Welcome to Roundtable Reviews.  A FATHER’S LOVE takes two novellas with a strong theme on fatherhood.  What do you feel is the most important lesson a father can teach their child?

Threefold:

- To be his or herself, no matter what the world may throw. We’re each perfect – exactly what God intended.

- To chase his or her dreams, and sincerely enjoy the journey we have been given.

- And that we are never alone – so don’t pretend that you have no responsibility to your fellow man.

3 SHOEBOXES was so painstakingly and aptly detailed when it came to Dennis’s dealings with panic attacks.  It was so accurately written, I figured you must have suffered panic attacks yourself or known someone who has.  Am I right?

Absolutely right! I served in Operation Desert Strom and upon my return home, I suffered terribly from severe panic attacks for nearly five years – until I learned to breathe through them, stop paying so much attention to them, and learned that I wasn’t alone!  Knowledge is power, and people usually have the strength to heal themselves – perseverance is the answer!

The courtroom struggles within 3 SHOEBOXES are things you have faced to an extent with your own child.  Do you think there will ever come a time that fathers are given equal time in custody battles?  I see some moms around me and still wonder how on earth they were ever granted full custody.

I believe that Dads today (good and bad) are still paying for the sins of their fathers, and will do so for many years to come. Some people believe that a mother’s love cannot be replaced, and I agree – but I also feel the same about a father’s love. I’d have to say that this is one of the few times when roles and stereotypes become devastating for the male gender. Unfortunately, the price is so emotionally and spiritually crippling.

Poetry is also something that I am guessing is a major part of your life?  Your poetry certainly enhanced both 3 SHOEBOXES and GOOSEBERRY ISLAND.

I love poetry – in my opinion, it is the purest form of written expression which captures a certain time, or feeling, or moment. And it’s the perfect expression in trying to share the emotions felt in A FATHER’S LOVE.

You have a serialized novel, MAX EVANS: THE HEART OF A POET, with Keep It Coming.  Do you find writing in shorter installments to be easier or harder than writing a novel?

Definitely easier as there is less of a commitment. Novels take months and months to pen, so a writer has to be sure that his storyline, characters, etc. are worth the time and effort for both the reader and himself. Although they lack character development (unless strung together via reappearances) shorts are a blast. If a writer wants to detail life in the mob, he can do so, and then change speeds a few days later, and write about a comical, childhood memory. Even tenses and form can be played with. 

Novels, however, promise a bigger payoff – both in self-satisfaction and the potential to earn.

You have a number of books that you’ve written under both Steven Manchester and Steven Herberts.  How do you manage your writing time?  Do you write by a set schedule?

I wish. Truth be told, I write whenever I can and make it a priority over watching television, listening to the radio on the morning commute (I’d prefer to talk into a mini-recorder) and even sleep sometimes. If it’s that important – which it has been for me – you can find the time.   

Your book, THE UNEXPECTED STORM, details your experiences during Operation Desert Storm.  That would have been a tough book to write and also a great way to vent some of the anger at how soldiers were treated after they came home and became mysteriously ill.

Absolutely, THE UNEXPECTED STORM was my catharsis and the very means with which I healed my soul after experiencing war. I’m still happy that I penned it in the third person, so that others could attach themselves to it and make it their story, as well. If I wasn’t laughing or crying, I wasn’t writing that book. My goal: To remind those who served with me and suffer as a result – that none of us are ever alone! When I think about it now, I think it would have been more painful not to write the book.

I understand you are currently working on a horror collaboration.  You seem to have a knack for writing just about any genre.  Do you have a favorite?

I love (sensitive) ‘male perspective to a female audience’ stories. The other genres are merely a means to hone my craft of writing and develop my skills. My heart and soul are definitely into the real-life, tearjerkers, though!

What else do you have in the works?

I’m currently working on my second novel; PRESSED PENNIES, a horror collaboration; SKELETON KEYS, my fifth collection of poetry; IDLING BY, and poetry anthology; WHISPERS OF INSPIRATION which I invite everyone to submit to.

See: http://www.skylinepublications.com/  and click on Poetry Anthology on the right side. Also, prepare for the upcoming launch of: WWW.StevenManchester.com