Interview with author Bruce Goodwin

This week I had the honor of interviewing Bruce Goodwin. If you’re in the area, you can meet Bruce at an upcoming book signing event! Bruce will be at Cabin Fever Coffee in Defiance, Ohio on Wednesday, May 27th from 3:00 – 6:00 pm. That’s tomorrow! So, mark your calendars, get to Cabin Fever, enjoy some coffee and pick up an autographed copy of Bruce Goodwin’s Four Pistols! You’re not near Defiance, Ohio? No worries, Bruce may be coming to a city near you! Keep tabs on his book signing tour here!

 

Bruce tell us about your novel, Four Pistols.

Four Pistols is an historical fiction based on the JFK assassination over 50 years ago.  Given the number of conspiracy theories out there, I felt that one more would be fun to write about.  There are lots of historical and geographical facts, but there are also many things in the book that are completely inaccurate and devoid of any truth.  The book bounces back and forth from the assassination time period to the present where three recent retirees unwittingly get involved in the conspiracy.  This trio of friends brings a certain element of humor and danger into a very serious event.  

 

Where did you get the idea for the story line?

I had been thinking about doing something regarding the JFK assassination for a long time.  But the story with the friends just happened. 

 

Did your career in politics influence your desire to wrap your story around such an historical event?

No, the fact that I lived through the assassination and subsequent conspiracy theories had more influence.  But I did get to see how power and money influence politics at all levels and throughout all generations.  It was always on my mind as I wrote the book.

 

You also had a career in education. Did working in that field influence your desire to write?

No question.  I was an English major and taught writing for many years prior to becoming a counselor and administrator.  I always wanted to write a novel, but never had time until I retired.  Then it happened—part of my bucket list.

 

How long did you carry the idea for Four Pistols around before getting it down on paper?

Probably for a year.  That’s how I seem to operate.  I don’t write anything down, but it’s constantly on my mind—as was this story.

 

Do you have any crazy writing habits like wearing a special hat or taking breaks to stand on your head?

No, I am a creature of habit so I feel most comfortable when I can settle in and follow the same procedure every time I write.  This typically includes going to town to get a large mocha from the coffee shop, coming home, sitting down with the mocha and my laptop on the comfortable recliner love seat, and look out the window.  It rarely changes—unless I’m traveling.

 

What writing projects are you currently working on?

I’m working on a sequel to Four Pistols tentatively called The Fifth Pistol.  It’s going pretty well so far.

 

Do you have a favorite author or an all-time favorite book?

Hemingway and Shakespeare have always been my favorites.   For Whom the Bell Tolls and the Henriad.

 

What books are on your “waiting to be read” list?

The Fifth Pistol! 

 

Do you believe there are conspirators in the JFK assassination? If so, and if you could sit down with them, what questions would you ask? Or, what would you want to say to them?

I am totally convinced that there were many people of power involved.  My only question would be, “How could you be that evil and did it really benefit you that much?”

 

Four Pistols is the first work of twice-retired Bruce W. Goodwin. Before venturing into the world of writing, Bruce worked for thirty-six years in education as a teacher, a coach, a guidance counselor, and an administrator. After retirement he ran for public office and served six years as a state legislator. He started to write Four Pistols after his final retirement to fulfill a commitment he made to himself years ago as an English major and high school English teacher. He often said that “One day when I finally have time, I will write a book—not a great literary piece, but an entertaining piece using my life experience as a guide and a source for inspiration.” He has accomplished this with his first novel; and now that he has started his writing career, Bruce has no plans to stop. He is currently working on a sequel and has several other creations in mind and plans to continue his literary adventures with his friends.

 

 

Thank you, Bruce!