Rob Kaufman has made it through the quarterfinals of Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Awards with his latest novel, One Last Lie. His first novel, In the Shadow of Stone, continues to receive positive feedback and sell well in all formats. He is hoping that even though One Last Lie is much darker, he will be able to reach a broader audience and continue to find success.
He currently lives in Connecticut and writes whenever he can find the time.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I like the fact that I can “read” people very well. I’d say “intuitive”, really. I have the ability to know when someone is uncomfortable, in need of something (physical or emotional), saying one thing but feeling another, etc. I then speak or act accordingly. This quality allows people to feel comfortable when they’re with me and open up about themselves. And as long as they don’t get OVERLY personal, it’s a quality that benefits everyone!
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
It’s a simple quote really, my father has always said it and I never realized how true it is until recently: “When you have your health, you have your wealth.” Think about it: when you’re not feeling well, when you’re in pain, when you have a disease, when you’re depressed… does it matter how much money you have?” The answer is “No.” Sure, you can feel terrible in luxury, but you still feel terrible. So remember that when you’re healthy, you have to live life to the fullest!
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I was always writing. I remember when I was six or seven, writing books and binding them together with scotch tape. I think my first true success was in eleventh grade when I wrote a poem for school about a kid who was dying. After I finished, I was so excited my hands were shaking. A week later the teacher handed everyone’s poems back, except for mine. She held it, read it to the class and then gave it back to me. She said, “You are going to be a writer.” She was right.
What inspires you to write and why?
My inspiration starts with characters–meeting people in real life who spark a story that needs to be told. Even if it’s a glimmer of an idea, I love to take it, dwell on it, add life to it and then develop a story around it. I’m not a “factory” kind of writer–a book every six months for the sake of getting something out there. It takes me quite awhile to develop and idea and turn it into something that most (I wish all) can enjoy when they’re snuggling in a comfortable chair, sitting on a plane or lying in bed.
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