Russ DiBella

This issue, I am featuring Russ DiBella, an author, a musician and a businessman. He wrote about his travel about the backroads in California which pique my interest since I am familiar with many of the places he covered. Not withstanding, he has a playlist of songs which never fail to bring back memories and feeling of melancholy.
Russ DiBella
1. Tell me about yourself.
I’m creative at heart (music, writing, lyrics) with an attention-to-detail approach in most aspects of my life. I’m also a small-business owner who is married with grown twin daughters and my wife and I like to travel and spend time outdoors.

2. Synopsis of your book in one sentence?
A Drive Down the Coast is a wonderfully detailed and comprehensive celebration of nature and travel by way of a solo journey (with a classic-rock soundtrack) taken along the back roads, shoreline trails and mountain paths of coastal California.

3. Is this a series?
No – although I do plan to take another drive and write about it.

4. What genre (s) do you write in?
Although I’ve written song lyrics from a fictional perspective, my prose writing is travel / music non-fiction.

5. What inspired you to write your book?
I’ve always loved California, scenic driving and the travel genre. So when the opportunity came up to escape for a bit, I decided to take a solo drive down the back roads of that majestic coastline – keeping mostly to roads “typically driven on only by locals,” as I wrote.

6. What message did you want your readers to take from your book?
That life is short – so take time to stop and smell the proverbial roses, don’t let potential experiences become “missed opportunities” and be sure to remain in the moment as those experiences unfold before you.

7. What’s the most challenging aspect of writing for you?
Getting it right. Making sure what I experienced translates well (and hopefully engagingly) onto the page. As Bob Seger sings in “Against The Wind,” knowing “what to leave in, what to leave out…”

8. The most rewarding aspect of writing?
Capturing moments in time or amazing experiences and sharing them with others. Hearing from readers about how they lived vicariously through my words, revisited some of their own experiences through mine or simply enjoyed the book are all rewarding aspects of doing this wonderful thing we call writing.

9. Are you currently working on a book at the moment?
I’m not currently working on a book – but I’m always keeping an eye out for inspiration!

10. If yes, how many hours do you write in a day?
When actively writing, the hours vary considerably from a few to seven or eight.

11. If you are not writing, what are you doing?
When not writing I’m living life; running my small business, cooking, playing music and spending time with my wife Kelley.

12. What would you advise emerging Indie authors?
To do the research, to be open to input / critique and to put as much effort into perfecting your work as you would expect any hired professional to do for you.

13. What music instruments do you play?
I’m a drummer first and guitarist a distant second.

14. What type of music do you play?
My musical tastes vary greatly. But I primarily play classic rock (‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s).

15. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Begin to read and write even sooner than you did. Because the more you’re exposed to (good and bad), the better you’ll likely become at the craft.

16. What does your typical day look like?
Rise early, blend my smoothie, turn on the coffee for my wife and then jump right into work in my home office and take it from there. The old adage “Plan your work and work your plan” always seemed to offer the best rewards for me. Summer evenings are typically spent out back listening to music and talking with Kell. In winter, however, we relax in the family room watching TV.

17. What does your writing workspace look like?
A large corner desk with a butcher-block top that I stripped and refinished more than twenty years ago serves me well. With plenty of space left and right, I can spread out my notes and not feel cramped. Forest green walls reflect the outdoors I love so much and a glass pane door helps to minimize any ambient noise (I need silence to write) while still allowing light to filter in from the adjacent room.

18. What are you reading right now?
I’m currently reading ‘Not Dead Yet’ by Herbert Gold and scanning some samples on my Kindle.

19. If you were a fruit or a vegetable, what would you want to be and why?
I’d be an orange as it reminds me of the summer sun and weather I enjoy so much.
Check out my 5 Star review as posted in Amazon, GoodReads and BookBub here.
Back to Top