Interview with Randolph Tower

by Barbara M. Hodges

BIO:  Randolph Tower is retired from the United States Air Force (recipient H.H. Arnold Award) and is a commercial pilot with over 25,000 hours of flying experience. Mr. Tower lives on the Central Coast of California with his wife, where he enjoys the many golfing opportunities. He is a writer of action adventure stories founded and supported by his lengthy background. “The Last Dawn of Reckoning”, “Ice” and “Baby Bottles” (A short story about a mission over North Viet-Nam, included in “Scattered Hearts”)are all available on Amazon and many other places. Mr. Tower is now co-authoring a third novel “My Last Sin” which will be available soon.


Randolph’s Books:

The Last Dawn of Reckoning: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Dawn-Reckoning-ebook/dp/B003E7FU3S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324223877&sr=1-1

Ice:    http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Barbara-M-Hodges/dp/1926965426/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324223877&sr=1-2


Randolph’s Website: http://sites.google.com/site/randolphtower

Randolph’s blog:        http://randolphtoweronwritong.blogspot.com



BMH:    You're president of the United States for enough time to only make one executive decision. What is it?

RT:    I would rescind every law that I possibly could that has been passed in the last fifty years and try to get this country back to the constitution.

BMH:    Describe a few pet peeves of yours.

RT:    People who say “you know” in every sentence and writers who over use words ending in “ing”.

BMH:    Would you rather...
         A. Live without music or live without TV?

RT:    Easy, TV the vast wasteland.

B. Be gossiped about or never talked about at all?

RT:    A tough one…I guess deep down never be talked about at all.  But how do you sell books that way?

BMH:    You are going to a deserted island, you can take only two comfort items with you, what would they be?

RT:    The biggest most complete volume of essential information I could find and a fishing pole.
 
BMH:    Do you blog? If so, why and what do you usually blog about?

RT:    Writing mostly.  That is the name of my blog, “Randolph Tower on Writing.”

BMH:    Have you ever done a blog book tour? What was that like and would you do it again?

RT:    No

BMH:    What's a common and accepted practice for Americans nowadays that you think we'll look back on with regret?

RT:    We take ourselves much to seriously so I would say our sense of humor.

BMH:    What would you attempt to do if you knew that you could not fail?

RT:    Everything, why limit yourself if you can’t fail.

BMH:    How often do you Google yourself?
RT:    Rarely
 
BMH:    What do you know now that you wished someone had told you ten years ago?

RT:    Life is a growing process.  We learn something new every day.  I don’t believe I could select any single thing.  I need it all.  I have made plenty mistakes and I suppose that is how we grow.  No regrets.  If I know it now that is enough.

BMH:    What advice would you give to a beginning writer?

RT:    Write.  Sit down in front of a key board and write.  Don’t try to select the perfect words, just write and keep writing.  If you are really a writer the rest will come.


BMH:    What childhood event shaped or scarred you the most?

RT:    I was trapped in an isolated cabin during a blizzard and was stuck there for a long time.  Food was limited and conditions were harsh.  I learned to believe in myself.  I learned to follow my instincts.  For a fourteen year old it was a test of my mettle.

 
BMH:    Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

RT:    My Mother and Father when I was young, My Air Force leaders in my formative years and certainly my wife who keeps me grounded in the fundamental things.

 
BMH:    Do you have any pets? If so tell us about them.

RT:    No, no pets.


BMH:    Do you enjoy doing promotion?

RT:    I am a pretty private person so I find the promotional side of writing the hardest part.  If you think about it writing is a private and lonely thing and so I suppose the promotion side is the hardest for most writers.

BMH:    What’s the oddest thing you have ever done to promote your work?

RT:    Since it always seems odd maybe I don’t have an answer for that one.  Nothing has ever really odd happened to me.  I have met some odd people and had some odd questions but no no good answer to that one.


BMH:    What is the strangest fan question/request you’ve ever gotten?

RT:    In a discussion about “ICE” a novel about a female serial killer I was asked if I lived the part of my characters.  Wow!  The answer was a lot of words about how a character was developed and a clear statement that I was not a serial killer nor was I female.


BMH:    Respond to these pairings and tell why you respond the way you do:

a.    Series or stand-alone books?
RT:     Both have merits but generally I prefer stand alone.

b.    Outlines or seat of the pants plotting?
RT:    An outline is essential but it should not be carved in granite.  My characters can take on a life of their own once I get to know them.  When they do they can tend to head in directions not intended in the outline.  The writer has to be strict and never let the characters independence lead the story.  Allow some freedom but maintain the story.

c.    Lots of research or make it all up?
RT:    Research, research, research.  Even when writing about a subject I am familiar with I still research to be sure my memory and facts are on course

d.    Neat or sloppy?
RT:    Always neat.

e.    Carnivore or vegetarian?
RT:    I do like a good steak.
 
BMH:    How have you grown as a writer?

RT:    I am more focused when I write.  I am more disciplined and I have moved away from aviation to some extent.

BMH:     What has gotten better?

RT:    My use of dialog.  I have developed the ability to carry the story with dialog and not depend on excessive amounts of narrative to keep the reader in the loop.

BMH:    What things have you dropped along the way?

RT:    Technical jargon that always requires explanation.
 
BMH:    What helped most in your growth as a writer?

RT:    My writers group, The Word Wizards of Santa Maria.

BMH:    If you could go back in time and ask anyone a question, who would you ask, what would you ask and why do you want to know?

RT:    I would ask Ernest K. Gann how he could do it.  His aviation writings were masterful with all the necessary elements.  This is what makes tight writing that interest a broad spectrum of readers.