Book Giveaway and Author Interview: Butterfly Powder and the Mountains of Iowa by Erich Eipert

Butterfly Powder and the Mountains of Iowa by Erich Eipert

Gilbert Perles is an 1960s rural teen plagued by eccentric parents, an overly active imagination, and endless bad luck. He is content to be a slacker until he makes an enemy of his popular athletic cousin and uncovers a land conspiracy threatening his family. Gilbert is forced to fight or face losing his girl, his family's farm, and his friends. His backfiring schemes--collapsing a barn, confronting an oncoming train in a track-riding auto, planting incriminating evidence atop a water tower, and dumping a truckload of sewage in a well--condition him to survive failure.  But when he encounters his rival three years later in chaotic Vietnam, failure is no longer an option.

Giveaway: ebook, open internationally


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About Erich Eipert: (from author website here)
Erich Eipert is a German-born, Iowa-reared former farm boy who left tractors behind to earn a PhD in immunology. He chucked out the degree soon after moving to the Pacific Northwest and now divvies his time between family and pursuits that include speculation in natural resource stocks, hiking the great American West, and writing both fiction and nonfiction.
Our Interview:

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less

1960s rural Iowa teen battles enemies while coping with romance, eccentric parents, losing the family farm, and in time a Vietnam shootout

--How did you get the idea for the story?

The germ of it came from pickup up a dead butterfly.

--Which character (in your book, I think they mean) would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I would have to say Gilbert, for I wonder from time to time what happened to him after the story ended.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

That used to be easier to answer. I grew up near the Mississippi not so far from Hannibal, Missouri, so I have to mention Samuel Clemens. And I really doted on the Hardy Boys series. Later my tastes turned to hard science fiction, the English classics, Balzac, the Flashman series by George Macdonald Fraser, and Kurt Vonnegut. Throughout this time I read all the books written by Vietnam veterans, maybe to make sense of my own experience. Now, I don’t know anymore. I read a variety of fiction and nonfiction, along with a fair sprinkling of young adult books.

As for having time to read, I wish I had more than I do. Reading is one of the biggest reasons I don’t get more writing done.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

Yes, I have a Guy (but it’s for girls too) book in the works and it should be out within the next couple of months. Look for: Guy Going Under.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

Give me a book of fairytales any day.  Most of its tales end happily, giving it more certainty than real life.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

Music works for me occasionally, but usually it’s too distracting.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Concentration!

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I’m a hiker/backpacker. Gimme mountains, desert, a pack, and two hiking poles.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Wear sunscreen outdoors and get up off your chair more indoors. Check out my blog at ericheipert.com.

Lightning round: this or that? That

Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate

Edward or Jacob? Huh?

Hockey or soccer? Hockey

Ebook or paper? Paper but wavering

Salty or sweet? Sweet

Beach or mountains? Mountains

Phone call or email? Email

Early bird or night owl? Night owl

Dog or cat? I’ll pass

Messy or neat? In between

Ninjas or pirates? Pirates

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