It’s time to play...
Thank you for playing Book Trivia with
us! Here are your questions:
You have a chance to appear on the hit
talent show for authors, American Book Idol, and the mighty judges will
determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a
big screenplay. What would impress them more – your book cover, an
excerpt or your best review – and why?
I think my book cover would instantly
attract their attention. I also think the subject matter would interest them.
The assassination of Robert Kennedy seems to be something many people are
ignorant about. Also 1968 was a turning point in the history of our country.
You have five seconds to tell us who the
greatest author of all time is. In your opinion, who would that be?
I just re-read “The Great Gatsby.” I’m
not as fond of some of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books but “The Great Gatsby” is a
true work of art.
A homeless man was caught stealing your book
out of a bookstore. When asked why he did it, he opened the book and
pointed a passage out. What was that passage?
It is a quote from Robert F. Kennedy that
should give a down and out person some hope—“It is from numberless diverse acts
of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up
for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against
injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a
million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current
that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” We
could all be kinder and more compassionate.
You have been told your book has won one
free year on a billboard in any one state. What state do you feel would
be best for your book and why?
California. The assassination
occurs in Los Angeles and the main
characters deal with the aftermath and the impact of the Vietnam War when they
return to San Francisco. This book
will be interesting to everyone but especially Baby Boomers in California.
Finally, you just got word that your book
has received the 2013 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend
the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan.
Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. On
stage, you must give an acceptance speech. What would you say and who
would you thank?
The first person I would thank would be my wife who constantly
encourages me and supports my writing. I’ve spend most of two years working on
“Dreams That Never Were.” It is impossible to begin some a comprehensive
writing project without having self doubt and becoming discouraged at times.
I’m also grateful to the readers of m other ten books who have also been very
complimentary and supportive.
Book Blurb:
June 5, 1968: Senator Robert F. Kennedy, then a candidate for President and victorious in the California primary, was mortally wounded by assassin Sirhan Sirhan as he exited the ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Innocent bystanders were also wounded, including young and idealistic Alex Hurley, a San Francisco reporter.
Swept up in the turbulent events of 1968, Alex is captivated both by the Presidential race and by Vietnam, where he had recently been a war correspondent. His time in Vietnam had cost him his marriage and bitterly separated him from his own family.
Recovering from his wounds—physical and emotional—a new and surprising love restores his hope.
Part political thriller, part romance, Alex Hurley’s story in “Dreams That Never Were,” captures the turmoil of the day, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and America’s wrenching response to it. This novel is the latest historical fiction from award winning author Greg Messel.
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Amazon
About the Author:
Greg Messel grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and lives on the Puget Sound in Edmonds, Washington, with his wife, Jean DeFond. Dreams That Never Were is his 11th novel and is a historical fiction account of a young reporter caught up in the events surrounding the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Greg has also written a series of mystery novels set in San Francisco in the 1950s. He has lived in Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming and Utah and has always loved writing, including stints as a reporter, columnist and news editor for a daily newspaper. Greg won a Wyoming Press Association Award as a colunist and has contributed articles to various magazines.