C. G. Haberman was raised in
south-central Nebraska. He received his undergraduate biology degree from the
Nebraska University and a MS in zoology from Fort Hays State University.
For nearly a decade he taught the biological sciences in
secondary schools. He changed professions to work in the environmental field
for three different state agencies over twenty years. C. G. returned to
education as a community college instructor and as an adjunct at a four-year,
liberal-arts College until his retirement. During his teaching years he
incorporated field studies into his ecology and summer classes.
His hobbies consist of photography, some of which he has used
for book covers. Another hobby he developed is cooking and loves to prepare a
meal for his wife and her best friends.
Welcome to the blog, C.G. My husband has been going from North Carolina to Nebraska for 29 years to pheasant and quail hunt. He stays with families in Beaver City and Fairbury and I have visited twice. Those families are now part of our own.
How
has your environment affected your writing?
Thanks, Susan. Glad to be here. My writing stems from single events, people I’ve met, and
the places my wife and I have lived. I planned for one or two CJ Hand novels,
but the series idea began to unfold halfway through the first novel, Deadly Circles. My love for Nebraska and
surrounding prairie led me to develop the protagonist CJ Hand. The Naturalists historical novel
developed because of my love for, and the huge loss of, a unique natural
resource.
How
many books have you written?
I have written and self-published five novels. The four CJ
Hand Series (crime/mystery) and the, The
Naturalists, a three-part historical novel set in the Rainwater Basin of
Nebraska. All my novels use the Great Plains as the main setting.
I can understand why. It's beautiful.
Give
a short synopsis of the most recently published book.
The most recent novel I self-published is Lake of Lies. The book explores a myriad
of problems that torment Hand for the first time in his life. With all these
distractions his life changes on a snow and ice covered rural road in northwest
Iowa. His closest friend and former criminal investigation partner, Dr. Trish
Baker, seeks revenge. For CJ, his fiancé, and for the loss of her own fiancé she
hunts down a cold-blooded killer in the South Dakota Badlands.
How
much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?
Very little, as events, such as the last CJ Hand novel, Lake of Lies, occur from my teaching
methods. Examples of other events: uranium mining in northwest Nebraska, cougar
hunting, hibernation of animals, and the small bluegill fish called Jaws. A
tongue-in-cheek shot is taken at the I-80 corridor in my free short story on
the web site. If you have explored Nebraska you know the State is not flat.
I let the characters take over as I write. The best example
of this is in The Naturalists – A
Historical Novel of the Hayman Family (Vol. 1) where Abner Hayman took the
reins, so to speak. To develop his son’s character, Abner’ persona needed
development that leads to the latter part of the novel set in a unique area of
Nebraska called the Rainwater Basin. John feels a spiritual draw to this unique
area, which harbors waterfowl, shorebirds, and other species in the neck of a
migratory hourglass. Here the birds briefly dwell by the thousands to rest and
feed before they journey to nesting grounds in Canada.
What
do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What
advice can you give new writers?
I have learned to outline and research
the ideas first, not bog down in the research (as I did with one novel) and
avoid writer’s block. I’ve found reading helps when I hit a non-writing wall.
Yes, I have to read and go on long walks in order to break a block myself.
We
all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word
out both off and online?
I use social media: Facebook, Twitter, emails, Linked-In,
and my web site cghaberman.com. The web
site contains Chapter excerpts from each book, photos, events, and recently two
new pages. The new pages: Free Short Story reading (which started March 1) and
Follow a Novel Writing Experience via journal notes. The latter commences the
first week in April.
Others are:
Other sites, which Cold Coffee Press developed the promo connections.
Can
you tell us your future writing goals/projects?
Currently I am working on The Naturalists (Vol. 2) and outlining the fifth CJ Hand novel: 100th Meridian Murders. I hope to hone
my writing skills based on the comments from reviewer comments from all the
novels.
Where
can folks learn more about or buy your books?
Click on my Amazon Author page or the other sites listed
below.
It has been a pleasure getting to know you, C. G. Wishing you all the best!
Thanks, Susan and the same to you in your North Carolina novels.
