When did you
know you wanted to be a writer?
I always
wanted to be a writer, but didn’t want say I was a writer and not write
anything. This seemed to be the case with a lot of people I knew who called
themselves writers. So it wasn’t until
my mid 30s that I actually began the process and hard work of becoming a
writer. I was a university professor at the time and on sabbatical in Ireland
when I real decided to become a writer. Ireland is magical when it come to the
literary world and I caught the writing bug.
What genre
do you write and why?
Right now I
write true crime. I have had some success with the genre and so it hard to move
on and try another genre. But I love writing about crime. Gangsters are some of
the most fascinating characters I also get a chance to do challenging research.
I am fascinated by why criminals do crime because criminals invariably never
get away with it.
Tell us
about your latest book.
My latest
book, Black Caesar, is about the biggest mystery in organized crime history. In
1973 drug kingpin Frank Matthews jumped bail with $15-20 million and a
beautiful woman and has never been seen again. I mean ‘never,” He has vanished
off the face of the Earth. The investigation of what happened to Matthews was
the biggest in DEA history. Frank Matthews was bigger than life, an amazing
personality and the first big Black drug kingpin in U.S. history. I tell the
story of his life and the incredible investigation that has tried to find him.
What
marketing methods are you using to promote your book?
I used a
variety of methods. Of course, you first start with a web site (www.frankmatthewsbook.com). We have trailer we are putting up on U Tube. I
hired a publicist and she is getting out the word. I’m active on Facebook and
Twitter. I had list of radio shows that have interviewed me in the past and
they are being contacted. I plan to do some book signings in New York City
where Frank Matthews operated. I have run excerpts from the book on crime web
sites like Americanmafia.com and gangstersincom. There are other things I’m
doing as well.
What formats
is the book available in?
It will be
available in print and e-book and we are exploring having an audio book put
out.
What do you
like to do when you're not writing?
Work. Right
now I’m working on my screenwriting part of my screenwriting career. I have
written two screenplays about Frank Matthews that I am marketing. If you love
your career, work can be liberating.
Who are your
favourite authors?
I have
several. I try to learn as much as I can from every author I read. My likes run
the gamut. For starters I like Graham Greene, George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway,
John Carol Oates, Victor Hugo, Eudora Welty, John Le Carre, Fydor Dostoevsky,
and John Grisham.
What advice
do you have for other writers?
Work at it
every day. Writing at its essence is a craft. You may not be able to write like
Graham Greene but with practice you could get good enough to write like
Grisham. Also, a writing career can’t be built in a day or even a year. Give
yourself some time to succeed. And remember-- there is no such thing as
writer’s block, just writer’s problems.
 |
Ron Chepesiuk |
What's your
favourite quote about writing/for writers?
Probably my
original quote above. As soon as an aspiring writer starts talking about
writer’s block, they are setting themselves up for failure. And don’t like
other writers bent on failure put that loser notion in your head.
What's the
best thing about being a writer?
Challenging
yourself. There is nothing harder than sitting in room trying to create. But,
for me, that is what makes life worth living. Life is more about the journey
than the answers, isn’t it?
Where can
people find out more about you and your writing?
Try these
websites: www.ronchepesiuk.com and www.strategicmediabooks.com. I also have
an international radio show on crime and crime authors. Go to www.artistfirst.com/crimebeat.htm
Anything
else you'd like to add?
Thank for
the opportunity and I hope your readers keep on writing.
