Interview with Amazon.com

This interview was done by Amazon.com when I was in the midst of writing my second book. Enjoy.

Amazon: Where are you from? How–if at all–has your sense of place colored your writing?

K: My sense of place is based on my residence in three corners of the world, Asia, Europe, and North America. Each place I’ve lived is home to me in some way. And yes, my sense of place has definitely colored my writing. There is the majesty and beauty of the Alborz mountains on a cool fall day, the hordes of people milling through the streets of London, and sailboats gliding over lake Ontario. Amazon: When and why did you begin writing? When did you first consider yourself a writer?K: I began writing shortly after I learned to read, jokes aside, I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to be a writer but my initial writing was an attempt to create something in a prescribed format. Later when I discovered my own voice I moved away from the constraints and preconceived notions of ‘writing.’ Now it is an art that I use to express my feelings and perceptions and to give voice to my imagination and dreams. The very first time I got published was for a technical article on the Windows operating system in the Toronto Sun. Writing Sybase faxline documents was just a natural evolution and I found my writings to be very popular. I then got involved with the PowerBuilder Developer?_Ts Journal found that I liked it. As I wrote I realized that writing is a way to reach many people at one time and writing books came naturally. My first book was on PowerBuilder 6 and I am currently working on my second book which is on PowerBuilder 7 book.

Amazon: Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way? What books have most influenced your life?

K: The most influential books I’ve read are those that lead me to pause and think. This includes books by such authors as Patricia Cornwell, Michael Palmer, Dean Koontz, Daniel Goleman, and numerous others whose work I respect and admire. The writer who influenced me the most is Mark Twain. He had a rascally sense of humor but if you get to know him you find that he cares.

Amazon: What do you write about. How long does it take you. How much time to you devete to your writing?

K: I write technical material on my laptop. I?_Td say that am relatively quick. Hours devoted to writing are entirely based on my moods. I’ve stayed up all night writing something that I was really into — at other times, I procrastinate or just spend a lot of time reflecting…and then write with a huge burst of energy. I enjoy writing in the evening and night…and revising in the morning. I love having the television on when I write or play a soft rock music.

Amazon: What is the most romantic book you’ve ever read? The scariest? The funniest?

K: The most romantic piece I ever read is a true story. It’s the story of the love of Casanova and Henriette. Their love was more powerful and more heartbreaking than anything Shakespeare ever wrote.. The scariest book I’ve ever read is ‘The Stand’ by Steven King. The funniest book I’ve ever read is ‘If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, Why Am I In the Pits?” by Erma Bombeck

Amazon: What music, if any, most inspires you to write? What do you like to listen to while writing?

K: It varies. I love something that helps me stay calm and focused. Pink Floyd is a favorite of mine. For creative stimulation I listen to blues. There are other times when I simply like to have the television on when playing an old classical movie and write. I love to lose myself in words and music.Amazon: What are you reading now? What CD is currently in your stereo?

K: Currently I am reading ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman. My CD of the moment is ‘Brothers in Arms’ by Dire Straits.Amazon What are you working on?

Me: I am currently on what I hope to be a great book. It?_Ts on Sybase?_Ts Enterprise Application Studio version 3 which is currently in beta. This is my second PowerBuilder book and this time I?_Tm focusing on the distributed features of PowerBuilder 7 to shows how to develop powerful, industrial-strength applications that can access data-aware components in DPB, Jaguar CTS and MTS. Feel free to visit my web site to read more about this book.Amazon: Any additional comments?

K: This is going to sound like I am self promoting, so let me apologize from the outset. All in all, I think you?_Tll find this book friendly, readable, filled with juicy tidbits, and packed with information that can be used in a real enterprise application. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Tags: Books

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