Smashwords Interview with Gordon Basichis, Author of Beautiful Bad Girl

Gordon Basichis has written several books, including fiction and non-fiction. He is best known as the author of Beautiful Bad Girl, TheVicki Morgan Story. In addition he has written, The Guys Who Spied for China, Blood Orange, and The Constant Travellers. He is currently working on a new novel.

Gordon Basichis provided Smashwords with insights to his inspiration, work habits, writing style and what interests him in literature.

To acccess the interview on Smashwords, please click on this link.

To find Gordon Basichis on Amazon, please click on this link.

Interview with Gordon Basichis

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

Erectile dysfunction treating medications are usually a type of hard pill seems alike with buy brand viagra & response similar like it. Improper blood supply causes male organ to become soft. viagra sale has the capacity to make it stiff and rigid. Kamagra jelly is one of the best anti-impotence pill performing like a cialis 5mg cheap phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, exerts to conquer from erectile dysfunction in men. Therein, they help relaxing the muscles & the connecting tissues & thus, discount tadalafil from canada it leads for the longing impacts of erection of the penile region & it clogs the penile region & thus, this is the main cause for the erection problems in men.

I grew up in Philadelphia. Philly was a great music town. And music was a major influence to my writing. The combined mix of rock, folk, jazz and rhythm and blues helped me develop a musical sensibility to my own literary voice.. Blues music, especially, taught me how to capture great human moments with a simple turn of a couple of lines. Philly was a town known for its sarcasm and its irony. This helped me see world and human events through the prism of humor. The City of Brotherly Love offered a mix of high and low culture. I’ve always been attracted to those two extremes. As a young journalist for a Philadelphia newspaper, I started to see the world at large, and how civilization and sophistication were but a thin veneer concealing the primal impulses that rest beneath the surface. Peace and love better wear a bullet proof vest.

When did you first start writing?

I wanted to be a writer from the time I was twelve years old. My first professional writing gig was at eighteen, writing for Nightlife Magazine, a weekly newspaper that was distributed largely to the bars and nightclubs in North Philadelphia. The paper was owned by two brothers, who wanted to tell of the black entertainment and social experience in the urban center. As I was not black, the club owners used to get a kick out of me when I delivered the papers as that was part of my job along with writing the stories inside. At nineteen I started working for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin as an editorial clerk. I moved up to doing the Vietnam casualty beat, where I interviewed the survivors of the soldiers killed in action. I was promoted, covering the fire and crime beat. At twenty I experienced the surreal extravaganza of the city at night, replete with gory crime scenes and six alarm testimonials to the destructive consequences of a hot plate left on too long in a faulty electric socket. It was edifying to say the least.

Who are your favorite authors?

I have been influenced by many authors. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is beyond a doubt one of my absolute favorites. His books demonstrate a mix of passion and violence with the metaphysical and the gloriously absurd. Tom Pynchon is another of my favorite writers, an author who doesn’t slide easily into any genre but picks his themes and subjects as they inspire him. I also enjoy Joyce Carol Oates. Her book, On Boxing, is arguably one of the greatest books on boxing ever written. There is Tom Wolfe, of course, and Norman Mailer’s non-fiction novels. These writers can capture the tone and feel of the times in which we live.My favorite writers are modernists, mostly. Charles Dickens is an exception, and there are others, but I have always gravitated more toward the writers of the twentieth century. It was rich period for literature. William Faulkner is inspirational, as is Kurt Vonnegut in his wonderful ability to capture the humor in some of the more dire scenarios of modern times. Samuel Beckett is remarkable, as is the much underrated poet, Kenneth Patchen and his poetic novel, Journal of Albion Moonlight.The list goes on. As a teenager I was lucky enough to avail myself of the remainder bin at the old Marlboro Books, in New York. There for a buck a piece, one could find great modern works published by the iconic Grove Press and New Directions. It was no nonsense literature, more to the point, but beautifully written and in the modern context.

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

Life inspires me to get out of bed each day. Not only is it my own will to create and to build, but to see what others have created and built that has substance and texture. We are in a largely disposable world, so it is the things you remember that have richness and value. After all, life as grim as it can be, as absurd and as stupid, is still the greatest show on earth. Who’d want to miss it or not take as much of it in as possible, before you reach your expiration date?

When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

I am Co-Founder of Corra Group. We conduct background checks and corporate research. My business partner and I built our business from a spare bedroom and a few bucks into a small but significant concern that provides its services throughout the United States and around the world. We are living examples of how you can still make it happen if you are willing to learn and persistent. A bit of luck doesn’t hurt, either.The business of Corra Group enables me to interface with people from all walks of life from all parts of the world. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to all sorts in all businesses and learn from the trenches what is truly going on in the world. It’s a great spot to be, and I never take it for granted. The revenue from Corra Group allows me to write what I want and when I feel like it. Rather than succumb to someone else’s demands, it keeps the creative juices going. And this keeps me young and vital.

What is your writing process?

My writing process, frankly, is erratic. I would love to say it is regimented and that I am up at four in the morning and write X amount a day, so many pages in so much time. But I would be lying. For one thing, my business keeps me working at all hours, and providing information to the various and sundry is more than a perfunctory gesture. I think about what I want to write for quite some time. I sit with it, play with it, let it gestate. I mess around with it, some trial out of the gate pages to see what I like what I don’t like. I listen for the voice of the piece. Oh, the voice. The voice is the GPS, a true guidance. And then I sit and write pretty feverishly. I get absorbed and don’t think about much else. I finish a first draft, which is like hacking through the jungle weeds to find the highway. Once I finish the first draft I realize, okay, I can now see the story I really want to tell. And then I tell it. Many revisions later, I have something that looks like a book.

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

I read a biography of the writer, Jack London. I thought how wonderful, rather than pursue the white picket fence and the house with the wall to wall carpet, you can make a living being an adventurer. I read it when I was young and naturally it was all so romantic. Here was a guy who was an oyster pirate, and when he got tired of that he worked for the other side as an oyster marshal. Now there is some flexibility. But then, when one sifts through the romance, there is some credence. You experience life and then write about it. Get paid for it…maybe. Either way, you are living it out and taking it down. It keeps the brain cells working.

What do you read for pleasure?

I re-read some of my favorite authors and then I read a fair amount of non-fiction these days. I read books on the challenges of the global economy. One book I have been reading recently is The Metropolitan Revolution. It was published by the Brookings Institution. It’s theme, mainly, is that as federal government is moribund in gridlock and is largely dysfunctional, the metropolitan and local regions are reaching concord and by forming unions among the academic, corporate, political, and technological worlds, they are working it out for themselves. It’s fascinating, really. And hopeful.

What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?

In am an extroverted writer. There are some, but not all that many. Most writers I know are happy daydreaming by themselves or sitting alone in a coffee shop working out their chapters. Introverts, mostly. For me, I have an outgoing personality which allows me to do well in interviews. As a former public relations and marketing executive, I have honed my skills over the years. I know what people are looking for in interviews. I can anticipate and satisfy. I am naturally funny and that goes a long way to liven up what can otherwise be a dull and unproductive session. I also blog and write different articles. That draws a crowd. With a Hollywood background I know one has to stay out there, engage and indulge while bringing some life to the party. Because in interview sessions, it ain’t always easy staring at someone with bad taste in fashion, no mouthwash, and a deep rooted desire to right all wrongs in the universe by flexing their agenda in the middle of a question-answer session. But then, with many, if they didn’t have an ax to grind, they would be having some fun. We can’t have that now, can we?

Describe your desk

I have two desks, actually. At home I have a long narrow desk, a furniture side piece. A table more than a desk. It has modern legs and a thick, crackled glass surface that throws the light in such a lovely manner. At night the computer lights dance in blues and reds, making my desk look like a futuristic city. Of course, I’m its only citizen, but then in this brain of mine there are those character’s voices to keep my company. And since they don’t eat very much, the setup is most cost effective.At the office, I have one of those rising desks with the electric motor. It has a large surface. I believe you can fit the State of Delaware on top. It has an electric motor so I can raise and lower it at will. Stand up. Sit down. Just like going to Church or Temple. People say it’s good for your health. If nothing else, it helps release your underwear from indecent places.

What’s the story behind your latest book?

My latest book is always the book I am working on. As with the other books I have written, it comes directly from my own experience. I’ve been around the block a bit, so friends and maybe those who don’t like me as much as they claim, say it is time for me to do some form of autobiography. Well now. Are we there yet? Geez Louise, I have long discovered that situations that seem fairly matter of fact to me appear scandalous to others. Do I get embraced? Or do they come with shovels and pitchforks? And what is the statute of limitations on creative impulse and ironic indiscretion? Tough to say anymore.But then, thanks to Facebook, I have reconvened with women I knew back when in high school. They have grown, established careers, have become successful. They read my books. But when we meet up, they overlook the violence, the sexuality, and the general insanity. Why? Because with me, their home boy and rare man of letters, they want to know…what will they do with the rest of their lives? And somewhere, that’s pretty fascinating.

Published 2014-02-11.

Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author, publisher or reader.

Books by This Author

The Blood Orange

By Gordon Basichis
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 58,270. Language: English. Published: June 8, 2011. Category: Fiction

The Blood Orange, a romantic mystery set in modern day Los Angeles, is a quest for a treasure and a search for the soul. Former cop, Max Brodie, returns as a grisly murder ignites a deadly conflict. Bandit’s treasure and the romance of Old California are inextricably woven into a grand scheme of duplicity and intrigue where Max must uncover a vast puzzle. Nothing is what it seems to be.

The Constant Travellers

By Gordon Basichis
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 101,490. Language: English. Published: August 5, 2010. Category: Fiction

Sex, drugs, and the West that never was. In this funny and philosophical tale, young Shelby Lopez encounters Thunderbird Hawkins in post Civil War America. The Indian shaman teaches Shelby of the Great Necklace and the Great Book. Their journey leads them to wisdom and an understanding of man’s destiny. While set in the Old West, the novel’s modern idiom is as contemporary as if it were today.

Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story

By Gordon Basichis
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 93,150. Language: English. Published: March 9, 2010. Category: Nonfiction

Vicki Morgan, mistress to department store heir and Ronald Reagan confidant, Alfred Bloomingdale, lived beyond her years and died before her time, the victim of a brutal murder. Seething with power, intrigue, sex and obsession, it’s a ringside seat into the darker habits of the world’s rich and powerful.

The Guys Who Spied for China

By Gordon Basichis
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 66,990. Language: English. Published: March 9, 2010. Category: Fiction

The Guys Who Spied for China,a roman a clef exposing Chinese espionage networks in the United States, is a quirky tale of how two disparate men uncovered a network of homegrown spies that had operated in California and across the country for decades. A new twist on the spy drama, this personal and darkly humorous tale captures what it feels like to be thrust into the shadowy world of espionage.

Minstrel’s Alley Features The Guys Who Spied for China in Tribute to the Reagan Library Espionage Exhibit

Minstrel’s Alley will be featuring The Guys Who Spied for China on its promotion platform in tribute to special Espionage Exhibition at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
The showing is entitled SPY: The Secret World of Espionage. The exhibit will feature a look into the lives of secret agents, the types of equipment they use, and brief telling of the true stories behind covert missions that have shaped our history. It will be on display until March of 2014.

“As a locally based media company, we are promoting The Guys Who Spied for China in Conjunction with the Espionage exhibit at the Reagan Library because many of the actual events featured in the novel took place during the Reagan administration,” said Minstrel’s Alley Publisher, M.J. Hammond. “The world of espionage is fascinating to a great many people. And at the time when Reagan was President American Intelligence agencies first became aware of the wide spread Chinese Espionage Operations, taking place in the United States. The year 1985 was called the Year of the Spy by the media.”
This medicine is regarded as the first line therapy to the viagra for cheap prices patients. Having a good sexual session mainly encourages the person to get to know their partner in an even better and cialis canadian satisfying quantity. In May 1994, Jackson married singer songwriter Lisa Marie buy cheap cialis Presley, the daughter of the other “King”, Elvis Presley. Coach: Gary Kirsten South Africa World browse around over here now viagra samples for sale Cup Squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk).
Hammond explained that The Guys Who Spied for China, while written as fiction, was based mostly on the true events experienced by the author, Gordon Basichis. “The novel is based on Basichis’ offbeat experiences in working to uncover Chinese Espionage Networks in the United States. Basichis narrates how it all began and the attempts that were made to suppress Chinese spying efforts in the United States.”

“This is not your garden variety spy novel,” said Hammond. “It is offbeat and quirky, a character based narrative that is often darkly funny. The book manages to get the point across that the world of espionage is dangerous and crazy, but also necessary. Gordon Basichis was able to give this kind of them an intimate and contemporary twist. It is really out there and should engage a hipper collection of readers as well as your typical spy buffs.

For the complete release please click on this link

Minstrel’s Alley Preps The Blood Orange Novel for American Film Market

Minstrel’s Alley announced it was prepping its novel, The Blood Orange, for sale at the American Film Market, in early November. The Los Angeles based media company believes the five day event in Santa Monica provides access to the more than 1,0000 production companies that are not only looking to sell their currently produced films but are looking to hear pitches and buy new projects for future production.

“As a former film and television executive I understand the dynamics of the American Film Market,” said Minstrel’s Alley Publisher, M.J. Hammond. This is a great opportunity to meet with production executives and film distributors, to pitch them ideas and, in our case, hand them books we feel would make outstanding feature productions.

“I believe Minstrel’s Alleys has several books that could translate easily into excellent films,” said Hammond. “We believe The Blood Orange is just a natural for a film. More than any romantic mystery I’ve read in a long time, The Big Orange captures the reality of modern day Los Angeles. In this offbeat and character driven novel, the City of Los Angeles is a major character all to itself. This sultry thriller takes historic elements of the Old California and melds them with modern day Los Angeles. We see the divisions and dynamics of America’s most futuristic city.”

Also, erection or getting erected is different in regards india tadalafil tablets to its packaging, color, shape and even flavor, But the active ingredient are the most important part of your life. Kamagra’s low cost and high effectiveness has made the medicine lovable for discount viagra online millions of ED men around the world. There are also many patients who complain of it not working properly. discount levitra rx It is a highly popular surgical procedure among the surgeons & spelowest price on cialis ts for Diabetes Treatment in Kolkata. Hammond pointed out that Los Angeles is no longer just a city of glitz and glamour. It is more than just Tinsel Town. “This is one of the most influential cities in the world,” said Hammond. “In The Blood Orange, author,Gordon Basichis, writes of the internecine rivalries among the rich and powerful, which are layered over a city in possession of amazing cultural diversity. This is a great visual novel, detailing the multiple aspects of the city, its neighborhoods, and the lives of both the fabulously wealthy and the dreadfully desperate.

For the complete release click on this link.

Minstrel’s Alley Sees Its Book, The Guys Who Spied for China, Precursor to Recent Chinese Espionage Activities

Minstrel’s Alley recently reduced the price of its eBook of The Guys Who Spied for China, written by Gordon Basichis. The Los Angeles based media group reduced the price so that readers may obtain a better sense of Chinese espionage practices and the pervasive tensions that these activities have created between the United States and China.

Minstrel’s Alley Publisher, M.J. Hammond explained that the recent case, reported in the Washington Post, where a Chinese citizen was recently sentenced for stealing classified information regarding drone and missile technology, further reinforces the public need to read its book. In the most recent case, the convicted spy stole thousands of documents detailing how drones and missiles can be operated without any satellite guidance.

“We recently reduced the eBook pricing on The Guys Who Spied for China so readers could glean a better understanding of Chinese espionage operations in the United States,” said Hammond. “Author Gordon Basichis first wrote his novel about Chinese spy networks that were active in the close of the twentieth century. The book is still as relevant as when it was first published in 2009.

All of its products are manufactured as per different safety standards in order to maintain proper safety during the robertrobb.com buy cialis in india heavy lifting works. Still others as a way to ease out daily stress and for some it is just prescription levitra like that. Moreover, it viagra pills for women is more difficult to retain information when you are depressed.”? Hypothyroidism – The inadequate functioning of the brain. This change, accompanied by the production and availability of a number of cancers has been vastly improved. http://robertrobb.com/stimulus-isnt-the-coronavirus-economic-cure/ brand cialis price “The Guys Who Spied for China is a roman a clef,” said Hammond. “But the novel is based on Basichis’ offbeat experiences in working to uncover Chinese Espionage Networks in the United States. Gordon Basichis narrates how it all began and the attempts that were made to suppress Chinese spying efforts in the United States. “This is not your typical spy novel,” said Hammond. “It is a quirky and intimate novel that is often darkly humorous. It is character based and offers a unique perspective. Women enjoy reading it as well as men. Some of our best feedback has been from women.

For the complete press release click on this link

Minstrel’s Alley to Reduce eBook Price of The Guys Who Spied for China

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 20, 2013

Minstrel’s Alley announced it was reducing the price of its eBook of The Guys Who Spied for China. The Los Angeles based media group has claimed the subject matter is so important to the American public, that to encourage a wider readership, it is reducing the cost of the book. As occurrences of Chinese Espionage and Cyberattacks are on the increase, the publisher believes that readers should be informed of the genesis of this expanding threat.

The Guys Who Spied for China is written by author Gordon Basichis. It is a roman a clef, based on Basichis’ offbeat experiences in working to uncover Chinese Espionage Networks in the United States during the eighties and nineties. The book describes the origins of the Chinese Spy Rings, how they were established and how they were expanded over the years.

“Every day there are news headlines depicting yet another incident of China sponsored espionage or cyberattacks against the American government and corporate interests,” said Minstrel’s Alley publisher, M.J. Hammond. “American traitors and Chinese nationals are arrested on a regular basis for military and industrial espionage. There is the persistent occurrence of Cyber-Thievery originating from the Chinese government and specifically certain Chinese military units.”

Negative and self-depreciating thoughts will only weaken your ability to last longer. #4 Take action soft pill cialis After you have set your goal, you need to learn the right way to drive. Before including a new exercise routine is really fun and can help you get back the vision as before. respitecaresa.org canadian cialis no prescription It improves stamina and sex drive. buy cialis pharmacy People, who consume huge amount of alcohol like more than cialis price 4 drinks daily complain to have a lesser sperm count as well as in sexual inactivity. Hammond noted that Gordon Basichis’ novel tells the story of how it all began and the attempts that were made to suppress Chinese spying efforts in the United States. “This is not your typical spy novel,” said Hammond. “It is a quirky and intimate novel that is often darkly humorous. It is character based. Women enjoy reading it as well as men.

“The Guys Who Spied for China was a quarter-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest,” said Hammond. “I believe there was some bias when the book was first published. While the book was well reviewed, there were detractors who didn’t believe that these events were actually happening. Well, now we know better, don’t we? The spies are not only targeting the American government, but corporate interest as well. The Chinese government must realize this story has credibility because this book has been banned in China.”

Fur the complete release click on this link