As many manuscripts that have been written, there have been countless others that have not. Many people get the idea or desire to write a book but never get around to it. What keeps someone from writing a book? For author Scott Kimak, discouragement put him off for many years, and boredom rekindled that desire. In fighting against the self-doubt, time-consuming nature, and energy draining effort that it takes to write a book, he came out victorious with that title of “author” that is admirably earned. Below is my author with Scott Kimak about his Kung Fu-based dystopian fiction novel, I Call Him HIM.
About the Author and Book
Name: Scott Kimak
Links:
Book Title: I Call Him HIM
Genres: Dystopian Fiction, Christian Futuristic Fiction
Book Summary
In a post-apocalyptic future, a Kung Fu warrior travels the wastelands on a quest for vengeance. Will his thirst for revenge darken his soul forever? Is a young girl the only one that can save him before it’s too late?
Book Excerpt
I look at my wife, and I see my own reflection in her eyes. I see fear on my face. I see pain. My wife turns to liquid and melts away from my hands. Quickly, I look at my daughter and start to run toward her. Every step is like quicksand, and no matter how hard I try I can’t get any closer.
She opens the shelter door and starts to scream. I feel the pain absorb me. It cuts into my bones and tears my soul away. A path opens to my right drenched in darkness. It calls to me, and I know that if I take it my pain will be gone forever. I also know that if I take it, my memories of my family will be lost forever. I try to fight it, but I can’t endure the pain. I am too weak. I have failed them. I choose the dark path…..
For as far as you could see, the ground around it was blanketed with ash and charcoal. Sometimes the wind would swoop in with all its hatred and churn mini dust devils of death. To look upon it gave you a feeling of raw sorrow. What once gave life to so many souls, was now nothing more than a graveyard without markers. The only tombstone was the tower, standing alone, reaching its claws up into the dark clouds a thousand feet away.
Talking Shop
How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?
39 years. I got the idea for the book in 1980 when I was thirteen years old. I brought the first few pages to my martial arts instructor who I idolized at the time. That was a big mistake. He laughed at it and told me to focus on my training instead.
I never tried to write again until two years ago. I’m a school teacher. So I have the summer off. I was sitting on my couch and couldn’t find anything to watch on the television. I decided to pick up my laptop and started messing around with a few things when the idea came to me. Maybe I should try writing that story I had when I was kid. I started writing and the words just wouldn’t stop coming. I think I wrote for eight straight hours, until my hands were numb. The next day was the same thing, and I just kept going until I eventually finished the book.
If you don’t make a living exclusively writing, what is your day job? How, in any way, does it relate to your life as a writer?
I’m a school teacher, but my real passion is Kung Fu. I have a studio and I’ve been teaching Shaolin and Eagle Claw for thirty-six years. Obviously, if you’ve read the book then you can see how much my Kung Fu training comes into the story. The training is based on my own experiences with my masters and the fighting scenes are actual techniques that I practice.
What do you want readers to take away from your books?
I want my readers to experience an emotional roller coaster when they read my book. I know I sure have. When I write, I become the character. I feel their pain, their love, their laughter, and their fears. You can ask my wife. I’m supposed to be this big tough Kung Fu master, but she’s seen me break down and cry when I’m writing. This book tugs on your strings. I’m showing a possible future, and it’s not pretty. If we let evil win, the world will be a very dark place. I wanted to shock people and show them how scary that can really be. Hopefully, if people read this then they’ll never let it happen.
Name a fact or detail about your story that readers will never know is there.
Many of the flashback scenes are lightly based on actual events from my life. I don’t want to give it away but the corvette scene and the baseball game are partially true.
What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed since then?
I thought it would be like in that movie Field of Dreams – “If I write it, they will come.” I never knew how difficult the marketing side would be. The writing part is easy, but the countless hours trying to get your book out there is horrible. Hopefully this interview will help.
“What If” Scenarios
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
R.A. Salvatore. I’m a huge D&D fan and I love Salvatore’s books. His fighting sequences are incredible.
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
Get the second and third book published. Book two of the trilogy is already finished, and I’m about a third of the way into the final book. I have several other ideas for prequels and spin-offs based on these characters. So, I guess I just keep writing.
You have the means to hire a full time assistant to help you with your writing. What tasks do you give them to do?
That one is easy. Marketing.
You have final say over who reads the audio book version of your story. Who do you choose?
Morgan Freeman. Who else is better than him?
Your favorite character that you’ve written comes to life for one day. What do you do together for 24 hours?
If HIM or Seng Shan come to life then we spend all day training Kung Fu.
Just For Fun
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
My whole life has been dedicated to helping people, either as a school teacher or Kung Fu instructor. Hopefully, my books can help people avoid letting the world slip into evil and give them the faith to hold on during the hardest times.
Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.
Hawaii, and I would to love to see the Great Wall of China.
Food you’d like to win a lifetime supply of.
Blueberry Muffins. It’s my kryptonite.
Your most unrealistic dream job.
Major League baseball player. Never was good enough.
Favorite Halloween costume ever.
Ned Stark from Game of Thrones
Buy it!
Buy a copy of I Call Him HIM here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Pin It!
I think it takes so much commitment and patience to write a book. It sounds very intriguing