I would like to give a warm welcome to Todd Douglas Keister and say thank you for joining me today for this eye opening author interview.

• What is your name and where do you call home?

My name is Todd Douglas Keister and I live in Binghamton, upstate New York.

• Do you have a pen name?

I write as Todd Douglas – easier to pronounce and avoids people pronouncing my last name “Keester”  LOL

• What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?

A Republic, if you can keep it; a chronicle of the American Counterrevolution. To educate Americans on the long process that led America to the loss of our liberties, and how our political masters keep us in a state of confusion.

• Is the above book part of a series?

It is not, although the next book, on American foreign policy in the 20^th century, relates to the same concepts; our collective departure from the principles of liberty and federalism as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the constitution.

• What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?

It was just the passion I felt for what was happening to our nation; and the more I learned, the more I realized how ignorant most of us are about our heritage as a country.  Reading the available literature, it was apparent that there was plenty of rants against the current presidential administration, but nothing to explain how we got to this point; where presidents and congressmen of any party have such unlimited power over our lives and fortunes.  I have been writing since 2009, when I began writing columns for Examiner.com and a number of pieces at American Thinker.com

• How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)?

I wanted something that conveyed America in distress and harkened back to a time when we still honored our constitution.  I purchased a photograph of a yellowing American flag and used it as a backdrop for the title.  I created it with PowerPoint, saved it as a .jpeg file, and had my cousin – a graphic design student – convert it into the required .pdf format.

 

• Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)?

I generally can’t concentrate well with music, but sometimes I listen to Mozart.

• How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

When Benjamin Franklin emerged from the constitution’s signing session, a Mrs. Powell asked him, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”  To which Franklin replied, “A republic – if you can keep it.”  Republics historically have not lasted and quickly descended into anarchy.  The counterrevolution subtitle conveys the book’s assertion that America has already been fundamentally changed into a completely different governmental structure and the constitution is essentially a dead letter.

• Do you have a book trailer? If so where can we watch it?

Yes, there is a trailer on the home page of my website at www.todddouglasonline.com

• Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books?

Personally, I prefer hardcover, but if your self-publishing, soft cover and Kindle are your best options

• Are you a self-published/Indie author?

Yes, my current book is self-published using CreateSpace.com and is sold through my website and on Amazon.

• If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route?

I sent my work to more than 100 agents and publishing houses without success and simply got tired of waiting.  Once I discovered CreateSpace, I immediately began work on prepping the book for print.

• Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?

I have read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged three times, and Anthem twice.

• What is your opinion of novellas?

I think they are an excellent form of reading enjoyment; for relaxation and escape

• Have you ever read a book just based on its cover?

Not solely on the cover, but it certainly makes a difference on whether or not I pick it up off the shelf to examine it further.

• What is your favorite film based on a book?

It has to be The Hunt for Red October based on the Tom Clancy Book by the same name.  It’s also one of the only films I’ve ever seen that follows the book plot exactly.

• What is your favorite book genre at the moment?

Although I love history and write about world affairs, of late I mainly read spiritual and self-help books – trying to undo the damage of two decades in law enforcement.

• What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why?

The Catcher in the Rye – a classic I’ve never read; The Law, by Frederic Bastiat; You are not Your Brain, by Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D.

• What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?

The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss.  I listen to it on my iPhone using the Audible ap during my frequent long drives.

• If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why?

I’m not a big fan of celebrities in general, but I’d probably invite Christopher Walken, Adam Sandler, Will Farrell, and Jennifer Lawrence (To hang with my daughters).

• What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

I received precious little advice with regard to writing; if anyone out there has some, I’m all ears…

• Do you have any hobbies that are not related to reading & writing?

I enjoy hiking, and am in the process of trying to hike all 46 High Peaks of the Adirondacks with my daughter before 2020.  I also kayak, run obstacle/mud races, and ride motorcycles.

• Where can your readers follow you?

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realtodddouglas
• Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/todd_douglas
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/realtodddouglas
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/todd-douglas-keister/2b/960/b10
• Amazon: (Author page) http://www.amazon.com/Todd-Douglas/e/B00IZUJ24M/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
• (Book) http://www.amazon.com/Republic-you-can-keep-counterrevolution/dp/0615849954/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403125733&sr=8-1&keywords=todd+douglas