Sunday, October 26, 2014

Celebrating International Bestselling author Andrew Neiderman

by Cyrus Webb

I have been a fan of Andrew Neiderman's work since I read THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. After that I began to search for other books by the talented author that I also devoured and had to share with others.
The thing about Neiderman is that he is able to make you a part of the story like few authors are able to do. He brings you inside the pages, becoming the characters and facing the world as they have to do. Many also know him as the ghostwriter behind the V. C. Andrews series. Over the past 7 years I have been privileged enough to interview the busy author 7 times now* (see links to some of the radio interviews below), and each time he is not just engaging but truly appreciative of the success he has had.

I asked him back in 2006 how he deals with the competitive nature of the publishing industry. He answered with this: "You don’t compete in the sense of an athlete, but you keep up with what is selling and you study what it is that makes other authors and their works successful. You can’t change who you are, but you grow and develop and hone your skill and talent along the way. Write true stories, only stories that you have a passion to write, and you’ll succeed, for yourself at least."

When I asked him about the success of the V. C. Andrews franchise, this is what Neiderman had to say: Many, many writers have tried to imitate V.C. Andrews. They have not succeeded because there is a magic formula. V.C. Andrews captures the hearts of young people especially because the works address their needs, thoughts and fantasies. But the style and the stories are characterized by elements of so many genres it’s difficult to copy. It’s like trying to cook your grandmother’s special stuffed cabbage. She had the same ingredients but mixed them in her own special way that no one else had or has and so it remains one of a kind. It’s this mixture, this addressing real issues and problems and putting them in the V.C. Characters and settings that makes it lasting."

With the new book CHRISTOPHER'S DIARY: Secrets of Foxworth being released on Tues. Oct. 28th, I thought I would celebrate Neiderman and his contribution to the literary world by sharing my top 5 books by the author.

  1. The Devil's Advocate
  2. The Magic Bullet
  3. Unholy Birth
  4. Guardian Angel
  5. In Double Jeopardy
New to Andrew Neiderman? Visit his author page on Amazon here. 

To all those out there wondering if you should pursue your own goals and dreams, Neiderman shared this story with me: "When I was a teacher, I directed school plays and after a particularly successful one, a student came up to me and asked me if she should be an actress. I said, 'NO,' and she nearly cried. 'Why not?' she asked. 'Because you asked the wrong question,' I told her. 'What is the right question?' she asked. 'The right question,' I said, 'is Mr. Neiderman, I want to be an actress. What do I do next?' The point is so many people have talent but not the determination or the perseverance. You cannot reach your goals without it and that’s why I often say, It’s 40 percent talent and 60 percent perseverance. Prepare for rejection and defeat but if it’s in you to succeed, you will. Simple as that." 

Listen to past conversations with Andrew Neiderman here:




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