Fiction Scribe

Hello and welcome to Fiction Scribe Mr. Hunsinger!

List five words that define you as a person.

Jerry: Honesty, honor, integrity, fairness, outgoing

Tell us about Axe of Iron: The Settlers and how it went from idea to published book.

Jerry: Axe of Iron: The Settlers is the first book of the continuing Axe of Iron series of tales about a medieval people whose lives are surprisingly like ours. They have the same basic desires for happiness, love, food, and shelter that has dominated the thoughts of generations of cultures the world over. These character-driven, historical fiction books tell of the adventures of Greenland Vikings as they struggle to establish a settlement in North America in the face of hostile native opposition.

My wife Phyllis made me believe in the story that I had held inside for my entire adult life. Without her support and advocacy, I would not have begun, completed, or published this first novel of my series. It is the most difficult undertaking of my life. She pushes me just enough and I need a push on occasion, to get the job done.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

Jerry: I have an extensive library of university papers, textbooks, DVD’s, and archaeological journals on the subject of the Vikings and everything known about their culture and accomplishments. I have been traveling to Viking sites in northern Europe since 1982, beginning with the discovery of the old Viking town buried under modern York, England.

After twenty-seven years, I have seen many of the sites as well as artifacts displayed in museums throughout Scandinavia. Much of my research could not have been done without the Internet. The alternative to online research is travel and that is expensive and time consuming.

If you could do it all again, what – if anything – would you do differently?

Jerry: I would not waste a minute trying to engage the services of a literary agent. I regret all the time wasted trying to publish conventionally, if there is such a thing, rather than doing it myself. I work closely with BookMasters, Inc, Ashland, OH to publish books and they furnish all I will ever need as both a writer and publisher.

If you could pick any author to collaborate with, who would it be?

Jerry: I admire the work of Ken Follett, especially his Pillars of the Earth, so I would like to work with him, but of course, that is unlikely.

Do you have any interesting writing habits/quirks?

Jerry: I do not know of any, but that is just my opinion. When I write I become so engaged in the tale that I am gone away, I am with them, my people as I call them. Surely, that is a quirk.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given/learned in your life as a writer?

Jerry: The entire writing/publication process was difficult and expensive. There are two major downs in my writing and both are part of the learning process. With high expectations, I presented my rough draft manuscript to an editor—wrong approach forget the expectations. I got my masterpiece picked apart, marked up in red, and seriously in need of correction and rewrite. My response? I dropped it in the trash.

Phyllis to the rescue! She made me see the error of my ways and pushed me to do what all writers must do at this stage, dig in, and do your job. I cracked up the editor by telling her that she had said that ‘my baby was ugly.’ Actually, it was ugly, so I had to fix it, and I did.

Dealing with agents is the most disheartening undertaking for a writer. Agents act like the writer exists because of agents, when in fact it is the other way around. I wasted a year trying to find an agent from among those professing to have an interest in my genre only to find that there are not any in existence.

After the literary agent debacle, it took seven long and difficult months before I held the finished book in my hand. The composition/format, copyedit/proof reading, and printing of a book is a very intense undertaking.
Extensively research the submission guidelines for an agent or publisher they all have them. Do not submit until determining if they are accepting submissions: in other words, research, research, and research. Otherwise, you are finished before you start.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Jerry: I hope to still have the passion to write. At the same time I want to travel and cruise with my wife, Phyllis.

When you are not writing, what are you doing?

Jerry: We lead a full life, attending plays, stage shows, college concerts and recitals, etc. Writing and promoting what I have written occupies some part of each weekday. The remainder of our days and each weekend we devote to each other for that is the essence of life, I think.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers here?

Jerry: Drop by my website and read all about the premise behind my Axe of Iron series. I think you will find it engaging.

Thank you very much for coming by this blog. I wish you great successes with Axe of Iron.

Jerry: Thank you very much for this interview. I enjoyed our time together.