Harbor House Books

Jock Young

Jock Young was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Epsilon Zeta is his first novel.

Young is a Life Loyal member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Questions and Answers with Jock Young

Where do you get your ideas? I would prefer to write something that has not been done before, rather than trying to put a new spin on something old. I can’t see trying to write a courtroom drama. Epsilon Zeta fit that for me. There are other books and films based on fraternities, but those are parodies or wild exaggerations of what really goes on. This particular novel did not require a lot of creativity. I wrote about something that happened in the way it happened. In that sense, it was not difficult to write.

What is your writing schedule? How do you write your book? I’ve always written on a computer or word processor. It’s taken me a long time to become published. My professional career has changed substantially since I started writing. I used to have a lot more time for writing. Now I can only do it nights, weekends, and vacations when I can specifically make time for it.

Who is/was the biggest influence on you as a writer? I can’t say I have any. I don’t try to copy anyone or write like anyone I admire.

Why did you choose to write this book? I believed it was missing from the marketplace, and I believed it had the potential for commercial success under the right circumstances.

Who do you think the typical reader is for this book? Anyone who was in a fraternity, went to college, or ever wondered what life in a fraternity house was like.

How long have you been writing? What got you started? I started in my early 20s not long after I finished college. I had been thinking about writing a novel. One of my best friends told me out of the blue one day he had been working on a thriller for several months. That surprised me, and it kind of motivated me to get started.

Tell us about your characters. Are any based on real people you might have known? Some of the Epsilon Zeta characters are loosely based on real people. The story is pretty real to me because I witnessed it. I already had good characters to work with when I started writing it.

Who are your favorite authors? E.L. Doctorow, Jeffrey Archer, Ken Follett, James Michener, Tom Robbins, old school Sidney Sheldon, any classical literature.

What are some of your favorite books? Anything by the writers above. I’ve never read a book I didn’t like. The Source and Kane & Abel are probably my two favorites. I mostly read non-fiction these days, though.

If you could be doing anything you wanted in the world, what would it be? I did a lot of broadcasting work in college on the side, shortly before the boom of sports cable networks and all-sports talk radio stations. I would probably want to be the radio voice of a major university or professional sports team.

How long did it take you to write this book? I wrote the first draft while caddying on the LPGA Tour. That only took a few months, but many, many rewrites since then over several years.

Titles by Jock Young

Epsilon Zeta
Fiction 5.5 x 8.5
ISBN 1-891799-53-3 Quality Paperback - $16.95
Publication Date: August 2006 Harbor House





Jock Young Web site: www.jockyoung.com Jock Young was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Epsilon Zeta is his first novel. Young is a Life Loyal member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Questions and Answers with Jock Young Where do you get your ideas? I would prefer to write something that has not been done before, rather than trying to put a new spin on something old. I can’t see trying to write a courtroom drama. Epsilon Zeta fit that for me. There are other books and films based on fraternities, but those are parodies or wild exaggerations of what really goes on. This particular novel did not require a lot of creativity. I wrote about something that happened in the way it happened. In that sense, it was not difficult to write. What is your writing schedule? How do you write your book? I’ve always written on a computer or word processor. It’s taken me a long time to become published. My professional career has changed substantially since I started writing. I used to have a lot more time for writing. Now I can only do it nights, weekends, and vacations when I can specifically make time for it. Who is/was the biggest influence on you as a writer? I can’t say I have any. I don’t try to copy anyone or write like anyone I admire. Why did you choose to write this book? I believed it was missing from the marketplace, and I believed it had the potential for commercial success under the right circumstances. Who do you think the typical reader is for this book? Anyone who was in a fraternity, went to college, or ever wondered what life in a fraternity house was like. How long have you been writing? What got you started? I started in my early 20s not long after I finished college. I had been thinking about writing a novel. One of my best friends told me out of the blue one day he had been working on a thriller for several months. That surprised me, and it kind of motivated me to get started. Tell us about your characters. Are any based on real people you might have known? Some of the Epsilon Zeta characters are loosely based on real people. The story is pretty real to me because I witnessed it. I already had good characters to work with when I started writing it. Who are your favorite authors? E.L. Doctorow, Jeffrey Archer, Ken Follett, James Michener, Tom Robbins, old school Sidney Sheldon, any classical literature. What are some of your favorite books? Anything by the writers above. I’ve never read a book I didn’t like. The Source and Kane & Abel are probably my two favorites. I mostly read non-fiction these days, though. If you could be doing anything you wanted in the world, what would it be? I did a lot of broadcasting work in college on the side, shortly before the boom of sports cable networks and all-sports talk radio stations. I would probably want to be the radio voice of a major university or professional sports team. How long did it take you to write this book? I wrote the first draft while caddying on the LPGA Tour. That only took a few months, but many, many rewrites since then over several years. Titles by Jock Young Epsilon Zeta Fiction 5.5 x 8.5 ISBN 1-891799-53-3 Quality Paperback - $16.95 Publication Date: August 2006 Harbor House	Mike S. Adams Marshall B. Allen, Jr. Karl Berger Ann Herlong-Bodman Ron Braithwaite Jim Daher Rich Everitt E. Randall Floyd David Healey Cecile Holmes George Holmes Scott A. Johnson Phil Kent Robert Lamb Terry Leiden Sharron Martin Joan McCall Susan Mucha N.J. Nidiffer Robert K. Oldham Elizabeth Pool William Rawlings, Jr. James P. Reger Brewster Milton Robertson Steve Ruthenbeck David Sheldon Jessica Swan Rick Turnbull Percy Walters Eleanor West Naomi Williams Robbie Williams Jock Young

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