In the Author Spotlight ...
Robert Siqveland, Author of
The Wilderness of Time

 

 

The ambiguous chasm that separates justice from the law affects our lives constantly, more so than we are probably willing to admit. In his new book The Wilderness of Time, author Robert Siqveland explores the ever widening gap between justice and the law.

On February 12 of 2008, Mickey McNamara, 65, a home town hero and beloved friend, strangles his high school sweetheart. His confession initiates a murder charge from the County Attorney, one hidden in a 50 year old vendetta. Lieutenant Sean O’Dell, Mickey’s oldest friend, investigates, only to discover that the woman was a serial killer since high school. O’Dell plants evidence to save his friend. Tribulation, trepidation, a trial, and the truth reveal a 50 year old lie. Follow the converging paths from a double homicide in 1961 through the verdict, and then the truth. You decide if justice is served.

Bob says. "There are fundamental and universal truths that one faces every day, emanating from classic conflicts between justice and the law, conscience and the law, the subtlety of innocence versus the law, and innocence versus evil. In the end, they are mostly interpretive, and each of us ultimately must own our interpretations and the behaviors they spawn."

Even though the book is fiction, the experiences the characters go through are based in fact. "Subconsciously, fiction and nonfiction are often Siamese twins," Bob explains. "The characters represent the author’s opinions and experience. I write about things I feel strongly about and I try to create a character that feels that same way. It's hard to separate reality from perception."

The Wilderness of Time is not Bob's first journey into the world of writing. "My first book, The Immaculate Erection, was truly a stream of consciousness statement. It may have lacked editing and structure, but it was a fun trip in the tale of baby boomers coming of age. The Wilderness of Time is a little more professional," he says. "I felt that there was a story that, to a great degree, reflected my opinions about the gap between justice and the law. Yours may differ, but I guarantee you have opinions about that theme."

Bob writes between 9:00 PM and midnight with a full work schedule during the day. “It’s a discipline that I enjoy.”

Bob graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1967. Married with three children, he is currently involved in the gaming industry and lives in Northern Minnesota. He enjoys music and painting. Bob is currently working on a third book, Pocket Full of Wry, a follow up to The Wilderness of Time.