Interview with Phil Rossi, Author of Soldier Hill- with a giveaway too!

Today I'd like to thank Phil Rossi, author of Soldier Hill, for stopping by the blog to answer some questions as well as host a giveaway! Yesterday I reviewed his book Soldier Hill, which I really enjoyed. 

About Soldier Hill:

In 1983, two high school friends set out to honor a fallen soldier from the Vietnam War. A coming of age story about honor and sacrifice.


Interview:


Hi Phil! Thank you so much for stopping by today and telling us more about yourself and Soldier Hill.

Hi Tiffany. Thanks for inviting me on your blog--great being here. Can you please tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing? 

I'm from Northern New Jersey, a suburb of NYC. I graduated from St. John's University and the New York Film Academy.  I spent years in the New York film scene on various projects. I made a 6-minute short crime film, Ten Large that could be  seen on my website: www.phil-rossi.com and YouTube. It is a calling card for investors to back an independent feature that I wrote and plan to direct and produce some day.  In high school, my sophomore english teacher put one period aside each week for creative writing. She felt I had a knack and suggested I continue doing it. She was very encouraging. That first person outside my network of family and friends that told me I was good at something. It was very inspiring at the time, and continues to be to this day.  　 Soldier Hill is inspired by true events. Can you please tell us about this event? 

While growing up, I remembered a story about a boy in a surrounding town who dropped out of high school to fight in the Vietnam War. He was killed in action, and a memorial was created in his honor. Some time later, the memorial was removed and discarded for a construction project. To my knowledge, the memorial was never relocated. It's a story that has continued to disturb me all these years later. Soldier Hill is not meant to demonize those responsible, rather a way to make things right.  　 A lot of knowledge about the Vietnam War was needed for this story. What kind of research did you do? 

I'm showing my age here. I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's. I remember the vibes of the Vietnam fallout--it was in the fabric, so to speak. It's interesting when you see those time capsule videos of the 70's and 80's, and how it all seemed like such a freewheeling, and changing time. I guess it was in many respects, but lurking beneath the surface was the shroud of Vietnam. That aspect remained. It was a dark, confusing, and challenging time for the country. How to move forward while trying to figure out a way to distance itself from the war.  　 Eddie finds himself labeled by his teachers as not going to amount to anything and is often laughed off when he tries to improve himself. What advice would you give students who find themselves in this same situation and aren't given the same opportunities as some of the "smarter" kids? 

It's a very good, important, and deep question. One of the biggest things, is to have them believe in themselves no matter what. One of the challenges is getting to that spot. Giving them the area to discover what they like, all while 'fitting in' is difficult. Cutting against the grain is not so 'popular' and 'accepted' while in such a tight vacuum. There needs to be more outlets for kids to dream, and take chances without the fear or even being ridiculed for falling short. Keep trying. The discovery and nurturing of that talent could only do wonders--especially for kids.  　 What have been some of the writing challenges you have faced? What challenges did you face on the road to publication?  Too many! It's a daily, weekly, continuing, never-ending struggle. And maybe it should be. I'm an independent publisher as well. Always looking to get accepted by an actual print publisher and one day an agent. Sure, there are challenges, but I think this is a great time to be an artist. Whether it be writing, film, music, etc. The internet, coupled with social media allows the little guy more shots.  　 What are you working on now?  A hardboiled crime novella. I'm on my first draft. The working title is Bag Men. It's about a pair of aging mobsters who are called in by a crime boss to deliver the stolen cash from an armored car heist. 

What was the book that most impacted your life and why?
In high school, it was The Outsiders. One of the first cool books we read. Since then, there's been so many. The Things They Carried, The Shawshank Redemption, The Old Man And The Sea, and Drive are among my favorites.  The use of language and style. Great stories with great characters and pacing--such a breeze to read. They are also some  of my personal writing guides--the kind of books you reread to learn more and more about the craft. 

Giveaway:
Phil has generously offered to giveaway three pdf copies of Soldier Hill to my lucky readers. This giveaway is open internationally and will end on 11/6.  a Rafflecopter giveaway
Once again I'd like to thank Phil for the opportunity to read and review Soldier Hill and for taking the time to answer my questions and also for the giveaway!