A Chat with Author Christoph Fischer (Part One)

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A Chat with Author Christoph Fischer (Part One)

Young: Welcome to In The Harem. Nice to have a chance to talk with you.

I'm sure readers will love to know when was the first time you decided to write and when was the first time you did?

Christoph Fischer (C.F.): I always had a bit of a lively imagination. I wrote a few articles for my school��s student newspaper when I was younger. Then I did nothing of the sort for over twenty years until a psychic told me that I would write a book. I found it amusing. Then a different psychic told me the same thing and that raised my interest. Five years ago I sat down to try it. I wrote the first draft for Conditions and I haven��t stopped since.

Young: Did anyone influence you or encourage you to become a writer?

C.F.: My father was an avid reader; both my parents always encouraged creativity of any kind and I also had some excellent literature teachers when I was young.

My sister and my partner were my first readers. They liked my books and gave me the confidence to show them to more people. My close friend and cover designer Daz Smith was the one who eventually pushed me to publish.

Young: When did you decide to write in your chosen genres?

C.F.: I��m an impulsive writer and would find it hard to stick with just one genre. I write about what interests me. For a while I got stuck in historical fiction because I love history. The research for one book always seemed to raise points of interest for the next one. I also wrote about mental health and Alzheimer's Disease, issues close to my heart. In January I published a thriller. I started out writing it as a book about Western medicine versus alternative healing but the story was better suited for a thriller.

Young: Tell us about your book ��The Gamblers��.

C.F.: ��The Gamblers�� is an easy to read thriller about money, friendship, love and trust. Ben, an accountant, wins the lottery and finds that the money makes his life more complicated than he bargained for. It��s a fun book but not without some serious undertones about gambling and trust.

Young: Have you written any other books?

C.F.: Yes. I have written four historical novels, mainly set in Central Europe during the first half of the 20th Century; two contemporary dramas about Alzheimer's and mental health, and one medical thriller, ��The Healer��.

Young: How long does it take you to write a book?

C.F.: If all goes well, the first draft for a novel can be done within three weeks (after research if needed) but then there are months of editing and re-writes. Working full time, with beta readers and editors at my full disposal, I��d say it takes about four months from the first word to the printed book in my hand.

Young: What is your work schedule like when you��re writing?

C.F.: Tough, because there is also marketing and publicity work to be done. I get up early and walk the dogs, then I sit down and ideally I write until I need a break or run out of steam. Then I do the marketing. It��s easy to forget to eat or go shopping during those phases.

Young: Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

C.F.: Most books that I��ve written were inspired by subjects that fascinated me naturally, such as ancestry research, historical facts or family issues (i.e. Alzheimer's). I read up on them out of interest and the plot ideas developed from there.

The idea behind ��The Gamblers�� came from real life. My partner and I talked about what we��d do if we won the lottery. I��m quite content with my life and couldn��t think of much I would want to buy or change on my life. In fact, the thought of having multiple houses and staff felt like too much hard work for me. Wealth and looking after it can be a burden and can take away your freedom. The idea of Ben, the stingy accountant and reluctant millionaire, and of all the things that happen to him in my novel was born.

Young: Do you have any suggestions for other writers? If so, what are they?

C.F.: Go for it. Keep writing, don��t be discouraged and work on your craft.

Young: Who would you cast to play the characters in a movie?

C.F.: For Ben, the accountant, I would choose Ewan McGregor or Edward Norton.

Mirco, the gambler, could be played by either Alexander Skarsgard or Matthew McConaughey. Wendy, the stewardess could be played by Scarlett Johanson or Naomi Watts.

Young: What song would you pick to go with your book?

C.F.: There is a German song from 1986 called ��Der Spieler�� that partially inspired the book. Very moody and mysterious but it does not travel or translate well��

For the English version I would suggest ��The Winner Takes It All�� by Abba�� or ��Money Money Money�� by Abba, or ��Name of the Game�� by Abba - even ��Waterloo����.

Young: How do you balance marketing one book and writing the next?

C.F.: Not sleeping. Not eating. Not answering the phone. Hide!

Young: What do you like best about writing? What��s your least favourite thing?

C.F.: Writing the first draft is the most enjoyable part for me: Not knowing for sure how the story is going to end and having all the options open.

My least favourite part is the marketing. I��d rather not tell people that my books are must-reads and would love it if people could be dears and discover my work quietly on their own.

Young: What do you do when you don��t write?

C.F.: Walk my dogs, go to the gym, read and watch silly comedy programmes on TV. Throw in the odd meditation and quality time with the family.

Young: What makes you laugh?

C.F.: Friends, Brooklyn 99, Big Bang Theory, Woody Allen, adolescent humour.

Young: Who would you like to invite for dinner?

C.F.: Susan Sarandon and Stephen Hawkins. I��d imagine them to be interesting guests.

Young: How do you handle criticism of your work?

C.F.: After a few years in the ��business�� I think I handle it very well. Constructive criticism can be very helpful to become a better writer and I��ll always welcome that.

If someone read my book, engaged with it and didn��t like it, fair enough. And those who use reviews to offload anger and hate �� that comes with the territory of publishing and has to be endured. I don��t like it but I see it for what it is.

I also own a shotgun��.

The Healer

(blurb)

When advertising executive Erica Whittaker is diagnosed with terminal cancer, western medicine fails her. The only hope left for her to survive is controversial healer Arpan. She locates the man whose touch could heal her but finds he has retired from the limelight and refuses to treat her. Erica, consumed by stage four pancreatic cancer, is desperate and desperate people are no longer logical nor are they willing to take no for an answer. Arpan has retired for good reasons, casting more than the shadow of a doubt over his abilities. So begins a journey that will challenge them both as the past threatens to catch up with him as much as with her. Can he really heal her? Can she trust him with her life? And will they both achieve what they set out to do before running out of time?

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/thehealerthriller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23662030-the-healer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHealerNovelbyChristophFischer?ref=hl

Book-likes: http://booklikes.com/the-healer-christoph-fischer/book,12975746

Rifflebooks: https://read.rifflebooks.com/books/388235

THE GAMBLERS

(blurb)

Ben is an insecure accountant obsessed with statistics, gambling and beating the odds. When he wins sixty-four million in the lottery he finds himself challenged by the possibilities that his new wealth brings.

He soon falls under the influence of charismatic Russian gambler Mirco, whom he meets on a holiday in New York. He also falls in love with a stewardess, Wendy, but now that Ben��s rich he finds it hard to trust anyone. As both relationships become more dubious, Ben needs to make some difficult decisions and figure out who��s really his friend and who��s just in it for the money.

Praise for Fischer's thriller "THE HEALER" on Amazon:

"Very Unforgettable Read" - "One of the best-in-class books I��ve ever read in this sub-genre"

- "Touching thriller that raises many profound questions."

- "Multi-layered, multifaceted, expertly credible psychological thriller"

Praise for "IN SEARCH OF A REVOLUTION" on Amazon:

"Excellent read. Cracking pace." - "Christoph Fischer is a skilled and accomplished story teller"

"Fischer does an excellent job in distilling the macro into the micro. This talent could be compared to Kazuo Ishiguro's gift of 'writing in the miniature' "

CHRISTOPH FISCHER

Short Biography

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he now lives in a small town in West Wales. He and his partner have three Labradoodles to complete their family.

Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums and for an airline. ��The Luck of The Weissensteiners�� was published in November 2012; 'Sebastian' in May 2013 and The Black Eagle Inn in October 2013. "Time To Let Go" , his first contemporary work was published in May 2014, and ��Conditions�� in October 2014. His medical thriller "The Healer" was released in January 2015 and his latest historical novel ��In Search of a Revolution�� in March 2015.

He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

Website: http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/

Blog: http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590171.Christoph_Fischer

Amazon: http://ow.ly/BtveY

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CFFBooks

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/christophffisch/

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106213860775307052243

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=241333846

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl

All Facebook links:

http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=h