My novel is inspired by a real event, the 1976 Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping, which remains the largest kidnapping for ransom plot in American history. The interesting thing about the crime is that most people have never heard about it. 

Aaron Jacobs – 9 July 2023

The Back Flap

On the second to last day of summer school in 1984, Calvin and Jason Schott hijack a school bus carrying nineteen students, an unthinkable act of violence that devastates the community of Brookwood. Thirty years later, twin sisters and survivors of the ordeal, Brenda and Emily Mashburn, are forced to relive the kidnapping as they film a documentary about the event in an attempt to thwart Calvin’s looming parole hearing. Meanwhile, Jason fights for his brother’s release, hoping that a reunited family can finally bring peace to their elderly mother and ease the guilt he feels over his role in the kidnapping. The result is a feud between the two families, with neither side willing to back down.

Inspired by the largest kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in American history, Time Will Break the World weaves a rich backdrop of place and circumstance—long-term trauma, dysfunctional family legacies, sibling rivalry, a granite quarry, and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

About the book

What is the book about?

Time Will Break the World starts in 1984 with an infamous school bus hijacking, in which two gunmen ambush a bus and hold the nineteen students on board for ransom by burying them in a moving van at a granite quarry. It’s also about the long-term effects of this massive crime thirty years later, as seen through the eyes of the victims, their families, the perpetrators, and the surrounding community.

When did you start writing the book?

January 2019

How long did it take you to write it?

About 3 years

Where did you get the idea from?

My novel is inspired by a real event, the 1976 Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping, which remains the largest kidnapping for ransom plot in American history. The interesting thing about the crime is that most people have never heard about it. I definitely hadn’t until I read an article about one of the kidnappers being denied parole after almost 40 years in prison. After I learned a little more about it, I knew it would be an incredible setup for a novel.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Are you kidding? Of course, I struggled! Writing a novel is so hard. You never know if you’ll ever make it to the end. And in this case, two of the major characters are kidnappers, just totally thoughtless and callous guys. Having to spend a significant amount of time in their heads was not pleasant. There’s also a 30-page section, the climax of the book, that combines three story threads all happening at the same time. That part was so difficult to pull off that—and I’m not at all exaggerating—it almost killed me. Ok, I am exaggerating a little. It was still really tough, though.

What came easily?

Dialogue always comes pretty easily to me. And the scenes between one of the kidnappers and his mother, Jason and Bertie, came together without too much teeth gnashing. Also, I didn’t struggle too much developing the relationship between Brenda and Emily, who are two of the victims and twin sisters.

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

None of the characters were based on people I know, which should come as a relief to my family and friends. But since the book is inspired by a true story, there is definitely some influence from the people involved with the kidnapping. I will point out that none of the children in my novel were modeled on the real kids from Chowchilla. I would have felt too great a responsibility to get their stories right. That said, the fictional kidnappers were very loosely based on two of the real-life assailants. Likewise, the bus driver in the novel was inspired by Ed Ray, who was the bus driver in 1976.

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?

I’ve always been drawn to great and idiosyncratic sentence writers, people like Grace Paley, Barry Hannah, Hob Broun, Garielle Lutz, Diane Williams, Joy Williams, Laszlo Krasznahorkai, Philip Roth, and Don Delillo.

Do you have a target reader?

My wife.

About Writing

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

I write best in the morning. I don’t subscribe to the belief that you have to write every single day to be considered a real writer, but I’ve noticed that my work improves with sustained effort. The more time I put in on a project, the easier it becomes to figure out. I’m also a compulsive reviser.

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

I don’t outline. One of the things that appeals to me about writing is figuring it all out as I go.

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

I make major changes with each revision, and do multiple revisions, so I like to have a draft finished before I go back in for serious excavation. But sometimes I’ll hit a point where a scene or chapter is too messy or vague or just feels off, and I have to rework it in order to move forward.

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

Not usually. I try to make the most of the rare gift of silence.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I have submitted to agents before. I had an agent represent my last novel for a while. We parted ways before it sold.

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

Indie publishing is where you find the most exciting fiction. The indie and small presses are the ones taking chances and putting out very cool books. I also feel that, as a writer, you get more control and input over your writing and how it’s presented when you’re with a small press.

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

Run Amok Books designed the cover, but I contributed the photo that was used.

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

I’ve been teaming up with a publicist on this novel. It’s been interesting to see that aspect of the publishing business. Until now, my marketing plan consisted of standing on the corner in a chicken suit, begging people to buy my book.

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

Go for it!

About You

Where did you grow up?

Westchester County, NY

Where do you live now?

Brooklyn and the Catskills

What would you like readers to know about you?

My hat size is 7 1/4.

What are you working on now?

Going to be working on a sandwich and a cold beer when I finish this interview.

End of Interview:

For more from Aaron Jacobs, visit his website and follow him on Twitter.

Get you copy of Time will Break the World from Amazon US or Amazon UK.