We all struggle between two competing natures, the logical and the spiritual. Where we lie between those two points largely defines who we are. That dualism is at the heart of my book.

Gareth Frank – 19 May 2019

The Back Flap

The Moment Between, a psychological thriller published by Three Women Press, brings death to life through the story of Doctor Hackett Metzger, a neurologist who struggles with grief four years after losing his wife when he becomes involved in a medical study of near-death experiences and meets a woman with a dangerous past. Hackett is reluctantly involved in the study because he doesn’t want to be reminded of his wife’s death and he doesn’t believe in the afterlife. His life and research are about to collide.

The Moment Between is not a fantasy or a ghost story. Instead, it uses fiction to explore the very real phenomena of near-death experiences in a way that forces the reader to challenge their own assumptions about the possibilities of what awaits us all in that moment between life and death.

About the book

What is the book about?

The Moment Between is a finely researched novel that combines a compelling picture of the transition between life and death wrapped in fast-paced suspense. After four years of mourning, Doctor Hackett Metzger is determined to stop letting his wife’s death control his life. He is finally beginning to live again, but his recovery leads to an unexpected fight for his own survival and startling revelations about what happens to all of us in The Moment Between.

Hackett, a brilliant neurologist, is a skeptic. He doesn’t believe he will one day be reunited with Jean, or dwell with God in heaven. What he does believe is that he should have seen the warning signs of her heart attack; he should have saved her. He also cannot accept the possibility that his clinical study of near-death experiences could prove the existence of a conscious afterlife. When Hackett falls for the mother of a patient, grief finally begins to fade. But he has no idea his new love is hiding her dangerous past. Will Hackett’s broken spirit endure another heartbreak? And, will he survive the treachery around him?

As life and research collide, the good doctor discovers that the secrets of love and death just may be part of the same fabric.

When did you start writing the book?

I began writing seriously about seven years ago, after I retired, and started The Moment Between almost four years later.

How long did it take you to write it?

 It took me about two years to write and another year or so to publish the book.

Where did you get the idea from?

Steven King once said:  “(The writer’s) job isn’t to find ideas but to recognize them when they show up.”

For me, the idea for my novel showed up in the mail. I received a Christmas card that mentioned the death of a friend’s brother and alluded to his wife being the murderer. A bizarre Christmas card, indeed. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When I called my friend and asked what had happened, I found out that, as they say, fact was stranger than fiction. I used the woman in question to create one of my characters. Some people think I created a monster. The truth is, real monsters are often real people. That was the genesis of my storyline.

The theme of my book grew out of my fascination with near-death experiences, and what they tell us about the conscious mind. Polling has shown that about 70 percent of Americans believe in some sort of afterlife. We all struggle between two competing natures, the logical and the spiritual. Where we lie between those two points largely defines who we are. That dualism is at the heart of my book.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Anyone who has written a novel and says that they didn’t struggle at some point is either lying or incredibly gifted. Even finding the right idea can be a struggle. I felt like I was beating my head against the wall when I was searching for ideas for this book. Luckily, as I said previously, the idea found me.

Perhaps the easiest part of writing is the initial draft. I let my imagination go and worry about the details later. As you might expect, that evolved into more of a struggle once I was shaping the story into a final draft. It is a painstaking process of looking for holes in the storyline, trying to make the characters really come to life, and trying to make the ending fit just right.

What came easily?

Once I have the idea for a story, I usually find one or two characters that I think are a good fit. These characters go a long way towards filling out how I want the story to develop. I genuinely enjoy that burst of creativity that fuels the initial months of writing a novel.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Sarah, one of the two main characters was definitely based on a real character, though I didn’t know her personally. I think most writers use real people in whole or in part to form characters. I am no different, but Sarah is the only character in The Moment Between for whom a real person is the model. For others, I try to think about how people I know react to situations and use that to breathe more life and realism into the book. In my other writing, I have on occasion quite literally based characters on people I know.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

When I read a really good book, I am usually awestruck by the author’s talent and don’t see how I could possibly do what they do. I don’t consciously emulate other writers, but there are countless times when I am reading, and a passage will trigger the recognition that I am missing something in whatever piece I am writing at the time. For example, when I was writing my current novel, I was reading Frederick Backman’s Beartown. His portrait of the town’s hockey coach was so intricate yet so precise that it made me reevaluate my main character. That’s not to say I emulated Backman’s writing style, but he definitely changed the book. Similarly, authors like Chris Cleave (Incendiary and Little Bee) and Audrey Niffenegger (Her Fearful Symmetry) helped me look at suspense in a new way and freed me from popular expectations of the genre.

Do you have a target reader?

Over and over, people in the book industry state that women readers far outnumber men so target women readers. I was looking for a sweet spot that didn’t adhere to stereotypical books for either genre. Perhaps that is why The Moment Between bends genres. I like to say it is a thinking person’s thriller because it melds medicine, neuroscience, physics, and even a little romance into a book with well-paced suspense. My target audience is adults who like suspense, but don’t need invincible heroes and a ton of murderous gore. One of the things that I have been most happy with so far is that I have received equal praise from both men and women.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

When I am not distracted by book marketing, I have a pretty active writing schedule. I generally write five days per week, anywhere from two to eight hours a day. I focus on writing novels, but love short stories as well and tend to fit them in when I am stuck on something or waiting on an editor. I have an organic process and tend to just start writing after I settle on an idea. I write the initial scenes just to see how the concept develops and characters grow.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Most authors that I know use outlines as a secondary process. I don’t understand how a writer can develop a full outline before they start writing the scenes. I just can’t think through that much detail at one time. I usually use an outline when I am closing in on the complete first draft. At that point, it helps me see the holes in the story, the places that need to be re-ordered, and the parts that just don’t work. My outlines generally consist of one or two sentences per scene. That’s enough to remind me of the details.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

There is no such thing as too much editing. I edit as I finish paragraphs, as I complete pages, as I dispatch chapters and as I conclude drafts. My editor once described me as a very careful writer. I don’t know any other way.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Before I even submitted my book to agents, I worked with a professional editor. It served an invaluable function in my writing education. Many new writers think of line editing and proofreading when they think of editing. Developmental editing is much more crucial and requires much more skill.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I love music, but find it distracting when I write. I generally listen to rock, but I have broader interests. Recently, I discovered Emi Sunshine, a child with an old-time country voice. I love old rhythm and blues artists like James Brown, LaVern Baker, and Sam and Dave. The blues can’t be beaten. I even like a little funk now and again.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes. It can be a frustrating experience. Agents have a difficult job, and anyone that has to weed out 99 percent of what they review is going to miss some things worth publishing. That’s my excuse for now.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher?  Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I spent a lot of time looking for agents. I really felt I had exhausted that route, so I turned to small presses. Luckily, I found Three Women Press.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I had a good idea of what I wanted, but I couldn’t possibly have pulled it off myself. Book covers are incredibly important, and there are way too many bad covers in the indie world.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My publisher doesn’t have the resources to support a complete marketing strategy, but I am grateful for the help I have received in preparing marketing materials, referrals for my book tour, and some initial media outreach. I am now working to broaden my reach with additional post-publication reviews/interviews, and a strategy for discount sales and limited giveaways. Then there is the never-ending process of building an online platform.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Be prepared to weather disappointment and work really hard. You can never put in too much time to make your book perfect. Seek help from editors, but don’t trust them to clean up everything. It is your book. The disappointing thing for many writers is that all the labor going into writing a novel is not enough. Every step of finding a publisher and marketing your book can be an arduous process. Persevere, persevere and then persevere some more.

On top of that, be careful of what you spend your money on. There is a vast industry that preys on writers. Some of the people and companies are hard-working and well-intentioned. Some just want your money. The bottom line is that we all need a little help now and again, but very few writers make money through publishing, so be careful not to put yourself too far into the hole.

About You 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Hackettstown, NJ, a small town in the northwest corner of the state. Not coincidentally, my main character is Hackett Metzger. I had a wonderful free-range childhood where my parents gave me the perfect mix of freedom and support.

Where do you live now?

I am a stone’s throw from Washington, DC in Cheverly, Maryland. It is a very different place from small-town America where I grew up, but it is another great place with close community, diversity, and cultural access to Washington.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am a retired union organizer who has incredible memories of a wonderful career and the great fortune of a pension, something that is, unfortunately, becoming a rarity in America. My pension has allowed me the luxury of embarking on a second career as a writer. I am eternally grateful.

What are you working on now?

I like to think of each new writing project as part of my evolution as an author. I try to grow and do something different with each novel or story. My new novel affords me the opportunity to write song lyrics for the first time in my life, never having written any kind of poetry before. I am also dabbling in magical realism for the first time.

The working title is Torn Skin, a name taken from a song written by the main character, Jonny Pirpal, a punk rockin, freight train hoppin loner who attained rock and roll fame in the nineties, only to lose everything in a single tragic day. Syeira (pronounced sigh-ear-ah), a mystic who quite literally saves lives by being in the right place at the right time, has also become a loner though for very different reasons. They struggle to understand each other as Jonny’s past is catching up with him.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of The Moment Between from Amazon US or Amazon UK.