A Quick One on The Side - Richard Gazala

A warm welcome to my final guest author before my Spring break, Richard Gazala.

According to his Twitter profile, Richard is a 'Raconteur, thriller author, Gazalapalooza blogger, book reviewer, lawyer, music aficionado, public speaker and guerilla chef'. Richard was born in Ohio. When he was very young, his family moved to Beirut in the Lebanon. They were forced out in 1975 by the Lebanese Civil War. Richard's secondary education was completed in Boston, Massachusetts and London. Richard attended the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was awarded a B.A. in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate. He has practised law for over twenty years in Tennessee, Washington DC and Virginia.
Richard is the award-winning author of the international conspiracy thriller 'Blood of the Moon' and the short story horror anthology 'Trust and Other Nightmares'. 'Blood of the Moon' features Newcastle upon Tyne and the Freemen of the City. Richard admits to having developed a mild case of 'Newcastle envy'. His sequel will also feature Newcastle. Good man!

So here goes, Richard is in the spotlight.....

Who is your favourite author?
"Hands down, my favourite author is Edgar Allan Poe. Sadly, my favourite author hasn't been putting out much stuff in the past 163 years. That said, I'm excited to see the upcoming movie 'The Raven' and get a fresh EAP fix that way."

What would be your favourite book read?
" 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' by Hunter S. Thompson. It's as disturbing as it is entertaining, very well written, and short enough to read through in a single sitting on a whim. "No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride..." "

Who is your favourite band/group/musician?
"Led Zeppelin. In their bombastic prime they were so far over the top the authorities had to have the top raised, and no-one has ascended it quite the same way since."

What would be your most listened to album?
" 'Sticky Fingers' by the Rolling Stones. From time to time for a long, long time, that demon life had me in its sway."

What has been the best gig/concert you have attended?
"In the right light on the right night, I can still close my eyes and open my ears and relive every moment of a Talking Heads concert I attended one fall evening in 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee."

What is your favourite food?
"People line up when I make my hand-crafted hummus, but the line always starts behind me."

What would be your favourite holiday destination?
"New Orleans, Louisiana. There's nothing about it I don't love. Even the parts other people don't love (excepting hurricanes), I love. I'm thinking of getting a place there. If I do, then my favourite holiday destination would be Savannah, Georgia."

What would be the most autographs you've ever signed in one session?
"About 60 is my record to date, achieved in a couple of hours at a now (sadly) non-existent Borders Books store that used to be at the Baltimore-Washington international airport in Baltimore, Maryland."

Have you ever been mistaken for someone else?
"I've had old Partridge Family memorabilia thrust at me amid fevered cries of "Mr Bonaduce! Mr Bonaduce!" Other than that, my children occasionally confuse me with Lucifer, but they swear they're joking."

Mr Bonaduce...

Mr Bonaduce?

How often do you get recognised?
"Far more often than I ever thought I would."

My thanks to Richard for answering his quickies and if you're ever in Newcastle, give me a call.
As ever, thanks for reading.....