Good Monday Morning Readers!
Today, Travis W. Inman visits Lagniappe to discuss his latest release, Shadow: One Choice a Future Makes
Tell us a little about Shadows: One Choice a Future Makes
Shadows is a book about
choices and their natural conclusions. Justin “Flip” Grey is an ordinary man
who lives an ordinary life. His wife is normal, his kids are normal, and they
have a family dog. One day, Justin goes to a business conference unaware that a
man who is looking for an heir to his massive fortune is watching him. He knows
Justin is considered to be a man of honor, but what will he do under pressure?
The man arranges to test Justin by exploiting Justin’s vulnerability: He has
wandering eyes. Enter Dahlia, the world’s most dangerous seductress. If Justin
passes the test, untold wealth will be laid at his feet. If he fails, he will
never be anything more than the man who cheated on his wife at a conference.
What would you do?
We all say we would stay true
to our spouse because we know that’s the correct answer. But, what would you do
with the soft moonlight, an isolated sandy beach, and the most tempting woman
you’ve ever seen suddenly attempts to seduce you? No one is watching. No one
will ever know.
I allow Justin to make both
choices. Via the miracle of story telling, I grant Justin the opportunity to
experience BOTH choices and split the story into two realities. In the first
reality, he is faithful, and the blessing that comes with that choice changes
his life in ways he could never imagine. In the dark reality, Justin becomes
“Flip” and chases his passions. Only they come with dire consequences, and his
world begins to spiral. I follow both realities for a space of 10 years and
examine the probable outcomes for both of his choices.
If you could be any
character, from any book who would you be? Why?
Authors usually write what they know. In this story, I AM
Justin. Well, I was. Sort of. Let me explain. Many years ago, I returned to
college at the age of 25 in order to finish my degree. I’d been married for
five years when a young co-ed attempted to wiggle her way into my life. I was
flattered beyond belief. Nothing like that had ever happened, and I was
intoxicated by the notion. But, the offer was made and I had a decision to
make. Fortunately, my wife and I worked through the situation and I never
became “Flip.” But it would have been easy. And I would have thrown my life
away and traded it for something else. That incident stayed with me. Forever. I
realized that if it happened to me, it has happened to everyone, and if that’s
true, then there must be a story there.
Briefly describe one
of your typical writing days?
Pardon my laugh! I have ADHD, so even hearing the icemaker
kick on in my kitchen will distract me and cause my mind to chase butterflies.
Even this question is distracting to me, because my mind is on fire to explain
how this affects my writing. Imagine for a moment that you walk into a room and
EVERY SINGLE ITEM in the room can talk. And they are all talking to you at the
same time, and they are all fascinating. Even the doorknobs and windowsills
have stories to tell, and I hear every blessed word they say. And all the while
I’m trying my hardest to remember why I even went into that room in the first
place. My wife is fully aware of my explanation for how ADHD affects me. I will
hear her say the word, “Doorknob” and that is my reminder that my mind is drifting,
and for me to bring it home. Sometimes, I feel like a man holding a rope, but I
can’t remember if I found the rope, or lost the mule attached to it. And so I
live with ADHD. I know, I know. So many people claim to have that affliction,
but if you really have it, your life is both blessed and cursed. I’ve learned
to deal with the curse and how to discipline my mind to focus. Sort of. But,
the blessing part is incredible. My mind works differently, more imaginatively,
and more creatively than most people’s minds. I see angles and situations that
many would ignore, even if they saw it. And, what was your question….? Oh,
yeah. Typical. Brief. Well, I guess I used a sledgehammer to kill a fly, didn’t
I? But, I’m not going to edit my response, just so you do know what typical
means for me.
If you weren't a
writer, what would be another dream job?
I’m a Police Chaplain, and I deeply enjoy working with the
men and women who stand between us and evil, and are often hated for it. I grew
up on a ranch and I cowboyed for more than 20 years. But, if given the choice
to be anything else, I would choose to own a greenhouse. I love plants and
soil, and I love coaxing them to come alive. And I love squash and watermelons.
And trees. Lots of trees! Oh, darn. DOORKNOB! See, I did it again. Welcome to
my world…
What led you to
choose the genre in which you write?
So, I started out publishing sweet Christian romance, but
that was never the plan. Back in 2006, I had open heart surgery and I had 6
months of sitting down while I recovered. I’ve always wanted to write novels,
so I wrote a Western, which is reasonable for me. But there was no market. So,
I wrote an adventure story. Again, no market. I looked things over and concluded
that love and romance were pretty much dominating the Christian market place,
so I jumped in. Strangely, I found the right mix and published, When Love Called shortly thereafter. And
know I’m trying hard to get out of romance, but not sure that will ever happen!
Shadows is NOT romance, and my
readers are anxious for me to finish telling the When Love Called story.
What
is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
I hate promoting my own books. I really don’t enjoy trying to
convince someone that my book is the only choice for them. Maybe I suffer from
low self-esteem, but I feel like a burden to the prospective buyer when I try
to hawk my own books. I’m a great storyteller, and I’m proud of my books, but I
still feel great anxiety when trying to sell them. Sigh….
What can we expect from you in the
future?
So, I just signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing to
finish the When Love Called stories,
which will be marketed as the Glenfield
Series. And those are in the editing phase, since I already wrote them and
they will be coming soon. So, my next writing project will be a young adult
sci-fi series that involves time travel, alternate realities, parallel
universes, classing good vs. evil, and lots of adventure, complete with secret
quests and unexpected twists….I know….Doorknobs! And, my current project is not
even in publishing. I’m also a playwright, and we just started rehearsals for a
one act play I wrote that will be staged in March. I’m a busy man!
LIGHTNING
ROUND
Biscuits or Dinner
Roll? Biscuits, with lots of gravy.
C.S. Lewis or J.R.R
Tolkien? Geez Louise. Ummm….Tolkien.
NCIS or CSI? NCIS
Y’all or You Guys? Y’all!
Artist: Monet or Van
Gough Monet
Pride and Prejudice
or Gone with the Wind? Pride and Preju…umm. How many can I answer?
Steel Magnolias or
Fried Green Tomatoes? Fried Green Tomatoes.
Sweet Tea or
Unsweetened Tea? Sweet! Hello?
Shadows: One Choice a Future Makes
Secret
societies, dangerous passions, and untold millions await Justin “Flip” Grey
when he arrives at a banking conference for a weekend seminar. Little does he
know he is being auditioned for inclusion with The Lair, a group of businessmen who influence more than the
economy. And they are going to test Justin. Enter Dahlia, the world’s most
dangerous temptress, who has been assigned to seduce Justin. He must choose his
future: his wife or his passions?
Travis W. Inman
then allows Justin to make both decisions, and creates duel realities. In the
first, Justin remains faithful. He and his family begin to change the world in
ways they never dreamt possible.
In reality two,
Justin become “Flip”, and choses the seductress. The consequences of his choice
begin to spiral, descending into chaos. Evil begins to manifest in his life,
and the disaster it brings is irreversible.
One choice a
future makes.
Travis W. Inman grew
up in the ranch country of West Texas and worked as a cowboy for his first 20
years. Travis graduated from seminary in
Dallas, Texas, and later served a year in the mission field in Mexico and South
America. He returned home and married
Sarah, his wife and sweetheart of more than 20 years. They have two teenagers whom they home
school.Writing is a life-long passion for Travis. His short stories and poems have been selected for publication in a variety of newspapers and on Internet sites. Travis’ writing includes children’s literature, action adventure, short stories, one act plays, love stories, westerns, sci-fi, thrillers, and drama.
Travis and Sarah
Inman currently reside in Idaho.
Links
Book link:
AMAZON KINDLE
Readers,
thanks for visiting Lagniappe.
I
pray you find a
“little
something extra"
in
each of your days.
Marian
