Author Jay Rankin On Writing And A Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Jay Rankin here today as he makes a stop on his Nurture Virtual Book Tourz for his memoir, UNDER THE NEON SKY: A LAS VEGAS DOORMAN’S STORY.

Here’s a brief description of the book: UNDER THE NEON SKY is a gripping, true story about a Las Vegas Doorman who worked the graveyard shift at one of the major hotels on the Strip. The sights, smells, and page popping characters are unforgettable as we take a journey that will transform how we used to envision the city that never sleeps. We watch as this doorman begins to emotionally break and wonder if he will become broken seeing his friends, his wife, hotel guests, and himself cross too many boundaries in this riveting, page turning story. 

Thanks to Jay, Jaidis, and the great folks at Nurture, I have 1 eBook copy of UNDER THE NEON SKY to offer to a lucky visitor who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Nov. 24. The giveaway is open internationally.

Jay’s here to talk his writing.

Although I didn't know it in the beginning, I realized later how important it was to not just be an expert on what I actually wrote, but to be an expert on what I didn't write. I had done a great deal of marketing and had the opportunity to be a guest on radio and TV throughout the country. Although my book was about my experience as a doorman on the Las Vegas Strip, most of the questions I was asked had to do with subjects that were never in the story. 

I was asked about the best dance clubs, best topless clubs, Vegas history, celebrities, mobsters and a multitude of subjects pertaining to Las Vegas I never wrote about. But I did have a great deal of knowledge about Las Vegas. 

Luckily I lived in Vegas for many years and knew a lot about the city. My father lived in Vegas when I was a kid and he knew a lot of the old time ‘bosses’. I had been good friends with the mayor of Las Vegas so I was very aware of many things Las Vegas used to be and was now.  

Within no time I was asked to be on panels with some mobsters. I was invited to be a guest on a talk show discussing customer service, comparing Las Vegas when the Italians ran the city to today’s corporate run Vegas. My research and homework was what I actually lived and witnessed. 

The point is, anyone who wants to write a non fiction book must do the homework. Try to become an expert in the field you are writing about. Also, see what is already out there that is of similar writing to your book which begs the question, “Why is your book better?”

One of the things I decided to inject in my story was some Vegas history. The city had so much colorful history, it was sometimes difficult to decide. I did a lot of research trying to decide which piece of history was relevant to what I was writing.

Jay, thanks so much for guest blogging. I can see where you might get asked all types of questions about Las Vegas. It is an intriguing town.

A little background on Jay. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Hollywood, CA. He worked his way through college inside the locked unit of a psychiatric hospital. He was a Los Angeles County Probation Officer and worked at several detention camps. He received his Master's Degree in clinical psychology. He was a bouncer at a country and western nightclub in Los Angeles and built custom homes in Connecticut and Las Vegas. He now resides in Los Angeles with his 9-year-old son. 

Jay’s book has won the National Best Books 2010 Award, the Indie Excellence book award in the memoir category, and was the 2011 International Book Award as finalist in the Autobiography/Memoir category. 

For more on Jay and his writing, visit his website at http://www.JaysLasVegas.com or his tour page at http://nurtureyourbooks.com/vbtblog/?p=2682. You can also find Jay on tour at the following sites:
November 17th – @ Kritters Ramblings
November 18th – @ Hubpages
November 22nd – @Sugarpeach
November 23rd – @ Journey Reader

November 25th – @ The Book Faery Reviews
November 29th – @ NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™ Blog
November 30th – @ Everyday Is An Adventure

If you’re a writer, do you also get questions not pertaining to your book at signings and such? If you’re a reader, would you question an author just about their book or various topics? Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not in your profile.