I’m stoked (I really hope you all get that vampire reference) to have
the award-winning author Ben Wolf on my blog today. I’m a fan of his writing in
general, and I have to tell you, his novel Blood for Blood is awesome.
Please give Ben a warm welcome.
Yes, there is a giveaway! (Details at the bottom of the post.)
Blood for Blood is the story of what might happen if a
vampire got saved and tried to start living his life for God.
Me: Thank you so much
for being here, Ben! Please tell us a bit
about you. What do you like to do when you aren't writing? Are you a coffee or
tea person? Do you have any children or pets?
Ben Wolf: Thanks so much for
having me. I'm a bit nuts, but in a good way. I love watching action/adventure
movies and TV shows, and I also take MMA classes at a local gym. I enjoy
playing volleyball, sword-fighting, shooting friends with Nerf guns, and
hearing myself talk, especially in front of large groups.
I prefer tea to coffee
(I don't like coffee at all), but I don't drink tea very often either. I'm
caffeine-free these days since I get too many withdrawal headaches when I do
drink the caffeine and then don't follow up with more caffeine soon enough.
I've got two adorable
kids, Liam and Violet. They're amazing. I also have a furry child named Marco.
Ben Wolf: I've always been a fan
of vampires and their lore, but the story idea is actually one I stole (with
permission) from a fellow writing friend. He was talking with me about how
ironic it would be for a vampire to get saved and then have to endure life as a
Christian among other Christians and their religious symbols, practices, etc. I
loved the idea so much that I hijacked it and wrote the novel in the course of
only a few months' time.
Me: You recently won an
award for Blood for Blood - tell us about that!
Ben Wolf: I was honored to win
the Oregon Christian Writers 2015 Cascade Award for Best Speculative Fiction
Novel. I was up against some stiff competition, and I was thrilled just to be
nominated, but I'm even more thrilled that I won. I really think it's a great
book, and I'm happy to see it get some recognition. It's also validation that I
should keep writing.
Me: The character of
Raven is unique and complex. How do you think people can relate to him? How do
YOU relate to him?
Ben Wolf: I'm glad you think
he's unique and complex. That's a huge compliment to me.
I think people will
relate to him in his uncertainty. I know I certainly do. Raven is uncertain
about his new faith from the very beginning and throughout the entire book
until almost the end. The moment he finally decides to really go for broke and
surrender EVERYTHING to God is the key moment in his faith development.
I'm like that, only
it's a daily struggle. I am constantly fighting against surrendering to God,
even though I should do it and need do it. I think a lot of American Christians
are like that as well. We tend to think that we've got it under control, and
we'll just call on God when we get into a bind. But that's not what God wants.
He wants an ongoing relationship, not one of convenience. I struggle with this
personally, and I definitely can learn from Raven's story and character in this
way.
Me: If you could spend
the day with one of the B4B characters, which would it be?
Ben Wolf: Oooh, tough one. I
think I'd benefit the most from hanging out with Luco. My hope would be that
he'd rub off on me in a good way. He could mentor me a bit in my faith.
Me: What authors have
influenced you the most?
Ben Wolf: Frank Peretti is
responsible for me falling in love with reading and also for inspiring the
desire within me to write. Robert Liparulo and Ted Dekker furthered that drive,
and Randy Ingermanson and James Scott Bell both contributed a ton with their
excellent work on teaching the craft of writing. More recently, Stephen King
has become something of a favorite of mine.
Me: What are you working on now? What's next for
you?
Ben Wolf: I'm developing a
sci-fi horror novel as we speak. I've got most of the basic outline done, and
I'm set to begin working on it in November for NaNoWriMo. I have purposely
given myself permission to write during that month, despite a busy freelance
editing schedule. I'm hopeful that I can knock out a big chunk of the book, if
not finish the first draft entirely.
Me: I assume you’re
dressing up for Halloween this year. Are you going as a vampire?
Ben Wolf: It's highly likely
that I'll be going as Wolverine for Halloween this year. Gotta get some more
mileage out of those claws.
Thank you again for
taking the time to be a guest on my blog today!
I know you want to
know how win a signed copy of Blood for
Blood AND two copies of Havok Magazine. All you have to do is sign up for
Ben’s newsletter. Make sure you do it by 11:59 p.m. Saturday October 24th,
2015. Good luck!
