William Manchee is an attorney by trade and practices law in Dallas with his son Jim. Originally from southern California, he lives now in Plano, Texas with his wife Janet of some 41 years. Manchee discovered his passion for writing late in life at age forty-eight and has vowed to write a novel every year for the rest of his life. So far he is on schedule as Tarizon: Conquest Earth is his seventeenth published novel. He is the author of the nine volume Stan Turner Mystery series inspired by many actual cases from his past. His other works include Death Pact, Plastic Gods, and a nonfiction book called Yes, We're Open, Defending the Small Business Under Siege which has been published in eight foreign countries as well as the United States.
Could you tell us a little bit about
yourself?
About fifteen years ago I was a burnt-out attorney going through a
mid-life crisis. My health was poor, I was overweight and with four
kids and three in college there wasn't enough money to go
around. This type of mid-life crisis wasn't unusual for
attorneys where extreme pressure and stress was part of the job. I
had seen many of my colleagues handle this stage in their life with drugs and
alcohol with tragic results, so I was determined not to let that
happened to me. But I needed some way to escape from all my
seemingly insurmountable problems. I saw a lot of my friends turn to golf
which was fun to play, but the expense, time investment, and crowded
golf courses turned me off pretty quickly. Then one
day a client came in for some legal work who turned out to
be a romance writer. I had always been fascinated by movies, TV drama, and
story-telling in general so I picked her brain about her profession. Talking to
her at length got me to thinking that maybe I could write a book. Like everyone
else I'd had a story bouncing around in my head for years, so one day after
being inspired by a viewing of the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, I finally
sat down and started to write. It was ugly at first, but even so, I found it
very therapeutic and engrossing. I stopped midway into my first novel realizing
I didn't know what I was doing and started reading books about creative
writing, editing, and going to seminars. When I started writing again it all
came together and I was hooked.
Describe
your book ‘Tarizon: Conquest Earth’ in 30 words or less.
Leek Lanzia, after fulfilling a prophecy that
an Earthchild would lead a revolt against a despot who had enslaved the people
of Tarizon, returns to Earth to save the planet.
What was the hardest part of writing
your book?
For me the hardest part about writing a book is editing it after the
first draft is done. I love to write the first draft but once it's done I lose
interest in it and want to move on to the next project. Editing and
proof-reading is tedious and I hate it. Consequently, I usually hire proof
readers to do that work which hasn't always worked out too well.
What books have had the greatest
influence on you?
Books by Earl Stanley Gardner, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Stephen King,
Sidney Sheldon, Robert A. Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Jack Campbell, Peter F.
Hamilton and R.R.R. Tolkien.
Briefly share with us what you do to
market your book?
Book signings have been the major thrust of my marketing. I
have made over 600 appearances in 48 states.
How do you spend your time when you
are not writing?
I'm a consumer lawyers and
practice law with my son Jim here in Dallas.
What are you working on next?
I'm back working on the Tarizon Saga. My current project is Shroud of
Doom, a prequel to the Tarizon Trilogy. It's the story of the super volcanic
eruptions that nearly destroy Tarizon before the Civil War and
chronicles the rising conflict between the Purists and the Loyalists.
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