Tom Pawlik-author interview and BOOK GIVEAWAY-Beckon

Today I’m interviewing Tom Pawlik author of Beckon.  http://www.tompawlik.com/
I really loved this book and here is my link to the review I did of Beckon. http://thelifeandtimesofwanda.blogspot.com/2012/04/beckon-by-tom-pawlik-review.html

Also after the interview there will be a chance for you to leave a comment to win this fantastic book. Beckon is a very suspenseful, thriller.

Tom, thanks for taking the time to visit us today! I appreciate you answering these few questions. It will be fun to get to know you better. Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm blessed to have a truly wonderful wife and six healthy, terrific children. I've always dreamed of being a writer and began thinking up my own stories at an early age. Unfortunately, I never pursued it as a career for many years so my first novel wasn't publish until I was 42.

I got my first contract in 2007 from Tyndale House as a result of winning the Operation 1st Novel contest put on by Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writer's Guild.

I love to write strange, speculative novels with a touch of creepiness and unusual plot twists. The trick is to be able to do this all within a Christian world view and have something of eternal value to offer the reader. I'm hoping Christian readers will enjoy it enough to come along for the ride.

How long did you write before you were published? 

I started getting serious about writing in 1993 and finished my first novel manuscript in 1997. I tried to get it published for several years through the normal routes but with no luck. I had just about given up when I discovered the Christian Writer's Guild in 2003, and learned about their contest. That entry came in 2nd place in 2004. While I didn't get a contract, I did sign up with a literary agent who helped me shop that book around to other publishers. Also during that time I started working on my second book called VANISH, which I entered in the 2006 contest and won. So it was about 14 years from when I started to seriously pursue getting published, which I hear is pretty typical.

Tell us about Beckon the featured book.

Beckon is a creepy, sci-fi thriller about an ancient Indian legend, a hidden cave system, an unknown species of arthropod and a small town with a secret that ties all those elements together. Thematically, it's about man's inhumanity to man and his insatiable desire for immortality. And it is about what lengths we go to to save someone we love deeply.

Is there any person who has been a strong influence in your writing journey?

C.S. Lewis has been a big inspiration to me as a writer of speculative fiction. But without a doubt, Jerry Jenkins has been the single most influential person to have helped my career. His vision to help Christian authors develop led him to buy theChristian Writer's Guild and come up with the idea for the Operation 1st Novel contest, which got me my first contract. I can't commend the ministry of the CWG enough for all the great work they are doing.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I typically write late at night, after the kids are in bed. I try not to let my writing interfere with my being a father. So needless to say, I'm a bit of a night owl. But the key for me is to write a little each night. I try to shoot for 500-1000 words. That usually gives me 4 months to get a first draft completed.

What are you currently reading?

I've been reading Into The Bermuda Triangle by Gian Quasar as research for a future book.

What are you writing now?

I'm working on my next proposal for Tyndale. Developing some ideas using the Jack Kendrick character from Beckon. I have some very cool directions I'd like to go (sort of Fringe meets The X-Files) but not sure how much they'll like it. Also getting ready for the release of my new ebook novella Recollection which is part of the 7 Hoursanthology coming out this summer.

Thank you once again Tom for spending this time with us. I love your books and look forward to your next one. God bless you and your writing.

Followers Tom Pawlik has agreed to give away one copy of his fantastic book Beckon.

Leave a comment with your name and email address. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

Here are the ways to get extra entries:

~Be or become a follower  +1

~Be or become an email subscriber +1

~Be or become a networked blog follower +1

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org.  ENTRY DEADLINE MAY 5, 2012