THE KUYKENDALL REVIEW [THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD]

THE REVIEW: “I've been a rabid bibliophile for as long as I can remember who continually chided my peers whom whimsically lambasted my ecstatic love of words and stories, but it is with literature as thought-provokingly genuine as this that I ebulliently reflect on said love.” —A.K. Kuykendall

AUTHOR BIO – SAQUAN JONES

Saquan Jones was born and raised in New York City and is the writer and director of the films: The Founders' Keeper and 10 Minutes. The Weight of the World is Jones' first novel. Jones has an undergraduate degree in History and Political Science and a graduate degree in Finance. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. 

THE INTERVIEW: 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Writer/Director of 3 movies - Love Isn't Enough, 10 Minutes and The Founders' Keeper plus a web series called Life With Say. MBA in Finance from Pace University and a BA from Virginia Union University in History and Political Science. I went to undergrad to become a teacher. Dad at the age of 19 and ran for office in Brooklyn in 2009.

2. At what point in your life, did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I have always wanted to be a writer since I was a young boy. Writing has been my outlet and as an adult I wanted to go for it.

3. What are your most memorable or proudest moments in your writing career?

When my first feature film, The Founders’ Keeper, which I wrote and directed was accepted to the San Diego Black Film Festival.

4. Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?

Running Life With Say, LLC as a major production studio.

5. What advice do you wish you’d been given before starting your career in writing?

Writing the book is easy. Getting people to read it…now that is the hard part.

6. Tell us about the books you’ve written so far, and your plans for any future books?

The first and only book I have written so far is The Weight of the World and there will be 2 additional volumes to that series in the very near future.

7. Is there any part of your career, you find particularly challenging?

Being an independent author is tough because in order to be completely successful there must be some investment in marketing your work and if that isn't there it is going to be difficult to be successful, but with hardship come success and if you keep knocking on doors and handing out flyers eventually someone will listen.

8. Who do you feel, has supported you most, in your writing?

I think I received help from everyone, but the most support I have received is from complete strangers I have met on the street while I am handing out bookmarks for The Weight Of The World.

9. Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers?

First and foremost, thank you so much for your support and I am writing the other volumes The Weight Of The World as fast as possible.

10. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Twitter - @saquanjones

Instragram - @lifewithsay

11. Tell us a little about your book.

After years of controversy and billions of dollars spent on scientific research, the United States government has finally discovered the cause of the global climate changes. With people living longer and humanity’s insatiable desire for material possessions, the planet is literally unable to sustain its own weight. The Weight Of The World has resulted in the Earth moving off of its orbital path and away from the sun. The World’s leaders are now charged with finding a sustainable solution to this problem and, more critically, deciding who should live and who should die. But, how can they decide these issues, when each of them carries secrets of their own? Secrets that will literally change the course of human history.

12. What were you attempting to convey in the artistry of your book cover?

I was attempting to convey to the reader that the world was dying. The bright colors shows the reader that the world is sick. The family within a dying world represents man’s desire to still defend and protect his family no matter how dire the situation is. Even though them problem is a global problem...the fight starts with each individual family.

13. What inspired you to write your book?

I truly believe our planet is dying; part in how we treat the earth and part due to our population explosion. I wanted to write a story that allows me to take those beliefs and make an entertaining story of it.

14. Are the character profiles based on people you know or are they completely drawn from your imagination?

Some of the characters are real people in my life and some are ones I have made up based on several people I have encountered. Even though, the characters are based on some real people most of their undesirable traits are purely from my imagination.

15. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

A combination of both. I believe a truly great writer is writing from his/her experiences and in order to have experience that writer must observe the world in real life and not from screen.

16. Which part of the book, in your opinion, was the most difficult to write?

The portion of how the leaders of the world view poor people and other ethnicities. Based on what is going on in today’s society, I believe that is how many of our leaders feel behind closed doors.

17. What parts of the book do you love, in particular?

There is a love triangle in the book and that was enjoyable to write because has you write the page your imagination takes you for a ride and you almost feel everything your writing.

18. Tell us about the cover design of your book.

The bright orange and yellow colors are to represent a sick world. When people are sick we turn a different color in a lot of instances and I want the world to be reflected as being ill. If you look close to the image of the world there are evil faces staring back at the family letting the reader know the family has an enemy. The family represents who is effects within this story and how they will most likely respond to protect themselves.

19. Which ways have you chosen to market your book?

I am self-marketing via social media, word of mouth and placing copies of the book in book stores with consignment agreements.

20. If you had to do it all over again, is there anything you’d change?

Nothing at all. I just turned 40 and everything I do…I do it with calculation. Everything may not work, but I am enjoying every bit of the ride.

21. Where can we find out more or buy the book?

Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble (BN.com)

22. Who are you?

Just a guy that writes to satisfy the voices in my head.

23. What are the titles of your books?

I only have on book so far: The Weight of the World, but I have written 3 movies.

24. Who is your favourite author?

Stephen King

25. Worst book you have ever read?

No book is bad. There is a gem in every literary work.

26. What book are you reading now?

Rise of the King by Bryan Hussein Johnson (Frat Brother…YO!! YO!!)

27. Your favourite quote about writing/authors:

“If you want to feel the most pleasurable misery… be an author!!” —Saquan U. Jones

28. Your biggest inspiration:

Wanting my book to be mistaken for the Bible once the zombie apocalypse is over.

29. Something you can’t live without:

A woman and my kids

30. Your pet-hate:

People that don’t say ‘Thank you’

31. Your favourite place to be:

Home during football season

32. Something you like/love about yourself?

My hair

33. Something you’d change about yourself

Nothing…I am perfectly flawed

34. Your ideal life would be:

My kids doing what I tell them without stomping their feet.

Pragmatic author A.K. Kuykendall has a passion for writing conspiracy, espionage, horror, and suspense literature that blend the concepts of fact and fiction. For more information on his projects, visit http://www.thewriterofbooks.com/list-of-works/ or, to email the author directly for Q&A on this post, write to info@thewriterofbooks.com.

AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY (FROM YESTERDAY TO TODAY)

From the biography of A.K. Kuykendall...

"Since before he was 10 years old, he wrote feverishly (poetry, short stories, etc.) hoping to one day see his work in print. He always believed that he was a storyteller and that one never knows when a story idea will turn into a million dollars. So beyond his sporadic ambitions, one thing remained consistent in his life—he wrote. Even if only one word a day!

"He tried his hand at screenwriting; producing a screenplay entitled Fierce Chicanery. With no luck selling the project, he abandoned his screenwriting ambitions and subsequently made the decision to produce a novel from it. This decision led him to writing his twelfth novel entitled The Evolution of the Patron Saint, which became the first book in the Conspirator’s Odyssey series. During the time he struggled to get the attention of literary agents and publishers for this work, he wrote his thirteenth novel entitled The Possession, book #1 in the Writer’s Block trilogy.

"With persistence, a true belief in the power of his words, a broad knowledge of the industry itself, and a bit of innovative strategy; in November of 2007, he purposely sought to publish his twelfth novel The Evolution of the Patron Saint through a notable author’s mill named PublishAmerica. Before he entered into this abysmal seven-year contract with this fraudulent publisher, he hired top-tier publicist Penny C. Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts to promote the project, but more importantly to promote his name as an author. He subsequently sold 1,692 copies (only 27 of which were purchased by his family and friends), and he gained a strong fan base with this work not to mention with the development of his official author’s website where truth reads through fiction, he built a firm platform for himself. Three years shy of the signed seven-year publishing contract, he requested and spared the expense to purchase his rights back and as of February 20, 2012, his rights were exclusively reverted back to him.

"Due to this remarkable strategy and his unique marketing efforts at gaining strong name recognition, he was contacted by the acquisitions editor from Decent Hill Publishing and was offered a 3-book deal for his Writer’s Block trilogy, which led to his second traditional publishing contract and the publication of his thirteenth novel, The Possession, in late 2012. In early 2013, he was contacted by the acquisitions editor from IntoPrint Publishing and was offered his third traditional publishing contract to republish The Evolution of the Patron Saint. Once this project launched, it was less than three months before the acquisitions editor from Re.ad Publishing contacted him with an offer of a fourth traditional publishing contract. This time with an offer of a 4-book deal for four more books in the Conspirator’s Odyssey series.

"Having worked a total of three traditional publishing deals on his own with no professional experience to back his negotiations; it was at this time that he redoubled his efforts at finding a literary agent to work this new deal—a deal that, for the first time in his career, had a lucrative advance attached. With much effort, and a lot of luck, he got the attention of acclaimed literary agent Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency (DMLA) out of New York who signed him two days after his birthday on November 25, 2013 and worked his fourth, and most lucrative, traditional publishing deal to date. And on February 11, 2014, the deal was finalized.

"Elated by the extraordinary gains he had made in getting this far in his writing career, Mr. Kuykendall set out to impress his new publisher. Unfortunately, the relationship abruptly stalled. On October 29, 2014, Origins, book #2 in the Conspirator's Odyssey series was completed one day before the contracted yearly deadline set by Read Publishing. It was on December 30, 2014, that Re.ad Publishing made the decision to go another way with their publishing platform and therefore the 4-book deal was rendered null and void and his rights to the project were reverted back to him on February 22, 2015. With the publishing contract being rendered null and void; the contract he had with acclaimed literary agent Donald Maass was also rendered null and void.

"Like heavy dominos in rapid motion more bad news followed. As of December 10, 2014 The Possession, book #1 in the Writer's Block trilogy and the subsequent 3-book deal he had with Decent Hill Publishing was terminated due to the publisher's unexpected announcement that they would no longer be operating on a traditional publishing platform and therefore his rights to the project was reverted back to him on December 31, 2014. Looking to regain his footing, Mr. Kuykendall took advantage of the fact that his publishing contract was coming to an end with IntoPrint Publishing and chose to sever ties with the publisher. The rights to The Evolution of the Patron Saint was reverted back to him on March 31, 2016.

"Regaining his rights to The Evolution of the Patron Saint and having completed Origins; the author went back to the drawing boards and rewrote the entire project using elements from both manuscripts. On Sunday, May 29, 2016 at 3:01am EST he had completed the rewrite—a 130,000 word behemoth he entitled, Imperium Heirs. It became the new book #1 in the Conspirator’s Odyssey series.

"Months had passed before a publisher by the name of Evolved Publishing took an interest in his body of work and offered up contracts for him to review. After his entertainment attorney approved the presented publishing contracts, on September 14, 2016, he elected to sign two wide-ranging book deals. These deals were for three books in the Writer's Block trilogy and for three books in the Conspirator's Odyssey series."

COPING WITH PUBLISH AMERICA [ AMERICA STAR BOOKS ]

The only satisfaction Publish America seeks is its own. They'll sell your books to you and your family and will pocket the money. They'll sell your books nationally and internationally without any thought of satisfying their contractual obligation to you. Believe this if you will, but this is a core position of their standard operational procedures.

Case in point - when they believe you've had enough of their carefully orchestrated tactics seamlessly embedded into their business model (usually after years of bleeding dry both you and yours) they give you a way out. And to further add insult to injury, they charge you hundreds of dollars to buy your rights back.

My advice to you is to not seek satisfaction for there is none to be gained. If you're serious about any hope for a writing career, get away from them by any means and push on with your career. Don't look back until you've (as I have) gotten to a comfortable point in your career to then reflect and forewarn others. Remember, you can't help anyone unless you're willing to first help yourself.

Lastly, and from one impassioned writer to a countless others, I would advise you to 1.) never give up, 2.) realize that rejection is an imperative test of one’s character, 3.) formulate a sound strategy as you move forward, and last but not least 4.) never seek to limit yourself by believing the traditional publishing industry is a bridge only a select few are privy to cross. Read my thoughts on writing, the publishing industry, etc. at the Back Porch Writer and by all means, share it with any and all those who've been in our shoes.


Pragmatic author A.K. Kuykendall has a passion for writing conspiracy, espionage, horror, and suspense literature that blend the concepts of fact and fiction. For more information on his projects, visit http://www.thewriterofbooks.com/list-of-works/ or, to email the author directly for Q&A on this post, write to info@thewriterofbooks.com.

STRANGE HISTORY QUESTION #1

Is there any truth to the theory that Lieutenant Commander Kohei Hanami, who captained the Amagiri vessel that nearly killed Lieutenant Junior Grade John F. Kennedy during World War II in 1943 was sent by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the exact coordinates of his command vessel, PT 109, in order to assassinate him?

Pragmatic author A.K. Kuykendall has a passion for writing conspiracy, espionage, horror, and suspense literature that blend the concepts of fact and fiction. For more information on his projects, visit http://www.thewriterofbooks.com/list-of-works/ or, to email the author directly for Q&A on this post, write to info@thewriterofbooks.com.