Interview with CLINT CONRAD

Author of Terror on the Road

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born in a small town just over the Washington State border in Moscow, Idaho. My father was finishing up his master’s degree at the University of Idaho when I showed up. Yippee! Considering his first teaching job in the mountains of central Idaho paid a whopping hundred dollars a month, I’m sure another mouth to feed was high on everyone’s list of fun things to do. I did enjoy being a “favorite” child.
I now currently hang out in Dundee, Oregon. Unique little town southwest of Portland. Surrounded by vineyards, wineries, tasting rooms, and a few restaurants. Some day revitalization of the downtown area may actually take place – real estate taxes went up, stretch limo’s clog tasting room parking lots. It is a beautiful place & we are blessed to be here.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I don’t believe there is enough space to answer this question. Seriously. The other night while lying in bed, for some strange reason I began to count off the number of different places I’ve lived in my seventy-one years. Fifty. Good grief, that’s not possible you say. Okay, I also counted the several RV parks I stayed in while living in a motorhome and trying to sell my lazer invention to warehouses across the country. Most of my wanderings have taken place after the military, (Vietnam).

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

My wife. She asked if I was a writer, something about the way I phrased things. “No,” I replied. “Well then, you should be,” she answered, and it started there. My first book was terrible, about what was wrong with marriages today in America. It was never published, and is collecting dust somewhere in the garage. While playing with that, I got sidetracked onto something much more to my liking; a thriller based on the battle between angels and demons, good and evil, God and Satan. It was based loosely on a strange visit we had to southern Oregon shortly after we were married. That is the beauty of fiction, when you don’t know something, you can make it up.
My brilliant wife thought it was great. No, she really is brilliant, way smarter than I’ll ever be. Anyway, she began jumping through the hoops of submitting it to publishers. If I had been in charge, it would still be collecting dust along with my first manuscript. She kept at it and finally a Canadian publisher, Friesen Press, agreed to publish it.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My first six books have dealt with the same basic premise, and the seventh seems to be following in the same vein. Strike that. The fifth book, Pulse, deviated a bit from the norm. Different characters and a somewhat different plot, but other than that the other five are similar.

Josh and Amy Sauer, ordinary folks, writers, and all-around good guys, invariably get sucked into situations that are not at all of their choosing. From demonically inspired church (cult) members intent on silencing them, to psycho, drug-dealing neighbors bent on running them off their creek-side property, to Islamic terrorists who are once again on the hunt for Amy, and now her husband. Evil in various forms seems to have a way of finding them. They wish for a quiet life, filled with writing their next novels, catching the next big trout, enjoying a barbeque with friends, and fellowshipping with like-minded Christians. But that does not seem to be possible. Their fast-paced adventures explode across the pages as they take a stand and fight the evil that is just around the next corner.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I would have thought that it would be Christians. However, interestingly enough, Amazon-Kindle makes available to authors the categories of readers that are buying the books, and mine consistently rank highest in occult readership. At first I was kind of shocked at that statistic, then I had to smile. Of course. These books are intended to be read by people who might never think of entering a church doorway.
I think mainly men would be the most likely to connect with these books, however, I am hoping there are some adventurous ladies out there too.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

How easy it is for me to write. I sit down, say a little prayer, and begin. A lot of days I don’t know exactly where I’m going, but I go anyway. For me, I can’t imagine not having a book in the works. After I finish one, and take several weeks off, I find myself at the computer again. Also, I can write anywhere: a picnic table in a remote campground, a kitchen table in an apartment next door to a hooker and her pimp and below a drug manufacturing operation, in a roomful of people and a screaming child, and….you get the idea. I’ve heard that a number of writers have very strict boundaries on where, when, and how they go about writing. I am not one of them. Who knew?
As far as publishing, nothing would surprise me. Thank God, my wife handles that end of things. Somewhere out there I know there is a full-service publisher who does what they say they will do, does not ask for a bundle of money up front, and takes care of all the details that can eat up every waking minute.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Do not be discouraged and keep on writing, it’s what I was meant to do.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Millions! If an author said anything differently, he or she should probably find another line of work.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

The challenge has not been with writing, but with the publishing end of things. Someday the right publisher will come along and my wife will get her life back.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

A) Sitting down at the computer almost every day, except Sunday and Tuesday. I too need a day of rest, and Tuesday is beach day. I set a goal of one page, and am often surprised when my wife informs me lunch is ready and I’m three pages farther along.

B) Publishing: As stated earlier, I am happy to be out of the loop.

C) Marketing: Even though I spent most of my first career in sales and marketing, when it comes to my own books, I must admit it is not possible. I think a friend of mine said it best. (After inventing a laser light guidance system for forklifts, obtaining several patents, and starting my own company, my sales were dismal). My very astute business friend said I was too close to the product and would never succeed without outside help. He was right. I think writers should write books and let others promote them.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My biggest weakness when it comes to writing is research. I am just not geared for digging out the details sometimes relevant to the story. If I can’t remember something, I ask my wife, or more often, make something plausible up. At this stage in my life I have acquired a working knowledge of most things I write about. I like to be accurate & stopping the flow of the story is worse than providing the reader with unnecessary details.

When do you think you will write your next book?

My seventh book “Vacation” has just begun. It’s about the strange & scary things that happened during a trip we took to England last fall. Isn’t Travel great?

Writing again, I am now in a better mood.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

Hybrid publishers.