M. J. Joseph was born in the first Catholic
hospital built in Florida, a Gothic Revival building designed by the Hungarian architect, Albert Olszewski von Herbulis. Now, a nearly abandoned stone pile listed in the
United States National Register of Historic Places, the former hospital, deserted
by the Daughters of Charity, currently houses a couple of eateries and a
Montessori school. As a matter of curiosity, Joseph’s children attended the
Montessori school.
Joseph represents the
seventh-generation of his family to live in Pensacola, Florida, growing-up the
son of a World War II PT Boat sailor and a working mother, spending the
happiest of his early days along the shores of Pensacola Bay and Santa Rosa
Island. Every year, like Persephone, he
descended into what he regarded as the dark and forbidding underworld of
schooling, enduring complete boredom and utter disinterest, except upon the
occasion of first hearing one of his music teachers sing Schubert lieder. Upon escaping his primary education, Joseph
discovered university life and began an enormously fulfilling period of
scholarship and curiosity that has remained dear to him.
Joseph spent his professional
career in his family’s firm, eventually rising to CEO and managing the
corporation’s merger with a multinational company. He has been retired for sixteen years,
occasionally working part-time in the non-profit world and in jobs that have
interested him, as well as, directing, for several years, his own non-profit
corporation benefitting international youth soccer, or, more commonly
understood, football.
M. J. Joseph has written all his
life, but, until sharing the manuscript of his book, The Lübecker, with a
several friends and his wife, he had no interest in publishing any of his work,
finding other interests sufficiently fulfilling, especially, sailing. Joseph plans to publish the entire work, of
which The Lübecker represents the first book, largely owing to the enthusiastic
support of the girl of his dreams, his wife, Ann, and wonderful publicist,
Maryglenn McCombs.
Interview:
Tell us about your book! What is it about and what inspired
you to write it?
The Lübecker may be regarded as an historical novel, set
between the years 1882 and 1916. The book follows the lives of David Rosenberg
and Hulda Yoffey in two, very distinct, narratives, and the many characters
that ultimately encompass an entire saga of four books. David’s story takes the
reader from the North German city of Lübeck, during the last of its years as an
independent principality, throughout Germany proper, and along the Levant.
Hulda’s narrative begins in the American South and moves through North Africa
and the Near East. The book explores
religious and philosophical currents arising from ancient thought through their
nineteenth-century expressions, while propelling the characters through the
historical milieu and ultimately bringing their narratives to resolution.
I was inspired to write The Lübecker by my interest in the
life and work of Lou Andreas-Salome, the historical period defined above and the
many conversations I had over the years with European friends and
acquaintances.
Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did
you go indie or the traditional way?
I have no interest in submitting myself to the vicissitudes,
whims and dictates of traditional publishing and choose to submit my work to
small, independent presses who wish to include it in their lists. I have no
reservations about underwriting the cost of publication to avoid the wretchedness
of seeking traditional publishing.
How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to
you right away, before you started writing the story, or did it come later?
I arrived at the title of the book very early in the process
by relating the book’s ultimate hero to characteristics peculiar to his city of
origin.
Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic
idea of what your book cover would be like?
I worked with my
publisher’s designer and my web designer’s inhouse artist to render my ideas satisfactorily. As I composed and photographed the cover’s
primary image, I had a fairly good idea of what the cover would look like.
Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?
The initial design was conceived by Rebecca Barbier of The
Peppertree Press, my publisher, with revision and further work by Rachel
Zampino of Hail Studios, which handles my web services.
How was your experience working with the designer?
Working through my publisher, I found the process less
personal and more difficult to refine than working directly with Ms. Zampino at
Hail Studios, but both of their efforts were appreciated and essential to
capturing the image I wished to convey.
What has been the readers’ response to your cover?
Readers have often commented that the cover seems strongly
emblematic of the book’s primary theme, but, occasionally, readers have
expressed the feeling that the massive sweep of the narrative would lend itself
to a more dynamic and colorful cover. No changes are planned.
What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a
cover designer?
Presenting a cover designer with a few images that capture
your vision of your book’s setting and the essence of the primary character(s)
is very helpful. Try to work directly with the designer.
Anything else you’d like to say about your book?
Only to express my excitement at being invited to speak with
you about The Lübecker! Your interest in my work is very flattering and much
appreciated. I look forward to discussing the next project with you: the title
is…
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