Interview with Eric M. Gore, author of Vengeance Obtained
10:43 AMAn exclusive interview
with author Eric M. Gore
Doodles, doodles everywhere congratulates author Eric M. Gore on the release of his latest novel, Vengeance Obtained! Let's welcome him on the blog for an interview with DDE today. Read on!
1. How did you decide to write Vengeance Obtained?
My then two year old daughter, Logan, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and regurgitation. She was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and put high on the donor’s list for a new heart. In the months she was confined to the hospital, I used to pray almost every night for God to help my baby. One night I realized that in order for Logan to live, it meant someone else’s child would have to die. I asked God then to change reality so that no children would have to die, including Logan. We got her christened in the hospital a few days later and that night, a great donor family had been found. The experience made me think of a story in which God would change reality itself.
2. Can you tell us what kind of research went behind Vengeance Obtained?
I researched many different things. I wanted it to be authentic. I’m a World War II buff, so that part was just a little easier than the others. I serve The Lord, so I know alot of the Bible and the angelic heirarchy. I researched The Book of Genesis when one-third of the angels in heaven rebelled against God. I also researched physics, the many worlds theory which entails alternate universes. I researched string theory, M theory, Einstein’s theory of everything and discussions on dark matter. I also researched a theory in physics called fictional reality, which surmises that everything seen in movies, or read in books, or even in dreams must exist somewhere in reality. I also researched tax law.
3. Who's your favorite character from the book and why?
Marcel, definitely. I like how resourceful he is. He never seems to be flustered no matter what odds he is facing. But then we learn that he does feel fear when he admits being afraid to Turk when they’re facing the other and his crew. He exemplifies exactly what I talked about in the press release. He isn’t afraid to do what needs to be done to serve God well in the final hours. He’s a great fighter, and even though he’s highly capable of defending himself, he doesn’t relish violence or fighting. He just recognizes that sometimes it’s unavoidable. He isn’t proud or boastful, just strong, and he’s always willing to do what he feels must be done to effect the desired outcome, even if it means his own death.
4. How did you celebrate the first sale of this book?
My wife and I took Logan to dinner and saw Captain America, Civil War. It was great!
5. Tell us about some of the learning experiences or biggest challenges you faced throughout the writing and publishing process.
Wow, where do I begin? I learned that editors and beta readers are supremely important. You can’t do it yourself, no matter how many times you scour a book for grammatical errors, you’re going to miss something. Before you release your book, it has to be perfect in your eyes. It has to be absolutely flawless, because it can never be flawless, and readers will always find the flaws that you will inevitably leave. Even with all of that, not everyone is going to like your work. A rule I try to go by is if you love a book, others will like it. If you like it, others will think it’s okay. If you think it’s just okay, others will hate it. People will only like your work a fraction as much as you do, so you have to make it absolutely perfect in your own eyes before you put it in front of others. No matter how good a book is, not many people will want to part ways with their cash for an unknown author. You just have to believe you wrote a good story and trust that others will read it and have the same experience. Actually I already knew alot of this before even publishing the book. I just like to share what little I do know. Never, ever take offense and attack reviewers who may not like your book. What you have to realize is the reviewers serve the reading community, not authors. So if they encounter a book that they don’t think their readers will enjoy, they have a duty to let them know so they hopefully won’t buy it. The same goes for if they feel a book is good, a reviewer has the duty to let their readers know what books are good to read. That’s how reviewers build trust in their audience and an author really has no place in that relationship. I myself am just grateful for anyone who is gracious enough to sacrifice their time to give me an honest review. And the last thing people have to remember is that it’s just a book. Sorry, but it is. It’s just a book, and if any of us were starving, we shouldn’t be writing books to feed ourselves.
6. Do you get creative blocks or burnouts? How do you get out of those, if and when you do?
Yes, I get both. When I get a block, I usually just do something else. I might watch some good television shows, or go outside and do something else for awhile. It usually goes away. Burnouts are easy to fix. I just take a nap, and then stay away for probably the whole day. I can even feel the ideas beginning to come back after I’ve rested, but let them simmer until the next day and then write them down.
7. Tell us something personal about you that your readers may be surprised to know.
I am heavily involved in early child education. Alot of my time at the hospital was spent teaching Logan anything and everything I could, since we didn’t have much else to do. She speaks English, Spanish, and Traditional Mandarin Chinese. I only speak Spanish and some English. She’s been reading since three and she can solve math equations, she does sign language and has a good base of encyclopedic knowledge. I love teaching kids anything I can. I believe the earlier you start teaching a child the better.
8. What do you do when you are not writing or reading?
I buy, fix up, and sell or rent distressed properties. It keeps me pretty busy. I go to the movies alot. Pretty much every weekend if there’s a new movie out. I also like to box. I don’t really spar anymore, but I hit the bag and shadow box. It keeps me in pretty good shape. Other than that, it’s the beach, amusement parks, museums--whatever I can think of.
9. What's next?
Hopefully, Vengeance Obtained II, which may be called Unnatural Omnipotence, and III. I’m also working on an anthology called Funny Strange. It’s a compilation of short stories dealing with paranormal subjects. I also have a spin off from Vengeance Obtained in the works. It’ll center around Roderick, the owner of the Hard Rock Cafe where Stephano and his crew meet with General Massey. I also write some erotica. I have a couple of short stories published online, and there’ll be more of those on the way.
10. Lastly, any special thoughts for the readers?
Thanks to anyone who reads Vengeance Obtained, and if you enjoyed it, please consider posting a review. Also, I will gladly gift a copy to anyone who may want to read it. I just ask for an honest review in return. Just email me eric.goreEG@gmail.com. And I would like to thank the personnel at Doodles Doodles Everywhere for this opportunity. Thanks!
My then two year old daughter, Logan, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and regurgitation. She was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and put high on the donor’s list for a new heart. In the months she was confined to the hospital, I used to pray almost every night for God to help my baby. One night I realized that in order for Logan to live, it meant someone else’s child would have to die. I asked God then to change reality so that no children would have to die, including Logan. We got her christened in the hospital a few days later and that night, a great donor family had been found. The experience made me think of a story in which God would change reality itself.
2. Can you tell us what kind of research went behind Vengeance Obtained?
I researched many different things. I wanted it to be authentic. I’m a World War II buff, so that part was just a little easier than the others. I serve The Lord, so I know alot of the Bible and the angelic heirarchy. I researched The Book of Genesis when one-third of the angels in heaven rebelled against God. I also researched physics, the many worlds theory which entails alternate universes. I researched string theory, M theory, Einstein’s theory of everything and discussions on dark matter. I also researched a theory in physics called fictional reality, which surmises that everything seen in movies, or read in books, or even in dreams must exist somewhere in reality. I also researched tax law.
3. Who's your favorite character from the book and why?
Marcel, definitely. I like how resourceful he is. He never seems to be flustered no matter what odds he is facing. But then we learn that he does feel fear when he admits being afraid to Turk when they’re facing the other and his crew. He exemplifies exactly what I talked about in the press release. He isn’t afraid to do what needs to be done to serve God well in the final hours. He’s a great fighter, and even though he’s highly capable of defending himself, he doesn’t relish violence or fighting. He just recognizes that sometimes it’s unavoidable. He isn’t proud or boastful, just strong, and he’s always willing to do what he feels must be done to effect the desired outcome, even if it means his own death.
4. How did you celebrate the first sale of this book?
My wife and I took Logan to dinner and saw Captain America, Civil War. It was great!
5. Tell us about some of the learning experiences or biggest challenges you faced throughout the writing and publishing process.
Wow, where do I begin? I learned that editors and beta readers are supremely important. You can’t do it yourself, no matter how many times you scour a book for grammatical errors, you’re going to miss something. Before you release your book, it has to be perfect in your eyes. It has to be absolutely flawless, because it can never be flawless, and readers will always find the flaws that you will inevitably leave. Even with all of that, not everyone is going to like your work. A rule I try to go by is if you love a book, others will like it. If you like it, others will think it’s okay. If you think it’s just okay, others will hate it. People will only like your work a fraction as much as you do, so you have to make it absolutely perfect in your own eyes before you put it in front of others. No matter how good a book is, not many people will want to part ways with their cash for an unknown author. You just have to believe you wrote a good story and trust that others will read it and have the same experience. Actually I already knew alot of this before even publishing the book. I just like to share what little I do know. Never, ever take offense and attack reviewers who may not like your book. What you have to realize is the reviewers serve the reading community, not authors. So if they encounter a book that they don’t think their readers will enjoy, they have a duty to let them know so they hopefully won’t buy it. The same goes for if they feel a book is good, a reviewer has the duty to let their readers know what books are good to read. That’s how reviewers build trust in their audience and an author really has no place in that relationship. I myself am just grateful for anyone who is gracious enough to sacrifice their time to give me an honest review. And the last thing people have to remember is that it’s just a book. Sorry, but it is. It’s just a book, and if any of us were starving, we shouldn’t be writing books to feed ourselves.
6. Do you get creative blocks or burnouts? How do you get out of those, if and when you do?
Yes, I get both. When I get a block, I usually just do something else. I might watch some good television shows, or go outside and do something else for awhile. It usually goes away. Burnouts are easy to fix. I just take a nap, and then stay away for probably the whole day. I can even feel the ideas beginning to come back after I’ve rested, but let them simmer until the next day and then write them down.
7. Tell us something personal about you that your readers may be surprised to know.
I am heavily involved in early child education. Alot of my time at the hospital was spent teaching Logan anything and everything I could, since we didn’t have much else to do. She speaks English, Spanish, and Traditional Mandarin Chinese. I only speak Spanish and some English. She’s been reading since three and she can solve math equations, she does sign language and has a good base of encyclopedic knowledge. I love teaching kids anything I can. I believe the earlier you start teaching a child the better.
8. What do you do when you are not writing or reading?
I buy, fix up, and sell or rent distressed properties. It keeps me pretty busy. I go to the movies alot. Pretty much every weekend if there’s a new movie out. I also like to box. I don’t really spar anymore, but I hit the bag and shadow box. It keeps me in pretty good shape. Other than that, it’s the beach, amusement parks, museums--whatever I can think of.
9. What's next?
Hopefully, Vengeance Obtained II, which may be called Unnatural Omnipotence, and III. I’m also working on an anthology called Funny Strange. It’s a compilation of short stories dealing with paranormal subjects. I also have a spin off from Vengeance Obtained in the works. It’ll center around Roderick, the owner of the Hard Rock Cafe where Stephano and his crew meet with General Massey. I also write some erotica. I have a couple of short stories published online, and there’ll be more of those on the way.
10. Lastly, any special thoughts for the readers?
Thanks to anyone who reads Vengeance Obtained, and if you enjoyed it, please consider posting a review. Also, I will gladly gift a copy to anyone who may want to read it. I just ask for an honest review in return. Just email me eric.goreEG@gmail.com. And I would like to thank the personnel at Doodles Doodles Everywhere for this opportunity. Thanks!
Vengeance Obtained
by Eric M. Gore
Marcel Dekrey, angel of The Lord and nine-hundred year old vampire, is a double agent in service to The Most High God.
Marcel is charged with a clear mandate; observe and report to the heavenly host events as they unfold in the dangerous world of anomalies--vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, demonic creatures, and variations of each--which exists within our own, and intercede if and when necessity demands.
Necessity does indeed demand when Marcel learns a recent attack against him was orchestrated by his ancient enemy, Stefano the Gouge. The assault is part of his enemy's plan to use Marcel's duel nature to enact a ritual derived from a powerful artifact which has been in the possession of the human military since the end of World War II; The Book of the Dead.
This ritual will reprise the devil's first fall from grace when one-third of all the angels followed him to the pit, ushering in a new demonic world order and humanity's final day. Marcel must use his skill in swordsmanship and hand to hand combat, honed to their most ardent degree in nine hundred years of unlife, to stop Stefano before The Heavenly Host descends to Earth to carry out God's will and puts an end to reality itself.
About the author
With a number of short stories published online under the pseudonym Marcel 7, Eric M. Gore was inspired to write vengeance obtained while waiting inside children’s hospital of Philadelphia for a donor heart for his one year old daughter. The Lord blessed Eric and his family with a wonderful donor family on September 8, 2013, the same day Logan had been christened. Eric is a faithful Christian soldier of God. A native of Philadelphia, he is a former Philadelphia police officer, and he is presently a firefighter, husband, and father.
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