 |
| Cover Art by Marc Wheatley |
One of the busiest people within the New Pulp movement is author Bobby Nash. Amongst his credits is co-creating and contributing to the new anthology from Airship 27: The Ruby Files. and we managed to get a few minutes to chat with him about that and other stuff.
THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE: Bobby, what is this book about?
BOBBY NASH: Private eye Richard (Rick) Ruby, is molded in the classic, hard boiled tradition of private eyes straight out of the 1930s. Not only did I write a story for this volume, but I also co-created the series with writer Sean Taylor, so Rick and the ladies at Belle's all hold a special place in my heart.
TFCE: What is New Pulp to you?
BOBBY: Ah, the age-old question, hotly debated amongst those who write New Pulp. I like to
think that New Pulp is just a way of telling stories in a modern writing style,
but with the classic feel of the original pulps of old. New Pulp is a lot like
art. I know it when I see it.
 |
| Author Bobby Nash and Friend |
TFCE: Why do you write what you do?
BOBBY: I love telling stories.
Thankfully, there are publishers out there that like the stories I tell, so I've been very fortunate to have an outlet for my tales. I tend to write stories
that appeal to me as a reader. Sometimes that means pulp stories, sometimes it
means thrillers, sometimes it means sci fi, and... well, you get the idea. I
like telling stories that I would like to read. Hopefully, there are others
that enjoy reading them as well.
TFCE: What inspires you to write?
BOBBY: Deadlines. I know that’s
probably not the answer you expected, but as a professional writer, my writing
schedule is quite often dictated by deadlines. There is no better motivator for
making a writer write than a tight deadline.
Aside from that, I love
telling stories. I have to write them down just to get them out of my head.
They’re fun and I enjoy crafting stories.
TFCE: What has influenced your style and technique?
BOBBY: I have no idea. I probably
should have a better answer for that question, but sadly, I don’t. I’m sure
that I pick up influences everywhere. Story ideas come from anywhere and
everywhere. I’m sure I pick up writing styles and turns of phrase from other
writers, although I don’t try to emulate any one particular style or writer. I try
to write in my own style with my own voice. We’re all inspired by the world
around us. As a writer, I’m like a sponge just taking in all of those various
forms of influence and hopefully squeezing out something worth reading.
One of the best compliments
I’ve ever received, and I’ve heard it more than once, is that when reading one
of my books or stories, the reader said they could hear my voice in their head
reading it to me. Obviously, these comments came from people that know me, but
I’m excited that there is a lot of me in the writing.
TFCE: What would be your dream project?
BOBBY: That’s tough, because it
probably changes from day to day. I would love to write The Fantastic Four and
I’m sure I've got at least one good Stargate and Star Trek story in me. I would
love the opportunity to play in one, or both, of those universes. Aside from
that, I would love to create a series of novels that can run for many years.
That would be the ultimate goal.
TFCE: Based upon the number of conventions you've attended in years past, you've been called by some as "New Pulp's Road Warrior". How do you feel about the moniker and life on the road?
BOBBY: Never really thought about the nickname. I love conventions and always have a blast
working them. Setting up at a con can be exhausting, but I love meeting new
people and spreading the word about my work. Cons are a lot like reunions as
well. I have friends that I only get to see at cons. They are great fun and I
love attending them. I like traveling to new places as well.
The down side is that convention trips are
expensive. There's gas, hotel, food, table fees, buying books to have on hand,
plus buying promotional items to have on the table. So, yeah, cost is a big
factor in choosing which conventions I attend. If there is another guest going
that I know we sometimes share travel expenses, which helps. Sadly, there is a
growing trend of charging guests exorbitant table fees these days, which has
greatly reduced my convention appearances. I don't go to cons to lose money so
I have to take all of that into account.
Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of conventions
out there willing to cover my travel or hotel so that limits which shows I can
attend. There are some that help with expences and they usually go to the top
of my list of shows to attend.
TFCE: Where do you foresee yourself within the next
few years?
BOBBY: Hopefully, I’ll still be
writing and making a decent living from my writing. It’s a goal I've been
working toward for some time. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.
TFCE: As mentioned at the beginning of this interview, you're one very busy writer. Any other projects you would like to promote?
 |
| Also by the author |
BOBBY: Well, I’m always happy to
talk about my books. You can find a full list of my work at www.bobbynash.com,
but Deadly Games! was my most
recent novel. I’m very proud of this one. Not only did I write it, but also
produced the covers as well. I'm also working on Evil Intent, which will be a sequel to my novel Evil Ways, and I'm still contributing to anthologies such as the forthcoming New Adventures Of The Eagle from Pro Se Press' Pulp Obscura imprint, along with my work on Lance Starr, Domino Lady, the Green Hornet, and others.
TFCE: Wow. Guess we better let you get back to writing Bobby. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us.
BOBBY: You're welcome.
The Ruby Files can be purchased in print from:
Amazon at www.amazon.com/dp/0615609236/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_NHRypb1G20K9Y
Create Space at www.createspace.com/3810386
Indy Planet at www.indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6797
Other books Bobby Nash has either contributed to or written can be found at Amazon,
Or their respective publishers.
