Thomas Sullivan: HIGH WIRE WALKING ACROSS THE GRAND CANYON, IMAGINARY SHOELACES & AN ANNOUNCEMENT
Happy to be able to offer a job – well, half a job – to any readers who are receptive to same. Here ‘tis. Q&A. You write the questions, I write the answers. Pay is just the same for both of us. Srsly. I am amazed at your feedback, touched by your sharing, daunted by your killer questions, and grateful for your support. Last month’s vignette of my Avatar moment at Elm Creek in particular brought in lots of e-mail world-wide with stories of magic, fate, and romantic destiny. So, as promised, here is Bride of Q&A – Q&A 3. I picked the questions this time based on one of three qualities: either they were things I’m asked repeatedly, are of general interest to writers, or are just plain fascinating and challenging to answer…
Q [Gatlinburg, TN]: When you write a novel how do you prove it’s not slander?
A: First, understand that slander is verbal; libel is print. In either case, the best defense is whether or not what you state is true. Since you are writing fiction, you have another level of protection because you are not claiming it’s true. In nonfiction your purpose in reporting facts must not be to harm someone with malicious intent, whether or not that becomes an unintended consequence of the truth.
Q [Zhirkov, Russian Federation & others]: Why do you shave your head? … [Fontana, California]: Why do you shave your head in the rain?
A: To take a load off my mind. Besides, I am in no danger of being mistaken for a Chia pet, and all-or-none is more my style, so I’d rather prune than preen. As for the rain, you must be referring to the photo some team members took while we were building a church school in the Dominican Republic. When you are in a part of a country where running water is infrequent, keeping an eye to the sky for purposeful plumbing makes sense. However, I do not recommend it for flushing toilets.
Q [Roodepoort, S. Africa]: You wrote about your favorite fiction authors a few months back, do you read nonfiction and who are your favorite nonfiction authors?
A: Again, don’t want to rank order writers who include friends, so I’ll just say that I’m currently reading one fav I’ve never met – Mark Steyn, a political commentator whose savoir-faire, genteel manner, wit and intelligence are every bit in the class of Alastair Cook. Love to read historical, social, political observations from people who come from multiple cultures on either side of the socialism/capitalism divide and can see America objectively. … And, yes, I’m a closet geek who daily combs the Internet for info, including world headlines in translation, the Drudge report for links to news that gets ignored or doesn’t fit the so-called mainstream media’s template/agenda, and especially science sources of every stripe. I read far more nonfiction than fiction and have all my life. And if you ask me to weigh into conversation with social commentary, history, or the oceans of science and philosophy percolating in my thin paper skull, I’ll deny everything I just wrote, unless you want to listen to me for the rest of your life or eternity, whichever comes first. So far, no one has taken me up on the offer, though now and then I get asked why I play dumb. Who’s playing? 
Q [Oak Grove, MN]: Is the waterfall you’ve photographed situated next to a bike path in Maple Grove?
A: Yes. Runs parallel to Elm Creek south of Elm Creek Park. The waterfall isn’t dangerous except for a couple of months a year, but the boulders that appear when t’s drying up can be treacherous. I know a young man who had to be choppered out of there with a head injury.
Q [Oak Grove, MN]: What has caused you the greatest pain in your life?
A: Spectacular. Too intriguing to ignore, too probing to answer without flinching. Should everyone ask themselves this? Well, it’s a question no one would ask unless they had asked it of themselves, so you deserve some kind of candor. Okay. What would be the most painful thing to a romantic idealist who has created multiple paths – paradoxical paths – to follow through life, always keeping the central one as perfect as ideals allow, which of course means it would be impossible in the real world? Would it be first to discover that the central path was – astonishingly – not only possible but that it had become seemingly inevitable (ah, be careful what you wish for) . . . and then to have it founder pointlessly, tragically, in a way that stumbled over surreal perceptions? Kind of like successfully walking barefoot the length of a high wire across the Grand Canyon in pitch black night, then tripping over imaginary shoelaces at sunrise as you stroll blissfully unsuspecting over terra firma on the other side. … Forgive the generalization for an answer, but I don’t think anyone could relate to the rather emotionally spartan specifics of my life anyway. The idea of irony, however, is more likely to match the experiences of others, whether it involves something ideal, extreme commitment, blindsiding perceptions, or all of the above.
Q [Tranca, Philippines]: Why aren’t you writing new books? … [Hampstad, Maryland & many others]: When is your next book coming out?
A: I’ve decided to write to the world one person at a time. Srsly, I know I’ve parlayed carp ‘n’ tuna syndrome ops into an excuse for not working book length, and if procrastination is the thief of time, I’m guilty of grand larceny. But what with the Sullygram newsletters, this column, blogs, blurbs & forewords for other authors, and mucho correspondence, it seems like I’m writing more than ever. And somewhere in that procrastination of novels I decided this was also a great time to reincarnate myself yet again, back into my original literary mainstream. All options are still on the table for me. Like a train moving through freight yards, I just keep getting longer and longer. That said, I’m answering this particular question in order to announce that I’ve come to terms with two different companies this month (on the same day!) to begin bringing out my work, old and new, in e-book, audio and print formats. The first two releases will come out as e-books. And – ta da! – here’s a flash: the first release is – wait for it, wait for it –TODAY! Just hours ago Crossroad Press released my Best Novel Finalist from WorldFantasy Con, THE MARTYRING, in E-book form in time for Christmas. And Tell-Tale Publishing Group will similarly be bringing out BORN BURNING, whose popularity has now pushed it to a 4th English language edition in two decades. At $3.99 the E-publishing debut – which can be downloaded and read in any reader, including on a computer – makes a good stocking stuffer, so count on it, I’ll be most appreciative of anyone putting one or both on their holiday list. Here’s the link where you can get THE MARTYRING now – http://store.crossroadpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=101_22_28&products_id=488 – and it will also be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords in a few days. My webmaster will be updating our website shortly to include all info: www.thomassullivanauthor.com .
And here’s a special offer I think I can keep up with if I prepare ahead of time. If you give THE MARTYRING to someone, let me know and I’ll send them an author’s greeting to go with the e-book on Christmas Day or on whatever holiday you may celebrate. Just email me at mn333mn@earthlink.net and include their name and the email address where you want me to send the greeting. 
Finally, if it walks like a chicken, and talks like a chicken, at my house we call it turkey on Thanksgiving Day, but there are no substitutions for my warmest wishes to you every day of the year! My genuine best to you all! Your thoughts are welcome, your attention valued.
Thomas “Sully” Sullivan
http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com
