(Sat. Dec. 3, 2011) Cyrus Webb Presents THE HAMMER

Conversations Book Club President and host of Conversations LIVE Cyrus Webb presents a free showing of the movie THE HAMMER.
Based on the life of UFC fighter Matt Hamill, THE HAMMER is a coming-of-age-drama about the first deaf wrestler's journey to win a National Collegi...ate Championship. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf community. But through sheer determination, he turns what could be a disability into an asset, and in the process, serves as an inspiration for both those who can hear and those who can't.

The film stars deaf actors Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood) and Shoshannah Stern (Lie To Me, Weeds, Jericho) as Matt Hamill and Kristi Hammill. Written and produced by Joseph McKelheer (Godspeed) the film has swept its festival run, receiving awards at 8 out of 8 festivals.

Webb will be showing the movie at the Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road * Pearl, MS ) on Sat. Dec. 3rd beginning at 1p.m. et. The admission is free and attendees are welcome to bring refreshments for themselves. Following the movie, Webb will hold a brief Q&A to discuss what we can learn from the journey of Matt Hamill as we strive to overcome challenges in our own lives.

This is one event you don't want to miss. Find out more about the film at www.thehammerfilm.com. For more information contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.cyruswebbpresents.com.

Conversations Book Club's Online Chapter Returns In Oct. 2011

When Conversations Book Club began in November 2006 it was with three members and a telephone. The co-ed reading group started in Mississippi by Cyrus Webb and founding member Stanley Clark was designed as a place where readers of all backgrounds could come together and discuss books directly with the author present either on a conference call or in person. It quickly grew from there to meetings in Memphis, New Orleans and Montgomery, all following the same pattern.

Cyrus Webb is pleased to announce the return of such book discussion with the re-launch of the online chapter of Conversations Book Club in October. The weekly meetings will be Saturdays @ 7p.m. et(6p.m. ct/4p.m. pt) beginning Sat. October 1, 2011, and will be open to anyone who would like to join the conversation. At the scheduled time interested parties will simply visit www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive to talk with the author via the message board or join the discussion over the phone by calling 347.426.3645. The author of the book will be a part of the discussion the entire hour and answer YOUR QUESTIONS with Webb serving as the moderator.

The first book the reading group will discuss is GEORGIA JUSTICE by author Jackie Carpenter. Below are the books and authors joining this special book club in the upcoming weeks:

10/01 --- "Georgia Justice" by Jackie Carpenter
10/08 --- "Destined To Live, Despite Me" by Yolanda Shanks
10/15 --- "Something Inside Of Me" by Chitoka Webb
10/22 --- "Teenie" by Christopher Grant
10/29 --- "My Daddy The Devil and Me" by Debra Ann Brown-Davis
11/05 --- "The Playful and Powerful Warrior Within You!" by GJ Reynolds
11/12 --- "What A Wonderful World" by Ricki Riccardi
11/19 --- "Incognito" by Michael Sidney Fosberg
11/26 --- "Manufacturing Hysteria" by Jay Feldman
12/17 --- "Louisa" by Richard Emmel

Make plans now to attend these special meetings either online or by phone. It is the hope of Cyrus Webb and Conversations Book Club that each week will be an opportunity for you not only to get your questions answered but to introduce those who "attend" to new authors and fellow readers.

For more information contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.thebestbookclub.info.

TAKE TEN: Author T. R. Foster

by Cyrus Webb

Author Tom "T. R." Foster knows how to tell a great story. I had the opportunity of interviewing the New York native on Conversations LIVE and he was able to share the events of his life that led him to his new path as a published author. You wouldn't know it unless he told you, but ANGELS OF VENICE is his first published novel--even thought it doesn't read like it. With an active imagination and characters that pop right off the page Foster shows himself to be someone skilled at drawing in his audience and holding them until the last page.

In this interview for Take Ten and Conversations Magazine he talks about how he got to this point, what message he hopes we take about from ANGELS and what's next for the man who has a lot to say.

Tom, your journey to being a published author is an interesting one. Before we get into your debut novel ANGELS OF VENICE, I want to talk about your love of creating. Can you share when you first became aware of your love of how things worked?

This is almost embarrassing, but my earliest memory of trying to figure out how something worked was probably when I was 4 or 5 years old.  I was curious about electric motors.  I imagined them as a collection of gears and wires.  Somehow sparks would spring from the end of a wire, hit the gear teeth and make them turn.  You know, like a transfer of momentum.  I've always had crazy ideas.  Not so good for science and engineering—but great for writing.

I think growing up to question things going on around us is almost a normal process. As a writer you do it more as you construct the storyline and the characters. Do you remember when you first started to write your thoughts down and how those around you percieved it?

Questioning things that are going around us maybe normal but too often we're satisfied with the superficial answer, the one that doesn't require much in the way of critical thinking.  If you're honest, writing will drive you to that critical level.  I first started to question my entire life when I was in college in the late '60s.  A lot going on then.  But it wasn't until I started writing—maybe twenty years ago—that the questioning became organized and focused.  Then my friends found out I wasn't as quiet and mild mannered as I appeared.  My early storylines and characters were dark and violent and have generally remained so, even in my most recent writing.  Why is this?  Or more to the point, why are we, as individuals and as a society, so fascinated by violence—even as we are repelled by it?  This is a question I keep going back to over and over.  I still don't have a good answer answer.

At the heart of ANGELS OF VENICE is the seen and unseen battle going on in the world between Good and Evil. For many this is not just a physical fight but a spirtiual one as well. What role would you say your view and personal ideals, when it comes to the issue of faith and the future, played in the writing of the book?

My personal view of the future (at the moment) is somewhat bleak, yet I don't doubt our survival.  Angels of Venice is certainly about good and evil, but it's also about choice.  Without giving away too much, the "Angels" give certain individuals tokens of friendship. With these tokens, people can accomplish anything they liked.  Do evil or do good.  And of course there's Eliza's choice at the end.  The balance between good and evil depends on our individual choices—on our free will.  It's my faith in the existence of free will in a world where choice does not always appear to be an option that really drove this book to completion.

For me one of the biggest reminders in your book is that all is not lost. There is good still around us. Is that something that developed organically in the story or was it one of the main lessons you hoped readers would glean from it?

I'd like to say it was an intended lesson but that would mean I know how my stories are going to turnout as I write them—which is never the case.  The key thing is to start with an honest problem and characters with real desires and emotions, then turn them loose.  So it's very much an organic thing.  In Angels of Venice most people are allowed choices based on their feeling and perceived needs, just as in real life.  Many of the choices turn out to be bad, but others are good or at least mixed.  So at the end of the story some good remains, as it must.  There is a continual dynamic and balance between good and evil in the real world because the whole process is driven by a multitude of personal choices.  I think this was of the main points to come out of Angels of Venice.

Writing can sometimes be a rather personal and lonely profession, Tom. What has it been like for you to get feedback about the book and how does that make you feel as you move forward in your literary career?

It's really cool to get compliments from readers.  I'm a big compliment junky—truth be told.  And while it shouldn't be the case, it is also a validation.  Almost anyone can write a set of good sentences.  Sentences that are grammatically correct with just the right number of nouns, adjectives and verbs.  But telling a story is an entirely different matter.  And very few can do it well.  So when you get it in your head that you can be a writer and create powerful visions from mere words, you're taking a big risk.  So that one positive review re-enforces the belief that you weren't deluding yourself.  You are a writer.   Now you're justified in writing another one—even though you were going to do it anyway.

Can you tell us what we can expect next from you?

The novel I'm finishing now is called Kool Blood.  Though it takes place twenty or thirty years in the future, I don't consider it science fiction.  It's more of a dark satirical commentary on the greed and violence that's so prevalent in our culture right now.  See?  There's violence question again!  I'm still trying to get an agent for it.  If that doesn't pan out, I will self publish it, hopefully by early fall.

Shifting gears just a bit, Tom, I want to ask you about the internet and how it has helped you in your writing career. How have you used it to promote yourself and your work?

The main thing has been setting up a website. In fact I have 2.  My ideas are that big!  It's a great way to get my face out there and to let everyone in on my latest projects and crazy ideas.  I also use Facebook, particularly if there is an event coming up that I want everyone to know about.

Do you find yourself having to promote and market more than you actually write these days?

Recently that seems to be the case.  Even if I'm actually not promoting the book, I find myself wondering what other things I should be doing to get T. R. Foster out there.  What's even worse, I'm already thinking about how to market Kool Blood.  Even as I finish word-smithing it, I find myself wondering how a few scenes might be changed so more people will like the novel.  If you have these kinds of thoughts, creatively speaking, you might as well put a gun to your head.

Using your own experiences as a marker, do you have any advice for those individuals out there wondering if the effort is worth it when it comes to pursuing their own dreams?

Not to sound cold, but I think if you have to ask about the effort, you shouldn't even start. There isn't anything rational about acting on your dreams or creative desires.  You won't make much money, most people won't want to look at your stuff, read your writing or even care much about you one way or the other.  The good news is that a few people will care.  And they will care very deeply.  So you need to work extremely hard on your craft and push on your dreams—always be honest about this.  That way when those few people arrive, you're ready to give them something that enriches their lives as well as your own.

Thanks again, Tom, for taking out this time with us. How can our readers keep in touch with you online?

Come visit me at www.trfoster.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Stephen Jay Schwartz

by Cyrus Webb for Conversations Magazine

Stephen, when would you say you realized that writing was something you were not only good at but wanted to pursue?
I intended to be a filmmaker, and I made Super 8 films with friends growing up in Albuquerque – crazy James Bond stuff, where I learned to ski backwards, without poles, so I could hold the camera and cover the action. I was always the villain because I loved to ski down enormous moguls with a plastic machine gun in my hands and, after getting “shot,” take a two-story, slow motion wipe-out into a tree. Fun stuff. But when I was in college I wrote a short story that was heavily influenced by my father’s suicide and it won two national contests. That was the moment I realized I had something unique to say as a writer.

Having interviewed you on Conversations LIVE after the release of your second book BEAT, it seems obvious that you put a great deal of yourself in your work. Has than been an easy decision for you to do, and do you feel as though this adds to the realness readers get from your books?
I’ve always put my personal life into my writing and my films. The first short film I made was called Meditations on a Suicide, and I opened up entirely about the relationship I had with my father before his death. For me, art is about exploring the meaning of life, my life in particular, since I’ve got a front-row seat in the theater of my own mind. I like to explore what it means to struggle, to sometimes fail. Failure and success are part of the same cycle, but sometimes people fall deep into the failure hole, they take a long time to hit bottom before starting that long climb towards the top. I had my own struggle with sex-addiction and it nearly ended my marriage, which would’ve had a profound effect on my children. My wife and I worked hard together through therapy and Twelve Step meetings to overcome my addiction and my novels became the catharsis borne from our efforts. The whole reason to write the books was to be open about my experiences, so that people who might be caught in a similar cycle of sex addiction, people like Hayden Glass, might recognize themselves within the pages and seek help. I think my personal experience gives the character a three-dimensional realness that might not have existed if I’d only done traditional research.

You have been praised not just by avid readers and critics but fellow authors as well. What has that been like to see those you respect in the industry enjoy your work as well?
It’s been heavenly. It’s hard for me to express the gratitude I feel when authors—who I consider mentors and heroes—have chosen to address me as a peer. The praise has given me the confidence necessary to “stick to it,” to keep writing no matter what obstacles I might face along the way.


In BEAT we are taken into the life of Hayden Glass who is a hero to so many but a complex individual even to himself. If you don't mind, take us into the creation of Glass and what you hope we the reader learn from him and the way he handles his weaknesses.
Hayden is complex in that he wants to be good, he wants to be normal, but his actions defy his intentions. He has a sponsor, he goes to the Twelve Step meetings. He’ll get 30, 60 or 90 days of sobriety and then he’ll slip. He has so much potential, if only he could pull himself together. And his addiction seems so ambiguous—what does it mean to be addicted to sex? Most people don’t believe his addiction even exists. And yet he’s ruled by it. In BEAT he meets his “counterpart,” San Francisco Homicide Inspector Anthony Locatelli, who is what Hayden would be if Hayden had his act together. And yet we learn that Hayden has a talent, a “gift,” that others like Locatelli don’t. Maybe Hayden’s weakness, his addiction, is behind it. Maybe he knows a little more than the rest of us through his struggles.

Stephen, you write your books in a way that we can picture the words coming alive in front of us. I think it's important for our readers to remember that you do have a history in film. How do you feel as though that background enhances your storytelling abilities?
I do love film. I love the visual language. I try to tap into visual imagery when I write. And I love great cinematography, the kind you see in films like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Schindler’s List, Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Seven Samurai, Taxi Driver…the list goes on. I spent a number of years as the Director of Development for filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen and I watched a lot of great films and read a lot of thriller scripts. A good screenplay is tight, like a poem, with well-defined acts and escalating action. Screenplays are plot-driven—there’s not a lot of room for much else. So, having written screenplays, I understand that my novels must have a well-defined three-act structure and the kind of pacing that makes the reader want to turn pages.

With that being said, what can we expect from Hayden Glass and you this year?
2011 is going to be a quiet year for me. I won’t have anything on the shelves, since I’ve just started writing my next novel. I’m putting Hayden aside for a while and concentrating on a dark, international thriller set in the U.S. and Europe. I’ve done most of my research and I’m having fun writing the book. I’m also juggling this with a screenwriting assignment—a big, 3-D zombie-type thriller. Pretty fun stuff, and it’ll get me back into the film biz a bit. I still have plans for another Hayden novel—I think I’ll place him in the San Fernando Valley next; the heart of the porn industry. That ought to tickle his addiction. Poor Hayden, I don’t give the guy a break.

Any words of encouragement you want to give to aspiring writers that want to make the new year their time to get published or at least move in that direction?
My standard advice, the advice that was given to me: Finish the Book. Just get it done. Write “The End,” take some time off, then go back and read it from the beginning, and do the rewrite. Repeat. And then, when you have something that looks pretty good, have four or five people with a little experience give you feedback. Listen to the feedback. Find the common denominator—what is everyone saying? Do they agree on certain criticisms? If so, you probably have a problem with that. Go back in for another couple rewrites. You’ve got to learn the craft. It’s about the writing, not the selling, not the “fame.” You’ve got to love the process.

I would be remiss in not asking about your use of social networking sites when it comes to not just promoting your brand but keeping in touch with your fans. What do you enjoy the most about sites like Facebook when promoting a new book?
Facebook is perfect for promoting my books and upcoming events. I love being able to send a sharp-looking invitation to dozens of readers at once. I love being able to quickly update my activities. But you can get lost in it, addicted to it even, and then the writing day (or night) is gone. Facebook has definitely slowed my writing schedule. It’s a necessary balancing act.

I'm always interested in how people who are living their dreams personally see success. How do you define what success is for you today and has it changed any from when you first began your career as an author?
I said once that a writer is successful if he is writing. Everyone has excuses for not writing, and all the excuses are valid. Still, you have to write, despite all the obstacles. It must be done. And, if you manage to slip in an hour or two every day…you’ve succeeded.
Now that I have two published novels, I’m defining success a bit differently. If I can support myself as a writer, I’m successful. If I can just do this full-time. Juggling my writing career with a day job has become counter-productive. But I have overhead and I’m responsible for the lives of my wife and kids. I don’t want to drag them through the trenches just so I can feel like a “real” writer. Again, it’s the balancing act. I’m about to jump into it full-time, for the first time in ten years. I hope this time it’s permanent.

We appreciate your time, Stephen. Happy New Years to you. How can our readers stay in contact with you and find out more about your books?
You can find me at www.stephenjayschwartz.com or friend me on Facebook. If you come to my website you can get a free download of my short story prequel to Boulevard, called CROSSING THE LINE.

TAKE TEN: Author Charles Yu

For most of us, the future is something that is to be looked at with excitement and wonder, not knowing what can happen next. But what if you did know what was going to happen and how your own actions could alter it for the good or the bad? That is one of the lines of thought in author Charles Yu's book HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE*, however, you might be surprised that it's not the only one that readers will pick up on---and Charles wouldn't have it any other way.

After a fascinating interview with Cyrus Webb on Conversations LIVE Radio, Charles Yu gave more of his time to Webb for this Take Ten interview to talk about the premise of the book, how the main character got to share his name and what he hopes is the legacy his children will take away from what he is accomplishing as a writer.

This is their conversation...

Charles, what makes you feel better about being a published author: the response of the readers or how it makes you feel as a writer?

That's a really hard question.  On the one hand, the work is the work, and regardless of whether ten people or ten thousand people have read it, at the time I finished it, I felt like it was a real thing.  Not a perfect thing, but something that I had unearthed, relatively intact, from wherever books come from: The ether?  My heart?  The collective unconscious?  On the other hand, I would be lying if I said that the response of the readers wasn't invigorating.  And I mean both the positive and the negative ones.  To be engaged with people, to have written something that they are responding to emotionally, critically, etc., that connection is sustaining for me.

Are you in any way surprised by the way people are responding to your debut novel HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE?

I think I'm most surprised at how different people's readings of the novel have been.  Some people focus on only the time travel, others on the quantum mechanics/parallel universes, others on the immigrant story, others on the father-son story, others on the fact that it is, in large part, also a story about writing.  It's really been great to hear from people, and to see how varied their responses are.

Take us into the writing of the book. I had the pleasure of interviewing you for Conversations LIVE on the radio and you shared part of your story there. Why did you decide to name the main character after yourself?

Well, the truth really is that I put my own name in as a placeholder, and the story started to develop from there.  After a while, I thought about changing the name, but it felt wrong, like I'd be ripping something out of the fabric of the novel that was too tightly sewn in there.  Plus, it's another layer to the meta-fictional nature of teh story.  Which is not to say it's all (or even mostly) an autobiographical story.  "Charles Yu" and his parents are definitely fictional characters. 

Relationships between people are an important aspect of the book, but so are relationships between man and technology. Do you feel that the advancements we have made in the world have somehow adversely affected the way we deal wih one another?

At the risk of sounding like I'm saying nothing, I'd say that technology can isolate people, can create environments, social, physical, and mental environments, whose net effect is to decrease empathy.  On the other hand, there are technological innovations (maybe some of the same ones) that allow for modes of communication, connection and collaboration that feel new.  Yes, I straddled the fence pretty well there, I think! 

Charles, we sometime hear people talk about if they could go back and undo something in their own lives they would. Have you had that thought, and what would you like to do over if given the chance?

It's hard to say, now that I'm married to the woman of my dreams, and we have two kids.  If I changed anything from before the moment I met my wife, maybe I wouldn't have met her, you know?  What I think about now, on a semi-frequent basis, is how I'm acting today toward people close to me, how I want to act in a way that I'll be happy with at some point in the future looking back.  You know, like making sure I'm taking the time to maintain my relationships with family and friends, that I'm never taking anything, including the luxury of time, for granted.  I know that sounds like a Hallmark card, but I'm for real about this.  Maybe a less cheesy way to say it is that I try to live in a mode of Anticipatory Regret Avoidance.

I have shared with you some of the points I got from the book. As the story's creator, what do you hope people take away from it?

I don't know, really, because I wouldn't want to limit what's in there.  Even though I wrote it, I'm not sure I have any privileged access to the contents of the story or even my own mind.  Readers have repeatedly surprised me with takes on the book that are so insightful and creative that I almost feel like they're doing more of the work in reading than I did in the writing.  It's a family story about time, memory and regret, that's about all I feel comfortable saying!

As you mentioned, you are also a husband and father, Charles. When you look at your children and they see what their dad is doing with your talent,what do you hope that inspires in them?

Above all, I hope that I'm teaching them how to be empathetic, how to see other people.  A lot comes from just that one thing, empathy, right?  Both in terms of how we live and work with other people, and also in terms of producing creative work.  I hope it doesn't sound like I'm moralizing, although maybe that is what I'm doing.

As a published author you are seen as an authority on topics. One of course is the matter of success. What do you say to aspiring writers who want advice about their own careers?

That's kind of you to say, but I hope no one is really looking to me as an authority on anything other than perhaps how to feed a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old at the same time.  And even on that topic, I'm not really an expert (that would be my wife).  My advice for writers starting out is to only work on things that feel absolutely necessary to you, and to do it with conviction.  And lots of rewriting. 

What's next for you?

I've got a couple of things I'm kicking around, but mostly I'm working on another novel.  Too early to say much about it, as it's changing on a daily (or hourly) basis!

Thanks again for this opportunity, Charles. If our readers want more information about you, where can they find you?

Well, speaking of technology, I'm reachable on any number of social networks, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/authorcharlesyu31 ) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/charles_yu ).  Thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity, Cyrus.  It's been a pleasure. 

* To listen to Webb's interview with author Charles Yu about the book on Conversations LIVE, visit this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2010/09/20/author-charles-yu-on-conversations-live. Yu's title was also chosen by Conversations as one of its Top 100 books of 2010. To see the complete listing, visit www.thebestbookclub.info.

TAKE TEN: Author K. D. Koratsky

When you have an idea, it's important to never let anything stop you from pursuing it. Ask author K. D. Koratsky. He has been able to take a seed that was planted in him at the age of eleven and almost two decades later transform it into the book LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT. A native of Redwood City, CA, he talks with Conversations' own Cyrus Webb about the events that shaped his youth, why the word evolution can spark raging debates, and what he hopes readers of his book take away from it.

LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT was chosen as one of Conversations' Top 100 Books of 2010. Here is their conversation...

K. D., thanks for spending a few moments with us. Your first book LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT has been many many years in the making. We will talk about it in a moment. First, I want to discuss your evolution. How has your way of approaching the project changed since the idea for it was born to the time it was published?
My way of approaching the project actually has not changed at all. I began by committing myself to following the evidence wherever it took me, and that will never change. Indeed, I want readers to show me where my conclusions are wrong, so we can all get closer to the truth, and therefore closer to optimal solutions for dealing with life's challenges.

The word evolution has become somewhat of a bad thing to many people, especially people of faith. What do you think is the cause of that?
Generally speaking, people of faith have the same problem with evolution today as they have had with reason and science in centuries past. Ongoing discoveries concerning the natural world have increasingly challenged the traditional religious descriptions of reality that people like and have grown comfortable with. However, specifically speaking, evolution theory is now invading the areas that had been the cordoned-off preserve of the church, including the essences of consciousness and morality. This is a particular problem for people of faith not just because it threatens the last bastions of the theological, but because most fear they will not like the reality that evolution theory defines, in both the existential and social realms.

But, ironically, it is those on the far Left that hold beliefs most defiant of evolutionary principles especially in terms of relativism. Here is it held that there can be no better or worse when it comes to anything involving humankind, including perceptions of what it real. This logically means anything can be considered true, which means that everything can be considered true, or nothing can be considered true; in effect, truth in the eye of the beholder, which means that humans can create a world of their choosing. Needless to say, this concept is at serious odds with the institution of science that assumes there can only be one truth to discover and make use of to the greatest degree possible.

When I was reading the book, K. D., I couldn't help but think that man's evolution has been for the good and the bad. What has struck you the most about how the rise of technology has affected mankind?
What struck me the most about human technological advancement is how it is merely an extension of the technological advancement trends for species overall, and how along the way humans have reproduced, in many cases consciously copying, the technologies possessed by many other species that have been produced in one form or another many times over by natural selection.

This serves as confirmation for what would become the central theme of my book: that there are universal and timeless evolutionary principles that not only dictate all species follow the same basic set of priorities, but that technological advancement will inevitably follow along certain lines in tending to these priorities. Humankind has indeed accelerated these trends, as higher intelligence has allowed for particularly rapid and sophisticated technological development, but the trends have remained fundamentally unchanged.


Let's get to the book. What was your goal when you initially started to write it, and did you see that evolving during the process?
I was born to and raised by a Jewish father and Catholic mother who decided to keep religion out of the family equation to avoid conflict. I was taken to a multi-denominational church once when I was about nine, so I could see what it was like. It was shortly thereafter that some friends asked if I would like to join them in attending Sunday school. While listening to the teacher as she was describing a story in the Bible she came to a part that did not make any sense to me, and I told her so. She told me that was the part I had to take on faith. I asked if that meant that something became true if someone believed it to be true. She said yes, and I knew at that very moment that religion would not be for me, as I simply was not capable of the faith that was required. Even at the ripe old age of nine I sensed that one should have a reason to draw a conclusion about something.

Then it was over the next couple of years that I noticed disagreements on faith were leading to death and destruction all over the planet. And it was around the age of eleven that I concluded there had to be a better way, and I promised myself that someday I would write a book that described rules for human interaction based only on the best evidence available, so that faith-based differences could be transcended and global cooperation could be established using something tangible.

When it was time to begin researching and writing the book some 19 years later, the goal remained the same. I decided upon the history of religion as a jumping-off point since religions of various kinds claimed to have monopolies on the knowledge related to greater truth and morality. Then, it was while reading A History of Religious Ideas, by Mircea Eliade, that I found the history of religion, most ironically, had all the earmarks of an evolutionary progression my first real eureka moment. For while religion became transformed through the ages, most spectacularly with the dawn of agriculture and the rise of tribal mergers, the core principles and themes remained constant throughout the process.

With this I added the works of leading evolution theorists to my research agenda. Certain seemingly workable themes began to materialize right away. But I had another eureka moment a year or so later, when my contemplation surrounding the essence of natural selection paid off while I was dead asleep early one morning (unfortunately my mind works on this stuff 24/7). It came to me that logically natural selection must apply to all that exists including all the features biological structures possess, and all non-biological structures as well because all exists by virtue of its capacity to repel surrounding threats as material self-organization runs its course, as it has from the beginning of time. My project instantly become much more than a quest for rules for human interaction: it became a search for the proverbial big picture by which I could also tease out the optimal rules for human interaction. From here I had to delve into all serious disciplines to see how they would fit into the framework provided by my new grandiose insight. I then spent around 10 years piecing it all together, and another 10 years attempting to tear the thesis apart, so no one else would be allowed the pleasure after publication. The current product is what has been left standing.

How have those in your family and even your friends responded to your finally writing the book?
It has been such an over-the-top undertaking, which has taken so long, I am sure that most everyone figured I would never complete it. My wife has never understood what could possess me to take on such a project and not give up on it. I suppose most are amazed that I made it happen, and to tell you the truth, so am I as I look back on what the entire process has entailed.

Speaking of technology, one of the things that have really taken off over the past few years is social networking, especially sites like Facebook and Twitter. How have they helped you in getting the word out about your book and yourself?
I have not made use of Facebook and Twitter as of yet, but I did just start up my blog which will have posts that show how the vast majority of, if not all, current events and cultural topics can be explained generally using just handful of evolutionary principles. My blog is also designed to be a forum for all to contribute to the cause of creating the most functional policies possible for human groups and individuals alike.

What has surprised you the most about the response to the book, K. D.?
On the positive side, I am surprised by how well reviewers have received it, as I thought its controversial nature would put many off, even though I attempted to be as diplomatic as possible in the presentation of the material considered taboo by most.

On the negative side, the level of reception for certain segments of the population has left me aware of just how polarized American society is. At one end of the spectrum are those on the fiscal and/or social right who are religious to one degree or another. They not only see evolution theory as a threat to their religious sensibilities, but to the American way of life as a whole. For most see socialism/communism, godlessness/atheism, and evolutionism as part of the same package. Meanwhile, the leftists at the other end of the spectrum including progressives, socialists and communists think they are in line with evolutionary reality but they are not, as evolutionary principles very much support the vision of the European Enlightenment thinkers and the founding principles of the U.S. including limited government, free-market capitalism, the standard of merit, and personal responsibility, as my website clearly expresses. So I have quite a marketing challenge on my hands with regard to getting past such perceptions. But overall I am confident that with a little persistence I will be able to break through before long.

I mentioned faith earlier. When a person of faith ask you what they could get from the book, what do you say?
A person of faith will get the same thing from this book as any other: a better understanding of the world around him or her, including the principles that have dictated and will continue to dictate what occurs, including competitive outcomes. Many will choose to reject this knowledge, but this will occur to their detriment, as one will always make better decisions using the best information at hand. So, overall, those who embrace the ideas in my book at some level will likely leave their bloodlines in better shape than they found them. In short, I think people of faith who read my book will feel they have gained more in practical benefits than they have lost in emotional satisfaction and/or in having to question the basis for one belief or another.

Like yourself there have been many individuals who have held on to a dream or goal for some time. What would you say to them about pursuing it?
I have declared many times that I still have trouble wrapping my head around the odyssey I embarked upon so long ago and persisted in for so long thereafter, all while having only fleeting doubts that I would someday be successful. The whole thing probably qualifies as bizarre in any number of ways. And while I won't recommend that others attempt feats so extreme, the result certainly proves that dedication and industriousness can pay off for those who wish to accomplish something significant, even against long odds.

Thanks for your time. How can our readers find out more about you, the book and even how to get their own copy?
All who are interested can find more information about my book, my event schedule, etc., at www.LivingWithEvolution.com. In addition, the latest reviews can be found at Amazon.com. Books can be purchased from all major booksellers.

TAKE TEN: Author Kristina Kilbourne

California native Kristina Kilbourne* has taken a life-long love of reading and books and transformed it into her own literary series. Her first book SHADOWS OF TRUTH is a tale of love, lies and deception that culminate in death and the revealing of secrets. The author spoke with Conversations' Cyrus Webb about her upbringing with books, what guided her to writing and her advice for those who believe they have their own story to tell.

Here is their conversation...

Kristina, when did you realize that you enjoyed books?
I have enjoyed books since I was a little girl. Every night my mom would read to me and I never wanted her to stop.

If I were to have visited you at home 5 years ago, what would I have found on your bookshelf?
The Bible first and foremost, but you would have seen Melody Carson¡¦s "Guitar Girl," "Stephanie Meyer¡¦s "Twilight," and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins series "Left Behind, The Teen Series"

I should let our readers know that you are involved in other areas of entertainment as well. How important is it for you to find avenues to share your talents?
It is very important especially with my music and my plays. The Industry is in this "Do It Yourself" phase and whether you like it or not it is the best opportunity for an artist to have control over who they are and how they are portrayed. For me I like to find ways to incorporate my music, my books, and information about my plays within the same venue or event. If you don¡¦t find avenue¡¦s to be heard then you won¡¦t be.


For many writers the idea for their first book comes from things they have heard about or personally experienced. What about you? How did Shadows of Truth come about?
Shadows of Truth came to me about two years ago. These characters kind of flooded my mind all at once. Honestly, I know that it was God birthing this great seven book series in me, because it was as if I was watching a movie as I was writing it out.

Were people close to you surprised that you were writing a book?
Some were but not my parents. I have been writing since I was a little girl probably just as long as I have been singing.

Writing for many is one thing, but sharing it with the public is sometimes a bigger challenge. How did you make the decision to publish your book?
It took me a while to put Shadows of Truth out because of the fear of sharing it but it got to the point when God had to sit me down and say "Your gifts and talents aren¡¦t about you. You are the vessel carrying them but they¡¦re for the people." I started to realize I was horting stuff that wasn¡¦t mine and that¡¦s pretty selfish so I just stepped out on faith and did it.

Kristina, there are some authors who enjoy the writing process but aren't as excited about the marketing and promotion involved in a book's success. How have you balanced the creative side of writing with the business side?
What a lot of authors don't understand is that they are really one in the same. No one will be a better promoter than the author. Its totally in our hands to set the tone for the promotion and what is great about being creative is it doesn¡¦t have to stop with the last page of a book. Its up to us and should be fun for us to find creative ways to make our books come alive through promotion.

What do you hope people take away from your debut novel?
I hope that people can see a piece of themselves in Shadows of Truth, I hope they laugh, I hope they cry, I hope to inspire forgiveness and spark even the smallest amount of change. It was and is my continued prayer that readers are affected and infected by Shadows of Truth.

Any advice for those interested in getting into print or publishing in 2011?
Do it. If you have a voice that you want heard there is nothing more powerful then a pen and a piece of paper.

Thank you for your time, Kristina, and continued success to you. How can our readers find out more about you?
I am available on my website www.shadowsoftruth.info

* Kristina Kilbourne was also a guest on Conversations LIVE Radio with Cyrus Webb. Listen to her discussion about Shadows of Truth here: http://tobtr.com/s/1384313