An Interview with Russell Gerney

Russell Gerney is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and the Duquesne University School of Law. He has published two novels, Eighty Hours and To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. He has also had the poem Dreams of the Beach published in Scribeworth magazine.

He is married and has two children and two cats. When he isn’t writing, he practices law in Pennsylvania and Ohio as well as multiple Federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

It’s taken from Shakespeare. It fit the themes of the book.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Ronaldo did a great job. I was very pleased.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve been in the hospitality industry (both restaurants and hotels) and I worked as a substance abuse counsel before becoming an attorney.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

This is my second novel. It was different when this one was finished. The first one there was a much exaltation. This was a feeling of satisfaction. Of accomplishment.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

(Ghost) Riders in the Sky by The Outlaws

Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope they enjoy it. My goal was to create a strong male figure who was also thoughtful and spiritual.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I have two more Stephen Jackson novels that I’m working on. One is ready for final revision and the second is still being written.

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