Interview with John Philip Riffice, Author of Waiting for Pops

Today's special guest is John Philip Riffice, author of the novel, Waiting for Pops. John worked in heavy industrial construction until he sustained a serious injury. He then pursued a lifelong interest in teaching and took up a career in education, culminating in a rewarding life instructing children with disabilities. This experience, coupled with his understanding of the challenges facing single parents as well as all the intimacies of alcoholism, enable him to weave interesting tales of love, friendship, betrayal and deceit.

Welcome to Books, Products and More, John. We're thrilled to have you with us.

Where did you grow up?

Chicago

What is your fondest childhood memory?

If I had to point to one single event which could be called my fondest, it was one which occurred when I was four years old. I had just had my tonsils removed to alleviate some hearing-loss issues (which still plague me today… I am almost totally deaf) and after a days-long hospital stay, my mother and grandfather arrived to take me home. One of the orderlies strolled up with a wheelchair for me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get in it. Somehow, in my four-year old brain, I thought that if I were to sit in that wheelchair I would be stuck there for life. Though this happened over 48 years ago, I still remember it like it was yesterday! My grandfather, an extremely warm, affectionate man, must have sensed what I was thinking because he bent over, picked me up, and held me close. I recall wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my cheek to his. It felt so good to be protected that I didn’t even mind his day-old stubble! I felt safe! I believe all children should feel safe, each and every day, and this is a recurring theme throughout my book Waiting For Pops, a biographical novel about a boy struggling to feel safe, but with not a soul to lean on.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing at the end of my sophomore year in high school. The love of my life had just broken up with me and I proceeded to pass that summer brooding and lamenting my loss. At the beginning of my junior year, I wrote a story about the event, perhaps 5,000 words, and it was pretty darned good! When I saw my old flame, I tried successfully to hide my disobedient emotions, playing it cool, as any sixteen-year old boy would. I mentioned the story to her, and she asked if she could read it. It must have been much better than I thought, because when she read it, she fell madly in love with me. Of course, I was already at that point long before, so it worked out just right! While we never married, the following four years were among the best of my life.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write at every available opportunity, when I don’t have my nose in a book. Morning, noon, night, coffee break, lunchtime, whenever! You gotta get it on paper before you can refine an idea into perfection!

What is this book about?

Waiting For Pops is about a boy who is mistreated by his alcoholic mother and longs for his deceased father. A mainstream biographical novel, it is a tale of a young boy’s appalling mistreatment at the hands of his alcoholic mother. It is a tale of spousal secrets and parental lies. It is a tale of love, friendship, and, above all else, betrayal. Pops is seen through the eyes of an innocent boy growing steadily into manhood in 1950s Chicago. Johnny Ryba tells his story and transports the reader into his small, blue-collar existence—his mother’s alcoholism, his much-loved father’s sudden death in an auto accident, his beloved little sister’s autism. Later, as the reader accompanies Johnny into his teen years, they experience as well the painful heartbreak of his first love and loss.

The storyline rapidly evolves and ultimately centers on a mystery that Johnny attempts to solve as a mature adult, resulting in a shocking revelation that reverses almost everything he once believed about his mother and father, as well as his own harrowing past. He inadvertently discovers his parents’ role as accomplices in a lifelong conspiracy of silence, and also becomes aware of a misplaced affection for his father. Johnny must finally come to terms with the most important aspect of his life: the truth about his parents, and about himself, too.

What inspired you to write it?

I simply thought that this story is so moving and so compelling that it needed to be told. I have yet to talk to a reader who hasn’t loved it, particularly for bringing them back effortlessly and seamlessly to their adolescence and the great fun it often was.

Who is your favorite character from the book?

Johnny, the book’s main figure, who suffers through a great many deprivations, yet despite all that, as an adolescent and as an adult, he ends up a good, caring boy and man. An example for all of us, I think.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My wife. For some reason she thinks I’m wonderful. And a superb writer, too.

Are you a member of a critique group? If no, who provides feedback on your work?

I receive feedback mostly from my wife, but also from sample groups, always of mixed race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Who is your favorite author?

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Do you have an agent or are you looking for one?

Agents are great, I guess, but sometimes I wonder if they really know what they’re doing. How many really outstanding books have gone unrecognized by agents for being wonderful works of art and miraculously, after umpteen letters of rejection, the book is picked up and hailed as a masterpiece? The Kite Runner is an excellent example of this.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Bumpy. It’s so hard just to get people/agents/publishers to read it! If your name isn’t Steven King, it’s a long, tough road.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Yes. I wouldn’t have wasted time with agents, the so-called arbiters of fine literature.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble’s website, or my own website (www.johnphilipriffice.com)

Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more?

Yes, and a nice site it is! www.johnphilipriffice.com It’s one of the rare times I’ve actually taken a nice picture, too.

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

Word of mouth and emailing, as well as book reviewers.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Don’t be discouraged if some guy/gal who’s can barely string three sentences together tells you they’re not interested in representing you, especially if they’ve never read the book! Onward!

What is up next for you?

I’m presently working on a book about a man, a WWII veteran, who raises his nephew and teaches him that kindness and respect make you far more a man than a loud voice or a booming fist. It is only upon the uncle’s death that the boy comes to know of his Uncle Cameron’s heroic exploits in Nazi-dominated Europe.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes. I sure would like you to read the book, too! Like I said, the tough part is actually getting people to read it.
Thanks for the opportunity to put my two cents in!

Thanks for spending time with us today, John. We wish you great success.