WATERSHED received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Colin Dodds.
WATERSHED, and it came out in May 2017
What’s the book’s first line?
“Raquel figured if they were going to kill her, Tyra probably wouldn’t have taken so much time explaining the parachute. Probably.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
It’s the story of a troubled, pregnant woman, and the two men—a snake dealer with a sideline in secret messages and a billionaire living under a false name—who compete for her affections, in near-future America.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
It started on one night, much like any other, lying in bed. And the first scene just came to me. The scene was outlandish enough that to connect it in a believable way to real characters was a big challenge. I liked that. And within a few minutes I’d figured out who the people in the scene were and how they got there.
From there, I drew on my own experiences and those of my friends. While I was working on the early drafts, I lost my job, an old friend finally drank himself clear to death, and my saintly landlord raised our rent by more than $500 per month. The book takes place in the near future, maybe 5 years from now, and I didn’t have the sense the future was smiling on me. That informed the book, but I really wanted to tell a story that was hopeful, and whose action centered on a noble impulse, however desperately pursued.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
It’s a hopeful dystopia. Consider this: Massive swaths of American life today would be unrecognizable just 20 years ago – just step back and think of the way that you’re reading about this book right now, and how you’ll likely buy it. That kind of change affects us deeply. It makes the act of imagining the future both more important to our survival, but also far more difficult. That’s not just the literati or the smart set – it’s all of us. Now notice how few people are optimistic about what lies ahead.
Watershed takes place in an outlandish but plausible near future, and imagines how human beings might live somewhat happily in it.
Plus, it’s a page turner.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Norwood is, first and foremost, a failed artist, a former sculptor. For me, he was a way to explore my own failures, my own response to failure, to see what it might be like to give up, to guess what might lie on the other side of just letting go of a dream and of bitterness, as well as what might lie on the other side of that decision. So that’s who he reminds me of from real life.
Is this the first you’ve written?
No, in fact, WATERSHED takes place in a world that has its roots in an earlier book, called WINDFALL. And WINDFALL is different, but also quite awesome. You should read it. WATERSHED was my sixth novel. I’ve since written a seventh.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I work as an editor. I produce articles, videos, podcasts and so on for corporate clients who want to find and tell great stories about whatever it is they’re up to.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the freedom and the control. You see some fiction from big publishers, with the imprimatur, even supposedly avant–garde stuff, and it’s like the author or maybe the editor is really pushing for the approval of the marketing department, or of some imaginary NPR host. It’s kind of sad. It makes the imprimatur more of a warning sign.
The hardest part of being an independent author is all the boasting you have to do. I believe the grandeur belongs to the work. And I guess, that’s where having good reviews comes in handy – someone else is saying the good things.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
If they didn’t make crazy demands, and handled the production, marketing, promotion, and sales, and were timely in sending me sizable checks, I’d certainly be willing to listen.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
If it was money, I’d do something other than write. As far as fame goes, a strong compliment makes me a little uneasy – once I saw the review was positive, I took five days before I read the rest of what IndieReader wrote about WATERSHED. So it’s not fame.
It’s really about the work. That’s what obsesses me. It’s one of the only times I can think of when I’m not just playing nice, passing the time, or getting it over with. Doing the work is what being born was all about for me.