Interview with Grant U. Mobielle

[elleng]

Interview with Grant U. Mobielle, author of Changing Lanes an Automotive Mystery
questions from ellen george


I had the opportunity to ask author Grant U. Mobielle some questions about his work...

ellen - Grant, you have created a new basis of a series - an automotive mystery - can you tell us about it?

Grant - I'll go out on a limb and state that the business of human transportation - the automotive industry, is as important to American commerce and to Americans, as any business that ever existed. I also believe that the real-life action associated with conceiving, designing, devoloping, and selling automobiles, given the velocities at which they travel, and the volumes at which they are produced, is as exciting, enticing, daring, and dangerous, as any known in our industrial world. So I've penned a high-tech, whodunit, murder-mystery to showcase the daily thrills and occasional spills inherent with the automobile business. As a series, the strength of "Changing Lanes-An Automotive Mystery" lay in its breadth. Because the automotive business directly impacts such a large number of other industries, the possibility of a fictional series based on it, presents many options and opportunities. I address series plans based on this novel in more detail throughout this interview.

ellen - What was the inspiration for the book?

Grant - I feel that the importance of the greatest commerce of our era should be more positively and more often communicated, so one part of the inspiration came from a strong desire to advertise the industry. With severely increasing competition, Detroit struggles to maintain its crown as the Motor City capitol of the world. And although I have no doubt the remaining American automobile manufacturers will continue as strong and viable contenders, I believe that our companies' ability to hold a majority market share, in its own country, is most likely, gone for good. So I've penned a book also to honor the hundreds of thousands of American workers who have each over the decades, logged tens-of-thousands-of-hours solving mystical problems relating to making a vehicle. The second part of the inspiration therefore, has come from a desire to give something back to the Detroit-based automotive aficianados - those extraordinary people whose DNA now includes the makeup and the marvels of the automotive industry.

ellen - Are there sequels planned?

Grant - Yes. The technology advances of today and the natural breadth of the automotive industries touch points to other major industries, see the concentric circle what on my publisher's website www.emmapublications.com That breadth carries with it many exciting alternatives. As a writer, there are great opportunities for action-packed scenes in the courtroom, hospital rooms, boardrooms, test labs, etc..I find myself taking notes everywhere I go. Maybe they'll do this, or how about if that happens, here...Even though I'm anxious to begin the sequel, I'm going to write a non-fiction book next. I want to gain writing and publishing experiences in both genres before settling in on my fiction writing, which is by far, more interesting and enjoyable for me. My plan is to have "Change: How to Best Plan for It" (or a title close to that) published by mid '08.

ellen - In your automotive sequel, will you have the same hero, Tom Greenlea, or new folks?

Grant - Our hero returns, better, stronger, but with a few more challenges this time. Tom's eye problem becomes a bit of its own character in the sequel. With today's rapid advances in medical technology, an ultra-powered eyeball offers some exciting opportunities for the storyline. But that superpower causes some severe problems for Tom, so I plan to use this prospective, and a few other major hardships, to further challenge him in the next book. The sequel will have the same core bad guys - the Myster's work isn't done yet - so along with Lilly, the antagonists manipulate a different kind of takeover which requires Tom and his team to take the wrappings off one of their advanced-technology, transportation concepts.

ellen - Detroit seems almost a character in Changing Lanes - why?

Grant - Detroit is one of this country's greatest cities. Sure there's big-time crime here, but what large city doesn't have that problem. In the last few years, Detroit has hosted a Super Bowl, a baseball All-Star game, and has established a name for itself with its extravagant casino business. As the Motor City, however, it continues to struggle. While automotive work continues to exit America, unemployment in this area continues to climb. So Detroit is struggling, no doubt. As a character in Changing Lanes, it plays a role. It has a strong history, and a vibrant presence. Automobile manufacturing & assembly - making parts and putting them together - has been core to this city for over a century. With that core eroding, the city needs to highlight some of its stronger suits such as the Renaissance Center, Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Hall and the Cobo Convention Center, the Ambassador Bridge, the North American International Auto Show, the new Detroit Tigers and its beautiful Comerica Park.

ellen - When did you start writing?

Grant - Actual keystrokes for Changing Lanes started in October 2002. The initial idea struck about two years prior. I was standing alone in a silent, hundred-yard long business corridor, in one of the assembly plants. I had arrived early for a product-launch meeting. It was about 6:00 am. I was staring down this empty, eerie hallway, and ideas about the storyline began to pile on. During the two years between those initial ideas and the first typed key strokes, my sacred five hours of sleep was regularly interrupted with thoughts about the book! I started keeping a notepad next to my bed for jotting down ideas when they'd awaken me. Once the concepts outnumbered my mental capacity for tracking them, I carved out some time in my schedule to pencil together an outline, and then I began to write.

ellen - What authors do you read? Genre?

Grant - My favorite reads are fictional mysteries with espionage, scandal, intruige, and adventure. A few of my favorite authors in this genre include Michael Crichton (Airframe, The Great Train Robbery, Timeline, The Andromeda Strain, and Disclosure), James Patterson (the Detective Cross series, The Jester, and his two-book series of When the Wind Blows and The Lakehouse, a genetic experiment goes awry leaving a 'litter' of superior intellect, flight-enabled children), Ken Follett (Code to Zero), John J. Nance (Skyhook) and Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code, Deception Point). On the non-fiction side, I'm a fan of Stephen Covey and his 7-Habits series. Detroit great Dr. Wayne. W. Dyer has been inspiring me through his Power of Intention series. Auto baron Bob Lutz, one of the greatest men our industry will ever see penned a great book called Guts, as did GE's ex-CEO Jack Welch with Straight from the Gut.

ellen - Do you want Changing Lanes or the series to become a movie?

Grant - Yes. I say this with the greatest humility - almost a reverence for these two shows, but I see the storyline akin to 'Hill Street Blues' or Michael Crichton's ER. Each contributed so positively to their respective real-life industries; that of the law-enforcement industry for "The Hill", and that of the health-care industry for ER. I see Changing Lanes, the movie, contributing in that same realm by bringing a positive, realistic portrayal, of the nation's most important industries. The premise of Changing Lanes is real-life, automotive action. As a movie or series, it will draw viewers naturally attacted to the actual life & death paradigms, inherent with this business. Its massive industrial breadth will appeal to a large and varied audience who tune-in regularly to see the hardworking protagonists battling for truth and good against the passionate, ruthless, cunning forces of evil.

ellen - What is the atmosphere of the automotive industry?

Grant - Dynamic, volatile, hostile, are a few of the first words that come to mind. Corporate mergers are running rampant as are supplier acquisitions, and personal & corporate bankruptcies. Major personnel changes are announced about once every week, and with the Chinese targeting their first product offerings for the U.S., over-crowded and over-capacity are another couple of terms which accurately describe our industry today.

ellen - Will the Big Three ever bounce back?

Grant - Tough question. My crystal ball says yes, but their collective reign will most likely never be the same. The Big Three are making vehicles as well as anyone these days, but their combined market share in this country has dipped below 50% for the first time ever. American OEMs are equal or better than other worldwide manufacturers in design, efficient assembly, and sales, but to truly bounce back, the Big Three need to remedy many negative consumer perceptions, some of which continue to be driven by the seemingly biased-Asian, media in this country.

ellen - When I turn on my car and it talks to me and does my voice commands, I think of your premise in Changing Lanes - how far away will be a car that can drive itself? Will people go for that?

Grant - Most of the technologies used in Changing Lanes not only exist today, but are available as option features to buy today. Adaptive Cruise Control for example, is a generic term for a feature that uses radar or laser sensors to keep a vehicle a safe distance between it, and the vehicle in front of it. It is available to drive off the lot on many higher-end vehicles today. That technology ties electronically to the brakes and the accelerator. Electric Stability Control, as another example is a feature that is intended to reduce vehicle roll-overs. This technology uses sensors to monitor a vehicle for 'fishtailing' and 'snowplowing', and adjusts rotational wheel movement as a result. ESC is not only available on vehicles today, but has been mandated by the federal government's department of transportation, to be on all vehicles by model year 2012. Both of these features are able to override the human driver. Changing Lanes takes these technologies of today, and along with a few others, plays on the probability that sometimes, things do go wrong - especially in the complicated world of vehicle design and manufacturing. A greedy, sinister antagonist is used to taint these technologies and, in a few short days, there are hundreds of horrid deaths as a result. So the chase is on, as led by the company's recently retired engineer, to figure out the technological cause of the killings, and to catch the crook behind the murderous scheme. When discussing transportation machines that are actually able to drive independent of human interaction, I need to introduce DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. Look it up and you'll see that the first race of autonomous vehicles, held in 2004, had no finishers. That is, not only was there not a fastest vehicle, none were able to get to the end. In November 2007, there was a winner - average speed I believe was around twenty-five miles per hour. I do not believe that the general public will ever go for a vehicle that will drive itself. Frankly, I think we've already gone far enough with that precept. To improve our human and cargo transporting systems, I believe we American automakers need to implement some step-function changes, as opposed to the continuous small modifications, made mostly in electronics. more on the subject of those step-function changes, in forthcoming books and articles.

ellen - What advice do you have for someone who has a story to write and wants to put pen to paper?

Grant - Look at your time. Balance it one week in advance. Include time for writing. Schedule it ahead of when you plan to write, and then stick to the schedule. When you're not writing, read about writing. Talk to people who read, and write. In starting, it's all about time. In finishing, it's all about time and endurance. Plan assuming late nights and early mornings. Stay healthy. Accept that you'll have to tradeoff things you used to enjoy doing. And lastly, grow thick skin - not everyone around you will be in support, and not everyone who reads your work will like it.

ellen - Does an author have any responsibility to the reader?

Grant - Yes - A tremendous amount. First, get an editor. Readers lose confidence in their authors when they see grammatical or punctuation errors. I was fortunate enough to connect with the greatest editor a writer could ever hope for - Lee Lewis Walsh of Words Plus Design. Second, price is right. Right for your reader and right considering the demand you'll be pulling in contrast to the more experienced authors in your genre. Next, be more considerate of your reader. I've picked this tip up from Dennis Batchelder, a great author and a marvelous consultant in the world of writing. Think about how your reader will relate to your characters. Your characters should be considerate of your readers time - don't waste it with trivial input. Be dramatic. Readers experience everyday acts & dialogue, well, every day. Be considerate also of their intellect - there's no need to spell out all the details - good readers can fill-in-those-blanks. Being considerate of his reader, an author should target achieving that important balance between detail & imagination.

ellen - How hard is it t break into the publishing industry? How can a potential author get their story told?

Grant - It's not easy, that's for sure. As with writing, publishing takes much time and endurance. Calls, contacts, emails, forms, applications, websites, contracts, are all a part of breaking into the publishing business. Additionally, to publish, you'll need some extra money. For a potential author to get their story told, they'll need to do all of what I refer to in your question above about 'advice for someone wanting to put pen to paper'. And then they'll need to do more. They'll have to either publish their work themselves (as noted generally above) or they'll need to find a publisher, and pay them, to do that end of the work.

ellen - What's next for you?

Grant - As noted, I'm planning a non-fiction release of 'Change: How to Best Plan fit It', and then it'll be back to fiction writing. I look forward to writing and promoting the non-fictional piece. I anticipate some major differences between this exercise and that of the first book, which is winding into its concluding phase(s).

ellen - How can your fans and people interested in your work contact you?

Grant - Directly via email at grant.emmapublications.com or on the publishers' website at www.emmapublications.com I've just issued my first blog ('Traffic jams and two suggestions for dealing with them') which can be responded to via my profile page on Amazon.com. You can get there directly via: http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1 ... 12&Gp.y=12

ellen - You have a special dedication in Changing Lanes - to your automotive mentor?

Grant - He was my first supervisor at my first automotive OEM job. I worked for him three years as a Studio Engineer until he promoted me up to his level. He introduced me to the intricacies of this business. Those lessons will stay with me forever. He taught me about the people, and the processes which are both critical for getting anything done. "It's all about the team," he'd say. "Whether things go well or badly, it's all about the team." I was honored to be a pallbearer at his wake in March of 2007.

ellen - Grant, what a fascinating dialogue not only for your book, but a take on the automotive industry! It has given the reader an 'inside' look at the reality of the automotive business. Much success in your endeavors!

ellen george

[willo]

I liked Deception Point, by the way. Dan Brown's a great author. Everyone in the story depends on the lady in the last minute to save everyone.

[ShannonGibson]

It's really a great opportunity you had got to interview the great author of the time. I too liked your questions deceptions etc. It's really an appreciable work. Keep it up. May almighty give chances to you to interview many great peoples. Good work.