Brian T. Shirley: Make Love not Warts

My guest today is author and comedian, Brian T. Shirley. We're sipping coffee and nibbling on Christmas leftovers. Welcome to the blog, Brian. Tell us something about yourself that readers might be surprised to learn.

I love performing onstage in front of a big audience, but I don't like crowds. I'm also a pretty shy person when it comes to one on one encounters. I find it easier to talk to a bunch of people rather than a few.

How many books have you written?

 Two

What books or authors have influenced you?

These two books I have published were influenced by Gary Larson. I loved reading his "Far Side" series when I was growing up and his books were the first thing I thought of when I started putting my series together.

What has been your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

I had a lot of help from friends and family with both books. The best part of this was running the one liners I had written by them to see what they thought. I could not wait to see what they thought and watch them laugh as they read them. Even better than watching them read my latest work was hearing my dad read the proverbs aloud.

Tell us about your latest release Four Score and Seven Beers Ago.

This is the second book in my Make Love not Warts trilogy. Much like the first book, this one is full of funny proverbs and insults. There are a few differences in Four Score. Number one is that I've taken popular song titles and made comedic sentences with them, such as " I did the Safety Dance with My Sharona while Jessie's Girl Barked At the Moon." Second I added a funny poem at the end of the book. I did these books as a way for people to laugh at their own leisure and come back to the books to laugh again when they see their favorite lines.

Is it available in print,ebook and kindle formats?

Yes, both books are available in all those formats and at most major book re tailors.

Were any of the books more challenging to write than the others?

Yes, the second book was a challenge. I have over two hundred proverbs in the first book of which I had a good amount of those already written. I started fresh with the second so it took me a little longer.The third book is proving to be an even bigger challenge.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

 I take a lot of my comedy from what is going on around me and my frame of mind at the time. The environment I was in colored a lot of my second book. A lot of the proverbs I wrote were about taking my frustrations out on life in general.

We all know how important our work has become. How do you get the word out off and online?

 First off I must say a big " Thank You " to you for this interview. This is one of the ways I've tried to promote my work. I've done several online interviews to get the word out. I'm also on facebook,twitter and linkedin. I've done online ads and press releases. I have a web site that presents my work as a comedian and an author, so I push both aspects of my career at the same time.

  Offline I've done TV,radio and newspaper interviews for both my books as I promote my comedy performances. I use the books as part of my intro into my shows and as part of my promo material to all the clubs I play. I carry the books with me and sell them after my shows and I've have great success with them in that aspect.

Can you tell us about your current or future projects?

 I'm plugging along writing the third book in this series. I'm also working on short stories for my website and possibly future publication/sitcom material. I'm always writing new material for my show, and I'm hoping to get a novel started later on in 2012.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

 They can go to my web site http://www.briantshirley.webs.com. I have excerpts from both books there, short stories,videos, and my tour calendar.

Thanks Susan! Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Brian!