Indie Author Spotlight – Ryan Gladney and “The Nine Lives of Adam Blake”

Here’s another great indie author for you to meet – say hello to Ryan Gladney!

Ryan Gladney is the author of Nine Lives of Adam Blake, a contemporary novel set in Minnesota that combines elements of speculative fiction, urban fantasy, philosophical fiction, coming-of-age, and literary fiction. It was released in February 2014. For more information on Nine Lives of Adam Blake, visit the Book page.

Ryan was born in St. Louis, and has lived in Boston, Orange Country, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and Minnesota. He attended college at the University of Michigan. When not writing (or working), Ryan spends most of his time with his wife, son, and cats. He’s an active book-clubber, kickballer, bike-rider, brunch-eater, and live music aficionado. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

You can visit him at his website to learn more…

 

And here’s his book…

Adam Blake knows what fate awaits him after death. He has died before, and will die again, and always it’s the same. For Adam, there is no heaven, no hell, no reincarnation, or cold, final sleep. When he dies, his life flashes before his eyes; it rushes backward—nothing skipped or overlooked—until it stops, suddenly, at age twelve, one week after he had mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind his childhood home. Then, he wakes up.

Adam is cursed—or blessed—to relive the same life again and again, from this moment onward, regardless of how he lives, who he becomes, or what ultimately causes next his demise. He is free to right past wrongs, avoid past mistakes, pursue any interest and chase any dream. But the longer Adam lives, the less anything matters but answers. He must know: Why is he stuck in this loop? What is its cause? How will it end? And what awaits him on the other side of death when it finally does?

You can buy it at Amazon, right now!

And, last but not least, I’ve got a great interview with Ryan…

Who is your favorite author?

Not sure I have a favorite, but there are a few authors I turn to again and again when I need a little inspiration/motivation to write. Hemingway, Vonnegut, Bradbury, and Mark Twain are a few.

How do you describe your writing style? Use no more than two sentences.

I love Flaubert’s concept of “le mot juste” (“the right word”). I try to write in a style that is direct and efficient but doesn’t skimp on elegance and substance. 

Why should we read your book?

Because it’s amazing! Just kidding. I’ve had readers tell me that Nine Lives is the rare summer read that actually challenges your mind and lingers long after you are done. It deals with some heady issues, but through the lens of some quirky, colorful, and occasionally intoxicated characters who aren’t exactly well equipped to deal with much of what they face.

Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself?

No. I’m not much like Adam at all, and the only thing I share with the rest of them is a hometown.

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?

Adam, on one of the days he dies. The way death happens to him would be exciting to experience once, but then I’d want to go back to being Ryan afterward.

What books have most influenced your life?

A Farewell to Arms, A Demon Haunted World, The Elements of Style, and From Where You Dream.

If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why?

…I just wrote something really cynical and mean and then deleted the entire paragraph. I’ll take a pass on this one.

Beatles or Monkees? Why?

Beatles! My son’s middle name is Lennon, for goodness’ sake!

Who should play you in a film of your life?

I’d say Channing Tatum, but he’s not quite muscular and handsome enough to play me. I don’t know. Maybe Ron Livingston? I need to give this more thought.

 

 

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