Monday, January 14, 2019

BLOG TOUR & INTERVIEW: ROB KAUFMAN & A BROKEN REALITY



As a child, Rob Kaufman was always fascinated by the stories recited by those around him and the words used to tell them. As he got older, his need to tell his own stories grew, as did his ability to share them in exciting and captivating ways.

However, he wanted to share more than just stories. His primary desire was to create characters with whom people could relate, while at the same time bringing them through a journey from which most would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down in their heart of hearts, they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from every day events.

Rob’s second book “One Last Lie" continues to receive great praise and is selling well in both electronic and paperback formats. His current book, “A Broken Reality” is much darker than his first, with characters who hold bits and pieces of strangers he’s known, friends he’s had and personal tragedy he’s lived through.

“This book hits home for me,” says Rob. “There were a few pages that made me laugh out loud as I wrote them... and many that made me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of this book are experiencing the same emotions.”

Through social and other media, Rob hopes to get “A Broken Reality” into the hands of millions, so that they, too, can experience the ups, downs, twists, turns and final tragedy that has helped make this book a Five-Star contender.
Website Address: www.AuthorRobKaufman.com
Twitter Address: @RobKaufmanCT




Title: A BROKEN REALITY
Author: Rob Kaufman
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 320
Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Psychological Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

On a fateful night in the dead of winter, an unimaginable tragedy changes the lives of two families forever. How will they manage to deal with reality while stopping the sociopath who is pushing them toward the edge of sanity?

Ten-year-old, Danny Madsen, has been missing for four days when Jesse Carlton begins his own search for his godson on a frigid, snowy night. Driving along a deserted rural road, Jesse hits a stretch of black ice at the same time Danny appears from the thicket. Unable to control the car, Jesse slams into the boy and watches helplessly as Danny's body flies back into the dark brush.

When Jesse regains consciousness, he has no recollection of how he and his car wound up in a ditch. However, there's a witness: Charles Hastings, the sociopathic kidnapper who chased Danny through the brush and into the path of Jesse's car.

Hastings takes this chance to set up Jesse so he'll take the fall for both Danny's disappearance and death. And so the mind games begin--an onslaught of psychological manipulation that devastates Jesse, his wife, Danny's parents and the cops' investigation. Inexplicably, the torment continues even after the primary suspect is killed and the rollercoaster of emotions and confusion seems never-ending until the final and devastating truth is revealed.

If you like gripping, suspenseful page-turners that keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, this is a must read!



Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m reading or watching movies to help me come up with new ideas so I can start writing again. I also have a small marketing company, so most of my time is spent creating concepts and writing online content for my clients. Hmmm… seems I’m always writing in one form or another. However, the fiction writing is the most exciting for me.

When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was in second grade and learned how to spell out words. I can remember writing as much as I could figure out at the time on big sheets of paper (very large letters) and stapling them together to create a book. In fifth grade I was the editor of our school newspaper which was read by 3 teachers and my four friends. I should’ve known back then how tough the writing business would be. J

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

The most pivotal point of my writing life/career was when I started to receive four and five star reviews for my books. Then I’d read the reviews in which people would “hate” a character (which was my intent) or cry for another. When I realized that others actually enjoyed my work and “felt what I felt” as I wrote it, something inside made me want to share more of what I had to give. So I kept writing books!

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

I’m not a big travel person. However, I love Arizona and New Mexico. There’s something about the desert; its silence and vastness, that brings my head to a new and different place every time I visit. It’s so peaceful that ideas flow more easily – especially when I’m not surrounded by phones, email and texts. So if I could travel and start writing, I’d go to the Southwest and surround myself with desert, red rock and sky.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

I’d sneak in one extra hour of Candy Crush… one extra hour of Word Chums… and two extra hours of writing my next book. Wow. I think it’s time to get a life.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

I’ve always lived in New England and writing books set in that location seems to work for me. I’m comfortable here and so are my characters. Plus, there are people in this area from all over the country and the world, so most readers can relate to the majority of my characters.



Back to your present book, A Broken Reality, how did you publish it?

I self-published A Broken Reality and am now in the midst of launching and marketing. It is much more difficult than I thought. However, I won’t give up. I never do.

In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?

I did a lot of Internet research because I don’t live in the location where the story takes place. I’ve visited the area quite a few times (Rockland, Hingham and Boston Massachusetts), but didn’t know the venue details. For instance, a big part of the story revolves around a giant forest/conservation land. I had to use Google Maps to find where that would be and imagine myself there. So basically, I did more mind travel than physical travel for my research.

Why was writing A Broken Reality so important to you?

There’s quite a variety of emotions people wade through in A Broken Reality. I felt it important for people to understand the angst of parents who lose a child to kidnapping, but also how guilt can make a mind snap in ways most would never consider. Of course, I also wanted people to get inside the mind of a sociopath. This way they won’t be overwhelmed with surprise if they see their “trusted” neighbor arrested and shown on the six o’clock news. Unfortunately, even the people we think are the most sane have issues we know nothing about.

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is?

I get my best ideas from life… from family, friends and news stories I read. People always have problems and when I hear their problems, my mind always takes them to the next level. I live in the world of “what if”. In real life, that leads to anxiety, something I deal with on a daily basis. However, if my writing life, it works wonders because I can take a typical problem and say, “well, what if this happened and then what if she did this and what if he was forced to…” Well, you get the drift. “What ifs” bring me down the path to great stories and characters who my readers end up loving (or hating).

Any final words?

I sincerely encourage readers of my work to review it – whether it’s positive or negative. I like and need to hear what people think in order to refine my craft and make the next book better. I like positive reviews to be posted (like all authors) and would love to hear negative thoughts or constructive criticism via email. Anyone can write me at Rob@AuthorRobKaufman.com. I’m always willing to listen. It’s the only way to become the best at what I do.

No comments:

Post a Comment