Recently I had the priviledge to interview Cal Wilson, a Christian Author of The Camouflaged Cross. This is 'Book 1: Just Run'. Tales of Christian Preppers in the End Times.
When and Why did you decide to become a writer?
A: I am an attorney and writing is a big part of my work life. I have always enjoyed writing and getting my thoughts across, whether it is persuasive or fiction. But this is my first full-fledged fiction book and I really enjoyed writing it.
Who is your favorite author/book?
A: First and foremost, Jesus is the best story-teller with the parables that he told. They are entertaining works of fiction, but of course the parables described in the Bible had a point that He was trying to make. I can imagine that in Heaven, Jesus is a fantastic storyteller, with humor and adventure interspersed throughout His stories. I also like reading the old classic fictional writers like Alexandre Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Verne and Rafael Sabatini. There is a lot to be said about true, action-packed, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure.
What type of books do you usually write and would you consider other types as well?
A: I like prepper books, and I have written one non-fiction prepper book, entitled Dirt Cheap Valuable Prepping, and I now have this fictional prepping book, The Camouflaged Cross, Book 1. I have outlined The Camouflaged Cross, Book 2, and it will be out in a few months. But whether it is fiction or non-fiction, I like sharing my prepping ideas with others. I don’t claim to be the foremost expert on prepping, but I do claim to have some original prepping ideas that I have not seen anywhere else.
Fictional prepping books also appeal to me because as a Christian, I am very interested in the End Times, as predicted in the Bible. The Camouflaged Cross enabled me to combine my prepping ideas and my fascination with biblical end times prophecy.
I have considered writing other action/adventure books in other settings, like with some humor included.
What type of writer are you? What is your writing style?
A: I enjoy sharing my ideas with others, and I try my best not to talk down to anyone. I respect the reader and I hope that my respect comes through. As for my fiction, I love writing action/adventure, and the more realistic it is, the more I enjoy it. For example, not every gunshot is a bull’s eye. A lot of gun shots totally miss the target. Also, after shots are fired at another person, the shock that people feel lasts a long time. I know this not from my own experience, but from my interviewing a couple of military guys for this book. One from the Marines and one from the Army. Also, there are a couple of excellent books out there, like On Killing, that discuss the emotional effects shooting at others has on a person.
I also enjoy developing fictional characters, and having the characters interact with each other. None of my fictional characters are based on a single person I know, but there are certain traits that I have seen in some acquaintances that I add to certain characters.
As a Christian writer, I sometimes write dialogue and circumstances to introduce Christian characters to readers who might be non-Christian. Let’s face it: when a non-Christian thinks of Christians, a lot times they think of certain stereotypes: unfriendly, judgmental, close-minded, unintellectual, and all the rest. And the truth is that while we Christians are far from perfect, we are friendly and smart! I hope that a reader of my books comes to see Christians that way.
What inspires you to write?
A: I like telling a good story, with plot twists that are very unexpected. It seems like every time I see a mainstream Hollywood movie or TV show, I come away thinking that the story could have been so much better presented if only some of the characters were unusual or the plot turned differently.
Something strange about the writing of The Camouflaged Cross book: it seemed as if I wrote all of the action scenes in the middle of the night. I have no idea why. That helicopter attack, for example. I would try writing some of that in the afternoon and what I wrote just didn’t feel right. Then I would return to writing that same scene in the middle of the night, and it just clicked for me. It really flowed! There could be some pop-psychology there to figure out as to why. Who knows.
What other books have you written and what is next on your agenda?
A: I have written one non-fiction prepper book, entitled Dirt Cheap Valuable Prepping, and I now have this fictional prepping book, The Camouflaged Cross, Book 1. I have outlined The Camouflaged Cross, Book 2, and it will be out in a few months.
Do you have another job as well as writing?
A: Yes, I am an attorney. A lot of people don’t know this, but when an attorney goes to court, the attorney actually spends a lot of time sitting and waiting for something to happen. Sometimes I have to sit and wait hours! So being a part-time author is a good fit. I bring my laptop to court and get busy writing. It is especially handy to be in a courthouse that has a great Internet connection, because I can quickly research issues that come up.
Tell me a little about where you grew up and what your childhood was like.
A: I grew up in Texas, and for the summers my parents would send me off to summer camp. I learned a lot of outdoor skills there, like camping, shooting and riding horses. I especially loved hearing the stories of the ranch-hands, and while I took them all with a grain of salt, I really enjoyed hearing tall tales. It seems like I was never bored if I was near an older man who had a lot of life experiences that he was eager to share.
Where is your favorite place to write?
A: Until recently, I would have said that my favorite place to write is just about anywhere quiet, where I could sit down and work with my laptop. But a few weeks ago I checked into a hotel a day earlier than I needed to (I had a family get-together a day later; long story). I spent five hours straight in that hotel room, totally in the zone! So a quiet hotel room is now officially my favorite place to write.
Other than reading books, what is your favorite past time?
A: Our family has some raw land (many acres) out in the country, and it is a blast to go up there and work the land. It is totally quiet with many areas that are unexplored. It is impossible to retain stress from the job while on that property. There are trenches to dig, trees to plant and water, roads to gravel, and on and on. It is good exercise, and it is much cheaper than a gym membership!
What things have you done so far to promote your book?
A: I had a free Kindle promotion for a few days, and I passed the word on Facebook and on Twitter. Also, the usual price of the Camouflaged Cross Kindle book is 99 cents, and I think Amazon does some extra marketing of its own when that is the price. There is a higher royalty percent that goes to Amazon.
Also, I have been invited to participate in podcasts on a couple prepper websites, Today’s Survival, and Prepper Recon. They were fun!
Do you have a blog? What is the link?
A: No blog but I am on Facebook and Twitter as Cal Wilson, Author.
What social media sites are you on?
A: On Twitter, I can be followed at @calwilsonauthor (https://twitter.com/calwilsonauthor) and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008934104563
Book Buy link: http://amzn.com/B00XXBQPJI
Book Description
Have you ever wondered what the true Biblical End Times will look like?
Where society has totally broken down and evil forces are at work, both
worldwide and locally, to take control of what is left? Nuclear bombs smuggled into shipping containers have blown up several
American port cities. Riots have broken out among the hungry survivors.
Train tracks have been sabotaged to cause derailments, municipal water
supplies have been poisoned, ground-to-air missiles have been smuggled
into the country to shoot down passenger airplanes, crop-dusters have
been used to spread disease in crowded cities, and electrical
sub-stations have been attacked to shut down the electrical grid and
make sure that anyone left alive is in the dark. In the face of all this
death and destruction, most of the survivors foolishly try and prepare
for a return to normalcy.
Several Christian prepper families have converged upon an agreed-upon
retreat location to try and survive what is clearly a final break-down
of society, just as was predicted in the Bible. Join Jesse, his wife
Mary, their daughter Melissa, and their prepper friends from church who
have, after years of prepping and stockpiling supplies, are forced to go
to their retreat location in hopes of fighting and surviving all of the
multiple threats to come.
Read an Excerpt here!
