This is the conclusion of my interview with Jaymes E. Terry, author of Tribes of Time.
What new doors has your writing opened up for you? Were there any opportunities that you had never considered before?
Right now I’m still knocking on those doors of opportunity, and hopefully someone will answer or discover what I have to offer. It could just be a father’s love, but I believe Tribes of Time has potential and hopefully finds itself in the right hands to make that happen.
Do you ever get bored with what you are writing? If you do, how did you get past that point?
I can’t say that I’ve gotten bored with what I’ve written, but there have been time that I got upset and had to step away to calm down, especially when dealing with the character of Sheriff Hutchison. To get past the anger so I could continue I would play dominoes on my iphone.
What is your favorite genre in which to write?
I’d have to say my favorite genre would be historical or general fiction. My fact base is centered there, and it’s easy for me to write from experience. I’ve tried my hand at other genres but only for my personal enjoyment.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I’m a war buff, so I tend to read true accounts from Viet Nam or World War II era. I occasionally will read police procedurals, but since I am a cop it’s like taking work home with me, which I make every attempt not to do.
How do you manage to balance your time between family, friends and writing?
That’s an easy question. I only write when it doesn’t interfere with my family life or diminish the quality of my relationships due to me being an absentee friend.
Have your careers influenced your writing? If so, how?
To a certain extent they have, but not enough to the point where it’s an obvious conclusion. We all take some aspect of our careers with us into our daily lives. It definitely helps that I’ve had a diverse work history to draw from though.
If you could spend one hour with just one person, dead or alive, whom would you choose? Why?
That’s a tough question! I could be selfish and say my mother or father, but some things in life are larger than us. So, I would have to say hands down it would be Pope Nicholas V. Why did I choose him? It was his Papal Bull Dictum of 1452 (Dum Diversas) that declared Africans Saracens (Non-Human), and they could be enslaved to perpetual slavery. He also authorized Alfonso V of Portugal to begin the transatlantic slave trade that caused the death of 20 million in the Middle Passage and another 4-6 million during bondage. I would want to know his reasoning, since it was the Moors (blacks) who helped build Portugal’s shipping prowess before being kicked out of the country in the Moor Wars. Neither Portugal nor the Vatican has issued an official apology for that tragedy that lasted from 1452-1880. That would be a conversation I would relish.
Do you have any advice for writers who are striving to be published?
I would have to tell them to develop thick skin. You’ll experience periods of discouragement from all of the rejection letters from publishing houses for various reasons. Keep plugging away, because it only takes one yes to erase the sting of rejection. If writing is your true passion, the “no’s” are only catalysts for perseverance and or change.
