Interview with William R. Leibowitz, author of Miracle Man






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.
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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. 

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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
betrayal and the myriad forces that seek to destroy him.

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.’