Thursday, October 17, 2013

Cover Reveal: Dinner Thieves by Sidney Moore

Today, we are doing a cover reveal for author Sidney Moore whose book releases tomorrow, Friday, October 18th.  Sidney came to my attention via Twitter (only my favorite social media outlet) where we was a brand newbie with less than 150 followers.  Since I believe in the pay it forward concept, without further ado, please read on to find out more about Sidney Moore and his new book Dinner Thieves.



Dinner Thieves synopsis:

Dinner Thieves, the first in "The Forlorn Hope" series, takes you on a high speed race through the streets of Portsmouth and Norfolk, VA during the height of the drug wars that devastated the area. Follow Malik as he tries to balance being a son, a student, and a survivalist as he goes against all odds to make it out of his hellish surroundings and forge a better life for his mother, his friends, and himself.




NB: Tell us about yourself.
SM: Well, my name is Sidney Moore, and I’m a novelist by nature who happens to be a freelance writer to pay the bills. I have done a lot of journalism for The Tidewater News (newspaper) and Western Tidewater Living (magazine). I am on the verge of 30, actually next month. Hooray for me! I’m from Portsmouth, VA and have been some of everywhere in the world in regards to traveling. I love live music, indie films, running, and good whiskey.


NB: How, if at all, has your upbringing influenced your writing?  
SM: I was raised in a household that had a lot going on and much of nothing at the same time, but my mother was always a big reader. She pushed that on me heavy. Then being where I’m from, Portsmouth, VA, and being so interested in what was going on, which was crime, it shaped my writing heavily. It created the underworld understanding that my characters convey to the reader. Instead of reading what they did the reader has the opportunity to learn why they did it.

NB: How long have you been writing? 
SM: I’ve been pushing the pen since grade school, but actually pursuing it as a craft that began in 10th grade. I have to credit my English teacher, Ms. McGhee for convincing to take her creative writing class. I guess she saw what I didn’t at the time. I took a break from writing literature for a few years and got back into it about 7 years ago.

NB: How much of the book is based on real events?
SM: A lot of it is.  In 1995 Portsmouth, VA was labeled the “Heroin Capital of the East Coast” by the DEA, and it was 5th in the country for homicides. I’m a preteen watching all of this unfold in front of my eyes. Though the book is fiction, the events are some of the kind that was taking place during that time period. It was a real dog eat dog life then. My mom didn’t even like me leaving my side of the neighborhood then. Guess I didn’t listen. Lol.

NB: How important do you think villains are in a story?
SM: Very very very very important. In order for a story to grasp a person there has to be some element of struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist. Whether it’s internal or external, man versus man, man versus element, or man versus himself, it has to be there. If not, it’ll make for a very boring read. Besides, who wants to read about everything going right in a story? Not me.
 
NB: How do you deal with rejection letters? 
SM: I look at it like this. First of all, you should make sure you know what you’re doing and have prepared things properly before submitting. Then you have to understand that rejections letters are based upon a person’s opinion. The way I feel about opinions is this, opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and sometimes they stink. Just keep pushing the pen.

NB: What are your current writing projects now?
SM: I’m getting Crystal Kings together for print. It’s about a few military vets that returned from the war and had nothing going for them and these guys who are looking for the easy come up after taking a couple of losses. So after a few white-collar crimes the vets decide to get into the crystal meth market. When they get robbed for a heavy load and some money, they leave a sea of bodies in their wake as they track down the drugs, money, and the people responsible.

NB: Do you have any advice for other writers?
SM: Just write. That’s the easiest thing to do that leads to better things. Write down your ideas, thoughts, and what you see. Remember this. You have to writer crappy work before you can start doing good and excellent work. That’s why there’s these wonderful things called editing and rough drafts. But the first thing you have to do is put it on paper.

NB: What projects can we expect from you in the future?
SM: I’m the process of getting a treatment together for a short film that some friends and I will be trying to send to a film festival. I also want to do some writing for television, but my heart is in the literary world.

NB: What do you believe contributes to making a writer successful?
SM: Being very attentive to everything going on around you. Some like to say they are on the outside looking in or on the inside looking out. I like to say you need to be on the inside looking all around and remembering everything. The gold is in the details.

NB: What do you do to unwind and relax?
SM: I like to watch movies, go to concerts and festivals, read, exercise and sometimes have a drink and think. More than anything, I love to travel around the country and the world and immerse myself in other cultures. I seem to be at peace amongst a lot of confusion, as long as I’m anonymous.


Where can readers find you?



Where can readers purchase your books?   

My novel, Dinner Thieves, can be found on Amazon.com as well as BarnesandNoble.com.  
 I should have everything situated for the Apple Store by the weekend but no later than next week.

7 comments:

  1. Great interview. It is really intersting to see what shapes a writers imagiination.

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    1. It's crazy because I've always had a wild imagination and the ability to pay attention to detail.

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  2. Hi Joy! Isn't it?? When I first 'met' Sidney online I knew his story would be compelling. As the interview unfolded it was clear that this author has a lot to say. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. thanks for sharing this. its so very interesting and i learn a lot. keep posting more
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