BookHuntersBlog.com

To find out more about Mr. Braun and his work, check out his Profile and read our Review for Paranoia.

On 9/11 and Its Effects On Our Society

BookHuntersBlog.com: Where were you when 9/11 happened and how did it affect you personally?

J.E.Braun: I was at work. I remember somebody walking by toward the conference room and saying that a plane had hit one of the towers. At first we all thought it was a small commuter plane accident. We didn’t have cable in there, so after a few minutes, the news went off the air and somebody said they thought they saw something about another plane. The internet was jammed so people were going out to their cars for news. I was in Edison, NJ and the smoke was visible. We all left work and went home amid reports that the highways were going to close. I remember watching CNN 24/7 for the next few weeks. I knew people who were missing, I knew people who lost loved ones and best friends, and I knew responders. I was actually very lucky as I didn’t personally lose anyone, but we, as a country, lost a lot that day. We used to be invincible. It could never happen here. That’s gone now.

BHB: What day-to-day changes are still in effect since 9/11?

JEB: Travel is probably the biggest change. Airport security, obviously. Right after 9/11 there were tons of changes. I work in construction health and safety, so there is always discussion of the way things are built and disaster planning. 9/11 comes up in almost every seminar or conference I attend. One thing I mentioned in Paranoia is that you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing American Flags or signs that said “9/11 we will never forget”. You still see these, but they are nowhere near as prolific now as they were then. There was a sense of patriotism that pervaded every aspect of life, from what we watched on TV to what we bought in the stores. That’s kind of given way now to a different type of patriotism. For a while, it became “you aren’t a patriot if you don’t support the war.” Now, a true patriot will figure out which presidential candidate is best for this country and our soldiers overseas.

BHB: What do you consider the most horrible effect of 9/11 besides instilling fear in people and the loss of life?

JEB: Restrictions on our freedom. The Patriot Act. I’m not saying certain things aren’t necessary to protect us, I fully believe that, but it’s a shame that we’ve come to a day and age where these things are necessary. The other terrible effect I think must have come out of this was that terrorist groups were encouraged. All over the world terrorists must have been thinking, if we can hit them in New York with their own planes, we can do anything.

BHB: What do you think about those taking advantage of financial aid for the survivors by claiming negative effects on their mental status, as well as claiming disabilities?

JEB: Obviously there are people with legitimate claims. Anybody who can take advantage of a tragedy, whether it’s 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or even somebody who preys on the elderly or a child, is just plain despicable. It hurts the people who legitimately need this support.

BHB: Have you received any feedback from those directly affected by the tragedy?

JEB: Yes. I have had one or two people who want to read it but haven’t been able to yet because, even years later, they fear what will happen if they read about that day. I have heard from people who were there or are close with people who were there and they have told me that it was done tastefully. One person who said that he knew people who suffered this type of paranoia after the attacks, told me that I really captured the essence of what these people still go through to this day.

On Writing

BHB: Did you study the craft of writing or dive right into it?

JEB: I did study writing in college, but I dove into it long before that. My senior project in high school was to write a novel based on the events of a friend’s life. I decided, at that point, to pursue a degree in Journalism, but soon found I didn’t really enjoy that. What I discovered during my freshman year of college was that I enjoyed my literature and creative writing classes, so that’s the direction I took. It was part enjoyment, part “I have no idea what I want to do with my life so I might as well study something I can enjoy.”

BHB: What do you think about the future of books with all the new technology coming out (like Kindle and foldable screens)?

JEB: While I think they are a great alternative for some (and I have published Paranoia as a Kindle book on Amazon), I cannot see a future where physical books don’t exist. The feel of the book, the smell of the pages, the look of it on your bookshelf are wonderful experiences that I don’t think people will ever do without.

BHB: How difficult was the publishing process for you?

JEB: That’s a tricky question. I sent my query out to only a few publishers and agents. I recognized just how difficult and, to a great extent, lucky the whole process was (did you catch the right person at the right time? Did they purchase their titles for the year? Did they decide, since Writer’s Market came out, to switch to only traditional Irish folklore – true story - ?). I could have spent a ton of time and money on that and gotten nowhere. I had seen a lot of entries that said, “Do not send 9/11 material.” I had also read a lot of interviews with authors that said that by the time the editing process was complete, they didn’t recognize their story anymore. Based on all of this, I decided to self-publish through iUniverse. I would rather my book fail then for my name to be attached to somebody else’s version of my book. This isn’t to say I did not seek criticism. I posted my book chapter by chapter on a writers’ website and took much of the feedback to heart. iUniverse also provided a professional editorial evaluation which I took full advantage of.

BHB: How much of your own promotion do you do?

JEB: All of it. Even though I knew that it would be this way going into the self-publishing world, you come to really appreciate the work that publishers and agents would be doing for you.

BHB: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

JEB: It may seem cliché, but keep writing. The hardest part is finishing that book. I would highly recommend trying to get short stories published. I dove right into writing books, so I didn’t have any previously published works to provide as examples. Also, decide exactly what you want out of your writing. Do you do it to make yourself happy? Do you do it for the experience it gives other? Are you looking to become a commercial success? A literary master? There are a lot of different publishing options out there that can help you achieve your goal. Just expect hard work no matter which road you choose.

BHB: What are your future plans?

JEB: I am working on a book which is a satire about the state of political correctness in this country and how afraid everybody is to offend somebody. I have written other books which are more supernatural, so they’re a bit different from Paranoia and this new one I’m writing. I have to decide whether to pursue those or not. I’ve written a book called Pawns, which is the first in a trilogy which tells the story of God seeking to find his replacement because he has thought of his own death and whatever he thinks cannot be undone. It turns out that the human race is his replacement, and in order to appreciate the power we’ll be given, we have been put here to experience everything: pain, love, happiness, sorrow, tragedy, comedy. As people die, they are assimilated into a higher consciousness that will eventually take over. While this sounds religious, it isn’t really and it’s told from a very human perspective. On earth a war between good and evil is brewing – but what evil doesn’t realize is that the final thing humans have to experience is their total annihilation. By destroying people, evil is allowing the replacement to God to be born. They get wind of this at one point and decide to sit back and wait out God’s death, putting the good side in the terrible position of having to wipe out the human race. As I said, the first book is complete and the second one is mostly written. I just need the time to work on them! I’m also writing a fantasy book for my children, with the two of them as the main characters.

BHB: Sounds like you are incredibly busy. How do you juggle writing with the rest of your life?

JEB: Not easily. I have a 3 year old and a ten month old at home, a job that is over an hour away from home, and a wife that needs some attention, too! I write when I can. A little bit here, a little bit there. When I get my first three-book deal, I’ll stop working and concentrate on writing all the time!

BHB: Do you have any methods or rituals to your writing?

JEB: Not really. When I get an idea, I just start writing. Then when I taper off and need to know where I want to go, I sit down and outline the story chapter by chapter. This outline usually only remains accurate for a chapter or two until the story or characters take me in a new direction. I do wish I’d turn off the TV more when I’m writing so I wouldn’t be so distracted!

BHB: How do you find inspiration?

JEB: The world around me. I keep my eyes open. When I hear something on the news, if a What if? thought goes through my head, I know I have the potential for a story. I like to take controversial topics and use them when I can. For instance, the fantasy story I mentioned earlier has an underlying storyline which could be an allegory for what I feel to be the failure of organized religion in today’s world.

We want to thank Mr. Braun for this opportunity and wish him the best with his book and his future endeavors. Stay tuned for more interviews coming soon!

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