I had the pleasure of speaking with John Watson regarding his newest release Be Kind, Rewind. The eBook released today, and I have to say it is WONDERFUL! If you have not got your hands on a copy yet you really should.
Let’s dig into your newest release Be Kind, Rewind.
Where did your inspiration for this book come from?
I actually wrote a very short version of this story about 30 years ago. I used to work in a video store, back when they were a thing, and the Be Kind, Rewind logo on the cases wormed into my head. In your own words, can you tell us a little bit about the book?
The story revolves around an older married couple and their only daughter. Megan, the daughter, has been trying to get her parents to upgrade their home, but both are settled in their ways and like things how they are. The old VHS player becomes a central character in the story, but to tell you exactly how would give things away. At its heart, this is a love story with some dark elements. Are there any secrets from the book (that are not in the blurb), you can share?
I could share, but then I would need to kill you in a future book...LOL. Rather than just going pure love story, I wanted a little bit of darkness in there. I used a house fly that became part of the story. Swans also play a role. That part came in the middle of writing when I heard a little detail about swans on TV. Can you tell us about some of the characters in your book?
It is a small group. James and Margaret are the old married couple. They live in Seattle, but Margaret is originally from Scotland and is very much based on my mum. Megan is their daughter, and the young man she has her eye on is Kevin, who owns a secondhand store while also flipping houses on the side. Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Margaret is far and away my favorite character. I had no plans to base her on my mum, but as soon as I typed her first words, her voice came through loud and clear. She was an amazing woman, always so full of life. I am not ashamed to say that she was my best friend. I am the youngest of 3 kids and she would constantly refer to me as her baby boy, even when my friends were around. All her mannerisms and traits in the book are exactly as they were in real life. It was nice to spend some time with her again, even if it was only on the page. I love this response! It is perfect. I loved James and Margaret in this book. It makes it even better to know that Margaret was based off your mom. She must have been an amazing woman! What was your favorite part about writing Be Kind, Rewind?
Bringing life to an old story that would not get out of my head. The personal side was nice, too, as I enjoyed being able to pay tribute to my mum. Any challenges that you faced when writing this book?
I had to wrestle with my emotions quite a bit. Losing my mother was the worst thing that ever happened to me, so writing about her was tough at times. I asked my sisters to read the book first, just to make sure they were okay with it. Thankfully, they gave me their blessing. Once I heard Margaret speak, she could not be anyone else but my mum.
Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?
Yes, I do listen to music when I write. There is no special music for any given book. I have hours and hours of dark and space ambient music lined up on YouTube that I play all day. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
This is a departure from my usual stories, so I am hoping that they are willing to go on a gentler ride with me in this one. This is a story that was really important to me. I hope that comes through in the telling. Just for fun since you mentioned you worked in a video store back in the day. What was one of your favorite movies from around that time?
Oh, that is easy. I lived in Canada at the time and was introduced to Bob and Doug McKenzie by one of my co-workers. We must have watched Strange Brew hundreds of times. I love that movie. Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with us?
I have two books that I am working on. The Hollow-Eyed Girl is a horror/thriller that will be part of a box set featuring 20 or so other authors. I am also working on a Creature Feature called Cradle Robber that is a rather nasty piece of work. You mentioned a box set. Can you share more on that?
It is called Possessed by Passion and will contain more than 20 novels by assorted authors. It is quite the honor to have been asked to be a part of it. The hope is that we can get this one on the USA Today Bestseller's List. Interesting! I'll definitely keep an eye out for this one! Good luck to all of you! Back to the other book you mentioned. Cradle Robber sounds right up my alley! Can you tell us when we can expect that?
There is no official release date for that one yet. As soon as I finish it, I will get it into the publisher, and we will find a slot for it.
Perfect! That is another one I will be waiting to get my hands on. That is all I have for now. I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to chat with me about your newest release. Congratulations!
If you would like to grab a copy of John's newest release you can find it here. Available in eBook and paperback. Available wide: https://books2read.com/u/m2ZowG
Amazon: mybook.to/BeKindRewind