5 Questions with Joey Pinkney

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Glenn Maynard, author of Strapped into an American Dream
by Joey Pinkney on March 15, 2010

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Glenn Maynard, editor of Strapped into an American Dream
(Strategic Book Publishing)

Strapped into an American Dream captures America, whirling readers along a 35,000-mile trek through the 48 contiguous states in a rebuilt RV. Glenn Maynard brings this journey to all armchair travelers who will love the adrenaline rush.

One week after their wedding, Glenn and his wife quit their jobs, sold their cars and set out to find America. This book details how they were able to realize this dream and introduces the reader to the unique people they met and the places they visited along the path.

Travel with them through 23 National Parks, Las Vegas, Mardi Gras and dusty ghost towns. Feel the rushing wind of tornadoes and the rocking of an earthquake. Sleep on roadsides and in truck stops, shifting from state to state, risking danger in favor of a limited bank account.

It is the dream of many Americans, in all walks of life, to travel the country, but few realize this dream. Now they may do so vicariously in the reading of these adventures. Laugh along the way, but also share the terror, sorrow and humor.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to take your adventurous trip and write Strapped Into An American Dream?

Glenn Maynard: My wife and I took a trip to Florida and were enjoying a February day in an outside whirlpool when we decided that there had to be another way. We then began to dream and thought how wonderful it would be to take a trip that most would only undertake when they retire.

We decided on all of the 48 continental states during a one year journey. I could write about it and eventually publish a book. I took detailed notes daily and became a travel correspondent for 3 newspapers along the way.

JP: What did you and your wife learn about each other in taking a trip like this?

GM: We learned that we were a great travel team, and together we moved through America really wanting to learn about its history. We both wanted the same things. We both had roles in order to make a trip of this magnitude work.

I was the one who persevered through hundreds of miles at a clip. She was the one with the map, guiding the ship to stay the course. Together we chose the attractions and the free campgrounds. Many times the plans fizzled, but we were able to create Plan B on the fly.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Strapped Into An American Dream getting out to the public?

GM: The keys to my success are believing in my story, believing that it’s a story Americans want to read and having the perseverance to bring Strapped Into An American Dream to all of the people who would love to chuck it all and hit the road.

My book is not going to sell itself, although at first I thought that it might. I am onto Plan B of Marketing now, and I’m eyeing the top of the mountain. Nothing is going to stop me from rolling it over the top. I made it this far, and I do not give up on anything without a fight.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Strapped Into An American Dream?

GM: My writing process is simple. When I am inspired to write, then I write. If I have nothing, then the sitting wasn’t meant to be. For this book, I spent the year writing notes on 10 legal pads, then wrote the book from the highlights of the trip.

I spent time moving from Connecticut to Colorado, and then four years later moved back to Connecticut after my divorce. We left one week following our wedding and returned on our first anniversary. I then had to rewrite the entire manuscript to focus more on the journey and less on the honeymoon.

Querie letter after querie letter and rejection after rejection followed. The years flew by, and the hope of bringing this trip to Americans fizzled. My perseverance never did. Beginning the process with note taking in 1992 until publication in 2009 may be a long time, but not when your holding a book in your hands with your name on it.

JP: What’s next for Glenn Maynard?

GM: While living out in Colorado, I also wrote a fiction book which deals with the possibilities of reincarnation. The book needs to be fine tuned, but there is a nearly completed piece of work there.

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