Author Interview

Interview with Wells Earl Draughon. Author of:
Lies
The Rape of Alma Mater
A Thanksgiving Miracle
Last Things, First Things
Always
Traci
While America Sleeps

Heather:
As the author of numerous titles, both fiction and non-fiction, which do you prefer to write?

Each is challenging and satisfying in its own way. Non-fiction (for me) is by far the easier.


Heather:
At one point in my reading your latest work, "While America Sleeps," the thought occurred to me that this seems to be something that your career has built up to, that the fiction writing might have been a path to this non-fiction, in that your adoring readers will be a ready audience for this work. Was this your plan or were you simply writing fiction?

The fiction writing was never building up to this; however, my unusual background certainly prepared me to write this book. The only novel of mine that is relevant to this book is “The Rape of Alma Mater,” which could have been a non-fiction book. I thought it would be more enjoyable to read in a fictional form. Also, I had known the various people that make up the main characters, so characterizing them was easy. There are a number of “famous” people portrayed too (with changed names), but I did not personally know these people.


Heather:
Can readers look forward to more fiction from you in the future?
More non-fiction? What projects do you have in the works?

More fiction, yes. More non-fiction? It depends on whether there’s a need, a problem to be solved that I think I can solve, or help to be given that I believe I can give.


Heather:
How long did it take you to finish this latest book? The amount of research alone must have taken a good deal of time.

I never planned to write such a book. In fact, two years ago, if someone had listed for me the conclusions reached in this book, I would have been skeptical or even rejected them out of hand. Some years ago, I happened upon a book by a Conservative on the remainder table and read it. It was unconvincing and offensive, but some of the claims were so important I decided to investigate further.

By diligent and time-consuming searching on Amazon.com, I found a number of more competent books, read them and found that some of their conclusions could not be so easily dismissed. I continued searching for the most reliable books available, studying them and assessing their claims and the evidence they cited, but still had no intention of writing a book myself.

As my research led me into more and more areas, especially education, I saw that I did have something to contribute to the debate. First, I could sift out the information which was best supported, assess it from a scientific standpoint. Second, I could show how the various problems kept each other going. Finally, I understood all that lay behind the scare-term “political correctness” in a way Conservatives never will. I saw that our society is dealing with a more-or-less complete ideology with its own social control system, one which needs to be understood, not merely treated as a magic word and railed against.

Once all the problems were solved and organized into a detailed outline, the writing (given the huge amount of nonfiction writing I’ve done over the decades) took only a few months.


Heather:
Briefly, please explain your inspiration for "While America Sleeps."

First, there are the scary prospects. Could there really be civil war inside the United States? Two years ago, I would have said, “Nonsense!” Now, I’m not so sure.

Second, there are all the quite reasonable and practical solutions, and the fact that none of them is being implemented. This is intriguing. Why? I wanted to know.

Finally, there is the disappearance of that condition so dear to the hearts of liberals and Pragmatists: a marketplace of ideas. I had been forced to discover that this condition disappeared from the field of professional philosophy in the late 1970s. I discovered ten years ago that it had also by then disappeared from the field of literary studies. The research that I began to do two years ago showed that it has now disappeared from the area of current affairs, a socially more devastating development.


Heather:
What qualifies you to offer such a work?

Years ago, I deliberately acquired undergraduate majors in each of the social sciences (sociology, psychology, political science, economics) to reinforce my studies in philosophy (particularly political philosophy, logic and philosophy of science). Having taught scientific method a number of times at the undergraduate level and having done some empirical research, I can easily assess statements that claim to be factually accurate. And being a philosopher, I can easily recognize the difference between a descriptive claim and a normative claim. And years of debate with professional philosophers have enabled me to recognize every “trick in the book.” This made wading through the mass of claims and counter-claims relatively easy.

Problem-solving skills are less easy to quantify, but along the way I managed to acquire those too.


Heather:
Please give us a brief bio.

Wells Earl Draughon has published articles in Public Affairs Quarterly, Social Theory and Practice, Psychological Reports, and other journals. He has a PhD from New York University and is the author of the book “What Freedom Is.”


Heather:
If there were one thing you wish readers to know about you, what would that be?

It is that I have always been and remain an unrepentant egalitarian who is appalled by the death of liberalism and who is dismayed by the realization that the two dominant political points of view in our society today are anti-egalitarian (the Conservatives on the one hand and the New Ideologists on the other) and that both views are held and enforced in a fanatical way.


Heather:
Who are your favorite authors to read yourself? Fiction - ? Non-fiction - ?

I realized after many years that the notion of a favorite author or a favorite book is a misguided idea. The novel or movie that is best for me at one time may not be the most satisfying at another time. I do not plan to read much in current affairs in the future, although I will keep up. Currently, I’m reading a biography of Iris Murdoch. Also, a work that I’ve re-read a number of times over the years is the four-volume autobiography of Simone de Beauvoir, particularly “The Prime of Life.”


Heather:
If you had to name one book that you think people ought to read, what would it be?

It would have to be “While America Sleeps.” It’s depressing, but it contains what we all need to know. Of course, the myriad factors that influence the course of events can change for the better, and I certainly hope they will; but at this point and for the next two or three years, there is no sign of a change for the better. It is said that an ancient Chinese curse is, “May you live in interesting times!” From all indications, the next 20 to 30 years are going to be an “interesting time.”

Political Science Review

While America Sleeps: How Islam, Immigration and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within
by Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595435246
Review by Heather Froeschl

Personally, I believe that what is so great about America is living in an open society. There are some who think that this will be our downfall. Wells Earl Draughon supports his claims in his latest book, “While America Sleeps.”

The subtitle to this book is, “How Islam, Immigration, and Indoctrination are Destroying America from Within.” Draughon sets out to prove his point and backs it up with 42 pages, that’s 823 endnotes, worth of sources cited. My opinion is that most of those could be construed in another light, but this is not a time for my own commentary. Draughon states his opinion that Islam is infiltrating our entire social system and suggests that we might all soon be forced to pray to Allah several times a day, among other things. He suggests that the claims made by Muslims that Islam is a non-violent religion, is false. He explains that teaching appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism is the same as teaching that our own (I assume that by “own” he means Caucasian, English descendants) is not to be appreciated. He warns that this acceptance of diversity will be our nation’s downfall.

We are all immigrants to this land called America, unless you are Native American, but Draughon waves a flag that calls for stopping immigration altogether. He warns of invasion by Mexicans who want their land back; he warns of immigrants who infiltrate our schools, our political offices, who reproduce in order to have greater numbers on their side. And he has all of his stated facts backed up by anecdotes, examples, and those footnotes of cited sources. Draughon has done his homework. I just don’t personally agree with his opinion.

The book presents the author’s thoughts very well. It is full of relevant stories to each point that he makes. The images evolve and the crescendo of emotional and political outrage is well portrayed. If you have an inkling to side with the author’s thoughts, then you will nod your head with every page. If you are like this reviewer though, and believe in an open and free society, you will probably find yourself shaking your head instead. As a fictional author, I love Wells Earl Draughon’s work, but in this case, it was difficult to stomach.

Fiction Review

A Thanksgiving Miracle
by Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595366910
Review by Heather Froeschl

Ruth put her daughter up for adoption some 18 years ago. Living on her own after running away from home, Ruth found herself pregnant thanks to a night of naiveté and what she felt was obligatory sex. She was in no condition to raise a child, being only a child herself really. She named the baby Heather, and handed her over to be adopted. Ever since, she'd ached to know where her little girl was.

Hiring a private investigator was the first step. And he'd found her. Or at least, he'd found her adoptive family. Heather had recently run away. Once again, an 18-year-old girl was out on the road. Ruth just knew that Heather was going to end up exactly like she did...lost, confused, and pregnant. Feeling that she knew where Heather might have gone, Ruth sets out to rescue her daughter. Tracing the same path she'd taken as a runaway, Ruth revisits the highway exit ramps of Rte. 80 across Pennsylvania, facing the shadows of memories of her own experiences. The nights sleeping in the bushes on the hard ground, the days spent keeping ahead of the creeps and the cops. Will Ruth be able to catch up with Heather before it is too late? Is Heather truly following in her mother's footsteps along the highway and into hiding in New York City?

This trip and the memories trigger emotional reactions in Ruth that she cannot hide from her husband. Jack knows nothing of Heather and the truth will set him on a path of distrust, despair and mourning for what he thinks is his marriage lost. Ruth confides in her cleaning lady, a young girl of 18 herself, that she is desperate to find her runaway daughter before anything terrible happens to her. Kim has her own troubles, being pregnant and unmarried, and she and Ruth form a bond over their shared pain.

Do Thanksgiving miracles really happen? Will Ruth find her lost daughter, and if she does, will Heather hate her for giving her up? Will Kim keep her baby or will she make a different choice that may haunt her for life? Will Jack find a way to forgive Ruth for hiding such a huge part of her life, and is it possible for him to find his trust for her again? Will the private investigator track down Heather before her adoptive family does?

Wells Earl Draughon offers a "Thanksgiving Miracle" that will touch the hearts of readers everywhere. His writing is fresh and modern, yet the values he touches on are as traditional as turkey in November. Draughon's characters are deep and distraught, leading the reader to care for them, cry with them, and hope to celebrate the holiday with them. This is a thought provoking novel that will inspire the giving of thanks for things we often take for granted...a sense of self, love and support, and family. An excellent story to read at any time of the year, "Thanksgiving Miracle" is a well written look at life, pure and complicated.

Fiction Review

The Rape of Alma Mater
By Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595332498
Review by Heather Froeschl
It isn't often that a work of fiction can make me sit up and take notice. In the case of Wells Earl Draughon's "The Rape of Alma Mater" I have sat up and I feel like I have been sleeping throughout my entire life. The book is a must read for anyone who has concern for society's education, freedoms of speech and press and the ability to think for oneself. Of course this is a work of fiction, but it is written on the experience of the author as a graduate student during the timeframe of the book, as a demonstrator, and as a college faculty member.

In 1967 male students feared for their lives and enrolled in college to avoid the draft. The Vietnam War deeply affected the entire populace as students became increasingly concerned over how much say they had in their own futures. So they began to protest. They tasted power. This was democracy, wasn't it? The people have spoken. However, when the war ended and there no longer was a major cause for banding together and making change, they invented reasons to stand and protest. What resulted was a complete rape of the education system and eventually the press that covered it, the government that allowed it to happen for fear of not getting re-elected, and society as a whole.

Draughon's characters are so real that I feel as if I know them. Their inner turmoil is deep and torturous. Their maturation is obvious and satisfying as we follow 35 years of their lives. Through this time period we watch as things get so out of hand that even the original protestors are hoodwinked by their own propaganda. The plot flows so swiftly and surely as the reader becomes caught up in its waves and is quickly carried to the end of the book where one will sit thoughtfully for hopefully a good long while.

This book is highly recommended for those who ever wondered how things came to be in today's society, but even more so for those who never thought about it.

Fiction Review

Always
by Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595240143
Review by Heather Froeschl

What would you do for the one that you love? How far would you go to ensure their safety? Would you risk your own life to save theirs? Would you build a 12-foot high wall topped with iron spikes to keep them safe? And what if the danger came from within yourself? Wells Earl Draughon explores these questions in his unforgettable book, "Always."

Ben first saw her when he was 10 years old. He scaled the security wall just to talk to her and together they climbed it to run free in the forest that surrounded them. Fate led him to her and he knew even then that she was something different, something very special. Eight years later he returns to find her still waiting, still in need of a hero. And he discovers that she is truly one of a kind. She knows nothing of the world and she holds no reservations when it comes to her body and soul. With him, she is free. With her, he is in grave danger.

The mansion in which Donella lives is a fortress, a prison. The rich old man who holds her there is a twisted individual whose mind is frayed; his actions lunatic. He is lost in an obsession and Donella is the key. When Ben helps her to escape the madness the old man seeks revenge and to reclaim his prize. Nothing will stand in his way.

Draughon has created a tortuous world of soulmate love, mortal danger, twisted mystery and sweet suspense. He has captured the exuberance of youth and the essence of intense and desperate love. The plot is full of twists and turns, like a torrid river carrying the reader to a waterfall crescendo. The characters are so full of life they will make you wonder who controlled the writing of the book - the author or them.

I couldn't put this one down and fully enjoyed the ride. If you have the desire to be fully immersed in fiction, "Always" is the book you seek.

Fiction Review

Traci
by Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595262287
Review by Heather Froeschl

How is it that six people, some of whom are complete strangers to each other, affect each other's lives to the point of no return? Life happens, and for some it happens in a big way. Wells Earl Draughon has done it again. He has taken a storyline and created a world where the characters come to life and make you think about them until the last page has been read.

Steven Bates is minding his own business, falling in love with his attorney girlfriend, when out of the blue a young girl knocks on his door. She claims to be his long lost daughter, returned after eight years of being out of his life, virtually in hiding with her mother. Steve is thrilled if not flabbergasted that his daughter is back. But what happened to her mother? And why is it that this girl seems to be hiding something?

After eight years Steve jumps at the thought that this IS his daughter, Shirley, returned to him. However, Traci is really the daughter of a cold, selfish woman and a domineering, disgusting, controlling stepfather. The real Shirley Bates is still out there somewhere. Coincidentally, Shirley's mother is just about ready to return to the life she knew before they ran away. Her therapy is helping her to get over her issues and she takes the first step in reuniting Shirley and her dad and recreating the little family that they had. Is Steve desperate enough to get his daughter back into his home to put up with her crazy mother too? Is he unselfish enough to thwart the real love in his heart? And what will Traci's parents do about the situation, being that their 14-year-old daughter is living with a strange middle-aged man?

Draughon takes the raw emotions of his characters and makes them laugh, cry and wring their hands over the plot. He leaves the reader in a state of suspension when they dare put down the book to eat dinner. You will find yourself reading through the night in order to find out what happens to these people who have become all too real, if not a bit crazy. His descriptive writing and engaging dialogue make for an entertaining read. It is a short-lived distraction from the real world and our real lives to read one of Draughon's books. You won't be disappointed.

Fiction Review

Lies
By Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595288332
Review by Heather Froeschl

Linda cannot continue with her life as if it were normal. She can't give up like the police seem to have done. Her daughter's room is exactly the way she'd left it, with clothes on the floor and her favorite stuffed animal on the tussled bed. Only her daughter is missing, leaving a terrible emptiness behind.

Linda joins a nationwide underground organization that pulls parents together in battling kidnappers. They are trained in surveillance techniques and interrogations, self-defense and stealth. They go on missions that involve luring people, whom they are told are kidnappers, into houses run by the organization. From there the person is tortured, supposedly to get information about missing children. This leaves the parents trapped in the organization, as they have broken the law; they have hurt people in their efforts to find their children.

While she knows it is wrong, something about the organization doesn't seem right, it doesn�t add up and Linda wonders if there might be something else going on. She picks up clues here and there that lead her to further her investigation of the group. What she finds out leads her to understand how much danger she is really in. She continues her own personal search for her daughter and cautiously does her part with the organization. If she doesn't, she may disappear herself.

Wells Earl Draughon has done it again, creating a suspenseful, energetic tale that touches on the deepest fear of parents, while, in this case, also awakens a rage over white supremacy. The plot is well written and results in a page-turner that you will not soon forget. A handful of typos are easy for the reader to overlook but are frustrating to me as they do not need to be there. I trust we will be seeing more from this author in the future and look forward to that day.

"Lies" is a fast paced read that will suck you in and keep you up until the final page. From there you will be left wondering what sinister organizations are really out there and you'll likely check the locks on your doors. I highly recommend this book but I warn parents that it may haunt you.

Fiction Review

Last Things, First Things
By Wells Earl Draughon
ISBN-10: 0595269427
Review by Heather Froeschl

What would you do if you had only a short time left to live? What if you did everything you thought you'd wanted to do but your life was just empty and lonely? Could you call your life complete if you had not accomplished what you thought was your life's work? Wells Earl Draughon has addressed some very deep topics in "Last Things, First Things." His characters confront issues that we all hope we won't ever have to. This makes for a heart touching, thought provoking read.

Val believes that he is dying of cancer. He saw the foreboding word on his medical charts. His mistrust of doctors convinces him that he has little time left and he takes matters into his own hands. He quits his job, sells everything he owns and is ready to embrace the world during his last weeks. But all he feels is empty and hopeless. Except for the memory of meeting someone at the hospital...someone who he feels drawn to in ways he never has felt before.

Erin is working on the plans of her dream house. As an architect she is successful yet her ambition drives her to fulfill her goal of designing the perfect house. She also wants a baby and a husband and is in the process of adopting a baby girl. But her fatigue is dragging her down and scaring her to no end in her worry over what it could be that is causing it. Her doctor tells her she is fine, and she believes him. She trusts him.

Taking a trip to the Greek islands seems to be the answer for much needed rest and inspiration. When Val and Erin find each other there, the draw between them is evident. Should he tell her that he is dying? Should she tell him she is adopting a child? She makes him feel alive and complete. He makes her forget her exhaustion. Is the love they have discovered enough to get them through their troubles? Or is it the very thing they live for?

Wells Earl Draughon has written a piece that will leave you wondering what you would do if you were faced with the end of your life. What things would come first for you? What would be the last things you ever do? He will also remind you to live as if you were dying - living to the fullest. With a plot that is fast paced and emotionally charged, "Last Things, First Things" will have you turning pages and looking for more from this author when you reach the end.