Java Davis, Independent Author
Welcome to The Road Trip Writer Website!
Welcome to The Road Trip Writer website! Here you’ll find travel book and movie reviews, recipes, word definitions, a personal photo montage, and general road trip wisdom. You can also find a page with my book titles, including ebooks, paperbacks, and large print paperbacks, as well as one audiobook. Use the contact page if you’d like to get in touch with me, or leave comments with the blog posts. If you’ve written a travel book, either fiction or non-fiction, please feel free to ask for a review. If I think the subject matter fits, I’ll be happy to oblige you.
Background
I’m retired/disabled. I travel as I please and carve out my own hours for writing. In college, I studied English and Linguistics. In graduate school, I studied typography and type design. My Jewish roots tend to creep a little into most of my work. Road trips, too. I love road trips and classic cars. The printing, advertising, and public relations fields had me hogtied for about 15 years. Which authors have inspired me? Ernest Hemingway for his terseness, Marge Piercy for her ability to get into people’s heads, and Robert Pirsig for showing me the value of a journey. Currently a reviewer for the Readers’ Favorite website.
Awards
Three of my books, On Becoming a Dinosaur, Triptych, and Metal, have all won 5-star medallions from the Readers’ Favorite website. The New Apple Literary site awarded a Top Honors medallion to my book, Commune, in the Humor category. Cowgirl is a CIPA EVVY Bronze winner, the Fiction-Westerns category. I know what they mean when they say: “I’m proud, but I’m humble, too.”
My Best Character
My favorite character is Warrior, from Triptych. He was abandoned as a baby by a traveling circus, and they tattooed him and used him as a “jungle boy” attraction. He ran away from the circus to become a Marine. Later, he became a typesetter who falls in love with my heroine, Hannah. Warrior is an awesome guy! Most readers take to Warrior immediately.
My Worst Character
My most difficult character was Patrick, from Cowgirl He is an Irish expatriate who stowed away on a ship to come to the United States. He is a charming drunk, and my heroine, Risa, falls hard for him. I tried to make him likable for as long as I could, but ultimately, he was a skunk!
Reviews: Free vs. Paid
Crossing my fingers and hoping that some stranger will review my book never worked. I joined The Kindle Book Review site for a couple of years as an unpaid reviewer. After a while, I realized that it was a huge chunk of my time, all give, and no get. I did break down and pay for 3 reviews, and I made certain that they would be honest and not spare my feelings. I think the author’s honesty can make a reviewer feel more comfortable about giving an honest review. Now, I am heavily into review exchanges with other indie authors. Usually, it works out great, but other times, uncomfortable. I rarely give below 3 stars, preferring to give constructive criticism. I have had a few occasions where I’ve told the author that I thought their book was a waste of energy, and they are not qualified writers. I remind them that this is only one person’s opinion and that someone else may feel very differently.
Ultimately, I want reviews, and I want them faster than waiting for them to “just happen.” What’s an author to do? Whatever works.
Themes
I’m a born researcher, so any book I begin ends up stalling so I can do my due-diligence research. For Depression Carpenter, I learned about the Gulf States during the years during The Great Depression. For Metal, I needed background from the French and Indian War, and also metal detecting as a hobby (yes, I bought one and trekked around) For Cowgirl, I studied Nevada at the turn of the last century. I like to throw in small hints of Jewishness here and there, cultural rather than religious. My characters also like a good road trip as much as I do. They’re often on the road.
Audiobook
From beginning to end, I loved the audiobook creation experience. Since I needed a male narrator for Depression Carpenter, I found Justin D. Torres, who made the project fun and simple. He enjoyed the book, and you can tell when you hear him. His narration is lively, with good variation in the characters and emotions.
COOL JAVA GEAR!
PROUDLY wear your favorite cover! Shirts and sweatshirts are now available at
The Java Davis Shop on CafePress.com: The Java Davis Shop.
