Hi Everyone,
Please welcome guest author and fellow retired TWAer, Tom
Hay.
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Bio:
Thomas L. Hay was raised in Clinton , Mo. Lake Waukomis , Mo.
Q.
What made you decide to write a book?
A.
I got bored with retirement. Just
kidding. Most of my life I had dreamt to be an Author. I never could find the
time to fulfill that dream during my day job. But after I retired, time was no
longer an excuse. A subject or plot became my obstacle. To get me motivated, my
wife suggested I write my memoir. “After all,” she said, “you have had an
intriguing life.” Just in case you’re wondering, I didn’t keep any secrets from
her. She is the only one, other than myself, that knows it all.
The more I thought about it the more it
made sense. Now days, seems everyone is writing their memoir. Why not me? When
I pass, they will turn to ashes and evaporate with me. Writing them down would
guarantee that I could live forever and my descendant’s would have a history
book to learn where their idiocy came from. Behold, “The Comeback Kid, The
Memoirs of Thomas L. Hay” was born.
Q.
Tom, has your own life influenced your novels? And if so, how?
A. Well, since
it was my memoir, I would imagine so. My memoirs did inspire the idea for my
second book, “An Abduction Revelation: The Comeback Kid Returns.” After publishing my memoir, it occurred to me
that I could have mysterious phenomenon buried in my subconscious. Shortly
after our divorce, my first wife claimed that we had been abducted (by aliens)
during our marriage. She divorced me because her spirit had persuaded her to
become a vegetarian, fast, and abstain from sexual activity. This melted her
memory blocks instilled by the aliens and exposed some traumatic experiences.
At the time I didn’t believe her. I just assumed she had a fertile imagination.
I was just trying to get my feet back on the ground after the devastating
divorce. I used her alleged abductions as the plot for my second book. It has
my readers wondering, “Is this story real or Tom’s imagination gone wild?” I
have been told that it is a very thought provoking story. The second book may
appear to be a sequel, but it is not. I wrote both books to stand alone.
Q.
What's the hardest part of a novel to
write: Beginning, middle and/or
end? Why?
A. In
the case of my original memoir, the whole book. I suppose the hardest part for
me was to go back and remember everything that had occurred during those 60
some odd years. At this age, the mind tends to wander and lose track of time. I
think that is called ‘senior moments’. I started writing in a big notebook.
After fifty pages, with arrows and after thoughts scribbled everywhere, I had a
complete mess on my hands. My wife again came to my rescue. “It would be much
simpler if you would join the twentieth century Tom, and get a computer.” Reluctantly, I submitted to the idea that she
was probably right. But then the computer and I started having issues right
from the start. We finally came to an agreement that I needed to take a class
to iron out some of those issues. We still have a few now and then, but they
can usually be resolved.
To jog my memory, I would think of songs I’ve heard during my life. A
certain song can remind one of a person, a place, or a time of life event. For
example: “Well, since my baby left me, I
found a new place to dwell. It’s down at the end of lonely street, its
Heartbreak Hotel,” which reminded me of my first divorce. In both books, I
quoted words from the songs that I used to describe the events that happened. It
was a perfect fit and one that you don’t see often in a book.
Once I got my life events recorded, then came the big decision as what
to reveal. I spent many months contemplating that one.
The entire progress was both an invigorating whirlwind of
self-enlightenment and an intense emotional journey. I wanted to capture my
personality in the book, so I used a rollicked conversational writing style. I
told my story, rather than writing it. I must have done a decent job, because
most of my book reviews indicate the reader really enjoyed that style of writing.
Q.
What has surprised you the most about
being a published author?
A. The
amount of work it takes to promote your book. It would help if I could think of
something (within the law) that would make me famous and get my name
recognized. There are around 10,000 different books published each month. That’s
a lot of competition.
Q.
Do you have a favorite author?
A.
The author’s who write memoirs, especially
Here are a few fun questions:
Q.
What did you want to be when you grew
up at the ages of 6, 13 and 24?
A. At
6, a professional baseball player. At 13, a professional baseball player. At
24, a professional baseball player. At 40 (I’ve thrown that one in), wishing I
was a retired professional baseball player.
Q.
What is your favorite color?
A. Red,
always has been and always will be. It is the color of my favorite baseball
team, the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s also the color of the blood that keeps my
heart beating.
Q.
If you could be anywhere in the world,
where would it be?
A. In
the future. I would like to go back home someday. Although I was raised in
Q.
Do you have a bucket list of things you
would like to do?
A. 1. Make the
New York Times Best Sellers list. 2. I would like to follow the Cardinals one
season to visit every major league baseball stadium in 
BLURB:
“While visiting Stonehenge , I
felt that tingling sensation again. It was the same feeling I had while
visiting the Pyramids and the same as the night of my freak auto accident.”
You can find plenty more in a
five-part series I wrote: “Who are the Abductors - The Search for an Answer.”
The series is blurbs and excerpts from both books and on my website: www.thomaslhay.com
For those who live locally, Sun Fresh, in Platte Woods,
has paperback copies of both books.
Thanks, Sandy
Thanks for being here, Tom. We've enjoyed getting to know you
better. Everyone, have a great week, and
I'll see you again next weekend.
Sandra K. Marshall, author at
Eirelander Publishing
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com
