Today, I welcome fellow Next Big Writer member, Bill Slack, to Five on Friday. However, today there will be some bonus questions. Bill has traveled the world and has a lot of interesting things to say. Be sure and follow him on social media, buy his book, and as always, leave a review on Amazon. They mean so much to authors.

And now for the questions.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

Interesting (with a footnote of: a fount of exotic and useless data).

Ann: Amen. Not sure about the useless data, but interesting certainly describes him!

If there was one person, real, fiction or fantasy, you could spend time with, who would it be and why?

This is easy, although without the qualifier of “If.” My wife, a friend and I spent a wonderful half-hour chatting with Isaac Asimov following an informal talk he gave on robotics. He was a fascinating man and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I’ve read every book and paper he’s published. Succumbing to my inner self, I asked for and received his autograph. It is framed and on my wall today.

Ann: Wow! Impressive.

What are the top three things on your bucket list? And Why?

I’ve always wanted to take a long cruise. Perhaps a segment of the Holland America Round-the-world cruise. My wife and I have taken 6 cruises, but the longest one was only 14 days.

Pilot a 747 in a simulator. I love the Microsoft Flight Simulator version of the 474 and have flown it many times. At one time, I had a “learner’s permit” and took lessons in flight, but I couldn’t pass the physical now.

Visit Berlin and/or St. Petersburg (formerly known as Petrograd/Leningrad). In my entire life I was banned from visiting a Communist country, first because of my father and his NATO work, then by my own enlistment in the US Navy and Naval Intelligence. Now, I am free to visit.

Ann: I’m such a chicken liver, anything involving travel or heights never makes my bucket list!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’ve lived in so many countries this question is nearly without meaning. My father was already in the US Army Air Corps when I was born. We lived in Edmonton, Alberta, Fairbanks, Alaska, Washington, D.C., Bitburg, Germany, Petaluma, California (where I graduated from high school). When my parents moved to Great Falls, Montana, I attended Montana State University for a year, then enlisted in the Navy. My career took me to such exotic places as the Azores, Ft. Meade, Virginia, Pensacola, Florida, San Miguel, Philippines (where daughter #1 was born), USS Oxford (a spy ship off the coast of Vietnam), Danang, Vietnam, Ramasun Station, Thailand (outside the town of Udorn), Misawa, Japan (where daughter #2 was born) and Skaggs Island (north of San Francisco, California) where I retired in 1980. I moved back to Longmont, Colorado, then Cherry Hill, New Jersey and finally to Dayton, Ohio, where I remain.

So, it would be terribly difficult to pick a single place. If pressed, I’d have to make a choice between Germany and Japan, with leanings toward Japan.

Ann: Here’s where I become an arrogant Texan. Nowhere but the Lone Star for me, but I admire people who want to spread their wings and live in a different country.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

That’s easy: Telekinesis. Just think of the possibilities for this power.

Ann: As much as I like to be in control of things,  you’d think this would be the one I pick. But I’m not sure.

Where were you when JFK was shot?

On November 22, 1963 I happened to be flying home on leave to Denver, having been transferred from my duty station in the Azores, to take a short course at Fort Meade, Virginia. As we passed over Dallas at 21,000 feet, the pilot came on the intercom and said, “something odd is happening below us.” He then switched us to a local Dallas radio station. The announcer was describing the frantic motorcade dash to the hospital. There were several other servicemen on the flight. We made eye contact, knowing that any moment we might be required to report to the nearest military facility.

Ann: I think the answer to this question may be a marker for onset Alzheimer’s. The day anyone old enough to remember that…and can’t, better worry. My location was much more boring than Bill’s. I was in English class.

What would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

For years, I used an American Eagle avatar on my blog as well as my website. I’ve always felt a kinship with eagles as they were plentiful in Alaska where I began to take note of my surroundings. In later years, when I became intrigued by Shamanism, I found one does not choose a spirit animal—they choose you. On my first vision quest, my spirit animal who, to this day, peers over my shoulder and approves or disapproves of my actions, contacted me. Unfortunately, one does not name their spirit animal in public.

Ann: I might be an Armadillo.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find/recognize?

Absolutely. Some references to an event in my life are in most of my stories, published or unpublished. Isaac Asimov (see question 5) once told me to “write what you know.” The best way to accomplish this is to sketch out the scene and surround it with a story.

Ann: Hey, that’s part of the fun in writing!

If you had an elephant and couldn’t give it away or sell it, what would you do with it?

Elephant? What elephant? I don’t see any elephant.

Ann: Ha, ha, ha, ha!

B. Douglas Slack, born after the beginning of World War Two, traveled extensively with his military parents, living in such places as Alaska, Washington, D.C., Germany, California and Montana. His love of writing appeared at a young age, encouraged by his mother, a freelance journalist. Soon after Vietnam flared, he enlisted in the US Navy, joining the Naval Security Group as a Cryptographic Technician. Over the course of his 20-year career, he spent five tours in Vietnam—one of which on USS Oxford, an intelligence-gathering ship. When he retired from military service, he continued his career in computers to become a Senior Systems Analyst with RCA and other firms. He retired a second time to Ohio, where he writes. His first Novel, You Only Love Twice can be found on Amazon. He has been married for over 54 years.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/b.douglas.slack/

Booksie: https://www.booksie.com/users/b-douglas-slack-73497

The Next Big Writer: https://www.thenextbigwriter.com/users/b-douglas-slack-11097

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/B.-Douglas-Slack/e/B076WCWHHX

Westerner and master salesman Bill Hansen adopted Japan as his home. He effortlessly integrated himself into its culture, and lived a Japanese-inspired lifestyle. While on a packed train on his way home from work, he had a chance encounter with a Japanese woman named Hiroko Sasaki, a quiet beauty with a sweet disposition and an easy smile that instantly melted his heart. The two quickly bond, forming a harmonious relationship brought on by their love for their country, family and old and new friends they’ve made along their life’s journey. With Bill by her side, Hiroko faces an emotional past she’d thought would remain a heavy burden she’d bear forever. As they begin life together, devastating news turns their world upside down. Will their love endure this life-altering event?

You Only Love Twice is a beautiful story about the blossoming romance between Bill and Hiroko while giving readers a glimpse into a country steeped in history and bursting with traditions.