with Cliff Roberts
We are delighted to welcome back author Cliff Roberts to Omnimystery News.
Since our last conversation, Cliff has republished his Nate Nevwas thriller under the title Conch Republic (Keys Publishing; November 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats), and we recently had the chance to catch up with the busy author.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about your new book.
Photo provided courtesy of
Cliff Roberts
Cliff Roberts: It is titled Conch Republic and it is a mystery suspense thriller though it could also be classified as a crime novel.
OMN: It seems very different than your first novel, Reprisal! The Eagle Rises.
CR: Well, I like a lot of different things and as long as it's thrilling and easy quick read I want to read it. So I was interested in a crime mystery and it had to be a thrilling so why not? It's not like any other crime or thriller you'll find.
OMN: Is this a stand-alone or the first in a new series?
CR: Conch Republic is the first in what I call the Nate Nevwas series. I anticipate there will two to three new Nate Nevwas's each year for the at least the next few years. It's a fun story for me to write because I can be playful to a fault.
OMN: Tell us something about the book that isn't mentioned in the synopsis.
CR: Well, let's see. I wrote over a two week period because my grandson wanted to have a character in one of my books name after him. He's name is Nate. It was exciting to have him this year be old enough to read finally and when he was given the chance to write a book report on any book he wanted for school, and he chose Conch Republic. His teacher had to read it first and they approved it so I guess it was too adult oriented for twelve year olds though I don't recommend that you get it for your preteen; it's an adult subject matter book and the language is definitely adult. The story itself is about older guy who is overweight and has a medical disability that he has to overcome in order to get through every day. He's unable to walk very far without resting and he struggles with lots of arthritis pain, but he perseveres. The biggest issue in his life that he has to overcome is a case of terminal curiosity. He just can't keep his nose out of other people's business. Because of that, he finds himself having to fight off hired killers, mobsters, would be pirates, a gang of punks all while explaining himself to the sheriff's department and solving the crime.
OMN: Do you try to structure your books so that they might be easily adapted to film or television?
CR: I don't think I purposely write them with the movies or television in mind but I do try structure them so that each chapter reads quickly almost like scenes in a movie or TV show because I think that' show people are being acclimated now a days. There are few people still alive in our country that can remember when there was television. People have just gotten used to short burst of entertainment and I do try accommodate their short attention span by keeping the story moving along.
OMN: Compare your experience selling Reprisal! The Eagle Rises with Conch Republic.
CR: Reprisal! The Eagle Rises is an action adventure thriller that was released and took right off. Conch Republic was released and started out appearing as though it to was going to be successful and then suddenly stopped selling. It literally stopped selling any copies. I advertised and promoted it heavily for the next two months and at best it sold one or two copies a day. In analyzing what I did differently with Conch Republic compared to Reprisal, I discovered a significant difference. After discussing it with my public relations man Nick Wale, we decided to take a different approach even though we were two months after the release date. It was a gamble because to be honest, I didn't know exactly why things hadn't worked.
We released it and it suddenly took off. It probably would have been a strong mover right from the beginning if I had followed the steps I took with Reprisal to begin with, but I guess you live and learn and hope the learning curve isn't too steep.
OMN: Will you be continuing with the Reprisal series? And when do you anticipate the next book in the series to be released?
CR: I will absolutely be continuing with the Reprisal series. I already have several more Reprisal books waiting in the wings to be edited and released. The next book, due to editing schedules, probably wouldn't be released until late January at the earliest. I am hopeful though that it might get jumped up the edits queue due to a cancelation. No ill will towards anyone, but it's a busy time of year with lots of expenses ahead of me. I'd love to have it for Christmas but I'm not counting on it. The title of the next Reprisal is, Reprisal! The Sorrow. This time the terrorists plan on striking Europe. To say anything else will give way too much away. Though I guess I can say the POV changes in this book and the reader is given whole perspective of the situation.
OMN: Do you have a title and date for the next in the Nate Nevwas series?
CR: I anticipate the second Nate Nevwas story, titled The Good Samaritan: No Deed Goes Unpunished, to be released this coming spring. Again it's an editing thing. My editor can only work so fast. I plan on keeping them very busy this coming year. Nate once more finds his good nature and kind heart lead him into trouble the size of Category 5 hurricane. This story will leave a mark.
OMN: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
CR: The best advice has already been given by Ray Bradbury — "You fail only if you stop writing." I'll add, "You'll never get read if no one knows you've written a book. Promote yourself or perish."
OMN: Finally, create one (or more) Top 5 lists for us.
CR: My top five books — Patriot Games by Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger By Tom Clancy, The Stand by Stephen King, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells and The Watchers by Dean Koontz. But I have dozens more I like just as much.
My top five authors — tough choice here — Tom Clancy, James Paterson (when he writes alone), Clive Cussler, John Grisham and Harlan Coben. But again there a dozen more who like equally as well.
My top five movies — it just gets tougher — Dances with Wolves, The Godfather — though I'm played out on it, Kiss the Girls, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. But this category has an asterisk because my favor Christmas movie I could trade for any one of the top five except Dances with Wolves is It's a Wonderful Life with James Steward and Donna Reed. I have to see it every year at the holidays or it isn't Christmas for me. Having said this it's also important to note I am a huge fan of movies and at one time had a thousand favorite movies stacked on shelves all over my house.
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Cliff Roberts grew up outside Detroit, MI then moved around the country a lot, got married, had a family, worked, got elected, worked and was forced to retire. Once retired, he found he had time to kill, began writing in earnest, and the rest, as they say, is the rest.
For more information about the author, visit his Facebook page.
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Conch Republic
Cliff Roberts
A Nate Nevwas Thriller
With a knack for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, amateur crime fighter and disable writer Nate Nevwas finds himself embroiled in crimes which hs has to solve in order to save himself.
While trying to help two damsels in distress, Nate Nevwas has his life threatened, is attacked by hired killers, attacked by a gang of punks who beat hiim within an inch of his life, has to do battle with pirates on the high seas, fake his own death, and foil a megamillions treasure heist.
The adventure takes Nate from Key West to the Everglades, to the high seas and back again, leaving a trail of dead bodies and ending at a pot full of gold everybody wants.
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