Its title represents the utter extreme tragedy of the murder of my family experienced on one Sunday afternoon and the complete opposite represented by a peaceful Sunday afternoon when growing up on our small Ohio farm.

Ben Ewell  14 June 2022

The Back Flap

On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, 1992, Ben Ewell’s brother, sister-in-law, and niece were all murdered. While trying to make sense of this staggering tragedy, Ben can’t help but think back through his life: the hard work and the many peaceful Sunday afternoons growing up on his family farm in Ohio in a house without a bathroom or running water; his high school antics in the 1950s; his time in Haight-Ashbury while attending law school in 1960s San Francisco; and the highs and lows, both personal and professional, of life after school. Threaded throughout these reminiscences, Ben reveals the details of the investigation of his family members’ murders—and the arrest and trial of the parties involved.

In this decades-long saga, there is marriage and divorce, love and loss, family and friendship; there are political campaigns and business ventures, some failed and some fruitful. Ultimately, this is a story of perseverance in the face of tragedy, of creating opportunities out of problems, and of appreciating the gift of life and the world around us—with some humor along the way.

About the book

What is the book about?

Sunday Afternoons and Other times Remembered is a memoir that details my life story.  Its title represents the utter extreme tragedy of the murder of my family experienced on one Sunday afternoon and the complete opposite represented by a peaceful Sunday afternoon when growing up on our small Ohio farm.

When did you start writing the book?

I started the actual writing of the book in about 2015.  Many years before I started writing,  I began collecting stories and facts about people and places in Ohio and later California.

How long did it take you to write it?

I finished writing the book in 2021, when I began the editing and proofreading process for the book.

Where did you get the idea from?

I wanted to write a memoir of my life covering what I would call both the good times and those not so good times when tragedy occurred in my life.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled with the parts of my life that required the time that tragedies that I had already lived through in my life.

What came easily?

The times in my life when I was growing up on a farm were the easiest for me.

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

The characters in my book are entirely based on real people.  While the characters were based on real people, in some instances I did alter the names to avoid embarrassment or other adverse impact on the person.

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?

There are a number of authors who influenced me.  The simple direct wording of William Saroyan and Earnest Hemmingway come to mind.  The writing of Louis Bromfield a successful Hollywood script writer and author of several books.  He lived on his Mansfield, OH farm and also wrote about the environment and farm life.  Books by Susan Orlean helped me understand and appreciate the need for description and details of places and events.

Do you have a target reader?

I believe my target reader is an adult who has experienced at least some of the events I describe, such as life on a farm or rural area, the Rock and Roll era of the 1950s and the Haight Ashbury era of the 1960s.  I also write about practicing law and real estate development and my life in California.

About Writing

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

I usually take the same steps in each writing session.  I put together a particular lined pad, a blue Pilot Grand pen, and do my writing in a small quiet room.  I don’t listen to music or watch television during the time I’m writing.

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

I don’t outline but I do make lists or notes of what I want to cover in a particular chapter or set of paragraphs.

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

I tend to make those corrections that seem obvious, as I go along with the writing.

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

I love to listen to music but not while I’m trying to write, except when I would listen to Bob Dylan’s songs, especially his 1964 hit, The Times, They Are a Changing. I saw him play this live in the San Francisco area in 1964 when I was living in Haight Ashbury.  It captured the era at the time and still does.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I did submit my work to an agent.  I attended several seminars on writing and one particular one hosted by Brooke Warner and Linda Joy Meyer was very helpful to me and I ended up working with Brooke and Spark Press as a result.

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

It is a result of my attending the seminar with Brooke Warner when I decided to go with Spark Press.

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

Yes, the cover was drafted by Spark Press and they selected and used a cover photo I submitted to them.

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

I have been working with the staff at Spark Press on marketing and publicity matters.

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

It’s important to team up with folks who believe in you and what you’re trying to accomplish.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on a small farm in north eastern Ohio in a house without a bathroom or running water.  The closest town was Brighton about 3 miles distant  with a population of less then 100.

Where do you live now?

I live in Fresno, in the central valley of California.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I would like readers to know of my interest and curiosity about people and places that surround me.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a nonfiction account of the area where I grew up. It goes back to the granting of this area then “Indian Territory” to those whose property had been destroyed by the British in Danbury Connecticut during the revolutionary war. The area of our farm and surrounding property became known as the “Sufferer’s Lands”. This true story also includes Benedict Arnold who helped the Danbury residents before he later became a traitor.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Sunday Afternoons and Other Times Remembered from Amazon US or Amazon UK.