Which is your favorite memory from The University of Detroit High School?
I learned to enjoy bagels --- introduced to them by a fellow student.
Why did you initially select psychology? What courses or knowledge first intrigued you?
I chose psychology - to study character -- to deepen my understanding of character. I loved Carl Jung!
Why do you write? What does writing mean to you?
It gives me the deepest fulfillment of any endeavor in my life.
What key aspects of psychology most interest you? Is there a field of research that interests or intrigues you?
The unconscious!
What were the core issues that you discovered that holds people back from the success they desire?
Being trapped in family demands from childhood, with no permission to leave that behind.
How did you come up with the title, "The Fear of Being Fabulous"? How did the decades of work with couples and singles as well as corporate executives inspire the book?
My wife (Judith Sherven, PhD) and I saw many instances of people being stuck in their past, and unable to express their excellence.
How did you begin writing "Leaving Home Trilogy"? When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I wrote a sketch of the first scene in the first book - "Worship Of Hollow Gods" - years before I set out to write it formally. One day I discovered it in an old file and decided to fill out the story. The books in my "Leaving Home Trilogy" are kept fresh by illuminating challenges and triumphs during different age periods of the central character.
Which is your favorite place to visit in Northern California? If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see in Northern California?
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is a miracle -- each tree had to be planted as there is no natural growth. So about a million trees have been planted to create the park -- and I love trees!
If you could design and teach your own psychology class, what would you teach?
Overcoming the Fear of Being Fabulous --- its roots, causes, and dangers. And what is required to leave it behind so people can own their rightful lives on their own terms.
What inspired you to write "Worship of Hollow Gods"? Did you expect it to become the Amazon #1 Bestseller?
Much of fiction, on movie screens and in literature, has been dominated by Italian family stories. I wanted to tell a story of Polish Catholic working class families in 1950s Detroit. Although not as violent externally, their internal struggles were as complicated as any mafia story and warrant telling.
How do you plan to convey the value of your psychology major to your readers through your books?
It's inherent in everything I write. I am always probing character and illuminating moments of "leaving home" that allow for greater freedom of expression and growth for the individuals.
How did your role as The Gentleman Caller in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie led you to a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Psychology and now to writing novels?
It was my first experience of delving deeply into a character. And I fell in love with story telling. Hence my desire to understand "character" more deeply through my philosophy and psychology doctorate and then onto writing novels.
Since your books have been made into audio-books, what are the challenges in producing an audiobook?
The main challenge in producing an audiobook is finding the audio professional who has the right voice. In my case, it was also a challenge to help that actor to properly pronounce the Polish words correctly that are scattered throughout the books.
How do you think concepts such as Kindle, and e-books have changed the present or future of reading?
Increasingly I hear that people want to listen to books while they do other things -- however listening doesn't allow the individual to go as deep into the material as reading.
Lastly, when did you join AllAuthor and what is it about this site that you love or hate?
I joined AllAuthor this year, 2019, and appreciate all the support that you provide to independently published authors, helping to get visibility for them. And I am grateful!
