Author Spotlight: Cliff Roberts

About Cliff 

Cliff Roberts grew up in suburban Detroit and has since lived in several different states. From Maine to California to Texas to Florida and Tennessee, Cliff has experienced a wide spectrum of American life. He has had as many different careers as places lived. He has been an employee, business owner, award-winning salesman in two fields, a politician, and now an author. For a short time, Cliff had the privilege to serve as the Township Supervisor/Safety Director in his adopted hometown in Michigan, where he had a successful career running a local refuse company. He was elected to the post in the early '90s. 

Cliff is married to his sweetheart, Donna, and has two daughters and six grandchildren. When he isn’t writing, he is busy exploring the mountains or painting one-of-a-kind artwork or taking spectacular landscape photos which he sells along with his artwork at local flea markets and fairs.

About Nevwas's Gold 

With a knack for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, amateur crime-fighter and disabled writer, Nate Nevwas finds himself embroiled in crimes which he has to solve in order to save himself. While trying to help two damsels in distress, Nate Nevwas has his life threatened, is attacked by hired killers, attacked by a gang of punks who beat  him within an inch of his life, battles with pirates on the high seas, fakes his own death, and  foils a mega-millions treasure heist. The adventure takes Nate from Key West to the Everglades, to the high seas and back again, leaving a trail of dead bodies and ending at a pot full of gold.

Interview with Cliff

You used to be a politician; would you say this has helped your writing career? 

Oh, it has definitely helped my career. I learned about how our government actually works, scary stuff and a lot about what motivates many of our political leaders. It’s not civic duty. I touch on those experiences in all of my books. As I continue writing I have lots of stories revolving around my short political career that I will be including in my books. But what I really learned was how to handle myself in public and how to negotiate which not only can be incorporated into stories but helps when I have to deal with publishers and their expectations.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

My writing is influenced by a number of writers. My favorites are Tom Clancy, James Patterson-when he himself writes the story, Clive Cussler- the same applies, Elmore Leonard, Vince Flynn for action, Harlin Coben, John Grisham, Dean Knootz, David Baldacci, Robert Parker, Sue Grafton, and Sandra Brown. I think it’s true if you’re going to write you had better be a big reader. I learned what I know about writing by reading.

Do you listen to music or watch TV while you write?

I don’t specifically have the TV or radio on but my family will have either one or both on in the other room and I do my best to block the sound out. At times I wear ear plugs to reduce the household noise. At other times I may turn on the TV to have some sound in the house because the silence can be deafening and thus distracting.

In what formats are your books available? Are you intending to expand these?

Currently, my books are available in E-book and paperback which can be found on Amazon and CreateSpace. I hope to eventfully offer hardcover as well, but the marketplace is leaning towards E-books which may make hardcover books vanity and not economically viable in the future. 

Here is a link to Cliff's Amazon page!

What advice would you give to new writers?

Write, write, write and write some more. Practice your skill over and over and over. Writing is like anything else, you have to practice at it to be good.

Connect with Cliff

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If you are interested in being featured for an Author Spotlight, please contact me at hebbelnl@uni.edu