Extensive management and participant experience covering multiple industries and services with skills in all aspects of business endeavors from small startup service operations through to leading groups of up to 231 personnel. Positions held range from owner/janitor to all aspects of corporate management including Sales, Marketing, Financials, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Union negotiations, and Employee training. Primary area of expertise in the Medical Device industry.
Strong history as a problem solver in design, manufacturing processes, internal systems and operations.
Named on 19 technology patents since 1976. Assisted in development of 5 Trade Secret processes in last 30 years. One design from the seventies now in Smithsonian Museum. Computer literacy extends from equipment and system setup through paperless operations.
Author, Speaker & Teacher: Products, processes & systems to meet GMP, SMDA, ISO9000, MIL-Q-9858A, SAE, SME & other standards; Numerous Articles and presentations on TQM, SPC, JIT, Design of Experiment, Concurrent Engineering, Data collection & analysis, CAD, & other management systems.
Member of MD&DI (Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry) magazine Editorial Advisory Board since 1991. Served on Technical Advisory Board for MD&M (Medical Device & Manufacturing) Shows and Conferences from January 1992 through July 1998.
Dealt with all levels of government agencies from Washington DC down to obtaining local building permits. Served on Federal Agency Budget formulation committees, Ad Hoc Mil-Spec Review committees, State and Federal election campaign staffs.
United States Air Force veteran during the Korean conflict.
[Anne] First of all I'd like to thank you for your service to our country, Floyd. And now comes the questions :-). When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, Floyd?
[Floyd] I became an inveterate reader in early childhood willing to tackle anything in print and I haunted the local libraries whenever I wasn't working, competing in sports or at school. In the sixth grade I started drawing cartoons about those I observed. They evolved into comic book like stories not of professional quality. I did have fun with them. Mrs. Maxine Rinker an English Teacher came into my life as a sophomore in high school. (note: she is acknowledged in all my books.) She encouraged my writing and poetry. I was published in the National High School Poetry Anthology and had the desire to write firmly entrenched well before graduation.
[Anne] Tell us about your latest book.
[Floyd] The God Business was released in June 2010 and is available in print and E book from Whiskey Creek and Amazon. Readers Favorites classified it as a mystery and gave it a great review. The story takes place over a one week period in Denver, Reno, and Anaheim with a flashback to how Joshua, Bobby and Cheryl got their immensely successful evangelistic endeavor going. Josh battles several problems with Bobby's changing personality, a massive blackmail situation by unknown sources and pressure from politicians who want an endorsement by the crusade. He finds a unique resolution for the problems and protects the flock that supports their billion dollar business.
[Floyd] The genesis came from time spent assisting a relative in behind the scenes facets of what one might call a California cult. The ancillary aspects provided an immense education. Watching the early growth of other evangelistic organizations provided the overall concept.
[Anne] How did you go about researching your book?
[Floyd] The internet was a major tool. Personal knowledge of the city sites at the time periods of the story was incorporated. We have lived in Reno, Anaheim, Cary NC, and visited Denver; I've had driver's licenses in 13 states as a result of my corporate and military brat years.
[Anne] Do you have anything new in the works?
[Floyd] One is being considered for publication now, another will be submitted in February and drafts of two more await the rewrite/revision phase. A collection of short stories will be submitted by April. My novels are basic historic mainstream with some suspense mystery. The short stories tend to be sci-fi/fantasy works.
[Anne] What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantster?
[Floyd] You might say some of both. I tend to develop the plot as an engineer, allow seat-of-the- pants changes to evolve during the draft, and be analytical in the rewrite stage. My spouse Carol and a few others are excellent reader/critics whom I rely on to discover story glitches. Carol is the read aloud sounding board during the polish stage.
[Anne] If you could be anyone of your characters, which one would you chose to be and why?
[Floyd] It's a toss-up between Phillip in "Glass Angel With Skillet" and Joshua in "The God Business". They are objective and honest characters who pause to think things through with consideration of the consequences before vocalizing or taking action.
[Anne] Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
[Floyd] During my military and technical career I had the good fortune of visiting every USA state, two when they were also territories, plus Puerto Rico and Guam. I've also been to every continent except Australia although there are many countries yet to visit. I think I would take advantage of the offer and go to the Scandinavian countries, particularly Sweden and Denmark.
[Anne] You’ve just been informed that your latest release was a NY Times bestseller and Hollywood wants to turn it into a movie. What actors would you choose to play your main characters?
[Floyd] I'm sure the Producers, Director, Script Writer and their staffs would be far better prepared to make those calls while I look forward to seeing the results of their work.
[Anne] What type of books do you like to read when you’re not writing?
[Floyd] Everything from sports through philosophical histories. I try to learn something new every day.
[Anne] Name three things you can’t live without (excluding spouses and family because that’s a given).
[Floyd] I once thought my old Royal manual typewriter was the proverbial cat's meow and the ultimate tool of its time. The computer with unlimited software tools and memory is now an absolute need. The internet saves so much time doing research compared to the library days of yore, it would be difficult to live without the service. I guess the third item would be a toss up between food and my old Volvo station wagon.
[Anne] What advice would you give to any aspiring writers out there?
[Floyd] I currently teach a course "Writing For Publication" at the local college. The base line is learning to rewrite effectively. Don't fall in love with your own words. Become part of a positive reinforcement critique group. Understand the immense changes in the publishing world over the past few years. A major point is learning to fully read and understand the guidelines before you submit.
[Anne] Where can we find you on the web?
[Floyd] My web page is http://fvedwards.wcpauthor.com. I am slowly in the process of building a web site and plan to have a blog. April is a good guess.
[Anne] Where can we purchase your books?
[Floyd] The God Business and Glass Angel With Skillet are available in electronic and print from Whiskey Creek Press and Amazon. The anthologies with my short stories are Ruins Terra and Desolate Places, edited by Eric T. Reynolds and available from Hadley Rille Books and Amazon. They are all carried in stock by the Bookstore in Elko, Nevada.
[Anne] Is there anything else you’d like to add?
[Floyd] Thank you. I've enjoyed the challenge of finding out how I'd answer so many probing questions.
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