Author Archives: diggercartwright

Revisit: Who were some of your favorite authors growing up? Interview by learnfreemarketing

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I’ve written five books, Murder at the Ocean Forest, The Versailles Conspiracy, The House of Dark Shadows, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance, and Conversations on the Bench. I’m working on the sixth one, a drama entitled Gems & Jewels. I’ve been asked which one is my favorite many times, but I don’t know that I can say that I favor one over the other. When you’re a writer, each books is a labor of love, they’re like my children. Each one is different, and I love each one of them for what makes them unique.
Murder at the Ocean Forest is my favorite setting, the old Ocean Forest Hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The book is set at the hotel in the 1940s. The hotel was demolished in the 1970s, so all that is left are a few pictures. I really like how The Versailles Conspiracy and The House of Dark Shadows end. I think the endings are both memorable, and they leave you guessing. The Maynwarings is a mystery and political thriller set in the Old West, so I think that’s a pretty unique spin on a western. You don’t see many westerns anymore in the first place, so it’s special for that reason as well. Conversations on the Bench is special in that it’s a really inspirational book, and it’s about people that I actually know. Few writers get to write an inspirational story about people they know, so it’s unique from that perspective. But what I think is most special about Conversations on the Bench and why it endears itself to me so much is that people can take something away from it, they can learn something from the lessons in it and possibly find inspiration that may change their own lives.

http://www.empowernetwork.com/learnfreemarketing/blog/digger-cartwright-interview/

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Revisit: Tell us a little more about Conversations on the Bench. What is the story or inspiration behind this book? Interview by learnfreemarketing

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Conversations on the Bench is an inspirational book about two very good friends and some of the conversations they had that were pretty insightful and filled with simple life lessons that you have to pick up along the way in life. I wrote Conversations on the Bench as a tribute to Sebastian Peréy at the request of his friend and colleague from the think tank they had formed back in 2003. I only met Sebastian on one occasion, at a symposium hosted by their think tank, but over the course of a couple days, I had the privilege of getting to know him and hearing a little of his story. He was a larger than life type of guy in more ways than one. He was big in stature, weighing in at over 400 pounds, but he had this positive energy about him that was captivating. You met the guy and you felt like you had known him for a long time. You just wanted to get to know him and hear his story. It was as if you could tell he had something interesting to say. Sebastian was a truly inspirational figure to a lot of people, including Robbie, his friend and colleague at the think tank who actually encouraged me to write the book. I was intrigued by Robbie and Sebastian, and I ultimately decided that I needed to tell their story. So I learned as much as I could about Sebastian from Robbie through telephone conversations over the course of about five years. Now, we have Conversations on the Bench as a great tribute to Sebastian, a brilliant individual and just an all around good guy.

Sebastian and Robbie spent countless hours toiling over life and worldly problems. Wherever they went, whether it was a local pub, a restaurant, or the golf course, they would find a bench and they would sit and talk for hours on end. They would talk about problems, the economy, women, business challenges, you name it. And Sebastian was sure to share his own wit and wisdom, a wisdom that can only be gained through a collection of unique life experiences. Conversations on the Bench is a compilation of some of Sebastian’s greatest life lessons as presented through various conversations he and Robbie had over the years. I’m confident that Conversations on the Bench offers something for everyone and that everyone can find something they can relate to in the book.

http://www.empowernetwork.com/learnfreemarketing/blog/digger-cartwright-interview/

http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest/Page-2

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Revisit: What advice would you give to other authors who have ideas for writing an inspirational book but aren’t sure how/where to start? Interview by “With Five Questions”

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The first thing you have to do is identify someone or something, maybe an event in someone’s life, that has been inspirational for you or others. It’s really not hard to find something inspirational to write about. Unfortunately, most people aren’t really looking for inspiration. Most people are too wrapped up in their daily lives to see the inspiration in the world around them. Maybe you write about someone who has overcome some great adversity in life. Maybe they fought and beat cancer or some other life-threatening or debilitating disease. Maybe they defied the odds of growing up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood only to go on to great success. Probably the most likely source of inspiration is an older person who can share their life story. If you ever sit and listen to someone like my grandmother, it’s fascinating to hear her recount her childhood, growing up during the Great Depression, World War II and the greatest generation, and so on. The world is full of inspirational people if we just take the time to listen to them, and I venture to say that if you just keep your eyes and ears open, you may find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. But don’t just limit your search for inspiration to people. We’re surrounded by a wonderful world of nature and animals of all kinds that can offer inspiration just from the sheer miracle of life and survival. Ultimately, as a writer, you have to be aware of the people and the world around you all the time.

http://withfivequestions.blogspot.com/2013/05/meet-digger-cartwright-author.html

http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest

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Revisit: So what does an Author, Industrialist, and Philanthropist do with their day? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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My day is usually pretty busy. When I get up in the morning I try to get up to date on what’s happening in the world. I’ll listen to the news headlines, maybe check out what the stock market futures are indicating, and read The Financial Times or The Wall Street Journal. That gets me prepared for the business day. I divide the working day between actual business operations, that’s the industrialist part, and writing. When I get to the office, I usually check e-mails, go over memos and reports from staff, solve any problems that need my attention, and so forth. I’ll usually have meetings throughout the day or just have normal work related projects to do. If things are running smoothly with business, I’ll take some extra time to work on my next novel or I’ll write an article or a blog post if I’m in the mood. Lunch meetings are a big thing with either staff or business associates or prospective business associates. Sometimes I just never know where the day is going to take me or where I may end up—three martini lunch or emergency round of golf in the afternoon or locked in my office writing after having some creative spark of genius or embroiled in some tough negotiations.

From time to time I’ll be invited to some charitable event as a guest or as a participant, so I’ll go to whatever event that may be. That’s the philanthropist part of my day. Sometimes it’s a luncheon where they’re raising money for an organization or a cause or sometimes it’s a golf tournament. Sometimes I’m asked to show up as a guest to help raise money and sometimes I’m invited to donate money. In any case, I usually try to make it to these type of events to show my support for good causes. It’s really all about giving money and raising money for worthwhile charitable causes. I have a few that are very near and dear to me, and I try to support them in whatever way I can. Of course, animals and animal welfare are very important to me, and I’m always looking for ways to help no-kill animal shelters and organizations that care for all kinds of animals. I try to help encourage shelters to adopt a no-kill policy and help educate pet owners on being responsible pet guardians. I feel that I’m very fortunate to be where I am in life, so if I can give a little of my time and my money to help bigger causes and help animals or people in need then it’s my honor and duty to do so. http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest

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Revisit: As an Industrialist, and Philanthropist, do you find those two aspects align or are they at odds with each other? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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They’re very much aligned. My business interests make the money that I can then contribute to various causes. I’m certainly not an Andrew Carnegie or a John D. Rockefeller or a John Paul Getty, but someday I hope to be of their caliber. Right now, I’m just doing what I can to build my businesses and help worthwhile organizations. I’m very cognizant of the pain and the suffering in the world around us, and I’ve been blessed with a modest degree of success. I am happy to give back to other causes and organizations that help those in need. If I make more, I’m happy to give more. Some people who have big businesses and who are extremely successful get greedy. The more they have, the more they want. They could do so much good if they put their mind and their resources to making the world a better place. Some people take success too far in that they lose sight of doing what’s right. I’m a pretty grounded person, so I just keep it real and do what I can.

http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest

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Revisit: Your new book “Conversations on the Bench: Life Lessons from the Wisest Man I Ever Knew” seems like a guide book of sorts, can you describe it for us? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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Conversations on the Bench is an inspirational book that chronicles a number of conversations between two friends, Robbie and Sebastian. Most of the conversations took place on a bench outside a local pub or outside a restaurant or at a golf course. Basically, the conversations span a variety of topics but in each conversation Sebastian provides a lesson to Robbie. These are life lessons that you pick up along the way—things that you can use in business situations, personal relationship, and perspectives on life and living life that you may not have considered. There’s no book where you can go look them all up…at least until I wrote Conversations on the Bench. It’s wit and wisdom from Sebastian, who was a remarkable individual with a very unique set of life experiences, as could only be told by Sebastian. So it is a guide book of sorts, a guide book in life and a primer for life. http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest

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Revisit: Was “Conversation on the Bench” inspired by true events? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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Yes, Conversations on the Bench was inspired by true events and true people. The story really revolves around Sebastian Peréy and his young friend Robbie and their conversations over a period of years. Robbie met Sebastian in the mid-1990s. They both worked at a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Robbie was a full-time college student studying finance, and worked full time. Sebastian worked two jobs—tax investigator by day and hotel reservationist by night—but had an educational background in economics. They would spend hours talking about anything and everything, and thus began a lifelong friendship. After Robbie graduated from college, Sebastian had some very poignant words of wisdom and anecdotes to share to help the young college grad. Robbie ended up starting his own successful business at about the same time that Sebastian was forced to retire due to health issues. That gave them the opportunity to spend a lot of time together, Sebastian mentoring Robbie and giving him encouragement and Robbie integrating Sebastian in the business as much as possible. They ended up starting a think tank, Thinking Outside the Boxe, to share their writings about any topic they could debate as well as their economic commentaries and research. As Sebastian’s health declined, Robbie was there to offer support and encouragement. These two guys had this great brotherly relationship. Robbie even referred to Sebastian on many occasions as the brother he never had. And I think Sebastian liked that and really thought of Robbie as his little brother. He was there for Robbie to give him advice on women, relationships, business, whatever, and all the advice came from Sebastian’s own experiences. It’s the type of friendship that very few people are lucky enough to find in this life. It’s really just a heartwarming and truly inspirational friendship that I have recounted in Conversations on the Bench. http://www.diggercartwright.com/Blog/Latest

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Revisit: What inspired you to write such a book, and how much research went into it? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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Robbie actually encouraged me to write the book. We were playing golf after the Thinking Outside the Boxe symposium that I attended in 2007 in Myrtle Beach, and he asked if I would be interested in writing this book that told Sebastian’s story. I was a little hesitant at first since I had never written a nonfiction book before, but as I talked to Sebastian over the course of a couple days, I realized that I needed to write this book. I felt that Sebastian’s story need to be told and memorialized in a work that other people could benefit from for years to come. So, Robbie and I started a series of conversations of our own so that I could get an understanding of what he and Sebastian had talked about over the years. I finished the manuscript in 2012, so it was a project that was five years in the making. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of conversations with Robbie to really get to know the situation and to get to know Sebastian, but it was time well spent. Sebastian’s story needed to be told, and I told it.

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Revisit: You must certainly enjoy writing, as you have several works under your name. What’s been the most challenging part of the writing, editing, or publishing process for you? RobertJRGraham.com Interviews Robert “Digger” Cartwright

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Each step of the process has its own unique challenges. The writing process is a challenge unto itself. While I’m generally pretty disciplined at sitting down and writing during the time I had schedule for that, I inevitably get interrupted or delayed or sidetracked. That’s one problem. Occasionally, I’ll be writing and box myself in with the storyline. I usually have an outline but the story itself as I’m writing it is pretty fluid. I change things while I’m writing. I’ll take the story in a bit of a different direction or I’ll introduce something that changes the outline a bit. So, writing itself is a bit of a challenge, but I like that. It keeps things interesting. I do my best to catch errors in the manuscript while I’m writing to make the editing process a little smoother, but I’m a writer and not an editor. I’ve been lucky to work with some really good people who have handled the editing process. They’ve gotten to know my writing style and tone, so they don’t go crazy in making edits that affect the story, characters, tone or style. Probably the biggest challenge is marketing the books. I made the decision many years ago to go the self-publishing route, so I’ve turned the entire process into a business. As with any business there a number of challenges, and I’ve found that marketing and gaining exposure has historically been the hardest part of the process. Luckily, I’ve built a good team for marketing, so it’s not as difficult as it once was, particularly with the various social media platforms that allow you to reach far more people than through traditional marketing methods.

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Revisit: Interview By Mdluchies: ML: What was your inspiration behind the Conversations on the Bench?

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DC: I was actually asked to write Conversations on the Bench by the founder of Thinking Outside the Boxe as a tribute to his good friend and colleague, Sebastian.  I met Sebastian on one occasion and over the course of a couple days got to know him and hear a little of his story.  He was a larger than life type of guy, a real life of the party.  He just had this tremendous positive energy about him, and he had a story that I knew had to be told.  I was a little hesitant at first to undertake a project that was out of my comfort zone, but the more I learned about this guy, the more I wanted to write this book.  He was a truly inspirational figure to a lot of people, and I figured it was my calling to tell his story.  It was almost as if Fate had arranged this.  I get invited to this symposium being held by this think tank that I hadn’t heard of at that point.  This was back in 2007.  I get introduced to the two principals of this think tank, the real brains behind the operation, and I was intrigued by these two individuals and their story.  It fascinated me.  Then I get asked to write this book.  One thing led to another, and now we have Conversations on the Bench, which is a great tribute to this brilliant individual.

http://voices.yahoo.com/interview-author-digger-cartwright-discusses-book-12153678.html?cat=38

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