Interview With Vernon Wildy, Jr.

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR     Vernon Wildy, Jr.

Today I’m interviewing another great James River Writer, Vernon Wildy, Jr.  His sense of humor and down-to-earth conversation make his a face I seek out at Writers Wednesdays.  Vernon's latest work, Nice Guys Finish Last, is a fiction piece and was released in September, 2011.

Please tell us a little bit about your book.  

This is a book is a modern day relationship tale told from a man’s perspective.  It follows the conversations and events surrounding a man who has been labeled a “nice guy” and how he tries to shake that and win over the women that cross his path.

What is the book’s genre?  

Mainstream fiction, Men’s Interest

Is this the only genre in which you write?

I write mostly poetry.  This is my first venture into novel writing.

What is it about these genres that interests you?

I enjoy poetry because it allows me to share my thoughts and observations about the world that I live in and witness.  Writing this novel was enjoyable for me because I was able to get into telling a story as well as creating characters that people could relate to in their everyday lives.

How did you come up with this latest plot?  

The biggest motivation for writing the book was the many nights and weekends of going out on the town with friends.  I thought about the interactions amongst ourselves and the people we met and just ran with all the ideas I could muster.  

What is your writing routine like?

I tend to write when the feeling hits.  Sometimes I am able to work off a schedule, but most of my writings are done right when the moment hits.  I think spontaneity works better for me more times than not.

 

What is the most rewarding thing about having finished this latest book?  

I had never thought about writing a novel before.  Even as I was writing the manuscript and doing the editing there was a bit of doubt in my head as to whether or not I could complete this task.  But seeing the finished product in my hand after a lot of hard work felt really good.  

 

What’s next in the writing queue?

I recently completed the National Novel Writing Month challenge in November to write a novel (50000+ words) and I am starting a second draft.  Some people who have read my first book are clamoring for a sequel so I am looking into that.  I also want to continue working on my poetry and posting my works on my blog I Got Something To Say (http://vernsspot.blogspot.com/)

BOOK BLURB

            Chris Wheeler is your normal everyday guy.  He’s got a nice house, has a good job, has good friends, and generally has a good life.  But there’s one thing that Chris wishes he could change.  He is tired of being called a “nice guy”.

            And so begins the story of Nice Guys Finish Last.  Chris’ best friend from college, Damon Jeffries, came to visit while in town for a conference.  On the night Damon came in, he ended up spending the night with Angela Crockett, one of Chris’s co-workers.  Chris had been trying to ask Angela out for quite some time, but to no avail.  He didn’t quite understand how Damon could come in and get that far with her in one night.  Damon ended up spending that entire weekend with Angela, leaving Chris all alone to ponder the whole situation by himself.

            Over the course of time as Damon and Angela’s relationship grew, Chris finds himself trying to meet women on his own.  He first meets Valerie Taylor at a local bookstore.  Valerie is much older than Chris, but they hit it off and continually spend time with each other for a while.  When things fizzle between the two, Chris finds himself meeting Susan Lambert at a downtown club while out on the town with his friends.

            All the while, everybody is giving Chris all kinds of advice about women and relationships.  Damon, Angela, Chris’ friends, his team members from work, and even his parents all give their two cents’ worth.  In the final outcome, we get to find out if Chris will finally win out and get the girl or does Chris epitomize the title of this book:

            Nice Guys Finish Last.

 

AUTHOR BIO

            I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.  I had been writing for fun and relaxation for years, but after I finished my post-graduate studies I decided to pursue this hobby of mine further.

            Nice Guys Finish Last is my first foray into novel writing.  I continue to write poetry and I keep a poetry blog on Blogspot.com called I Got Something To Say.  I have had pieces published in Fantasia magazine and Intentional Walk Review magazine.

How can we buy your book?  

The book can be bought in hardback and Kindle formats on the Amazon website (www.amazon.com).  The book can also be bought in hardback and NOOK formats on the Barnes and Noble website (www.barnesandnoble.com)

And now, some fun questions:

1)      Favorite authors? Dean Koontz, Walter Mosley, Chuck Palahniuk

2)      Favorite character in a book you’ve read? Title character of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

3)      Favorite vacation?   Family trips to Outer Banks as a kid

4)      Coffee or tea? Tea

5)      Favorite color?  Blue

6)      Favorite dessert?  Brownies