JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Anthony Pathfinder, author of Fair Game
(Firestorm Publishing/Xlibris)

Sexually molested since she was a young girl, Dana decides to take hold of her life and flees from her harrowing past. However, her decisions might have taken her to a darker place, where few can be trusted. Will she be able to handle the scars of her past and the uncertainty of her future?

Find out if her life turns out to be a Fair Game.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Fair Game?

Anthony Pathfinder: The main character Dana was initially one of three characters from a short story I wrote several years ago. I was looking through some of my old materials when I picked it up and began reading. There was something about Dana and some of the choices that she made which had a lasting impression on me.

Being sexually abused, especially by a family member, is one of the worst forms of exploitation any young woman can experience. The many risks that Dana took in order to survive displayed a lot of qualities which so many of us wouldn’t dare take.

I wanted to show that we are confronted with adversity. Depending on how we approach it, it can make us stronger, if we have a plan and follow it through. So I thought, why not give her a voice? Her story was compelling, and her character had a lot of potential for growth.

Once I began writing, I couldn’t stop. It’s impossible for me to really explain to you how that felt, but it was a wonderful feeling. I also wanted to highlight the fact that sexual abuse is something that so many of us do not like to talk about. We would rather sweep it under the rug, so to speak, and pretend as if nothing happened.

The hurt, pain, shame and guilt that come with this stigma have ruined many young lives. However, I wanted to not only highlight the mindset of the victim, but the perpetrator as well. Dana’s journey is one that I felt needed to be heard, and I wanted to do it with an urban twist.

JP: What sets Fair Game apart from other books in the same genre?

AP: For one, she was from a prominent family where both parents are well educated and a staple within the community. Secondly, the central theme is sexual abuse, and that is what led to Dana’s life spiraling out of control. Most urban fiction books that I have read the main characters are from low income backgrounds and uneducated. Rarely does one come across a topic that is considered taboo by many and intertwine it with the traditional storyline of urban fiction.

I wanted to take the genre in a different direction. I wanted to bring both worlds together and see how it would play out. Moreover, I wanted the readers to get their money’s worth. This is not a novel that glorifies any of the situations and circumstances that Dana experienced, but the novel is a means by which numerous lessons can be learned and better choices can be made as well.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that led to Fair Game getting out to the public?

AP: Your site of course. Amazon.com, barnesand noble.com, Xlibris.com, anthonypathfinder.com, booksignings, radio and independent television stations, word of mouth, talking to people and going to places and putting up with situations that you wouldn’t normally put up with. It’s about getting on the grind twenty-four eight.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish FAIR GAME?

AP: Once I have defined my main character and supporting characters, I go from there. Every other character or characters are given a voice and a path, depending on where my main character takes me.

I always allow my main character to dictate each sentence, paragraph and page based on what the other characters bring to the table. Honestly, I completed Fair Game in a month, maybe that was an aberration. I don’t know, but I wrote every day non-stop for a month.

JP: What’s next for Anthony Pathfinder?

AP: Well, False Pretense, the sequel to Fair Game will be out before year end. I plan to release Deadly Consequences, A Rainy Affair and Cruel Shame the latter part of this year.

I’m currently working on a paranormal manuscript entitled New Blood. Hopefully, the readers will love my work as I continue to grow. I see great things ahead in 2011 and beyond. My faith and belief in God are what keeps me going.

http://www.anthonypathfinder.com
http://www.theppathfinder.webs.com

http://facebook.com/PATHFINDER2009

anthonypathfinder@gmail.com

Certainly, thanks for having me.

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