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| Vikki and Larry Eley |
An Interview with Ohio Author Larry
Eley
Larry Eley is the co-author of Mifflin Drift (Reedy Press, 2022), an engaging story about “fifteen-year-old Larry who never wanted to
leave the calm of his grandparent’s farm, but now he’s in Northglen, Ohio
living in a snug home with his mom and boozy stepfather, E.A. Darnell. The high
school is run with an iron fist by groups called the Rat Pack and the Gents.
The neighborhood is packed with weirdos. On top of that, E.A. has a habit of
losing jobs, including the one that brought them here. When he comes home drunk
one night and tells Larry to get out, he’s half tempted to do it. But Larry is
soon adopted by a gang of local toughs that roam the woods beyond the stream
that locals call Sewer Creek, throwing cherry bombs at skinny dippers and
sneaking into the drive-in theater. Complicating Larry’s love life is Kathy, a
member of the Rat Pack who’d love to date a baseball player if her Hollywood
mother would sign on. Then there’s Lynn, the gutsy charmer he can’t forget, but
who refuses to even tell Larry where she lives. Mifflin Drift is about eight
friends in pre-Vietnam America and how they grew up―despite their best efforts
not to.”
Welcome, Larry!
GM: What is the premise for your book?
LE: Mifflin Drift is a
humorous look at growing up in a dysfunctional home in the 60's, focusing on my
first two years in a new high school with emphasis on friends, adventures and
first loves.
GM: Who is your target audience/niche
market?
LE: Our book appeals to all ages.
Our publisher has targeted the Young Adult audience and we have also found Baby
Boomers especially enjoyed the book.
GM: What would you like readers to
take away from your story?
LE: I would like the story to
take reader's back to their high school days, friends and adventures. It
is always the hope that readers will "find themselves" in
one of the characters and "live" the story through that character. For
younger readers, I hope to give them a glimpse of life in the4 60's before
electronic devices & games, the internet, facebook, TikTok etc.
GM: Describe your creative space and
where you like to write...
LE: I have an hour commute to
and from work each day. I use that time "talk out" the story and then
put my thoughts on the computer when I get home.
GM: What are you currently reading?
LE: I have a stack of books
purchased from other authors I have met at Book Fairs waiting to be read. I
especially like books related to the military and/or civil war history. I am in
between books at the moment...
GM: What are you currently writing?
LE: I am in the process of
formulating a sequel to Mifflin Drift.
GM: Do you have advice for novice
writers?
LE: Don't be afraid to fail. Keep
trying. Develop a thick skin--don't let criticism bother you. Believe in
yourself and your ability to "tell" your story. Be flexible. Find a
good editor.
GM: List 10 things your fans may not
know about you...
LE:
1. I am a Class III State
Building Inspector and hold 4 certifications from the State of Ohio.
2. I have 4 John Deere
tractors and consider myself an amateur tractor mechanic. I am rebuilding a
John Deere 430 crawler at the present.
3. For the first 30+ years of my
career, I owned and operated a small construction company.
4. I can't cook anything except
baked potatoes and scrambled eggs. My idea of a great bachelor meal is a cold
root beer accompanied by toaster waffles.
5. I am a Vietnam Veteran. I
have published numerous stories about my time in Vietnam online at
DonPossWarStories.com
6. Outside of my wife and
family, my favorite thing to do is to make hay.
7. I have the prettiest Border
Collie in the world. Her name is Gypsy. I use her as one of the
"characters" in Mifflin Drift.
8. If I had my dream job, I
would be the center fielder for The New York Yankees.
9. My favorite movie is Ben-Hur.
My favorite scene is the Chariot Race.
10. If I had one wish, it would
be to be rich enough to hire someone to weed our gardens! haha Just
kidding...
Connect with Larry:
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