🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'The Investment Club' Doug Cooper

Doug Cooper is the author of the award-winning novel Outside In and The Investment Club available October 2016. He has a BS in Mathematics Education from Miami University and a MA in American Studies from Saint Louis University. Always searching, he has traveled to over twenty countries on five continents, exploring the contradictions between what we believe and how we act in the pursuit of truth, beauty, and love. Originally from Port Clinton, Ohio, he has also called Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit, New York, and Oslo, Norway home. He now lives in Cleveland working on his third novel Focus Lost.

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About the Book:

Forty million people visit Vegas every year but most never get past the strip. What about the people

who live there? What brought them there? What keeps them there?

Told from the perspective of a seasoned blackjack dealer, The Investment Club tells the stories of a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest before and after their fateful meeting at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Vegas.

As the five learn the greatest return comes from investing in one another, their lives stabilize and take on new, positive directions. But their love and support for each other can take them only so far before they must determine the meaning and value of their own lives.

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As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

A: The typical Vegas story — the bachelor party, wedding, or other two to three-day excursion has been overdone. During a visit and seeing all the tourists and excessive entertainment, I looked past the extravagance and became interested in the people who lived there — were they born there, what brought them there, why did they stay? I wanted to tell the stories of several people from different backgrounds who had moved there. I rotated the points of view from character to character but kept the story anchored in the common perspective of a native blackjack dealer while contrasting the concepts of gambling and investing from a financial and personal angle.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

A: Forty million people visit Vegas every year but most never get past the strip. What about the people who live there? What brought them there? What keeps them there?Told from the perspective of a seasoned blackjack dealer, The Investment Club tells the stories of a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest before and after their fateful meeting at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Vegas.As the five learn to help and accept help from one another, their lives stabilize and take on new, positive directions. But their love and support for each other can take them only so far before they must determine the meaning and value of their own lives.

Fiction Authors: Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

A: The story rotates points of view of five characters—a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest—told from the perspective a native blackjack dealer.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

A: Don’t get so hung up on one idea or book. When finished with the first one, immediately start the second one, then the third. It’s a three to five-book journey before one really knows him or herself as a writer.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

A: I like to write with no pants on. I wear a T-shirt but nothing else. Maybe some socks if it is cold. There’s something really liberating and inspiring to me with my fingers on the keys and the fresh air on my lower half. I wouldn’t recommend sitting in my desk chair though. (laughs)

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

A: I do, and I love it. My writing is very detailed and realistic so they think everything is about me or happened to me. I always remind them: it’s all fiction baby!

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

A: When a reviewer is critical of something that was intentional, and he or she just didn’t get it. They think it is a mistake, but it’s done to communicate something about that character or reinforce a theme in the book. Of course one can never respond. It always comes off as defensive, but it’s really tough to take.

What has been the best accomplishment?

A: Winning my first literary fiction award for my first novel Outside In was extremely satisfying because I was taking a lot of heat about the content. It’s pretty salacious and hedonistic. The award, which was followed by two more, allowed me to take the criticism with my head held just a little higher and actually feel like, maybe, just maybe, I might actually know what I’m doing. (laughs)

Do you Google yourself?

A: I have a Google alert set with my name, so I get notifications if anything is posted about “Doug Cooper”. Most are not about me. It’s amazing the brotherhood of fellow DCs out there.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

A: I have my third book that I’m doing the final rewriting on now that I hope to have published in the next year called Focus Lost about when passion becomes obsession for a nature photographer, a famous actor, and his agent. Been a lot of fun writing this one. Looking forward to hearing what others think.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

The greatest return in our lives comes from investing in each others’ lives. It’s so easy to get caught up in what we want or don’t have, but most important is what we can do for each other.