought about doing this for a while, but like I said, I grew up with the characters…they were a part of me, and doing so, felt like betrayal. So I rejected the idea.

Q: What is the most rewarding?

The most rewarding feeling I have had so far as an author is stepping up to the podium for the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood CA and giving an acceptance speech for my book, Homecoming. It received an Honorable Mention Award in the contest where less than five percent of the entries were recognized.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview, Malcolm Petteway. Do you have any final words?

Although, I believe anyone who loves to read action, adventure and thriller books would love Homecoming, I think I have two main types of audiences that will find my books worth their time, intriguing and most of all exciting to read. First I have the loyal science fiction fan. They will find Osguards is fresh, innovative and exciting with a new voice. My books capture the reader’s imagination, and challenge the industry. There is a quiet revolution taking place in the reading world. They will buy my books because they are avid readers who can relate to the characters using advanced technology as they push through electrifying adventures. These characters are normal people pushed into extraordinary circumstances. My second fan base consist of disciplined people, mainly military oriented. Between my time in the Air Force Academy, twenty years as an Air Force Officer and my time now as a military analyst, I dare say I know a little something about the military and how to speak to the military. Osguards is a contemporary blend of Science Fiction, Technical Thriller, and American History wrapped in Professional Military Science. My military experience, coupled with my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Masters Degree in International Relations, gives me credence to reach an untapped audience of Military Science Fiction fans and enhances my ability to compose exciting stories filled with scientific essence and political intrigue encircled in military conflict.

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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.

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