Thursday, July 9, 2020

2020 Interview: Arlon Stubbe

Arlon Stubbe: I was born in Freeport, IL, went to college and seminary in Illinois, and served two congregations in Michigan [5 and 23.5 years respectively)] before moving to PA in 1994. I retired in 2007, and my wife and I became FL residents then, though we still own a house in Hermitage and spend each summer and early fall there.

Do you have any hobbies?

Travel (not at the moment, thanks to COVID-19), photography, and music.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Too many to mention.

If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?

Europe, to visit our son and his family – and then to travel all over the continent again.

Do you have pets?

No. A favorite cat, Stash, died a number of years ago, and for him there could be no replacement.

What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?

It used to be blue; now I’m more broad-minded.

What was your favorite book as a child?

“Billy Whiskers Kids”  (I know, I’m dating myself)

What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?

Nothing. I’ve worked on all my growth areas enough to make the progress that’s needed.

What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? 

Anything classical.

Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?

Now and then. I just finished a second reading of Nikos Kazantzakis’ “The Last Temptation of Christ” and this spring read “The Handmaid’s Tale” again after finishing Atwood’s sequel, “The Testaments.”

Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?

A little bit of each.

Does pineapple go on pizza?

Not on mine.

How many places have you lived?

Five.

What was your first job?

Stock boy in a grocery store. That lasted all of 4 hours!

What is your favorite down time activity?

Reading, writing, walking, a bit of TV news – when it’s really new.

Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?

I like to hike, and I walk 3 miles most days, especially in FL.  I’m learning to like gardening, at long last.

If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?

I have no idea.

Are you the type to take a dare?

No.

Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?

No.

What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?

Believe in yourself, and follow your dreams.

What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?

“Where the Crawdads Sing” and “Before We Were Yours.”

On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?

After 41 years of doing sermons and newspaper articles, not to mention a passel of term papers for degrees, I thought writing fiction was worth a try. I found I enjoy it, especially writing dialog.

How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?

Inspiration, from a muse that visits me, usually early in the morning – or when I least expect a visit. Steven King says that you notice one thing around you in real life, later on notice another with no apparent connection – and all of a sudden, a creative spark develops between them. That’s about it for me. 

Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?

After searching for 5 years to find an agent and/or a publisher, I learned about independent publishing and went to work, learning that trade. 22 books later, and I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.

Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:

All of my books are on amazon.com – under my name. I don’t have a website. About 15 of my works also appear on barnesandnoble.com, but since CreateSpace was taken over by KDP, that bookseller no longer lists my newer books.

My latest is a second collection of short stories, titled “A Charmed Life.” 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated. Spam will not be posted.