It gives me great pleasure to welcome Jeff Pollak onto the website today. Jeff's debut novel First Second Coming has been well received - winning a Gold award from Literary Titan magazine, a Rone Award nomination, and a mention on the CBS Morning News. To quote the words of actor Mark Moses (Desperate Housewives and Mad Men), it "combines suspense, romance, and theology in an imaginative, unique adventure."
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Jeff.
Jeff: You’d never know it by hearing me speak, but I was born and raised in New York City. I never picked up the accent. My college days lead to graduation with a degree in psychology from what is now rather awkwardly called the University at Buffalo. After college I left for law school in Los Angeles, where dealing with snow is a choice, not an inconvenience. Upon passing the California bar exam I became a trial attorney. That profession lasted over three decades, until retirement in 2018. I began to write fiction in 2015 on a part-time basis, simply to see if I could write a novel. I never expected to publish, become an award-winning author or receive any accolades. But all that happened, to my utter surprise.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Jeff.
Jeff: You’d never know it by hearing me speak, but I was born and raised in New York City. I never picked up the accent. My college days lead to graduation with a degree in psychology from what is now rather awkwardly called the University at Buffalo. After college I left for law school in Los Angeles, where dealing with snow is a choice, not an inconvenience. Upon passing the California bar exam I became a trial attorney. That profession lasted over three decades, until retirement in 2018. I began to write fiction in 2015 on a part-time basis, simply to see if I could write a novel. I never expected to publish, become an award-winning author or receive any accolades. But all that happened, to my utter surprise.
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Jeff: As a litigator my style of writing was totally unfit for fiction, but I did gain discipline and learn to self-edit. So I had to develop a suitable writing style. One reviewer described my writing as a “wry, conversational style.” Another wrote that I’m a master of the tongue-in-cheek writing style. Both comments were news to me, as I used the KISS – keep it simple, stupid - method.
As for themes, the New God series has them. We live now in a transitional phase while the past status quo ebbs away. The next status quo hasn’t yet been established. Who knows what that era will look like? It will be different – hopefully better, possibly worse. I believe the outcome will depend on the extent to which mankind comes together to meet our many challenges. First Second Coming, like all the books to come in this series, addresses the global need for cooperation, tolerance and acceptance essential to achieve a successful transition. This is nonetheless an entertaining, non-preachy but thought-provoking story. Readers and reviewers enjoy it.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Jeff: Neither. I began with a bare plot outline for First Second Coming that bullet-pointed the things each chapter needed to address. That provided a path from start to finish, but when I got to the ending, it turned out to be a dud. So I went back to the start to fix it.
That’s when I changed from writer to transcriber. Readers may not know this, but many authors hear their characters talking to them. That happened to me, and kind of freaked me out since I’m not female or bilingual like my main character, Brendali Santamaria. She began to narrate what was happening in the book. After getting past the surprise of hearing a Latina’s voice in my head, I let her run with the story, subject to editing. She was fine with that. Sure enough, a better story evolved. I guess it helps to have an eyewitness to a fictional tale as it unfolds.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Jeff: First Second Coming has received great reviews (4.5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads), a Gold Award for writing excellence from Literary Titan magazine, a nomination to be awarded the 2021 RONE Award for fantasy, and even a mention on the CBS Morning News, also for fantasy.
The uniqueness of the plot creates the buzz. Here’s how two reviewers describe the plot (lightly edited for brevity):
“God exists, but he just retired. His replacement must decide whether or not humanity is worth saving. A hard reset on Earth would be easiest, but he wants to give us all a chance. Solve the religious violence problem in sixty days and he'll help fix the rest of the world's major issues. But how is the new god supposed to get the word out? TV, of course! Ram Forrester and his co-host, Brendali Santamaria, get the surprise of their life when this God interrupts their broadcast to prove to the world (by hijacking the airways, his interview is broadcast worldwide) that he is, in fact, God.” (Review by Jenny Rideout, book blogger)
The other reviewer poses a question and then answers it:
“What do you get when you cross sci-fi/fantasy as in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with a budding romance, ambitious philosophical yearnings, theological history, Mexican drug cartels, murder, money laundering, and last but not least, an earthly visitation by God? The book reads mostly like a romp, or crime caper, with dashes of humor and many unexpected other-worldly side jaunts.” (Review by Terri Portelli, book blogger)
I could have just posted the book’s blurb here, but these two bloggers did a great job. See all the reviews on Amazon, Goodreads or my website if these excerpts spur your interest. The links are below.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Jeff: That first read was a long, long time ago. The Hardy Boys was a big children’s thriller series back in those days. I read and loved every one of them I could get my hands on, but as for which one was first – I have no idea.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Jeff: It depends on what the book needs, of course. First Second Coming was extensively researched, because the story demanded it. I read numerous books on world religions and even traveled to the 2017 Parliament of World Religions in Toronto so that I could talk to practitioners and investigate the inter-faith movement. This was a seven day conference and I spoke to hundreds of the 8K attendees to get insights that wouldn’t be found in books. Overall it was quite an education, and I’m gratified to see a few of the book reviews refer to me as an expert in religions. I’m no expert, but extensive research did bring out the authenticity the story needed.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Jeff: Brendali is a composite of two Latina friends of mine. Her accent and speech pattern come from my haircutter. In personality, she has the spunk, earthliness and quirks of someone I worked with. Other than that, my characters are entirely themselves.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Jeff: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, takes this honor. This is a fantasy novel in the style of JRR Tolkein, in that we follow the main character through his journeys. Rothfuss’ exceptional writing also has a Tolkienesque ring to it. This is also the first of a trilogy called the Kingkiller Chronicle. The second book, The Wise Man’s Fear, is also excellent but suffers from being second, and therefore more of a known quality. His third book has yet to be released.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Jeff: I’ve always been into sports. I’ve narrowed the interest down to baseball and hockey as a spectator, and to golf as an avid participant. Music is also an abiding love – rock, country, country rock, Americana, folk, bluegrass, “alternative” (to what, though?), Latin rock, Irish folk music. I listen constantly, especially when editing my writing and at times when writing. I also read fiction and non-fiction constantly – the latter includes my monthly National Geographic, because I’m also a science nerd. My curiosity is never-ending.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Jeff: The two at the top of my admiration list are both British novelists: David Mitchell and Iain Pears.
Mitchell’s writing is so astounding that I sometimes read and re-read a sentence, paragraph, or the lengthy tangents his characters go off on, wondering how he conjured up the combination of words. To me he’s the writing equivalent to a Robin Williams improvisation, although of course the writing isn’t improvised. His plots are equally off the scale, at least on some of his novels such as The Bone Clocks (his best), and Number 9 Dream.
When I first read Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost, I was taken by the way the book was divided into four sections, each one narrated by a different character who witnessed one murder in the 1700’s era in London. This was captivating because they all saw entirely different things, and yet the story comes together at the end. Stone’s End, another historical mystery novel, was a second work of detailed narrative and characterization, impeccably researched as all of Pears’ novels are. Arcadia is a portal type of fantasy novel intriguing on both sides of the portal, and again with top notch writing, research and characterization.
I’ve learned a lot from reading both of these novelists, but although reviewers frequently mention how good my writing is, I’ll never be as good at the craft as they are. Which is fine, I don’t need to elbow into their pre-eminent status.
Alex: What project(s) are you working on now?
Jeff: I have two projects in the works. One is a sequel to First Second Coming, as that’s the first of a planned set called the New God Series. The sequel’s working title is Earth’s Peril, and it will have Ram and Bren, with the new God’s assistance, tackling the issues of climate change and overpopulation, which are linked to a fuller extent than most readers may realize.
The second project is what I consider a spin-off. The new God is a character in it, but none of the others are in the New God Series. The title for this project is The Recycling Center, but it’s not about plastic, glass or paper recycling.
Alex: Thank you for sharing this with our readers, Jeff. It's been fascinating listening to you. And best of luck with the next instalments of this highly original series.
Jeff: Thanks Alex. It's been my pleasure.
Jeff: As a litigator my style of writing was totally unfit for fiction, but I did gain discipline and learn to self-edit. So I had to develop a suitable writing style. One reviewer described my writing as a “wry, conversational style.” Another wrote that I’m a master of the tongue-in-cheek writing style. Both comments were news to me, as I used the KISS – keep it simple, stupid - method.
As for themes, the New God series has them. We live now in a transitional phase while the past status quo ebbs away. The next status quo hasn’t yet been established. Who knows what that era will look like? It will be different – hopefully better, possibly worse. I believe the outcome will depend on the extent to which mankind comes together to meet our many challenges. First Second Coming, like all the books to come in this series, addresses the global need for cooperation, tolerance and acceptance essential to achieve a successful transition. This is nonetheless an entertaining, non-preachy but thought-provoking story. Readers and reviewers enjoy it.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Jeff: Neither. I began with a bare plot outline for First Second Coming that bullet-pointed the things each chapter needed to address. That provided a path from start to finish, but when I got to the ending, it turned out to be a dud. So I went back to the start to fix it.
That’s when I changed from writer to transcriber. Readers may not know this, but many authors hear their characters talking to them. That happened to me, and kind of freaked me out since I’m not female or bilingual like my main character, Brendali Santamaria. She began to narrate what was happening in the book. After getting past the surprise of hearing a Latina’s voice in my head, I let her run with the story, subject to editing. She was fine with that. Sure enough, a better story evolved. I guess it helps to have an eyewitness to a fictional tale as it unfolds.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Jeff: First Second Coming has received great reviews (4.5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads), a Gold Award for writing excellence from Literary Titan magazine, a nomination to be awarded the 2021 RONE Award for fantasy, and even a mention on the CBS Morning News, also for fantasy.
The uniqueness of the plot creates the buzz. Here’s how two reviewers describe the plot (lightly edited for brevity):
“God exists, but he just retired. His replacement must decide whether or not humanity is worth saving. A hard reset on Earth would be easiest, but he wants to give us all a chance. Solve the religious violence problem in sixty days and he'll help fix the rest of the world's major issues. But how is the new god supposed to get the word out? TV, of course! Ram Forrester and his co-host, Brendali Santamaria, get the surprise of their life when this God interrupts their broadcast to prove to the world (by hijacking the airways, his interview is broadcast worldwide) that he is, in fact, God.” (Review by Jenny Rideout, book blogger)
The other reviewer poses a question and then answers it:
“What do you get when you cross sci-fi/fantasy as in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with a budding romance, ambitious philosophical yearnings, theological history, Mexican drug cartels, murder, money laundering, and last but not least, an earthly visitation by God? The book reads mostly like a romp, or crime caper, with dashes of humor and many unexpected other-worldly side jaunts.” (Review by Terri Portelli, book blogger)
I could have just posted the book’s blurb here, but these two bloggers did a great job. See all the reviews on Amazon, Goodreads or my website if these excerpts spur your interest. The links are below.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Jeff: That first read was a long, long time ago. The Hardy Boys was a big children’s thriller series back in those days. I read and loved every one of them I could get my hands on, but as for which one was first – I have no idea.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Jeff: It depends on what the book needs, of course. First Second Coming was extensively researched, because the story demanded it. I read numerous books on world religions and even traveled to the 2017 Parliament of World Religions in Toronto so that I could talk to practitioners and investigate the inter-faith movement. This was a seven day conference and I spoke to hundreds of the 8K attendees to get insights that wouldn’t be found in books. Overall it was quite an education, and I’m gratified to see a few of the book reviews refer to me as an expert in religions. I’m no expert, but extensive research did bring out the authenticity the story needed.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Jeff: Brendali is a composite of two Latina friends of mine. Her accent and speech pattern come from my haircutter. In personality, she has the spunk, earthliness and quirks of someone I worked with. Other than that, my characters are entirely themselves.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Jeff: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, takes this honor. This is a fantasy novel in the style of JRR Tolkein, in that we follow the main character through his journeys. Rothfuss’ exceptional writing also has a Tolkienesque ring to it. This is also the first of a trilogy called the Kingkiller Chronicle. The second book, The Wise Man’s Fear, is also excellent but suffers from being second, and therefore more of a known quality. His third book has yet to be released.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Jeff: I’ve always been into sports. I’ve narrowed the interest down to baseball and hockey as a spectator, and to golf as an avid participant. Music is also an abiding love – rock, country, country rock, Americana, folk, bluegrass, “alternative” (to what, though?), Latin rock, Irish folk music. I listen constantly, especially when editing my writing and at times when writing. I also read fiction and non-fiction constantly – the latter includes my monthly National Geographic, because I’m also a science nerd. My curiosity is never-ending.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Jeff: The two at the top of my admiration list are both British novelists: David Mitchell and Iain Pears.
Mitchell’s writing is so astounding that I sometimes read and re-read a sentence, paragraph, or the lengthy tangents his characters go off on, wondering how he conjured up the combination of words. To me he’s the writing equivalent to a Robin Williams improvisation, although of course the writing isn’t improvised. His plots are equally off the scale, at least on some of his novels such as The Bone Clocks (his best), and Number 9 Dream.
When I first read Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost, I was taken by the way the book was divided into four sections, each one narrated by a different character who witnessed one murder in the 1700’s era in London. This was captivating because they all saw entirely different things, and yet the story comes together at the end. Stone’s End, another historical mystery novel, was a second work of detailed narrative and characterization, impeccably researched as all of Pears’ novels are. Arcadia is a portal type of fantasy novel intriguing on both sides of the portal, and again with top notch writing, research and characterization.
I’ve learned a lot from reading both of these novelists, but although reviewers frequently mention how good my writing is, I’ll never be as good at the craft as they are. Which is fine, I don’t need to elbow into their pre-eminent status.
Alex: What project(s) are you working on now?
Jeff: I have two projects in the works. One is a sequel to First Second Coming, as that’s the first of a planned set called the New God Series. The sequel’s working title is Earth’s Peril, and it will have Ram and Bren, with the new God’s assistance, tackling the issues of climate change and overpopulation, which are linked to a fuller extent than most readers may realize.
The second project is what I consider a spin-off. The new God is a character in it, but none of the others are in the New God Series. The title for this project is The Recycling Center, but it’s not about plastic, glass or paper recycling.
Alex: Thank you for sharing this with our readers, Jeff. It's been fascinating listening to you. And best of luck with the next instalments of this highly original series.
Jeff: Thanks Alex. It's been my pleasure.
