Interview with author Brian Rouff
Conducted by: Charlene Austin

Char: Brian, Dice Angel is certainly a witty look at Las Vegas and its unique lifestyle, but it is much more. Tell us about Dice Angel.

Brian Rouff: Most books and movies about Las Vegas are written by outsiders and take place only on the Strip. I've lived here for 23 years and wanted to capture the Las Vegas that I know, warts and all. I understand that most of us have a love/hate relationship with the city. We love the energy and the entrepreneurial spirit, but we hate the traffic, the pollution, the corruption, the crime, basically all the by-products of a boomtown. I tried to give locals something they could relate to, while making visitors feel like Vegas insiders.

Beyond that, I had some things I wanted to say about gambling and karma and the nature of luck, so I created my main character, Jimmy Delaney (also known as "Jimmy D"), as a regular guy on a downward spiral. Some of it's his own fault and some of it isn't, but the bottom line is he's going to lose something that means the world to him. Ultimately, he has to make choices that go against his basic nature and fly in the face of his personal demons. I hate to make it sound too serious, though, because Jimmy's got a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor, and he's surrounded by an eccentric cast of characters that keeps things from getting depressing.

Char: Your characters are so real and believable. Amaris, the Dice Angel, is wonderful and I just have to ask a Vegas insiders question, did you talk to Dr. Moody? What research and resources helped to create the realism and spice in this story?

Rouff (laughing): I never talked to Dr. Moody, but many of the characters and situations are based, however loosely, on actual people and events. Obviously, this town provides a wealth of material if you just keep your eyes open. The idea for Amaris came from a classified ad in Las Vegas CityLife, one of our alternative weeklies. A woman named Julie claimed to be able to bring people luck at craps. I couldn't stop thinking about it; about how desperate somebody would have to be to hire a person like that. Jimmy Delaney is a composite; he's partly based on a friend of mine in Henderson who really owns a bar, and partly on a business associate who runs a print shop in Vegas. Both of them have that cocky Irish attitude, although Jimmy's smart-aleck comments are mostly my own. Pete, the homeless ex-stockbroker, also comes from a real life experience. Years ago, I gave a ride to a homeless guy (I'm a notorious soft touch, much to the chagrin of my wife) who gave me a stock tip. I never took his advice, but the stock turned out to be IGT. It was selling for something like $3.00 a share at the time. Since then, it's gone through the roof. If I'd bought a thousand shares, I could retire by now.

I also took particular care to get the gambling scenes right. Nothing ruins a book or movie for me faster than inaccuracies in craps or blackjack, like when a character touches the dice with both hands. The dealer would warn you once, then you'd be asked to leave the table. When I first moved to town, I gambled quite a bit (until I figured out I couldn't beat them), so much of that comes from my personal experiences.

Char: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? What authors have most influenced your desire to write and your writing?

Rouff: Even in school, writing was pretty easy for me. (Math, on the other hand, was impossible. Must be a left-brain, right-brain thing.) In college, I majored in communications and minored in journalism, so that helped me polish my skills. In real life, I've been in the ad biz for more than 20 years; during that time, I've probably written a thousand radio and TV spots, brochures, newsletters, etc. It all helps. Like most people, I always thought I had a novel or two in me, but never had the time or energy until recently. Now that my kids are grown, things have settled down a bit and I've been able to find the time to write. It's been a very satisfying experience.

My tastes in books are fairly mainstream, not very literary. I enjoy fast-paced writing with realistic dialogue. Elmore Leonard is a master at this, and he always uses local color to its full effect, whether his story is based in Detroit, Miami, or wherever. Speaking of Miami, I also enjoy Carl Hiaasen for his oddball characters and quirky sensibilities. Tom Robbins has always been another favorite of mine. His style is very distinctive and, of course, his characters are always way out in left field. When I was younger, I devoured all of the Travis McGee books by John D. McDonald, and I guess some of that rubbed off on me, as well. My wife introduced me to Ann Tyler a number of years ago, and I've become a big fan. I think Accidental Tourist is a perfectly written book; the characters are complex and believable and weird, and they're capable of throwing you a curve at any time, just like in real life.

Char: The cover art, binding, paper quality and the writing in Dice Angel is superior to some, if not most of the mass market books I have recently read. Did you market Dice Angel to agents and major publishing houses? What made you decide to self publish? What advice, tips, or hints do you have for aspiring authors for ensuring this same quality, it they use alternative publishing?

Rouff: I wandered through the traditional publishing jungle for a couple of years before deciding to take myself out of the game. I came tantalizingly close to getting published, only to see my chances evaporate at the last minute, for various reasons. Successful writers like Rowling, Grafton and Albom were turned down hundreds of times before hitting it big, so I just figured the publishers don't know everything. They claim to be looking for new talent, but the economic reality is they just keep recycling the same old brand names.

I've also had three different agents, none of whom were worth a darn. A writer friend once told me that a bad agent is worse than no agent, and I believe him. All of my experiences were frustrating yet educational. I believed in the book and decided I'd better do it myself. Luckily, I had made some valuable contacts and hired people in the industry to do a little moonlighting on my behalf. My editor, layout person and graphic artist all come from the world of traditional publishing. I'm glad to hear you say they did a good job, because I wanted the quality to be comparable to anything you'd see in a bookstore.

Anybody who decides to go the self-publishing route should be a stickler for quality. Find an editor who can zero in on characterization, theme, structure, all the important stuff; not just grammar and spelling. Pay a little extra for dynamic cover art. Assemble the best possible team, because it's your name that's on the book.

Char: Dice Angel has sold over 12,000 copies and has some high rankings on Amazon. Will you share with us how that came about, and some of the strategies you have used to gain these sales and rankings?

Rouff: In many ways, writing is the easy part, promotion is the hard part. As somebody once said, "It's a marathon, not a sprint." I've used two strategies to help boost sales.

First, I've tried to be highly visible here in Las Vegas. After all, I'm a local author writing about local things. Where better to establish a strong foothold? Over the last eighteen months, I've appeared at book festivals and fairs, writer's groups, library gatherings, book clubs, chambers of commerce, Rotary Clubs, college classes, essentially anyone who will have me. If three aspiring writers want me to come to their house for coffee and Danish, I'm there.

I've also given out hundreds of review copies to newspapers, magazines, independent book reviewers, TV and radio stations, famous people, etc. You never know when somebody's going to fall in love with your book. John L. Smith, a popular columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was the first to give me a nice review; I saw an immediate spike in sales. Then, I reprinted it and used it in my press kit, along with blurbs from other reviewers. It definitely adds credibility.

The Web is also a fantastic resource for self-published authors. It really levels the playing field. Used properly, an unknown like myself can be all over the place. Google and other search engines help me find web reviewers, e-zines, book clubs and the like; I e-mail them and ask if they'd like a complimentary review copy. Over a period of time, I've received dozens of favorable reviews, which usually link directly to Amazon. That way, a person can buy my book immediately after they've read the review.

Speaking of Amazon, I find them to be incredibly savvy marketers. Even though they take a hefty cut, I feel they're worth it. Potential buyers don't necessarily remember my name, but they know Amazon. My section has a book excerpt, editorial and reader reviews, sales rankings and ratings; plus, Amazon usually bundles Dice Angel with a similar, more popular Vegas or gambling book at a reduced price. I know that if people come to my section, there's a good chance they'll buy. Amazon has also done a good job of creating an on-line book lover's community. Many of their amateur reviewers have become celebrities in their own right. About half of them post their e-mail addresses, so I contact them and try to hustle up reviews and blurbs. Quite a few of them have been receptive. Again, every little bit helps.

Char: I enjoyed Dice Angel. When can I expect a new release from Brian Rouff? What are your future goals and plans for your writing career?

Rouff: The downside of all this book promotion is that I have less time to write. Still, I've been stealing the time when I can. The big project this year has been a Dice Angel screenplay. I just finished the fifth and, hopefully, final draft. I've got an agent in Hollywood shopping it around and he's getting some bites.

Keep your fingers crossed and send happy thoughts out West. I'm also polishing up an unpublished manuscript that I had written before Dice Angel. The middle needs some work, but I think I'm on the right track. After that, I have a couple of other ideas I'm eager to get started on, including a Jimmy Delaney sequel.

My ultimate goal would be to make enough money as a writer to give up my day job. Isn't that what we all want, to be able to do what we love?

Char: What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors?

Rouff: Write from the heart, be as honest as possible, don't censor yourself. And don't try to figure out what the market wants. If you write something that's meaningful to you, it will resonate with other people, too. You'll find your audience.

Also, don't let the bastards get you down. I just figure that nobody knows anything. Just keep plugging away. Never give up. Write for the sheer love of writing. Keep learning your craft. Good things will happen.

Char: Brian, thank you for taking the time to share with us.

Rouff: My pleasure. I appreciate the opportunity.

Review of Dice Angel
By: Brian Rouff

"Losing streaks in Las Vegas can be the worst in the world."

Jimmy Delaney, owner of Jimmy D’s saloon and supper club is on a big one. His cranky ex-wife is no "Joy." His insurance is only going to cover a fraction of the loss when the bar top slots at Jimmy D’s are burglarized. His ex-brother-in-law, Mormon Bishop, accountant, Owen, has disappeared—with all the money in his bank accounts. His checks are bouncing. His credit cards are being declined. And when he goes to the bank for a loan he is out of luck; because, Owen took the money for the tax payments too. Now he has two weeks to come up with over $50,000 or lose Jimmy D’s.

When Pete, the homeless man he often feeds at the bar, handed him a crumpled, dirty, business card for the Dice Angel, Jimmy slipped it in his wallet to humor the old man. He certainly had no intention of using it. But he’s hocked everything he can think of, he’s drunk and he’s desperate. Is the kinky star charting, chanting, Amaris really a Dice Angel? Or is she just another Vegas con artist?

Brain Rouff’s clever, witty, writing style captures the real Las Vegas. The glamour and glitz, grit and sand, excitement and everyday boredom of its unique lifestyle. His characters are people I know, see, and pass on the streets as I dodge the "Nevada state bush," those darn orange construction cones that decorate the streets.

Dice Angel’s twists and turns will whip and toss and thrill you like the roller coaster ride at the New York,New York. It’s a stay up all night, edge of the seat read right up to the literary, tip you upside down, ending.

Review of “Money Shot”
By: Brian Roff

Double Down Winner! Clever! Witty! Entertaining! The catchwords for Brian Rouff’s “Dice Angel” go double for his new novel, “Money Shot.”

Advertising account executive, Alan Nichols, has just hit the big one in Vegas. Not on the Strip, not on a Mega-Bucks slot on Fremont, not in any of the casinos lining the highways and byways bordering the various communities that make up one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Nope Alan stopped for a Big Fizz—lousy soft drink, but heavy on the carbonation and always good for a burp to settle the stomach after a lousy, boring meeting. He promptly tosses the “You Win” bottle cap on the floor of his car.

The bottle cap remains there until he gives, Jason, a co-worker, a ride, and discovers he has won the spot as half time entertainment in Big Fizz’s million dollar promotion at the NCAA Western Region Championship Game in Phoenix. A million dollars! All he has to do is sink a basket, in one shot, from the three point line.

Sure, a middle aged, five-foot nine, Jewish account exec, who hasn’t touched a basketball since high school, whose idea of a good workout is dragging his reluctant, ancient dog on a five-minute daily walk. No problem. Money’s in the bank.

Alan decides to give it his best and goes to his boss to request vacation time to “work on his game.” Twelve years of loyal service is rewarded with a resounding “no.” Well, he has some vacation and final pay coming and Big Fizz is paying fifty thousand as consolation if he misses. Alan walks out and heads for the community rec center to practice. There he meets Angela, an out of work nurse, ex-college basketball star, and hires her as his couch.

He’s keeping secrets from his wife and life partner Pam. His daughter Amy is dragging him around through the horrors of a mall shopping-for-sports-fashions trip. His co-worker Jason has him bungee jumping to allay fears and build confidence. Angela is working him hard—but is it hard enough?

Another cleverly written, tight paced, humorous, insiders look at Las Vegas and its unique lifestyle, with those little literary tidbits that move Brian Rouff’s work into the excellent read category. Brian Rouff’s “Money Shot” is a pick it up, can’t put it down, any readers delight.

Reviewed by: Charlene Austin

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