Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark - Book Blog Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway!

The tiny hamlet of Maravilla, New Mexico is not immune to modern-day problems. But the citizens of Maravilla have their own special problems, as well:

A developer wants to build a Christian-themed amusement park next to Maravilla’s historic church.

The county line runs right through the town, splitting it in two.

And the government is threatening to close their post office!

Into this muddle steps Jake Epstein, a young writer from the big city. Jake is seeking peace and quiet to finish his current project: a science fiction story in which adventuress Tai-Keiko must deliver the secret formula for Zeton-9—with the evil Krossarians in hot pursuit.

But then reality and science fiction converge—and Tai-Keiko finds herself in present-day Maravilla, face to face with a gobsmacked Jake.

Join Jake on this comic run along the dusty roads of Maravilla, and find out who won the fight between Father Ignatius and the heathen pig farmer. How a basketball game changed the fate of the town. And was that white flash in the sky a UFO?

Print Length: 195 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Beeline Press (June 19, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1645400646
ISBN-13: 978-1645400646

Welcome to Maravilla is now available to purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.

Book Giveaway Contest
To win a copy of the book Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark, please enter via Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on October 21st at 12 AM EST. We will randomly pick a winner and email them the same day. Good luck!

About the Author

R. Douglas Clark was born in Vermont, grew up in Colorado, attended college in Chicago, and received a Master's degree in music from Brown University. Seeing no future for himself in academia, he spent a year in the Oregon woods, living in a primitive cabin, writing music reviews and cultural commentary for magazines and newspapers. Next stop, Eugene, Oregon where he spent 20 damp years as a bootstrap businessman, father and musician. On a vacation trip, he and his wife, Shelley, fell in love with sunny northern New Mexico and subsequently moved there. After four years running Boys and Girls Clubs in Chimayó and Abiquiú--and another four, running a U-pick raspberry farm--he retired to write fiction full time.

Find R. Douglas online: https://www.rdouglasclark.com/

Author Interview by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

WOW: Thank you for being with us today and choosing WOW to help promote Welcome to Maravilla! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of your work. I'm sure you are an avid reader as well. Who is your favorite author?

R. Douglas: Please, don’t make me pick one! My standard is: will the book stand up to a second reading? I admire John Steinbeck for his gritty realism (The Grapes of Wrath) and his absurdist humor (Cannery Row). Too old school? Try Richard Price (Lush Life). Humor? Can’t beat Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. I love Zadie Smith for her intelligent and compassionate writing (Swing Time). I can’t get enough literary adventure, such as Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach or Esi Edugyan’s Half-Blood Blues. But favorite? Gotta go with Gabriel García Márquez. Man, what a writer!

WOW: It definitely is difficult to chose just one, isn't it? Thanks for sharing with us!

What or Whom has been most influential in your writing career and how so?

R. Douglas: I can divide the influences on my writing career into three parts: reading, writing and life experience. Reading taught me about the elements of fiction. Writing made me put in the work it takes to become an author (like anything else). Life experience provided the material I needed to have something to write about.

WOW: See? I guessed from the start you were an avid reader - now I'm hoping you'll share more secrets - what have you learned during the publishing process and what would you do differently next time or what advice do you have for others?

R. Douglas: The standard publishing model—based on sending a query letter and 25-or-so pages to a publisher—clearly doesn’t work. You wait forever to hear back, and you rarely do. At best, you get a form letter. The slush pile grows. There are too many writers seeking publishers, and too many publishers unwilling to take a chance on a new novelist. Going the route of signing up with an agent is hardly any better. Good agents are overwhelmed with manuscripts, too. Self-publishing? It’s going to cost you a couple of grand, either for the publishing or for the marketing, or both. My advice? Love the writing process. Join a writer’s group. Find an agent.

WOW: That's absolute great advice and you'll save me from asking one of my favorite questions which is how you feel about writer's groups - so let's get right to the future excitement: What’s next for you?

R. Douglas: I’m working on a new novel. And looking for an agent.

WOW: I'm sure it won't take long for you to find with all your talent! And last but not least - many of us struggle with finding the perfect space and I'm not sure it even matters, so give us a glimpse - What does your writing space look like?

R. Douglas: My writing space is a mess. There are piles of paper, books, a synthesizer, a printer, and a scanner. There is a desk, and in the middle of that, my computer. Behind me it is floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with books, old CDs, photographs, etc. But in front of me is a large window that looks out on a proliferation of bushes, trees and the blue, blue sky of New Mexico.

WOW: I'm sure others can relate to the messiness of your space - (myself included) - but it sounds like those blue skies can be pretty inspirational! And as our time comes to a close, thank YOU for being inspirational to others - and thank you so much for your time today - I'm sure readers will delight to learn more as they follow you through the tour. We look forward to your tour and future releases!

--- Blog Tour Dates

October 14th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch the blog tour for author R. Douglas Clark’s book Welcome to Maravilla. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 15th @ Book Santa Fe with Crystal Otto
Crystal Otto shares her thoughts about the sci-fi book Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark.
http://www.booksantafe.info/booksantafeblog

October 16th @ Bring on Lemons with Carmen Otto
Middle Schooler Carmen Otto reviews R. Douglas Clark’s Welcome to Maravilla and explains to her friends why this is a great book for even young readers.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

October 17th @ World of My Imagination
Nicole Pyles reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark and delights readers at World of My Imagination with an opportunity to learn more about this fast-paced sci-fi novel!
https://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/

October 17th @ Selling Books
Don’t miss today’s author interview with R. Douglas Clark as Cathy Stucker finds out more about his latest release Welcome to Maravilla.
https://www.sellingbooks.com/

October 21st @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Today’s guest author at Memoir Writer’s Journey is R. Douglas Clark with an article titled "Where I Live". Join Kathleen Pooler’s audience as they learn more about Clark and his latest book Welcome to Maravilla.
https://krpooler.com/

October 22nd @ To Write or Not To Write
Sreevarsha reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clarks and delights readers at To Write or Not To Write with her thoughts about this excellent novel!
http://sreevarshasreejith.blogspot.co.at/

October 24th @ Look to the Western Sky
Visit Margo's blog today where you can catch today's author spotlight and learn more about R. Douglas Clark and his latest book Welcome to Maravilla.
https://margoldill.com/

October 25th @ A StoryBook World
Don’t miss today’s publicity post at A Storybook World as readers at Dierdra’s blog are introduced to Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark.
http://www.astorybookworld.com/

October 26th @ World of My Imagination
Learn more about R. Douglas Clark and his new book Welcome to Maravilla as he shares a few thoughts in an interesting interview with Nicole Pyles at World of My Imagination.
https://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/

October 28th @ Breakeven Books
Today’s Book Spotlight at Breakeven Books is Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark – don’t miss this great opportunity to add this lovely new novel to your collection!
https://breakevenbooks.com/

October 28th @ Lisa Haselton Reviews and Interviews
Lisa Haselton interviews R. Douglas Clark about his latest novel Welcome to Maravilla. Readers will delight in learning more about this science fiction story with it’s courageous characters!
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

November 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina
Author Anthony Avina interview R. Douglas Clark about his latest novel Welcome to Maravilla
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

November 12th @ Author Anthony Avina
Author Anthony Avina shares his thoughts after reading Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark – don’t miss this review!
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

November 13th @ Bring on Lemons with Tara Forst
Wisconsin mother and book lover shares her review of R. Douglas Clark's latest Welcome to Maravilla with readers at Bring on Lemons.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

To win a copy of the book Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark, please enter via Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends on October 21st at 12 AM EST. We will randomly pick a winner and email them the same day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway