Author John M. Whiddon hails from the Florida Panhandle. With a background in the healthcare industry, public service, and a five-year stint on the faculty of Florida State University, he ran the state Medicaid Program Integrity Office for more than a decade, and upon retirement opened a private healthcare regulatory consulting business in 1995. John is involved in numerous civic and conservation organizations. He currently is a partner in MGW Outfitters, a prestigious wing shooting operation in Argentina and Uruguay. He has enjoyed writing most of his adult life. His first book, The Sunshine Shenanigan, was published in 2021. This first book turned into a trilogy and also includes The Fi$cal Agent and Die-Aly$sis. John is a member of The Writers Forum, Writers Helping Writers, and of Fiction and Historical Writers. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys calling turkeys, wing shooting, and mentoring children from single-parent families.
Which genres do you cover?
John M. Whiddon: Faction (which is a blend of fact and fiction), Historical Fiction, Humorous anecdotes and spoofs, and children’s stories
Which is the latest book you have published, and what is about?
John M. Whiddon: Those Gobblin Thangs. The wild turkey, ‘America’s Greatest Game Bird,’ is viewed by many observers as a somewhat curious and humorous creature in ‘Mother Nature’s scheme of things.’ Hence, the unfortunate souls obsessed with chasing those elusive feathered things must be considered even more amusing. Most wild turkey-chasing sleuths are not catalogued as deriving from the mentally elite from the onset and are routinely assessed as ‘several eggs short of a clutch.’ Normal humans in their right minds would not voluntarily impose 4:00 a.m. reveilles while willingly subjecting themselves to blood-sucking mosquitos, vampire-assed ticks, and those menacing no-shoulder things sporting baby rattles on their tails. Yet, these self-inflicted masochists consent to all types of perils to ingest and reward such efforts with generous doses of humiliation while ‘adding insult to injury’ by openly sharing such experiences. Chasing ‘Those Gobblin Thangs’ is just different, and it is challenging to lasso the concept. In his classic The Tenth Legion, Tom Kelly comes the closest. His work is a continuous reference source. Those Goblin Thangs was written over the last forty years and represents almost seven decades of recanting gross embellishments of situations, anecdotes, character sketches, themes, and spoofs related to those destined and cursed with feather affiliation. You might want to look elsewhere if you anticipate discovering anything remotely serious about wild turkeys set forward in this endeavor. Turkey hunting is a serious business! The humor invoked by those without the willpower to resist this merciless process is that particular characteristic that makes it so unique. It keeps smiles on our faces and the helpless passion to keep doing it just one more time!
At which book events can readers find you?
John M. Whiddon: I don’t typically participate in book events but have done readings and signing events at a variety of bookstores.
Which book event connecting you with readers is your favorite and why?
John M. Whiddon: Any time I can connect with my readers is a special time.
Do(es) your book(s) have any specific messages to your readers and, if so, which are they?
John M. Whiddon: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Ignorance never solved any problems, education might.
Which writer(s) keep(s) inspiring you and why?
John M. Whiddon: Ernest Hemingway, Robert Roark, Carl Hiaasen
Do you have any specific writing habits?
John M. Whiddon: There are times I have an entire story written out in my head and will be able to take pen to paper. However, I tend to take the pantsing approach since I often have to be in the mood to write. When that happens, I don’t worry about a word or page count, but just make it up as I go along!
What are you currently working on?
John M. Whiddon: A historical fiction novel titled, Savannah Scion.
Which book are you currently reading simply for entertainment?
John M. Whiddon: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
What advice would you give any aspiring author?
John M. Whiddon: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember it is your story, so write it and tell it the way you want to. Write what you know and what you can embellish.
You can find John M. Whiddon’s books anywhere books are sold, at Dorrance Publishing, through his website, www.johnmwhiddonauthor.com, and on Amazon.
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