Author Interview with Wayne Avrashow
Today Join us and Author Wayne Avrashow!
Tell us a few things about yourself that our readers would like to know.
My careers are the foundation of my novel, Roll the Dice. Since the book is about a rock star’s political campaign for the United States Senate, I could draw upon my passion for rock music, my time as a political campaign manager, my work in politics and as an attorney I understand how to reach the most emotional aspects of a story, plot and characters.
What will a reader gain by reading your books?
Roll the Dice is set in a short, three-month political campaign, but the themes are universal. The book explores a strained father-son relationship, the conflicting loyalties of those seeking their own advancement and goals; a fifty-year-old man who as a rock star has had many brief flings and one-night stands, but longs for a meaningful female relationship, and the emergence of a young, bright, tough woman who emerges as his closest confidant while the two share a mutual flirtatious tango. These are issues we all can deal with.
What makes this particular genre you are involved in so special?
A political campaign unleashes forces that the novel’s protagonist Tyler Sloan must confront and defeat. He battles his Democratic and Republican opponents, the emergence of a decades old sex tape, media allegations that are semi-true, the betrayal of former musicians, campaign advisors and the hypocrisy that fills politics.
Do you read and reply to the reviews and comments of your readers? Does a bad review affect your writing?
We are the same. We all enjoy praise and a good review. 60 Minutes had a recent segment on Tom Hanks who wrote his first book. When the interviewer asked if he was concerned about book reviews, Hanks initially laughed it off, and then admitted he too read each one and grudgingly admitted how he read each review. Five stars beats three stars.
Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?
The most important advice is to keep going. It sounds trite, but keep writing. The world is littered with rejections. Think about the Decca record executive who passed on The Beatles and told their manager that, “guitar bands are dying.” John Grisham’s advice is to write at least one page a day. Enjoy the process, the creative time and keep writing.
How much of yourself do you put into your books?
There is an abundance of my thoughts, my approaches and my passion in
I have incorporated, but modified, verbal response, scenes and characters from people I have met and dealt with. My writing coach had several sayings, one was, “show us something we have not seen before.” The goal is to keep the plot and story moving, have distinct characters, but have it all realistic. In my book, a rock star running for political office was not believeable twenty years ago, but now it is a matter of time. My passion is in telling the story with my perspective, take and focus on the characters.
Do you have a day job other than being a writer? And do you like it? Does your day job ever get in the way of your writing?
I am an attorney and yes that occupies a lot of my time. I try to balance the two and have created space by sacrificing watching television, going out and being as time-efficient as possible. It is a choice I am happy to make. Writing is a great pleasure to me. I cannot sing or paint, this is my creative outlet.
Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you can just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?
I have written/edited on trains, airplanes, airports, cafes, Starbucks, my office, my home. I can focus if the distractions are reasonable. I rode the train from Los Angeles to San Diego when my son was in college there and was very productive. Stay focused!
If you could live anywhere in the world, which country would you choose and why?
Italy. The history, the natural beauty, the style and of course the food! Every meal in Italy was beyond wonderful. I have vacationed in Rome, Milan, and did day trips to Florence, Lake Como and Venice. Venice is a magical place. I could spend days walking around the alleys of Venice and in the waterways.
What is that dream goal you want to achieve before you die?
I would truly love to see a video/film adaptation of Roll the Dice. The novel is a visual story—with Las Vegas, all of Nevada as a backdrop and the energy of a political campaign by a rock star who dismisses the usual trappings of a campaign, I think it is a natural and that would please me greatly.
Get Your Copy Today!
Roll the Dice
by: Wayne Avrashow
Political Thriller
November 28, 2017
What happens when one of America’s biggest rock stars leaves the Las Vegas stage to run for the United State Senate?
The ultimate celebrity candidate, Tyler Sloan is no stranger to politics – his estranged father was a California governor who narrowly lost a Presidential campaign. He runs as a political independent, refuses campaign contributions, and dismisses special interests and lobbyists.
Sloan is caught in a political campaign fraught with; sexual scandal, corruption and conflicting loyalties. Will he be able to navigate through political turbulence and his own past to win the race?
Editorial Reviews
“...hilarious, politically savvy...politics at its corrupt, dysfunctional, inspiring best.” ~ Kirkus Reviews (pre-publication review, “Best Manuscript” award winner)
"Avrashow’s book is an entertaining reveal of an unconventional candidate and campaign and it is filled with drama, hope and conflict,” ~ Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles 2005-2013
“In the tradition of Allen Drury and Richard Condon comes the next great author of political thrillers, Wayne Avrashow.” ~ Michael Levin, New York Times best-selling author
“A political thriller that draws on Avrashow’s considerable experience…a great read,” ~ Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles City Councilman (ret.) and Los Angeles County Supervisor (ret.)
“a riveting, totaling involving page-turner…Roll the Dice has all the elements to develop into a memorable film dramatization,” ~ Peter Saphier, executive at Universal and Paramount studios, o read and recommended the novel “Jaws” for production at Universal, co-Producer “Scarface”
“Intriguing spin on the phenomenon of celebrities-as-candidates.” ~ Bob Ronka, Los Angeles City Councilman (Ret.)
About the Author:
Wayne Avrashow was the campaign manager for two successful Los Angeles City Council campaigns and a Deputy/Chief of Staff to those two elected City Council members. He served as a senior advisor for a successful city-wide referendum in the City of Los Angeles, co-authored ballot arguments on Los Angeles County-wide measures, served as Chairman for a Los Angeles County ballot measure, and was a Los Angeles government Commissioner for nearly twenty years. He currently serves as a Board Member of the Yaroslavsky Institute, a public policy institute founded by long time Southern California elected official, and now UCLA professor, Zev Yaroslavsky.
His background in politics, government, business, and law provides unique insight into the machinations and characters that populate political campaigns.
Wayne is a practicing attorney who specializes in government advocacy, real estate, and business law. Formerly, he was an officer in two real estate development firms. As a lawyer-lobbyist, he has represented clients before numerous California municipalities and in Nevada and Idaho. He has lectured at his law school and taught at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. He has also authored numerous op-ed articles that appeared in daily newspapers, legal, business, and real estate publications. In addition, he is the author of a self-published book for the legal community, Success at Mediation—10 Strategic Tools for Attorneys.
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