Everyone Needs A Bedtime Story

Interview with Richard Burns: From Federal Agent to Erotica Writer

Today I am featuring an interview with erotica writer Richard Burns. I can’t claim that I wrote the questions however, for this excellent interview however, as it was conducted on my behalf by fellow writer and friend, Helena Fairfax. Thanks Helena!

So let me introduce you to Richard Burns…

Where do you live?

I live in Detroit, Michigan.  I was transferred up here from Chicago when I was a Federal Agent.  When I got up here, I fell in love with Michigan and managed to drag my wife up here as well.  She too loves Michigan, but not as much as our original home in Chicago.  Now that we have Grandchildren in both states, our intention is to retire in St. Joseph, Michigan, just a few hour’s drive from both Chicago and Detroit.

However, I will say this about Detroit; It provides me with a GREAT Landscape for future writing material.  I have a number of books in mind.

detroit

Where is your favourite place in the world?

I’m kind of partial to some areas I saw in the Canadian Rockies, in Alberta.  I was a Paratrooper in the Army, I spent some time with the Canadian Airborne Regiment, once upon a time, with Commando 1, the French Canadian Commando Company.  That was some very rugged terrain.

Looking back on it now, I’m thinking I would like to face it as a Civilian, with my nose pressed to the glass sipping Hot Chocolate, looking at the snow fall out the window.  God knows!  It sure was mighty cold!!!

What’s my favourite season?  Winter.  Why? Probably just because most of my happiest memories from childhood took place during winter.  Of course, in Chicago, winter is nine months out of the year.  No, seriously, it’s nowhere near that bad.  I was just playing into the stereotype.

Being a writer is a great job.  What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

Yes, you’re right.  Being a writer is a GREAT job!  But!!!  It’s a tough one.  The amount of creativity it requires is just staggering!  I’m always struggling, trying to find a decent ending.  If I held off, until I found the “perfect” ending, I’d never get anything published.

Sometimes, depending on the story, I already have an ending in mind.  But like the one I’m working on right now, I’m stuck.

And to be really honest, I never even dreamed of becoming a writer.  I just sort of fell into it.

The best job?  Probably the one I had the most natural talent for.  I joined the Army and volunteered to be a Paratrooper when I was just 17 years old.  Back then, my base pay was just $387 a month.  Paratroopers earned an extra $55 a month for hazardous duty pay, a 15% increase!  So I could say it was strictly for financial reasons, but the truth is:  It was really all for the adventure!

And I got plenty of it, too!  I became an Infantry Sergeant and a sniper.  Later I volunteered and went to Special Forces where I became a Military Intelligence Operator.

I would go home on leave sometimes, run into old friends, “Hey long time no see.  What are you doing now?”

“Oh, I make widgets.”  Or, “I make cardboard boxes,” etc.

“What about you?  What do you do?”

I made history.

to the last cartridge

What book do you wish you’d written?

“To the Last Cartridge,” this is a collection of stories from Military history of some of the most gallant fights in history.  Sadly, most of them don’t have happy ending.

But such is life.

What’s your favourite song?

  1. Bony James & Rick Braun, “Grazing in the Grass”
  2. Walk the Moon, “Shut up and Dance.”
  3. Dave Koz, “The Dance.”
  4. Candy Dulfer, “When Lily was Here.”
  5. Kelly Sweet, “Raincoat.”

For those familiar with those tunes, you’ll know that I am a hardcore, unrepentant, unapologetic Jazz fanatic!

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?

Probably Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher!  I always admired their strength, and I now believe that the two of them had a very symbiotic relationship, in that they needed each other’s near continuous support.  And those were great days of great strength of the US and the UK.

I believe that everybody was proud to be a American and an Englishman!  As well they should be!  But now we have a weak knee’d president with no spine who will draw “red lines” and continuously move them back.  Who’s first act as president is to fly about the world bowing to despots and third world tin-horn dictators and apologize for his country!!!???  People who are proud of their country don’t apologize for it.

Are we perfect?  Of course not!  We’re human, and therefore by definition, im-perfect.  Friends and allies realize this and wouldn’t feel the need to ask for one

What’s your happiest childhood memory?

I think like most boys who grew up in the Midwest United States, it’s probably camping as a young boy scout, in the woods of Wisconsin.

Perhaps sledding in the park where I grew up in the Chicago area, followed by snow ball fights, and mugs of hot apple cider!  Yeah, probably the latter.  After all, now looking back to those winter campouts, I probably spent most of the time huddled around the fire!

If you had to marry a fictional character, from film, television, or books, who would it be?

I like strong women, not one for shrinking violets, just off the top of my head, I like Samantha Mathis’s character in the movie “Broken Arrow,”  She was just a Park Ranger who unwillingly gets caught up in a in a major conspiracy of Nuclear Blackmail of the United States.

In addition to Samantha Mathis, the movie stars;  Christian Slater and John Travolta.

What’s the most important lesson life has taught you?

This one right here:  When you are old and lying in your death bed, and you have just moments left to live, you will not regret ANY of the things you did!!!  You will ONLY regret the things you did NOT do.

So die with no regrets!  If you want to try something, do something, be something, DO IT!  Don’t let your friends talk you out of it, because they will try, and try hard!  Do it, and don’t hold back and certainly don’t look back!

IntoDarknessEternalIntoDarknessAgain_1600x2400IntoDarknessOnceMore_1600x2400

And finally, please tell us about your latest book, where we can find it, and where we can find your blog/website!

Well, my latest book was part two of a trilogy.

  1. “Into Darkness, Eternal”
  2. “Into Darkness Again” (Just Launched)
  3. “Into Darkness Once More” (Launches this year)While my first novel was a fictionalized account of my 2009 tour of duty with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A), as Military Intelligence Operator on the ground.  This is titled, “Say Goodnight,” and is a very exciting tale that I wrote while in country, contemporaneous to the events. So the three cited above are my first venture into the realm of Science Fiction, but I’m told I haven’t done too badly and that they are very exciting as well.

 

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If you’d like to buy some of Richard’s work, here are a few handy links-

Say Goodnighthttp://damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615726202

Sweet Chocolate’s First Tastehttp://museithotpublishing.com/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/sweet-chocolate-s-first-taste-detail

The Into Darkness serieshttp://museithotpublishing.com/index.php/new-releases/series/into-darkness-2c-eternal-detail

Sweet_Chocolate__4ea76b17e3a35

Many thanks Richard and Helena. What a great interview!

Good luck with your new release Richard.

Happy reading everyone,

Kay x

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7 Comments

  1. Ali Greig

    Great interview. Thanks for sharing. X

  2. Phaedra

    Great interview, I was surprised that he would pick Michigan to live. Shared.

    • Yes, Michigan. Because my wife & I both love Lake Michigan and the lake is the Western edge of the state. What’s kind of neat about Lake Michigan is that you can stand in Chicago and watch the sun come up over the lake, then drive around to Michigan later in the day and watch the sun set over the lake that same day. And Michigan is a gorgeous state!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!!!
      Richard Burns

  3. Lovely to read Richard’s interview here, Kay. Thanks so much for sharing.
    And Richard – I so agree that it’s the things we don’t do that we regret. Seize the day!
    And by the way, I love the way Americans say things are “only a few hours’ drive.” A few hours! My daughter lives a few hours away from me – and for us, that’s a long way. I need to change my way of thinking! 🙂

    • Helen!!!
      Thanks for referring me to your friend! I’ve had a great time here. Yes, a few hours is almost nothing to drive here. I could fly back to Chicago, but by the time I got to the Airport, made my way through ticketing, checked baggage, flew, made my way through the Airport in Chicago and collected baggage, it would be about the same amount of time as it would take to drive, three times the cost and I still have no car in Chicago.

      But it’s ALL RELATIVE! Visit your daughter OFTEN!!! Become the biggest PAIN to her!!! It’s YOUR Right and HER Due!!!

      Again Helen, Thanks for the Intro and passing my details on to Kay. You’re a Great contact to have!

      With Warmest Regards,

      Richard Burns

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