Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I’m a retired orthopedic surgeon who opted for the “good life” after 33 years of practice in Virginia. I decided to trade in my scalpel for a word processor.

In theory, I’ve been writing for decades, but all of that work has been in the orthopedic field of medicine. I have authored over 40 peer reviews articles, written chapters in orthopedic textbooks, presented at symposiums and instructional courses, but did not start writing for fun until I retired in 2000. Mm first endeavor was an informative yet humorous book, Man’s Unofficial Guide to the Use of His Garage, followed by a collection of short stories, The Comb in the Urinal and other Perplexities of Life, about everyday objects we all see in very unusual places and how they got there. Some stories are fictional but some of the stories actually happened to me.

At the encouragement of family and friends, I published (2016) my non-fiction orthopedic manuscript, THE WAY I SEE IT: A Head-to-Toe Guide to Common Orthopaedic Condtions, a guide for the layperson and orthopedic patients so they could educate themselves to their conditions and be able to converse with their doctors in intelligible manners. There are 90 conditions discussed as well as 80 diagrams/photos/x-rays included. Medical terminology is phonetically spelled and explained in easy to understand language.

What inspired you to write your book?

My first novel, YOU DEAR SWEET MAN (2017), was inspired by a digital photo in a subway car advertisement poster while I was traveling into Washington, DC. It was so vividly clear and almost three dimensional, I thought the woman in the ad would move if I stared at it long enough. Hence, the idea for the book was born. A blue-collar worker is seduced into the unsavory world of advertising by an attractive but evil woman whose alter-ego poses as a model in a most unique subway car ad, becomes his living fantasy, and ultimately defines his destiny.

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I think this book illustrates how easily people can be swayed from their lives and think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

What drew you into this particular genre?

I always loved books and TV shows that were somewhat out of box, made me think, and yet surprised me with the ending.

If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

I would choose Samantha, the antagonist in YOU DEAR SWEET MAN. The question would be, “Sam, why in the world would you use your exceptional extra-sensory abilities for evil rather than good?”

What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I have never been interested in social media until I started writing. I’m still not a fan, but found it necessary to have some platform for myself, my orthopedic guide, and all of my books. I would have to say, Facebook, but as I said, I’m not that enthusiastic about it. I’m not on Twitter and a novice at Instagram. I guess I’m old school to the core.

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Write what comes to your mind and keep writing. Correct all the mistakes later. I found that if trying to write grammatically correct, one loses concentration and tends to grind to a halt quickly. It one of the reasons for “Writer’s Block!”

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I have just finished my second novel, THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 2222, a book I’ve been writing for sixty years, believe it or not. When I was in high school, I wrote this short story about a plane crash and the subsequent trials and tribulations of nine passengers as they endure stresses well beyond one’s imagination leading to physical and mental decline, paranoia, death, sharks, bad weather and open seas pirates. Their subsequent rescue only initiates another trip from which they can never escape.

I finally decided to expand the story that had been in the back of my mind for six decades, and now:

THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 2222 will be launched on July 25, 2018 on Amazon. It should soon be on the Amazon’s pre-order list, and I hope all your readers will read and review it.

Thank you so much for asking me to participate in your blog interview,

Thomas Neviaser