William R. Leibowitz has been practicing entertainment/media law in New York City for a number of
years. He has represented numerous
renowned recording artists, songwriters, producers and many of the leading
record companies, talent managers, merchandisers and other notable
entertainment businesses. At one point,
he was the Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel for the Sanctuary Group of
Companies, a U.K. public company
that was the largest ‘indie’ music company in the world (prior to its
acquisition by the Universal Music Group).
William has a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and a
law degree from Columbia University. He lives in the village of Quogue, New York with his wife, Alexandria, and dog,
George.
William wrote Miracle
Man because of its humanistic and spiritual messages and because he
feels that in our current times – when meritless celebrity has eclipsed
accomplishment and the only heroes are those based on comic books, the world
needs a real hero –and that, of course, is Robert James Austin, the protagonist
in Miracle Man. Miracle Man
won Best Thriller in the National Pacific Book Awards.
For More Information
- Visit William Leibowitz’s website.
- Connect with William on Facebook and Twitter.
- Visit William’s blog.
About the Book:
REVERED REVILED
REMARKABLE
The victim of an
unspeakable crime, an infant rises to become a new type of superhero.
Unlike any that
have come before him, he is not a fanciful creation of animators, he is
real.
So begins the saga
of Robert James Austin, the greatest genius in human history. But where did his extraordinary intelligence
come from?
As agents of
corporate greed vie with rabid anti-Western radicals to destroy him, an
obsessive government leader launches a bizarre covert mission to exploit his
intellect. Yet Austin’s greatest fear is not of this world.
Aided by two
exceptional women, one of whom will become his unlikely lover, Austin struggles against abandonment and
betrayal. But the forces that oppose him
are more powerful than even he can understand.
For More Information
- Miracle Man is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Q: Can you tell us what your book is about?
A: Miracle
Man chronicles the saga of Robert James Austin, the greatest genius in
human history, from the time of his birth and tragic childhood through his
extraordinary accomplishments in curing diseases. The book is a psychological thriller with a
fast paced twisting plot that’s full of surprises and drama, as Austin battles abandonment and
Q: Why did you write your book?
A:
I wanted to create a modern day believable ‘super hero’ who is an
‘anti-celebrity’. I thought that such a
person could be inspirational when contrasted with the meritless celebrities
that dominate media today (e.g., the reality TV stars who are famous for being
famous, but have no real talent). I also
wanted Miracle Man to be the vehicle within which I could convey, in an
entertainment context, certain spiritual and humanistic messages that are
important to me.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your main and
supporting characters?
A: The protagonist, Robert James Austin,
possesses an extraordinary intelligence the likes of which has never previously
existed. We’re talking about someone
with 10X the intelligence of Einstein.
He is a complex person both psychologically and spiritually and begins
in his childhood to suffer intense nightmares and to fall into prolonged
trances –conditions that continually get worse as he gets older and makes
progress in his quest to cure diseases.
There are several
antagonists, but one of the most interesting is Column McAllister, the CEO of a
major pharmaceuticals company. He is
obsessed with stopping Austin from curing diseases because each time Austin does so, one of McAllister’s “cash-cow”
symptom -treatment drugs becomes obsolete.
McAllister is a sinister and highly resourceful politically connected
“Big Pharma” magnate.
Orin Varneys, is
the head of two U.S. government agencies that interact with Austin throughout Miracle Man. The
first of these is the OSSIS (Office of Special Strategic Intelligence
Services), which discovers, nurtures,
educates and then seeks to direct and control Austin as it views him as an “intelligence
weapon.” Ultimately, Varneys rises to
become head of the CIA and in that capacity he hatches a bizarre plan to
exploit Austin.
Christina Moore, is
a beautiful and extremely intelligent PHD of mathematics, with a tragic
past. She becomes Austin’s love interest.
Q: Do you tend to base your characters on real
people or are they totally from your imagination?
A: They are totally from my imagination.
Q: Are you consciously aware of the plot before
you begin a novel or do you discover it as you write?
A: I am aware of the plot before and try to
outline it in as much detail as possible prior to writing. That said, however, the plot line often
changes and evolves as the writing progresses.
Q: What is the most pivotal point of a writer’s
life?
A: I think the most pivotal point is when your
book is published and you then begin to get reader feedback. Until that time –you just don’t know if
you’ve created something that will be meaningful to others. But when reviews start coming in and they are
good—that’s incredibly exciting and validating. It’s not easy for a new author
to write fiction that can successfully compete with the vast array of books by
established authors. I think that’s when
you look in the mirror and say, “Wow, I actually am an author –a real author.”
Q: What kind of advice would you give other
fiction authors?
A: Be very demanding on yourself and set high
standards. Your finished work must
represent the absolute best that you can do and you have to be proud of
it. The written word is not
ephemeral. It will define you. So make it as good as you possibly can. Seek the criticism of others as you write and
re-write. Be patient with yourself. It’s better for your work to be great than
for it to be ‘quick.’