Comments on: RR Interview: Pete Peterson

By: Pete Peterson

Pete Peterson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57:41 +0000

I confess, I am actually Michael Crichton. I faked my death and stole my own basic idea for the cover.

Also, bah!

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:24 +0000

Hey Pete, I think Michael Crichton tried to rip off the cover design from The Fiddler’s Gun for his latest book. Check it out.

Fiddler’s Gun is far superior, but they did strike me a similar.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:41:33 +0000

A very enjoyable interview! Great questions. Great answers.

And great explanation of indie publishing. It’s odd to me that indie music and movies are familiar and respected, while indie books (i.e. self-published) have a lesser reputation. I’d love to see the originality of indie artistry enter the publishing world. It seems that with “Fiddler’s Gun” you got to hand-pick your designers/illustrators/editors so that there was a creative integrity to the whole project. To work with artistic peers instead of a marketing team at a big publishing company means a whole different kind of creative excellence. Oddly enough, sounds like being an independent publisher/writer means you get to be more deeply involved in artistic community.

Oh, and the whole treasure chest and maps and tombstone adventure- wondrous. What a Christmas present.

By: Toni Whitney

Toni Whitney — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:37:55 +0000

When it comes to leaving the fear behind, I have not yet let go. That part of my mind has a huge boogy-man lurking. Silly, is it not? The failure thing so often rules our lives and keeps up from sharing our gifts. It’s important to realize just where that is coming from. Now I just need to, well……write.
Thank you for your inspriation, Pete and for your thoughtful questions, Matt.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:44:20 +0000

What a great idea for a book. I liked the treasure chest story a lot. Must have taken time to do it and brought great pleasure to those who found a chest for their very own. Hope you sell a million. Hope to buy it soon. Sounds like a rousing story. God bless!

By: Paula Shaw

Paula Shaw — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:28:23 +0000

Good interview Matt. You asked some good questions! Thanks.
Pete, I really like what you had to say about one’s creativity: “A lot of people never write, or sing, or create art because they are afraid of failure, they’re afraid others won’t like what they’ve created and so they live their whole lives wishing they could create something as beautiful or meaningful as those people they admire for doing so. . .” I think that in many societies, but most especially in our society, there is way too much pressure put on us to perform well, to be beautiful, or artistic, or whatever we do, to do it very well. . . according to someone else’s judgement, but also according to our own judgement. It takes so long to figure out that we are gifted in certain areas, and no matter what our gift may look like to others, when we use it in the way we’re meant to use it, it’s the best thing ever.
I was given a certain gift, and I always used that gift in a certain way. Then, one day that gift was severely altered in a way that made me feel unacceptable, repulsive, and most assuredly unloved. The thing was that it was MY judgement on myself. I am the one who decided I was repulsive, unacceptable, even hideous. I struggled long and hard with the sheer grief of what had happened, and in my brokenness, I was brought to the other side of it by the loving, merciful, and powerful hand of God. He showed me that even though that gift had been altered, I was still, and always would be what that gift evoked from the depths of who I am. And so, I have begun to use that gift again. Is it a little different now? Yes. Is it just as “good” as it was? Yes, because it’s coming from the same place it’s always come from, and I’ve stopped judging myself. I reached the point of “being ready to fail”.
What I’m trying to say is that I was bound up in that “fear of failure” thing. Was it self-imposed? Yes, but it was also fed by the almost constant insinuation that we have to be the best, the most acceptable, the “shiniest penny in the piggy bank”.
I don’t think we encourage each other near enough in our society, and I have a sneaking suspicion fear is behind that, too. Stupid fear!
Thanks again Matt and Pete for a good interview, and some good and wise words.

By: Alex J. Taylor

Alex J. Taylor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:42:28 +0000

That cover design is almost impossibly cool. I can’t wait to read this!