Benjamin Sobieck is an up-and-coming author of crime fiction; his novel, "Cleansing Eden," has recently been e-published by Trestle Press. Sobieck is also the author of the Maynard Soloman short story crime humor series and numerous flash fiction pieces. He is also the founder/editor of "Fingerprints," an online journal of crime flash non-fiction. Don’t let the calm exterior of this interview fool you; he is just on his best behavior. Sobieck’s other persona, the feisty and potty-mouthed Maynard Solomon, is a Winnebago-driving, long-haired hippie-hating, profane and clueless private investigator who has his own Facebook page. Thank goodness Sobieck showed up for this little talk, and kept the ol’ southern badger private eye at home!
S.L.: Tell me about your novel with Trestle Press.
Sobieck: It's a crime thriller called, "Cleansing Eden." Here's the rundown:
"When a smooth-talking stranger offers aimless runaway Nick Eden a way off the streets, he jumps on the chance at a new life. The stranger provides the things Nick never had: regular meals, a warm place to sleep, plenty of praise and a peculiar drug called Bluegrasse.
"But there's a catch. The stranger's purpose for Nick is killing celebrities deemed too damaging to society.
"As the body count rises, Nick must choose what means more to him: a twisted sense of purpose or the lives of the people he's called to kill."
Throughout the work, I wanted to explore the question, "How much of our identities do we give up for the sake of just getting by?"
In the novel, Nick (the protagonist) has no clue about his identity. He's just aimless, living on the street. So he fills the void by killing celebrities for this other person. All along, he knows he's not a cold-blooded killer. He just wants to get by, have something to eat and a place to sleep.
But most people can't relate to that. Or can they?
The B plot is about a reporter covering the murders, June. She sacrifices everything about her identity to advance her career. Her integrity might be gone, but she's just trying to get by.
How many of us have done that? Given up some part of who we are for the sake of a job?
Now take that concept and extend it to pop culture. The people Nick kills are celebrities. These celebrities ask their fans to, in essence, become them. Wear their clothes. Use their catch phrases. Buy their products. And people do, because they want to get by. They want to fit in.
Whether it's a murderer, someone at their job or fans of celebrities, no one has a true identity. They just have pieces of other people's manipulations. What are the consequences? That's what I wanted to explore in "Cleansing Eden."
In the novel, the consequences are a pile of dead bodies. Is it any different in real life? That's up for the reader to decide.
S.L.: How did you meet the infamous Giovanni Gelati? Tell us about how he invited you to be a part of Trestle Press.
Sobieck: Fellow Trestle Press author, B.R. Stateham, and I had just jumped ship from a publishing house that went under. I saw that he had signed with Trestle Press, so I decided to contact Giovanni. He and I have shared mutual admiration for each other. "G-Man" is one of the most forward-thinking publishers out there. Trestle Press is in good hands.
S.L.: Have you been published before? What are some of your other works in print?
Sobieck: I am published in non-fiction, every day. I'm an online editor for a large company that produces magazines, books, TV shows and digital properties. We have readership in the millions, and have titles on every newsstand and in every major bookstore. I do a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff to make it all happen. They still put me on the masthead, though. I'm always stopping my wife at Target to crack open a magazine and say, "Look, there I am. And we're in a Target!" That's still cool to me.
As far as fiction goes, "Cleansing Eden" is my first novel, and it shows my serious side. My Maynard Soloman short story series is my light-hearted, sarcastic side. I also have a pile of crime flash fiction I've published over at Flash Fiction Offensive. I'd put that on my experimental side. I don't want to limit myself, because my writing needs to match my mood.
S.L.: What do you see in your future as a writer? What are you working on right now?
Sobieck: The company I work for recently acquired a major crime fiction publisher, Tyrus Books. I'd like to get a novel in with them at some point. I'd also like to do another novel with Trestle Press. There are plenty of options right now.
What's next for me? I'm working on two crime novels. One is about an alternative energy company committing fraud in North Dakota. The other is also about fraud, but I'll keep it close to my chest. It's too early to say what it is yet.
S.L.: Take a moment and tell us about yourself. What are the best ways for readers to find you on the Web?
Sobieck: I don't crank out a lot of fiction material. I take my time, because I want to give the reader the best possible experience. I would never ask someone to pay for something that I wouldn't myself. I think some authors forget that concept in the era of the e-book. I can't do that to people. I produce quality over quantity. I don't rush myself. I write when I feel like writing. Otherwise, it all comes out uninspired.
My website is crimefictionbook.com. I'm also on CrimeSpace, BookTown, Facebook and Twitter.
"Cleansing Eden" and the Maynard Soloman series are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other fine e-book retailers.
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