Today's guest is John R. York, author of the time travel novel, THE FIVE WATCHES: AN ACCIDENT OF TIME. John is here with us today to tell us more about the author behind the book.
Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
My stories come to me at night, or I should say in the wee hours of the morning when I’m in a half-sleep. But I type them in Word in the late mornings and most of the afternoon. I’m a morning person, so that’s the best time for me to write and capture all those story scenes in my head from the night before, but I usually get distracted with other things I need to do in the mornings. I often write for 5 to 8 hours a day, nearly every day.
Which comes first – plot or character?
I generally begin with a broad story concept and develop a couple primary characters around that idea. Then I’ll create a biography for those specific characters, before moving on to a story outline that defines my plot and the need for additional supporting characters. I like to build my stories around my characters.
Noise or quiet when working on your manuscript?
Definitely quiet. I work in an office in a far corner of my house, so I can close the room’s double doors. The doors are mostly glass. Often, my Doberman, Rayne, and my cat, Rocky, and even my wife, Paula, will stand outside watching me with forlorn looks, which is distracting – but in a good way.
Favorite TV show?
I don’t watch much TV. I usually make time for the national evening news in order to get my daily dose of depression. While I prepare dinner (I like to cook), I typically watch whatever Paula tunes into, which are old movies and TV shows. I like fantasy and science fiction, so anything along those lines is a potential candidate for viewing.
Favorite craft besides writing?
I play the piano every day. I have two electronic keyboards and a 122-year-old Boston Everett parlor grand piano. I write original songs and will entertain anybody unlucky enough to come around when I’m playing. I wrote “Ode to the Donut”, but it never made it to the Top Ten. (I love donuts)
Favorite outdoor activity?
Sailing. I no longer own a sailboat, but I think sailing is the ultimate recreation. Living in Florida is an especially good place to be for this activity.
Your goal in life?
My goal is to live each day to its fullest. I got that philosophy from my mother at a very young age. She would always tell me that life is short and uncertain. Live each day as if it was your last. Sounds kind of dramatic, but she made it sound so logical. As a result of this attitude, I’ve done more things than most people. Writing is a relatively recent endeavor. Right now, my goal is to complete ten novels, then I’ll consider what’s next. This book, The Five Watches: An Accident of Time, is my seventh novel, and I have already written two others. So, I’m getting close.
Your most exciting moment?
Wow, that’s hard to single out. I suppose if I exclude my combat experiences in Vietnam, my daughter’s birth, my graduation from college at age 32, the day my partners and I sold our company, and the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s award for my novel, Journey to Eden, I’d have to say it was a toss-up between the night we rode our horses to the top of Mount Gower in the light of the full moon to see the Hale-Bopp Comet in 1995, and the horror of the historic California wildfire that raged through our ranch in 2003.
If anybody is interested in finding out some of the other exciting things I’ve done in my life, they could read my first novel, Wolf’s Tale: Memoir of a Man Named Wolf, a fictional account of my life. I wrote it as a fictional memoir so that I could shamelessly embellish, exaggerate, and evade embarrassment. LOL.
John R. York has been writing and publishing his stories since 2016, but he’s always been a storyteller, even as a kid in Central Ohio where he grew up. His life experiences provided him with a wealth of tales to share with others and resulted in his debut work, Wolf’s Tale. He has since published five more novels, including the award-winning Journey to Eden. A retired high-tech executive, he currently lives with his wife, Paula, in New Port Richey, Florida.
Website: www.johnryork.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.york.9277
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnryork and www.tiktok.com/@dreamwriter
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-York/author/B0771RCZJ2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
What might happen if a handful of people living in different eras became entangled in time, some intentionally and some accidentally? The nineteenth-century scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Gussen, is passionate about improving the welfare of mankind, and so he begins a journey through time in a quest to learn about future advances in epidemiology. Physicist Emory Lynch, from the twenty-seventh century, studies an old pocket watch, said to be a time travel device, and accidently stumbles into the twenty-first century. In 2019, Jim Zimmerman, the de facto neighborhood go-to guy, finds himself caught in the middle of a clandestine, future conspiracy. True to his character, he becomes inextricably involved in future affairs that involve saving humanity from itself—dragging his wife and a few neighbors along for the ride. Thus, begins a time travel adventure that examines the stubborn predictability of human behavior and how some things, even over time, never seem to change.
Praise:
“The Five Watches is filled with interesting characters and enchanting tapestries woven into the fabric of time itself. John explores not only the ravages of time but more importantly the impact of individual kindness, caring, and selflessness towards others that is heartwarming. I enjoyed this suspenseful page turner, the connection to everyday people and to imaginable heroes that we can all strive to become. Uplifting! – Jim Richards, Beta Reader
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/46fjjp6f
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