Glenn Seerup exciting new fiction!

The Illuminating Occurrence of Maxine Porter

Glenn Seerup

Print and eBook

October 11, 2019

Glenn Seerup, publisher

Literary Fantasy

eBook $4.99

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Read my review here.

About the Book

Hayden Carlisle, a socially awkward twenty-three year old designer, begins his first professional job at The Plush Porcupine, a boutique toy design studio in Chicago. Hard times have fallen on the Porcupine and a dark cloud hangs over its future.

Maxine Porter arrives with a mysterious background and an uncanny knack for knowing things. Spellbound by the amazing Max, the eclectic crew at the Porcupine begin to prosper, while continually ruminating over who Max is and where she came from.

Through Hayden’s Journal writing, we learn of the unlikely friendship developing between him and Max.

A Brief Interview with the Author

Glenn, tell us what you love about this book.

I love the people in the book. I love how as I write a story, the personalities of each character develop and grow as their voices come alive. This is really a story about personalities and relationships. It demonstrates how diverse individuals can bring unique strengths and frailties together, feeding off each other. They don’t always have to get along but each individual contributes to complete the dynamic of the collective group. I know when my characters begin to feel real to me when I see somebody walking down the street and I think, “Hey, is that Max?” Then I remember that she isn’t real.

Introduce us to the character who was most challenging to capture.

I would have to say that Marty would be the character that was most challenging to capture. Marty is a dedicated employee and friend. She has a lot of baggage in her personal life and she tries to compartmentalize it from her outward persona, shielding her troubles from her colleagues. I think that the challenge in writing Marty came from never personally living through the situations where Marty finds herself. I had to imagine myself dealing with these issues in my personal life and what I would do, and then re-imagine it from the point of view of Marty. Each character has their challenges. That’s what makes writing fun.

Share a couple of things you learned in researching this story.

For most of the book’s themes and locations, I was able to draw from my experiences living in the design world of great city of Chicago. I did learn a lot about different toy manufacturers and their processes as well as the cutthroat world of product placement and wholesaling. I also found the study of kinesiology and ergonomics interesting as I looked into design and comfort. Probably the most surprisingly interesting topic that I briefly delved into was my look into metallurgy and the different properties that metals can take on with slight molecular modifications to their structure.

What do you hope readers will tell others?

I hope readers will tell others that reading this book made them feel good about people and the world that we live in. I feel like this story is about real people in real situations and the reader is rooting for them to succeed. I also hope they feel like they are a little on edge throughout the book, feeling that little bit of mystery that grows on you in a nagging way. This is the suspense that keeps you reading, knowing that there is more to the story but you’re not quite sure what it is. I hope they tell people that when they finished, they sat for a while pondering the story with a smile on their face.

What are you reading now?

I usually have a couple of books going—I listen to audio books in my car while commuting and I always have a book at my bedside. Currently, I am about halfway through The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. The audio books I check out of the library are generally hit or miss. The most recent one that I really enjoyed was Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty, an interesting character study that takes place in an unusual setting.

What’s next for you?

I am currently knee-deep in a new novel, which I intend to be the first of a trilogy. While a similar type of character study that I love, I am framing this in a more adventurous, fast-paced style. Hunter Cahill’s escapades will take the reader on a frantic romp through the streets of Chicago. He’ll meet all kinds of interesting characters as he works to unravel the mysterious drama that falls unwelcome at his feet.

About the Author

Glenn Seerup is a future New York Times bestselling author of Literary Fiction. It’s good to have goals. With over twenty-five years as an accomplished architect under his belt, Glenn has returned to his first passion, the written word. Successfully publishing his first novel in 2017 to rave reviews, a second novel, The Illuminating Occurrence of Maxine Porter, is due for release in the Fall of 2019. A third project in the works will be the first of a three (or more) part series.

While Glenn has traveled extensively through the United States, Europe, and Africa, and lived in various cities, he loves to write about life in the big city of Chicago – well, and Boston. Settled now in a sleepy beach town in northwest Indiana, Glenn devotes as much time as he can to his wife and two wonderful kids. Most of that time is spent driving to soccer practices, games, and tournaments. Somewhere in there, he still finds time for home remodeling, playing in adult soccer leagues, and watching the English Premiere League. Glenn likes soccer.

As a young adult, The Catcher in the Rye solidified the love of Literature and the joy of a simple, beautifully written story. Glenn likes to include subtle references to the Salinger masterpiece into his own writing. See if you can spot them.

Books:

-The Illuminating Occurrence of Maxine Porter
-After and Before: The Story of Hatley Chambers
www.glennseerup.com

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