Retired Fortune 500 senior exec. pens first novel based at Beaches
Beaches resident and former senior vice president for Comcast, D Malone McMillan, recently published his first novel, "Ezekiel."
1. How long have you lived at the Beaches?
I moved here from Augusta, Georgia 12 years ago with my job. Since retirement, I have chosen to make the Beaches community my permanent home in what I consider an undiscovered, if not slightly dysfunctional, paradise.
2. What inspired you to write a novel?
Let me see just how to answer that question politically correct... My wife worked for an international chemical firm and was dispatched to the Netherlands for a business trip. I tagged along. While she was slaving away every day, I took the train into Amsterdam and hung out. Wandering the streets of Amsterdam can be pretty darn inspirational. Afterwards, we traveled down to Florence, Italy for a few weeks. Florence is nothing short of magical.
3· The book is based at the beach, are there any settings that a reader will recognize?
Plenty. The St. Johns River, The Jetties, Sister's Creek, TPC Sawgrass, The Corner, Casa Maria and, of course, Jacksonville Beach itself has a starring role. The last few chapters finish up in Florence.
4· What process do you have to go through to get a novel published?
First time authors are on a stratum somewhere below maggot poo in the publishing world... that is unless they have a famous last name, slept with someone famous, or committed a heinous crime. Since I do not fall into any of those categories, I was
subjected to a few million rejection letters before finding a publisher locally, High Pitched Hum. They are a cooperative publisher, which quite frankly, is just a lovely euphemism for self-published.
5 · Have you written anything else before?
Tons of stuff. Oh, you mean anything published. I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a No. 2 pencil. I just never had the time to polish anything between balancing work and family until I retired. I have a completed non-fiction manuscript (yet unpublished due to contractual restrictions from my former employer).
6. What was your occupation before you decided to write a novel?
After leaving the Army, I found a job in the cable industry climbing poles. I went to school at night on the G.I. Bill and ultimately completed my BSBA from Shorter College just shy of my 40th birthday. I managed to climb my way up in the cable business retiring as a senior vice president with Comcast.
7. Where can someone purchase a copy of the novel?
Ezekiel is available on the publisher's website HighPitchedHum.com for fastest delivery and is also available on Amazon. Cinotti's on Penman Road also carries the book, along with other books written by local authors.
8 . Can you explain the title?
The book is dark comedy with a really quirky mix of religion, politics, mythology and science-fiction. Ezekiel, for those of you that may have slept through Sunday school, was a biblical prophet. Some of his prophecies are a bit out there, including a handful that look as if he was describing ancient alien visitations . The main character, a mentally unbalanced functioning alcoholic, in the book was named Ezekiel, Zeke for short, by his religious zealot father.
9. The plot is based on a possible conspiracy to influence the 2008 presidential election. Did you find yourself doing any political research for the novel?
l hate to even think about the hours I spent researching the novel. And although it is a work of fiction, most of the locations, mythological references and historical events are described accurately. And look a bit deeper for the subtle structural plot questioning the nature of our relationship with our Creator.
10. Is there room in the novel for a possible sequel?
You bet ya! I am about half-way through with the sequel.