Today we talk about Ferris M. Returned Soldier, a book by Ivan Furyk published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Ivan Furyk to get to know him better, where he found the inspiration to write his book Ferris M. Returned Soldier, as well as if there is a book he is particularly attached to and that has taught him something.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write this book?
Well, I have to say as far as reading went, I was a relatively late bloomer. My earliest foray into the literary world consisted of Phantom and Superman comics. It wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I seriously began buying and losing myself between the lines. Once I was hooked it was rare if I wasn’t fully involved a novel of some description. One of my earliest English teachers was polite enough to commend a couple of essays I had submitted in exams, perhaps that stuck with me. Somewhere along the line I decided to see how i would go at writing my own story.
- What is the message you want to send out with your writing?
I’m not really conscious of sending any message out there in my writing. However, most of my characters are; I hope easily identified as team players, and generally have a strong sense of fair play and know the difference between right and wrong. They have their flaws, but generally speaking they identify with ethical standards. Doesn’t dull their strength or fighting capabilities. For instance, there is quite a gulf between the evil characters, and the main characters, or the good guys if you like.
- Is there a book you are particularly attached to and that has taught you something. What is it?
There are quite a few books that have got a rise out of me. If I had to choose one that affected me in a big way it would definitely be Quiller Balalaika, the last book written by one of my favourite authors, Adam Hall. I’ve read 15 of his books in the Quiller series, most of them between 2 and 4 times each. The re-reads were like studying his methods, and checking certain idiosyncrasies. I noticed in the above referenced book the end came quickly. I distinctly remember looking at how many pages remained, thinking he was in the middle of deep trouble with quite a few tasks still needing to be completed. Turned out he went from hanging off the side of a glacier in Siberia, straight to the end phase. The afterword explained he had passed away, the remaining few pages completed by his son. I have to tell you I was deeply affected emotionally, I had followed him for over a dozen years, and as explained often read his books multiple times. Actually, I do that quite a lot. Checking technique and timing in my favourite authors.
- What resemblances do you find with the main character of your story?
That would appear to be a strange question, however the reality is I mirrored a few facts of the main characters after some of my early life experiences. Some of the school boy references, the Saturday night fights, my early enlistment in the Army. Most of the characters resemble former soldiers, workmates or even school friends. In some chapters I was referring to Mick’s father which theoretically were incidents from my life. But only a few. I made references to my parents as being Mick’s grandparents, marrying up a heritage. I found it quite an accomplishment to keep coming up with different characters.
- Are you planning to write more books?
Yes, I am. I have just completed the twentieth edit of my second book. Ferris M. Back to Afghanistan. It brings together most of the same crew and then some, with action ranging from Central Australia, to Afghanistan and finally in Iran. As with this novel there is some historical content with espionage and loads of action and twists. This has now freed me up to begin outlining and proceeding on to my third. Just like to take this opportunity to thank the professional help and assistance I have received from Europe Books. Very impressive, Thank you to all of you.
Europe Books thanks the author Ivan Furyk once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Ferris M. Returned Soldier. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, may this book capture and intrigue to the point of looking forward to reading chapter after chapter; that the experiences of the players, here told, can resonate with yours with the aim of providing you with useful lessons for your life.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!