Eric Wilson Interview

Q: Eric, from what I understand, your break into the world of fiction was unique; something you could almost call “every book reviewer’s” dream. Could you share a bit of that with us?

It was a crazy thing. Seven years ago, I started reviewing books on Amazon to promote great novels in general, and to challenge the quality of Christian fiction in particular. Along the way, my reviews caught the eye of an established agent. He saw in my bio that I was working on a novel and he asked to see what I’d written. I’d already received form rejections from seventeen publishers by sending out stuff on my own, so I agreed to work with him-after making sure he wasn’t a scam artist, of course. The next year, we signed a two-book contract with Random House.

Q: I see in your bio that you spent time in Europe when the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain still existed. What was that like, taking Bibles to different parts of the world?

I’ve always had a streak of mischief, so it was exciting to use that personality trait in a positive way, “sneaking” God’s Word into countries that refused to give religious freedom to their citizens. In the New Testament, the authorities told the Apostle Paul to stop preaching in public, but he continued to do so and ended up in prison. Though I was never arrested, I do have some wild stories to tell. When you’re facing border guards with machine guns, you realize how much your reliance is on the Lord and nothing else.

Q: I recently read Tricia Goyer’s Generation Next Parenting – a wonderful devotional – and I was impressed with how honest she was about her shortcomings and failings. As a writer, you’ve never been shy about sharing what you believe are your mistakes and faults. How important do you think this trait is not only in a writer, but especially a Christian writer?

First, I have to say that I love Tricia’s novels, and her parenting book is great. I think any healthy relationship is based on honesty. As an author, I’m entering into a relationship with my readers. I don’t want to dump all my junk on them, but I do want to engage them with characters that are believable and relatable. We’re often taught lofty Christian principles, but many of us struggle with how to apply them in our jobs, schools, and families. I hope to capture some of that struggle in my novels.

Q: I’m always intrigued when I read an author’s bio, and see a wide range of vocational experiences – usually those authors seem to have a better handle on characters and life, simply because they’ve seen so many sides of it. How big a part has all your life experiences played in developing your stories?

I’m really a hack. I’m no expert on anything, but my broad range of jobs has introduced me to all sorts of characters and taught me a little bit about a lot of things. From Bible-smuggling and youth pastoring, to serving espresso and engraving tombstones, my experiences have provided fodder for my stories. The biggest thing is to listen to others, to understand the motivations of the human heart. That’s what I hope to capture in my characters.

Q: Here’s a question I’ve spent a long time considering myself – book reviews. As readers, what are our responsibilities when writing a book review? How much weight should folks give our opinions, anyway? Not to make this a multi-tiered question: but do we book reviewers offer only our opinions, or do we have some sort of authority, too?

For too long in the Christian genre, we’ve done a disservice to writers-by giving lazy critiques and insincere pats on the back. We’ve also lost our credibility with many readers-by cheering loudly about poorly written novels. Most often, fiction readers buy books based on other readers’ recommendations. With that in mind, reviewers have a great responsibility. Their greatest authority comes from being a fellow reader. A review should encapsulate the book’s idea without giving things away. It should give constructive criticism, without any bitterness or personal axes to grind. And it should promote great storytelling. When someone plunks down hard-earned money for a book, it should be based on honest reviews not glib applause.

Q: Aramis Black was a great character – refreshingly human, wounds, scars, warts and all.  Without giving too much away, what’s in store for Aramis in Shred of Truth, and possibly beyond?

In A Shred of Truth, Aramis struggles to be free of his sordid past and to mature beyond his fumbling ways with women. His violent history comes rushing to the surface again when an unknown enemy starts toying with him, using threats and family secrets to push Aramis’ buttons. His decision to embrace the truth will cut him to the core-bringing hope and love, or sinking him even deeper into a pit of bitterness. I think this is my best book yet. I can’t wait for it to get out into readers’ hands.  If it does well, it may open the door to a third book which I have plotted already.

Q: What do you think of the current changes in the book world? More and more, you see authors with their own websites, myspaces, blogs, joining blog tours, that sort of thing. How big a role do you see the Internet and other forms of electronic media playing in author promotion and book marketing? Do you think it’s essential for authors today to know more than just writing – that they have to know how to utilize different forms of media to promote themselves as well?

Boy, I wrestle with this issue all the time. I haven’t seen much impact in my book sales from emails, blogs, website contests, and myspace pages. Yes, the Internet has given me greater feedback from readers, but I don’t know that it’s done much to help me find new readers. In looking at other writers I know, I haven’t seen a direct correlation between self-promotion and sales. Ted Dekker didn’t even have a website till his third or fourth book. Chris Well, on the other hand, is an online guru, but his books haven’t yet found the larger audience they deserve. It’s a mystery to me. I wish I knew the secret.

Q: I’ve seen other places where you’ve mentioned that writing is something you’ve wanted to do your whole life. (As some who’s enjoyed reading and writing since the 8th grade, I sympathize with your humorous disdain for folks who just sort of “decide to write” halfway through life. Sickening.) When did you have that “aha!” moment when you realized you were working on something that was publishable?

Never. Apparently, I’m a self-deluded fool who stumbles along and hits upon the right thing now and then by refusing to give up. Which means I’m also hard-headed. Back in tenth grade I thought I’d written publishable stuff. I still think some of my best ideas are the ones that have been turned down by publishers. Being a sensitive artistic type, my emotions are on a roller-coaster most of the time. I start each day reading my Bible and asking the Lord to help me keep my priorities in line, otherwise the publishing industry would grind me down.

Q: I admire the fact that you have a list of recommended books on your website; it echoes Stephen King’s sentiments in On Writing that a writer must be an ardent reader as well.  Who would you count as your greatest literary influences?

Reading is the fuel for my writing fire. I want to pass on the joy that books have brought to me. My influences have come in stages. From ages 6-12: C.S. Lewis, John Christopher. 13-18: Robert Ludlum, Harper Lee, Alistair MacLean, S.E. Hinton. 19-30: Bodie Thoene, J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis (again). 31-40: James Lee Burke, Harlan Coben, Anne Lamott. If I ever capture a tidbit of Ludlum’s suspense, Lewis’ depth, Burke’s atmosphere, Coben’s plotting, and Lamott’s heart-shredding honesty, I’ll be satisfied.

Q: When you get into the car, what CD do you pop into the radio?

I’m a rocker at heart. While I enjoy some solo piano or classical, and I love blues (especially live), I usually choose anything between Coldplay and Demon Hunter. Some of my current favorites are Audioslave, Flyleaf, As Cities Burn, U2, and Evanescence. The new Switchfoot (Oh! Gravity) has grown on me, and is now one of my favorites.

Q: You’re at Hollywood Video – what’s up for movie night?

I’m a Netflix guy, actually. But if my wife and I have the night alone, we’ll watch something funny (“Fun with Dick and Jane”) or romantic (“Serendipity”). We also like indie films (“Crash” and “Pieces of April”). If it’s a night with our teen daughters, we’ll watch something more suitable for the family (“The Devil Wears Prada” or “Freedom Writers”).

Q: If you’re into these: two favorite comic book characters of all time?

Not a big comic book reader, but in the movies I love Spiderman (can’t wait for the third one) and Batman (with Christian Bale). I don’t care what anyone else thought, I also loved Superman Returns.

Q: Because we both share an affinity for Dean Koontz’s works, this seems an appropriate question: I’ve heard many people refer to him as a “Christian Author”, and though his works portray a consistent fascination with the spiritual and supernatural, I’ve never really read him as purely Christian  – however, in my mind he represents what every Christian author could  be – a  Christian who writes compelling fiction making us “dive deep” – if I could rip off Ted Dekker  for a moment. What do you think about that – that Dean Koontz is what we Christian writers could be”?

Koontz expresses many beliefs consistent with a biblical worldview, but he doesn’t try to force them into a Christian box. I think it’s ironic that we as believers often latch onto the spiritual aspects of “stars” and their work, while shooting down fellow believers who push the envelope within distinctly Christian contexts. Ted Dekker, for example, should be applauded for his use of “parable” storytelling, but many believers have lost the ability to understand parables (sort of like in Jesus’ day). Koontz isn’t really doing anything much different than Ted or Melanie Wells or T.L. Hines or I would write. The main thing is that he has an established audience, his artistry is not restricted by what Christian bookstore distributors think, and…he’s a great writer. With a continued growth in quality and maturity, Christian novelists can do everything Koontz is doing. I believe that.

Q:  What do you think of the recent trend of secular publishing houses buying Christian houses, and creating separate Christian subdivisions out of them?   Do you think this will have a positive or negative effect on the CBA (Christian Bookseller Association)?

From the days of Dostoevsky to Lewis to Tolkien to Koontz, writers have sold spiritually deep novels in the secular market. When did we decide to hide our lamps under a bushel? I’m still trying to figure that out. Traditional inspirational fiction will continue to have its niche, but if we want to reach anyone outside of the church bubble, we’ll have to think on a larger scale. Koontz, as we mentioned, is proof that biblical themes can be explored in today’s fiction. I believe we need to become skillful artists again, in the image of the Creator, and “go into all the world.” I have a long ways to go myself, but that’s my goal.

Q:  Did you see Thr3e yet? What did you think? What do you think of Fox’s new division, Fox Faith, and what this could mean for Christian entertainment?

I waited too long, and the movie’s left the theaters in my area. I’m thrilled that Thr3e became a movie, and I think it’s a positive sign for the direction movies can go. Again, I think we can explore faith in so many creative ways-ways that will not limit our movies and distribution. There are many movies touching on biblical themes. When we stamp a sermon on at the end, it weakens the message by doing all the viewers’ thinking for them. I say, stir viewers’ spiritual hunger instead of force-feeding them what we want them to believe. If we can get people in this generation to personally seek God again, we will have accomplished a miracle. U2 has done that very thing in the music realm.

Q: To all the aspiring writers and hard working book reviewers everywhere, what advice do you have?

Learn your craft (through books, writers’ retreats, etc), while striving for honesty and integrity. Stay true to your family and financial commitments. Then, with a very thick skin, step out and refuse to give up. You’ll face lots of pain. You’ll be knocked down. You’ll question yourself and your talents. In the end, God may use your hard work to bless those who read your words in a church bulletin, the local newspaper, online reviews, or bestselling novels. You can’t get too worried about the results or you’ll drive yourself crazy.

Q:  And finally, the “fun” question: Hollywood has come knocking, and wants to make a movie of Best of Evil. Who would you pick to play the characters?

I think it would be fun to see who others thought fit the parts. Off the top of my head, though, here’s the cast I’d come up with, as much for the acting ability as for the right look:

Aramis Black-Joaquin Phoenix
Johnny Ray Black-Josh Lucas
Brianne Douglas-Rachel McAdams
Samantha Rosewood-Reese Witherspoon
Detective Meade-Don Cheadle
Freddy C-Christopher Walken

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You came up with some great questions.