I am honored to have on my blog today
Jeffrey G. Roberts
and The Healer
About the Author
Social Media Links:
About the Book
The Healer
by Jeffrey G. Roberts
Paperback, 264 pages
Published January 15th 2014 by Booklocker.com
Imagine you’re a doctor in 2181, on sabbatical on Mars to research the extinct Martians, deep within the titanic Face on Mars. Now imagine – using Martian technology – you’ve traveled to Alaska 168 years in the past to solve a baffling medical mystery. But, before returning home, terrorists have destroyed the only means to return to 2181 Mars. You’re now marooned in 2013! How will you survive – and risk healing the sick – using 22nd century science?
Chatting with the Author
1. Tell us about your book.
This is the premise of THE HEALER: What happens when a 22nd century doctor on sabbatical to Mars, suddenly finds himself – through terrorism – stranded 168 years and 150 million miles from loved ones? He finds himself in a strange & violent world – ours! How will he survive in modern day Anchorage, Alaska? Moreover, how will he heal the sick using 2181 medical technology, without risking exposure of his true identity? Bit while he dreams of someday returning home to his own time, and family, he has no choice; for he is – THE HEALER.
2. When you start writing a book, how do you know if it will be a series, or does that happen as you write?
A little of both; for instance, THE HEALER has a finale that is open-ended, as I originally intended it to be written for episodic TV or a feature film. This may or may not happen, but a sequel is a distinct possibility in the future.
3. Do you keep a notebook by you at all times, just in case an idea comes to mind?
Absolutely; a black & white composition book. And a pad. Many is the time I’ve had a great idea, convinced I’d remember it by the time I got home – then promptly forgot it – obliterated like a shaken Etch-A-Sketch.
4. How do you come up with the names of characters for your books?
If it’s a story with American characters I either simply make them up, or look in the phone book for ideas. If my characters are from another country, I rely on a 1996-1997 edition of The Statesman’s Yearbook, a directory of every country in the world, and the names of the people which make up their government. That gives me a wealth of ideas.
5. What made you want to write a book?
I wanted to create a world that did not exist- but might; characters that were not yet in existence- but could be; and situations that never happened- but someday could. A writer is like a god – creating, destroying, altering, then creating again. I have often wondered, in my over-active imagination, if, when I go to sleep at night, if my characters keep looking at their watches, frozen in time, waiting for the morning- when their creator would breathe life into them once again – to move, to love- to be!
6. Can you share a little of your current work with my readers?
The book I’m currently working on is a horror novel entitled “The Horror on the H.M.S. Cottingly”. It concerns an antique radio from the 1920’s that mysteriously washes onto a New Hampshire beach in 2014 – intact! And soon people around the small town of Rye Beach begin to inexplicably – vanish! Eventually, it al comes down to one radio station engineer to solve the mystery – and prevent hell on Earth!
7. How long did it take to write THE HEALER?
About a year and a half.
8. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
TV and ASMR You Tube videos are cathartic for me, and not only provide much needed relaxation, but are a font of ideas, as well. I also never miss the international evening news. I also read – obviously – being an aviation freak and UFO enthusiast. In addition, I love to travel the state of Arizona, where I live, and practice my photography. I’m also a great lover of music; some of my favorite artists being Enya, Jerry Rafferty, Ray Lynch, John Barry, Owl City, Classical music, and 60’s rock such as The Ventures, Moody Blues, and Yes.
9. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
My advice for aspiring authors is A- have patience, B- develop a thick skin, able to take rejection (something I have to work on daily!), and C- Persistence. A writer once said that, to be successful, an aspiring author should go out and buy all the books on the craft of writing you can, study them all – them throw them in the garbage! Because if you follow their advice to the letter, you know what your book will turn out to be? Bloodless, with no soul, no color, no voice. YOUR voice. YOUR style. How many writers in the past broke myriads of “literary rules”? Writers like Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Bradbury broke many. But in so doing developed their own style, their own recognizable voice. Learn your craft well, but then develop your own voice!
10. If you could recommend one book, which one would it be?
As the young George Washington said, “I cannot tell a lie” – THE HEALER!
11. How do you handle a bad review?
So far, the only bad reviews have come from rejection slips, which EVERY writer gets. I’ve gotten a 3-star review for my book, though the reviewer liked it very much. But I’ve also received 5-star reviews, as well for my book. What to do when you get a bad review? Go in your bathroom, shut the door, put your face in a pillow, and scream obscenities in 4 different languages. Then find the biggest piece of chocolate cream pie, and a glass of cold milk. Works for me!
12. Can you tell us 5 random facts about yourself?
A- I was born in New York City.
B- I moved to Arizona from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 4 years ago.
C- I’m a graduate of Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona, with degrees in writing and American History.
D- I’m a Pisces.
E- I’m a Type “B”.
Thank you for stopping by my blog today to check out this amazing author and his book!
Hope you all have a great day and Happy Reading 
If you are interested in being a part of the Author’s Spotlight ~ Please check out all the details HERE
