Still the Night Call was the winner of the Literary Fiction category of the 2022 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Joshua Senter.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Still the Night Call, published January 14th, 2022
What’s the book’s first line?
This is going to be the last day of my life.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
As the world changes around him, rural dairy farmer Calem Honeycutt struggles to contend with his past and future as well as the vicious Night Call that haunts his present. Calem’s solution to his problems is suicide… but he’s about to discover there’s an even darker alternative.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, and farmers have the highest rate of suicide for any occupation in America. It’s a mental health disaster unfolding in the heartland of our country, and I wanted to help shed light on it, as well as the repercussions of what will happen if we do nothing.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
As Calem himself notes in the book, he’s a rural farmer with dirt under his nails, but he’s not just some dumb hick. He reminds me a lot of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character Jack Twist from Brokeback Mountain.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
You may think you understand rural America, but after reading Still the Night Call, you will be shocked to realize all you did not truly grasp about the heartland.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Liam Hemsworth.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I grew up on a rural farm without TV, so my family sat around the dinner table (and oftentimes bonfires) telling stories to each other. I think I’ve been a storyteller since I can remember. Being an author is simply having my stories finally published.
Is this the first you’ve written?
Still the Night Call is my second novel. My first book, a novella, is called Daisies. For the last twenty years I’ve also written for TV, everything from The L Word to Desperate Housewives.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am a full-time writer, however I’ve also recently become a professor of writing at the University of Southern California.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
As much time as possible or until I’m worn out. That usually means between 5 to 8 hours a day. Sometimes more if I have a deadline.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The absolute best part is owning every word you write from beginning to end as well as being in creative control of every detail of your book from the final edit to the cover design! The hardest part is not having distribution, ie. getting your book into the hands of readers, reviewers, and buyers at bookstores, libraries, etc.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
For me, this is Sofie’s choice. I love the idea of having complete creative control of my work. But ultimately, I want my words to find an audience. So, I would probably say yes to the right publisher.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Stories are a record of human life, some of which last for thousands of years. I relished the stories I was raised with, and I want to leave an accurate and moving record of how life unfolded during my time on earth for those that come after me so that the experiences of this moment in time will not be forgotten or lost. Only by learning from the past can we make a better future.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Barbara Kingsolver.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
The Poisonwood Bible.