Interview With Author Tim Schulz
1. What inspired you to write this book?
The book is a start-to-finish memoir of my first trip to
Montana in 2019. Toward the end of that trip—while staying in the remote
Sportsman Motel in Melrose, Montana, in a room likely inhabited years ago by
Jim Harrison—I scribbled some notes on a legal pad, and the nucleus of this
book was born.
2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?
A Cast Away in Montana is the story of my first
trip to Montana. Through humorous, insightful, and reflective storytelling, I
hope readers will discover the thrill of pursuing elusive fish in stunning
landscapes and embark on a profoundly personal exploration of life, loss, and
self-discovery. With its engaging tales of adventure, friendship, regional
history, and reflection, the book should resonate with fly-fishing enthusiasts
and anyone seeking a meaningful connection to nature. Whether you're an angler,
an outdoor lover, or simply a fan of great stories, I wrote A Cast Away in
Montana for you.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of
reading your book?
I hope they’ll be inspired to load up their vehicles and
embark on their own unique adventure of a lifetime. To paraphrase Muriel
Rukeyser, “The universe is not made of atoms. It’s made of stories,” and I hope
my book will remind readers that stories are all around us.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover
design?
Because Montana was such a vast and sometimes isolated
place for me, and because fly fishing was my primary reason for being there,
the title is a play on words incorporating the ideas of being a castaway
in a vast and isolated place while often being only a cast away from a
majestic Montana trout. The cover is a painting by the terrific artist Bob
White called “Late Afternoon—Gallatin River.”
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for
fellow writers – other than run!?
In A Cast Away in Montana ’s foreword, the
excellent writer, Jerry Dennis, addresses the rewards writers get from
their writing:
Over the years we’ve talked often about writing and
fishing. We agree that one reason so many anglers write so well is because
sharing their stories allows them to double the pleasure they get from fishing.
But I would argue that there’s more to it. Fly-fishing is complex. It requires
giving our full attention to the fish, water, weather, insects, our flies and
how they’re tied, our rods and how we cast them, the weight of the line, the
diameter of the tippet, the state of the world, the social and genetic history
of humanity since the Pleistocene—and the more attention we give to it, the
greater the quotient of the universe we draw upon. It requires a complex
response, and only written language—imperfect as it is—is up to the challenge.
Jerry is correct. Pour your heart into your stories, and
you’ll get more than you give in return.
6. Were there experiences in your personal life or
career that came in handy when writing this book?
Because the book is part travelogue and part memoir, my
personal life is a recurring theme in the stories. My mother—who raised me
alone—taught me to love fishing at a very young age, and the book has many
references to how her influence has made me the angler and man I am
today.
7. How would you describe your writing style? Which
writers or books is your writing similar to?
I try to make my writing warm, intimate, humorous, and
textured. Regarding the fly fishing component, I relate to the shared
experiences anglers are most familiar with while avoiding cliches and forced
sentimentality. I set the bar high for angling writers I’d like to emulate:
John Voelker, Nick Lyons, and John Gierach, to name a few, although their
writing styles are unique and beyond comparison.
8. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of
this book?
Like all writing, the biggest challenge was sticking to
the job and keeping the words flowing from the spigot. Parts of the book
address emotional journeys in my life, which were especially tough to write
about. Many writers have this experience, but I cried when I typed the last
word of the last paragraph of the last chapter.
9. If people can buy or read one book this week or
month, why should it be yours?
I know time is a precious commodity for everyone, and
there are so many great books to read. But if you choose A Cast Away in
Montana , I’ll take you on a unique journey to a magical place. Along the
way, I’ll introduce you to some fascinating characters and share a little
history about one of the nation’s most wondrous states.
About The Author : Tim Schulz lives in Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula. His business cards say "professor of engineering,"
but he lives a secret life as a writer, musician, part-time fishing guide, and
sluggish skater on North America’s slowest and oldest hockey team. His writings
on fishing appear in Hatch Magazine and The Fly Fish Journal , and
he is the author of a self-published book, The Habits of Trout—And Other
Unsolved Mysteries . For more info, please see: https://timschulzwriter.com
Need PR Help?
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning
blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at [email protected] He is
available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their
brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of
authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed
on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum . This is copyrighted
by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El
Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.8 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post . His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook . It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Heral
