Meet Robert Gonko, Author

Robert Gonko is the author of The Inheritance, a novel which is currently available in e-book format on Smashwords, for Amazon Kindle, and for Barnes & Noble Nook, and which is soon to be available in print format as well. He was born in raised in Illinois, where he lives with his wife, Angela, and his children, Josie and Jimmy. His parents were trained journalists and instilled a love of the written word in him from a young age. He's currently at work on his next novel. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

1. How did you come up with the idea for The Inheritance?

I think most people today dream about what they would do with sudden wealth. After all, look at how much we (including me) spend on lottery tickets each year. I just took the notion of sudden wealth and kicked up a few notches.

2. What are some of the challenges the protagonist, Sam Harman, faces in the course of the novel?

Sam has to face personal and public consequences of his new wealth. It affects every aspect of his life. He is turned into something of a local celebrity and has trouble dealing with that. There are also family problems that crop up. On top of that, there are those who are not exactly happy for him and who pose a threat both to Sam and his family.

3. Your plot has strong elements of drama and suspense, and a Christian theme is also important to your book: as you were writing, how did you balance these important aspects of your novel?

Balancing those things wasn't as hard as you might think. I really just wrote what I felt. The idea was to see how this affected Sam on a number of fronts. Doing that created the elements you refer to. It was a very organic thing. The Christian theme is important to the book because it is important in my life. I didn't really set out to write a Christian novel, but I somehow managed it anyway.

4. How did your parents' work in journalism influence your own development as a writer?

My mom and dad were my first editors. Anytime I finished a project I showed it to them first. None of that work ever saw the light of day (thank goodness!), of course, but they encouraged the development of my skills and supported me in whatever I did. Without seeming immodest, I think they were proud that I aspired to be a writer. My fondest wish is that they were here to see this.

5. What writing project(s) are you working on now?

I actually have two books in the works. The first is a crime thriller called The Leviticus Enforcer. I've finished a revised first draft and it's currently with some trusted beta-readers for comment and suggestions. You notice the biblical title? This time I take a look at the dark side of religion. I hope to have it out by the end of the year but I won't make any promises. I've also started some preliminary work on a political thriller tentatively called The Mayor. Both are set in my fictional city of Port Mason.

Thanks for talking with me!

Thanks, Robert!