Volker G. Fremuth's Blog

Volker G. Fremuth

Volker G. Fremuth (born in Germany) is an American author, filmmaker, marketing executive, and commercial artist best known for his speculative techno-thrillers, including The Workshop (2014) and Nachash’s Narrative (2019), which explore themes of corporate satire, surveillance, and biblical allegories.[1] Now residing in Western Michigan, Fremuth has built a multifaceted career that spans creative and professional domains, earning recognition as an Amazon Best Selling Author for his blend of imaginative storytelling and real-world business insights.[2] Fremuth’s professional journey includes senior marketing roles, such as Senior Director of Marketing at Knape & Vogt Manufacturing Company, where he applied his expertise in strategic communications, digital modernization, and product commercialization across global markets.[2] As a well-traveled individual who grew up in Europe before establishing himself in the United States, he draws on diverse experiences to inform his work as a commercial artist and filmmaker, often examining questions about human nature in modern technological and corporate contexts.[1] His novels, published through outlets like MindStir Media, have garnered attention for their innovative narratives that critique contemporary society while incorporating allegorical elements, solidifying his reputation in speculative fiction.

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I am a published novelist exploring the intersection of power, technology, ideology, and human agency through speculative and philosophical fiction. Drawing on decades of experience in marketing, systems thinking, and organizational behavior, my work examines how narratives, institutions, and incentives quietly reshape belief and behavior. Author of The Workshop and Nachash’s Narrative, novels that trace how systems of authority evolve into mechanisms of control. My current work, Dreams and Dissension, expands these themes into more explicitly philosophical and political terrain, exploring reason, dissent, and societal fragility in technologically mediated cultures. Through all my novels, I examines a single enduring question: What happens to a society when truth is perverted, information morphs into a tool of power—and freedom becomes a story people are taught to forget?

In many interviews and discussions I’ve asked people to consider a world where Santa Clause is real. A world where lore becomes our history, what we now consider the fantasy become the facts, the magic associated with that fantasy becomes the resources of the entity we know as Santa Clause and his knowledge becomes this entity’s technology and sanctioned right of espionage.  Now that fanciful and endearing legend takes on a sinister twist when forced to fit the mold of this cold, hard reality. Those are the themes behind my first novel “The Workshop” and we see these more and more in our daily lives.

It becomes scary very quickly.

Why? Simple… corruption and predation are a natural result of the access to ultimate power and money. In my book the company, also known as the Workshop, offers its service at the pleasure of the people who, due to their own desires for it, become the unwitting pawns in a game of power, politics, exploitation, and greed. This is apparent in many facets of our lives today. As various entities wield more and more power they will corrupt.

Whether this is the result of a government that consolidates power via legislation or a company that has access to every thing we see and read; (sound familiar?) they will abuse that power. Even if their intentions are initially virtuous they will corrupt eventually.

Hence my quote from the book:

The key is to make certain we recognize when it is happening. Those that are the benefits of these practices will not announce themselves. it will all be about:

Doing the right thing for the people
Lifting up the downtrodden
Making life more convenient

It is in fact almost always about consolidating power.

As Mencken said:

With that in mind I leave you with one last quote from my book, “The Workshop”:

 

http://www.volkerfremuth.com/my-interview-by-fiona-mcvie/

 

Recently, I had the privilege to be interviewed by Fiona Mcvie. Fiona is the proprietor and blogger of Author Interviews. I thought I would share it here.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Volker: Volker Fremuth and I’ve currently 56 solar orbits under my belt.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Volker: I was born in Germany and have lived in several countries and landed in the North-eastern United States in the 70s.

 

Fiona: A little about yourself (i.e, your education, family life, etc.).

Volker: I grew up in Europe before moving to Connecticut. A family of three children my younger brother and my mother still live in Connecticut as do my wife and I. Albeit at opposite ends of the state. Education… well some of my educational highlights are a woodcarving apprenticeship in the Black Forest to a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, as well as studying business at the MIT Enterprise Forum and the graduate program at Rensselaer. So, my training is both in visual arts and the world of business. Both have some roots in the creative though the latter is often hard to see.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Volker: In the beginning of June 2019, I launched my latest book, ‘Nachash’s Narrative’. This was my second novel and I’m happy to say it hit the number one spot on Amazon in the sub-category of ‘Contagious Diseases’. Honestly, I had no idea there was such a category but if you read the book you’ll understand why my publisher and Amazon felt this was a good classification. It was also a number one new release in the same category. My first novel ‘The Workshop’, though it got a fair amount of praise from its readers, never got this kind of attention.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Volker: This is an interesting question, as I never intended to be a writer. I started in advertising and design. I took a role as a creative director early in my career and found myself copy writing by necessity. As I progressed into corporate marketing, communications and business, I was writing headlines, slogans, advertising copy, press releases, business articles and white papers. Consequently, the creative writing of this type of fiction seemed to be a natural melding of my love of literature and history, my experience, my interests and my continued pursuit of creative expression. I published my first novel in 2014.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Volker: As a follow up to my last answer, I’m not sure. I suppose I have always been a writer but it wasn’t an identifier. I’d introduce myself as a marketing or business professional, sometimes as an artist or even as a pilot but only now with two novels completed and writing my third do I actively call myself a writer or author.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Volker: I talk about this in the forward of my first novel ‘The Workshop’. The concept of the story had been winding through the passages in my mind for some time, a long time. It was a fanciful “what if” question, a playful ruse, spawned from a brief conversation with a friend as a teenager. My cynical answer to him at that time remained with me. As I grew older the concept became even more interesting and sophisticated. Eventually I felt compelled to put it to paper and drew on my own experience, knowledge, and research. It should be noted that all of the technological, social, economic, and political activities and history are based in fact and manipulated only to help drive the narrative.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Volker: Interesting question. My first novel ‘The Workshop’ was the nickname of my fictional corporation which mimics the lore its based on, Santa’s Workshop, but I attempted to make it sound more serious as that’s the attitude of the novel. To my frustration, I found that the title was too generic and would make it difficult for readers interested in my book to find it, especially in this modern world of internet searches. Lessons learned. So, as my second book was called ‘The Narrative’ for most of its writing, which was appropriate, I remembered the issue of a generic title and wanted to work with the content of the book to make it more unique. Nachash, the name of the snake in the Garden of Eden, highlighted the orientation of the misinformation, manipulation and the malevolent, maliciousness of the narrative being constructed without suggesting who is actually the beneficiary of it. There are multiple agendas and multiple characters building a narrative for their purposes in the book. Oh, and I liked the alliteration for the title as ‘Nachash’s Narrative’.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Volker: I am, and will always be, visually driven, creatively. Consequently, my writing is done largely as a description of what I was seeing in my mind’s eye. As my characters go through the action of the storyline, I feel as though I am chronicling their experience, seeing it as it happens. This is perhaps why I have heard more than a few times, “this would make a great movie” because this is in effect how I experienced it. What’s challenging about this is that I have to be careful not to over describe or visually indulge myself when brevity is the more effective option in a particular passage.

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Volker: I suppose I identify with Jason, the main character of my novel ‘The Workshop’, who is a bit of a workaholic driven by the pursuits of the corporate machine which occupies too much of his time. In ‘Nachash’s Narrative’ both the protagonists and antagonists are mostly fictional. Still, in both books some of the characters and events are based on real people, real history or real events but these are carefully intertwined into the fictional aspects of the story. I have been accused of being too predictive as the things that I describe in the novels have a way of becoming actual news stories.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Volker: I have travelled extensively which has shaped the locations and details of my chosen storylines but I’ve never taken a trip just for that purpose.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Volker: My publisher is MindStir Media, their design department took the first stabs at the covers of both novels but as I am a trained commercial artist I did do some of the mock-up work and heavy-handedly reshaped the art to my liking. I’m happy they were so willing to indulge me in the process.

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Volker: I want my readers to be entertained first and foremost, both intellectually and emotionally. Beyond that, I hope I can get my audience to more actively consider their world, their government and think about where we as a society are going.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favourite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

Volker: Throughout my life I have a tendency to lean toward the some of the classic SciFi writers like Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells and fantasy by Tolkien and Lewis. These have always been my favorites. Later in my life I connected to the dystopian musings of Orwell and Ayn Rand. These still shape my tastes. As far as new authors are concerned Michael Crichton and Dan Brown, if these qualify, and I recently read the 2004 novel ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell which I really enjoyed and will look into more of his work. My wife got me reading J. K. Rowling so that satisfied my desire to read fantasy. I also read a fair amount of non-fiction on science, history and politics.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Volker: Ironically my family seemed to be surprised I am capable of stringing two sentences together, much less write a book. So, I’m not sure if that counts as support. Still, in yet another ironic twist, considering how cynically I treat politics and politicians in both my novels, I have a few friends who are part of a closely-knit group of state politicians who have taken an interest in my writing. Loosely connected to this group is one of our former State Senators, who gave his time to write the foreword to my novel, ‘Nachash’s Narrative’.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Volker: Writing has always been a demand of my “day job” but to write novels full time would require a much larger audience. Those who have read my books to-date seem to like them and, as such, it’s a path I’d like to pursue.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Volker: With the writing of both books I’ve learned a lot. So, I would feel compelled to make changes based on these learnings. However, I think I would just as soon take these lessons and apply them to my next work.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Volker: Yes, I know I did and though I’m not sure of all the lessons learned… yet. I will be applying it all to my next work.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Volker: That’s a tough question as I didn’t have anyone in particular in mind for each of the lead characters. I really don’t want to influence the image that is formulated in my readers’ minds’ eyes. I think it takes some of the magic of the storytelling away when a reader enters a book with a preconceived notion of what the character is like beyond that of the description within the writing. I’ll have to readdress this when I’m asked to develop the screenplay for one of my books. I’m open to offers, Hollywood!

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Volker: The writing community would likely be better served in offering me advice rather than my giving it but I would say, let your passion show. Write based on how and what you want to write rather than try to fit into conventions or preconceived notions.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Volker: Look for some very esoteric Easter eggs in my latest novel, ‘Nachash’s Narrative’. I’d be curious if anyone but me can find them.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Volker: It might seem a little out of character but I’m about to embark on a book by Peggy Rowe, called ‘About My Mother’, currently I’m reading Scott Adams’s book ‘Win Bigly’.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Volker: I don’t really remember my first book but having grown up in Germany, I know one of the first was ‘Max und Moritz’ by Wilhelm Busch.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Volker: Hopefully the aforementioned book by Peggy Rowe.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Volker: Due to the breadth of their historical and scientific contributions, artistic prowess, inventiveness and intellect; I would love to meet with either Leonardo da Vinci or Benjamin Franklin. No doubt, taking time with either would change me in some truly profound manner. Being asked to choose just one, I suppose I would have to go with Benjamin Franklin given the current state of affairs and the orientation of my writing.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Volker: I have many interests. I have a pilot’s license and love to fly. My wife and I horseback ride, garden and hike. I have a passion for art, science, technology, history and politics, all are distractions and contributions to my writing.

 

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Volker: Science fiction, historical/period films and fantasy tend to dominate my movie going. Television is really limited to news and documentaries with a little comedy peppered in. There are few TV shows I consistently watch.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Volker: Foods: smoked, grilled and pickled. I love spicy foods. Colors: it depends on the usage and what other colors are present. I suppose I lean blue. Music: Alternative, Punk, Rock, Jazz, Folk and Classical music; I’m less of a fan of Southern-Rock, Country and Rap.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Volker: Read.

 

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Volker: Eat! Yeah… okay, let me elaborate on that; eat, drink and be merry, with friends and family. Then in the last hour, assuming the timing allows, find a breathtaking sunset and watch it slip away as I take my last breath.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Volker: “Read My Book!”

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Volker: I am well represented on social media and on various author pages and my own website:

Web: www.nachashsnarrative.com

www.theworkshopbook.com

www.volkerfremuth.com

 

Social Media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWorkshopBook

www.facebook.com/NachashsNarrative

www.facebook.com/VolkerFremuthAuthor

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC5TZD_RP0vJN0Jwm-IohdRQ

Twitter: www.twitter.com/VolkerFremuth

MeWe: www.mewe.com/p/volkerg.fremuth-author

 

Author Sites

Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/volkerfremuth

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8298560.Volker_G_Fremuth

LibraryThing: www.librarything.com/author/fremuthvolkerg

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/volker-g-fremuth

Authorsdb: www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/23154-volker-fremuth

I was so very honored to have had Joe Markley write the foreword to my book. It means a great deal to have such a force in the fight for individual freedom lend his time!

“

“In “Nachash’s Narrative”, Volker identifies the evils which undermine our great institutions of government, law enforcement, and the press.  Yet for all its insight, the book is a page-turner, carried by its engaging characters, effective pacing, and striking situations.  And it is a story based on the conviction that honest and heroic individuals can and must challenge complex conspiracies and entrenched powers. You hold an exceptional book in your hands: broad in scope, deep in discernment, shot through with drama.  You will finish it sorry to leave the interesting people and complex world Volker Fremuth has created—but better prepared for the reality we confront.”

–Connecticut State Senator Joe Markley

Thank you again, Joe! “Nachash’s Narrative” is now a #1 Amazon Best Seller.

Volker Fremuth’s “Nachash’s Narrative”
becomes #1 Amazon Best Seller

Nachash’s Narrative,
a novel by Volker G. Fremuth, is now officially a #1 Amazon Best Seller. The
book hit
#1 in the Contagious Diseases bestseller category on Amazon.
It’s also the #1 Hot New Release in the same category.

From the back cover: After the gruesome
death of a woman gets the attention of a shadowy federal task force, Washington
DC Police Officer Leroy MacRay and Newspaper Reporter Rebecca Glendale felt
compelled to dig deeper into the incident. Known affectionately as Officer Mac
in the community he serves, the metro police officer and the ambitious young
reporter find themselves tangled in the web of a narrative designed to disguise
an abyss of corruption and coverup, manipulation and murder and a hidden agenda
of greed, exploitation, power and politics. But who is truly in control of the
script?



From the ivory towers of Washington DC to the
disenfranchised, disillusioned and down trodden, “Nachash’s
Narrative” explores how easily the populous can be misled, manipulated,
poisoned and weaponized at the whims of the serpent’s tongue.



An exciting and fast-paced read, “Nachash’s
Narrative” exposes the sinister side of today’s political and
multimedia-fed environment.

Nachash’s Narrative is
available as a paperback through Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com,
BooksAMillion.com and other fine booksellers throughout the world for $14.99
(SRP). Wholesale orders can be placed through Ingram. The ebook is available
for Kindle and Kindle reading apps for $2.99.

About
Author Volker G. Fremuth:

Born in Germany and well-travelled, Volker Fremuth grew up in Europe
before moving to Connecticut where he demonstrated his creative talents. His
training ranges from a woodcarving apprenticeship in the Black Forest to a BFA
from the Rhode Island School of Design, as well as studying business at the MIT
Enterprise Forum and the graduate program at Rensselaer. But his most valuable
experiences, and thus the material from which springs many of his literary
inspirations, are his years of employment working for a variety of firms from
small businesses to Fortune 100 multinational corporations.



Now an Amazon Best Selling Author, Volker
Fremuth is also an accomplished filmmaker, commercial artist, communications
and marketing professional. Mr. Fremuth has done business across the globe in
both the private and public sectors and it is precisely this combination of
creative prowess and business acumen which was instrumental in his creating a
plausible storyline around a fantastical concept as in his debut novel, “The
Workshop”. 



Holding to some of the themes in his first book,
the author takes a darker turn in his second novel, “Nachash’s Narrative”,
which continues to highlight the author’s fascination with the combination of
power and technology and how it can be leveraged to exploit the people without
their knowledge. This becomes instrumental in the new book’s exploration of the
sinister side of our political and multimedia-fed environment.



Beyond his professional life Volker holds a pilot’s
license and has a passion for art, science, technology, history and politics
which all worked their way into the pages of his writing.

About
Mindstir Media:

Mindstir Media is an
award-winning book publisher headquartered in North Hampton, NH. Mindstir offers
professional book publishing and PR services for books in various genres. For
info call 800-767-0531 or visit http://www.mindstirmedia.com.

Interview with Volker G. Fremuth Author of The Workshop

 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

This is an interesting question, as I never intended to be a writer. I started in advertising and design. I took a role as a creative director early in my career and found myself copy writing by necessity. As I progressed into corporate marketing, communications and business, I found myself writing a great deal of copy, press releases and business articles. Consequently the creative writing of this type of fiction seemed to be a natural melding of my love of literature and history, my experience, my interests and my continued pursuit of creative expression.

 

How long does it take you to write a book?

My debut novel “The Workshop” took me about two years to research and write. The concept however has lived with me for many years so one could argue the inspiration for a book being part of the process of molding the storyline is a summation of the years of your life’s experience.

 

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Keeping in mind that I still have a “day job” my writing is largely done on weekends, on airplanes, in hotels as I travel for work and all too often when I cannot sleep. I might suggest a similar schedule to those who read a book.

 

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I am, and will always be, visually driven, creatively. Consequently my writing is done largely as a description of what I was seeing in my mind’s eye. As my characters go through the action of the storyline, I feel as though I am chronicling their experience, seeing it as it happens. This is perhaps why I have heard more than a few times, “this would make a great movie” because this is in effect how I experienced it.

 

How do books get published?

After finishing and tweaking the draft of my book, I sought to find a publisher. It became quickly apparent that most publishers did not want to take any risk in publishing an unproven talent. Indeed, as I have no celebrity credentials nor did I come with a preexisting audience few would even consider reading the manuscript. So I opted to self-publish for both expediency and artistic freedom. I have not regretted going in this direction to date.

 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I suppose I identify with Jason, the main character of my novel “The Workshop”, who is a bit of a workaholic driven by the pursuits of the corporate machine which occupies too much of his time. Still, when I can break free of work and writing, I enjoy working on my house and yard, other creative endeavors in the visual arts and interests ranging from flying to horseback riding.

 

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

When I first started writing “The Workshop”, the concept had been winding through the passages in my mind for some time, a long time. It was a fanciful “what if” question, a playful ruse, spawned from a brief conversation with a friend as a teenager. My cynical answer to him at that time remained with me. As I grew older the concept became even more interesting and sophisticated. Eventually I felt compelled to put it to paper and drew on my own experience, knowledge, and research. It should be noted that all of the technological, social, economic, and political activities and history are based in fact and manipulated only to help drive the narrative.

 

What does your family think of your writing?

My wife is my strongest critic and yet my staunchest supporter. The rest of my family seem to be surprised I can string two sentences together.

 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I can actually write them.

 

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

The audience for my book is still a very small community. That said the different perspective put forth in my book intrigues many. One of the most common comments I hear is “thought provoking”. I am rather humbled and proud of that.

 

Do you like to create books for kids or adults? and Why?

Even as a child I did not relate well to children. I was always more comfortable addressing adults in both concept and conversation. Consequently, my book “The Workshop” and the one I am currently writing are decidedly adult in orientation. That sounds humorless, which is not the case, but I expect that the themes are likely more relevant to an adult audience.

 

What do you think makes a good story?

Good writing can entertain, even draw you in and bring you into the experience, but a truly good story should stay with you when it is done. A good story should leave something of itself behind even when you move on to the next, a thought that made you question the world around you, a perspective that changed your point of view, strengthened a conviction or simply makes you smile when you think back on it.

 

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

The funny thing is that like many children I wanted to be a paleontologist or cosmologist. Simply put, I wanted to be a scientist. Still, it was apparent at a very early age that I would pursue a career in the arts. That path deviated but never truly diverged.

 

Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

Perhaps not the answer one might expect but, as I am a big fan of Tolkien’s writing, my immediate reaction is Sam and Frodo. Though the question implies a romantic relationship it need not be so and though there has been some speculation, I do not believe this was Tolkien intent. Though Tolkien could have explored this relationship in greater depth at times was very this relationship was artfully woven between of professional reverence, subservience, kinship, friendship, antagonistic, sympathetic, mentorship and, the ever modern interpretation, a bromance. As I said my immediate reaction, I would suggest, however, if you asked me this same question tomorrow my answer might be different.

 

Do all authors have to be grammar Nazis?

No, quite on the contrary. I find that the reinterpretation of grammar to better drive the writing can be a very effective tool. There are a tremendous number of grammatical conventions broken in good writing. I submit into evidence William Shakespeare and Mark Twain whose constant twisting of how grammar is used has, indeed, created entirely new conventions. For my own writing in my current project, I allow the dialog of my characters to help define them both socially and economically.

 

Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?

My novel “The Workshop” was reasonably thought through when I started writing it. So I had a rough outline as to where the story would go. I did find it fascinating when the story strayed and I liked that experience. I had once suggested that all I was doing was “reading a story that hadn’t been written yet”. On my current project I set out to allow the story to wander and let the idea take me into whatever direction it wanted to go, but I found I did not make enough headway and went back loosely outlined the story to allow for the structure to guide the writing.

 

What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?

Finding the time. In my case writing is not my primary job and that makes finding the time to write difficult.

 

How important is research to you when writing a book?

It really depends on the genre. In my novel “The Workshop” the fanciful nature of the concept would require a lot of research to allow me to try to make it appear realistic. So I felt making historical, legal, scientific references gave the story credibility and tight research was paramount in getting this accomplished.

 

Have you ever designed your own book cover?

As I am both self-published and have a background in commercial art I did and expect I will always have a major impact on the cover of my books.

 

Do your novels carry a message?

They do, but not one uniform one, I suppose that a reader should draw their own conclusion as to what to think. I am happy if I can spur the conversation and better yet the contemplation of one’s surroundings. The message is not so much of, ‘this what you should think’ but rather ‘what do you think about this?’

In June of 2014 my debut novel ‘The Workshop’ went from being an ethereal and amorphic concept to a physically tangible thing. It had become a published book.

Although ‘The Workshop’ remains a pet project the last year and a half have had an interesting impact on me. The first being the times friends and family now introduce me as a published author an honor I still have trouble bestowing upon myself in a social setting. It is true of course, but it seems strange that this new title now overshadows my business career, if only in identity and not in time or accomplishment. The second is the impact it has on me through others. How people perceive my book, what they think of it and what they find compelling about it. Indeed, as a businessman and a marketer I have pursued those highly coveted reviews. I appreciate every one of them. What I did not recognize that I could also learn from every one of them.

The concept of the story focuses on a playful “what if scenario”, one I have always wanted to develop and think through. However, as I feared the timely relevance of the premise in our world today would be overshadowed by this fanciful notion. That is what I thought, anyway, referring to the backdrop premise of the storyline in vague terms such as the aforementioned “what if scenario”, “the concept”, “a fanciful notion” or “playful ruse”. Yet, it seems many of the reviews I have gotten seem to highlight this element as a reason for accolades, which for me posed the question:

Is it okay to mention the Christmas orientation of the book?

There, I said it!

It makes me a little uncomfortable as I am honored by that fact that the vast majorities of my reviews have been extremely positive but may have miscalculated how the premise might be received prior to the reading of the book.

Now with the Christmas Season upon us, you tell me if this “fanciful twist” on the legend generates interest or turns one off.

The reviews I received on Amazon follow, about 50% of them make reference to the premise I so coyly avoided discussing.

 

 

June 13, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★An engaging and fast paced read

With knowledge comes power! An engaging & fast paced read – with the timely backdrop of the power of big data and whether those in control of that data can be trusted with it. All with a unique twist to a favorite holiday legend. Looking forward to the Mr. Fremuth’s next adventure.

 

June 15, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★Fantastic!!!

This book is an enjoyable summer read. Fast paced with a combination of old world style with high tech technology. Imaginative with a plot so realistic it will leave you wondering… if not yet; then when?

 

July 6, 2014

★★★★★Great read. Love the setting and interesting way of …

Great read. Love the setting and interesting way of weaving the beloved notion of Christmas being anything but innocent. Some parts read so real that you can imagine this really happening in our current major corporations and political arenas. Hope the next book continues with more exposure of greedy people looking for more power.

 

July 8, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★Five Stars

Entertaining, creative and thought provoking…once you start reading it, you won’t want to put it down.

 

July 31, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★ A love interest, murder

I found the Workshop to be an entertaining novel which combines realism and fantasy. It takes you into the world of computer based industrial espionage. A hint of “1984″ bases it in the computerized existence of the world today. Hollywood would have a ball making it into a movie because it contains everything that Hollywood expounds on – quirky location, a love interest, murder, explosions and an opportunity for a sequel.

 

August 4, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★Five Stars

Awesome book can’t put it down!

 

August 24, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★The novel is a thought-provoking missile. One can …

The novel is a thought-provoking missile. One can fantasize how a minuscule electronic chip in an everyday manufactured product can affect the thoughts and desires of an individual or group in today’s electronic dominated society.

 

November 4, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★Loved this book

Loved this book!! Great read!!! I couldn’t put it down. Keeps you interested from beginning until the very end. I loved the “SANTA” angle and how the author takes you through a realistic twist on the Christmas holiday and combining it with industrial espionage. A must read for the upcoming holiday season.

 

November 11, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★A great seasonal read that puts into perspective a commonly thought …

A “what if” plus technology plus human nature takes the audience on an eerie journey that may strike the reader as unnervingly familiar. Short chapters, a creatively perceived location, intrigue and action keep the plot moving. A great seasonal read that puts into perspective a commonly thought of concept that is not commonly thought through. Be careful what you wish for…

 

November 18, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★Santa knows if you’re naughty or nice. He really does!

The Workshop peaks your interest within the first 5 pages. When it reviles the workshop is actually every child’s dream “Santa’s workshop”. Creative spin of corporate America in the business of making toys. The author does a great job of keeping you in suspense with every new character introduced, and how everyone has a crucial role in telling this story. A must read as you take a ride to the North Pole and become consumed in corporate and world politics of one our most magical holiday.

 

December 9, 2014 – The Workshop

★★★★★ Compelling, a must read!

Compelling! This book was a very pleasant surprise. I find that many novels have cliché plots, which was not the case with this book. The Workshop was very thought provoking and easily held my attention. I look forward to reading another book from this author. Highly recommend.

 

January 12, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★A real page-turner that has all the right ingredients of a great read. Amazing work of fiction – or maybe …

 

Suspense, intrigue, fantastical! A real page-turner that has all the right ingredients of a great read. Amazing work of fiction – or maybe truer than any of us would like to admit… You decide…….

 

March 17, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★A Thought Provoking Thriller

The Workshop should be classified as a “Reality Fantasy”. Mr. Fremuth brilliantly entwines a beloved Christmas fantasy with the harsh reality of today’s current events. It leads one to wonder how much we really don’t know about what is going on in the world of technology and espionage. It is a page-turner from the beginning and a disappointment when it ends. I hope there will be a sequel!

 

March 17, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★The Workshop

While it took me a few chapters to buy into the premise I thoroughly enjoyed the read. A few fantastic twists and very well written.

 

April 1, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★Nice job Mr.

I thought this story was going to be all fiction, but…. It really is fiction but it surely could become a reality. Kept me turning pages to see what was going to happen next. The ending really got me. Nice job Mr. Fremuth!! I highly recommend it.

 

May 27, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★What a great Christmas movie this would make!

Contemporary and seasonal! As a less than avid reader, I started this book way back when and finished it this spring, but all along I thought what a great Christmas movie this would make that could serve a few different purposes: teach families the evil that lurks behind the modern technology we all utilize every day, warn people about the insidious nature of Big Government and Big Business when it mixes, and remind us all about how to celebrate the season’s tradition of Santa Claus & his elves. I also recommend this book because the author is able to describe a setting so that the reader can transport themselves into either the wintry weather or the office tension, wherever the action is.

 

June 25, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★That’s what a great story should do

Half way into the first paragraph, I realized the premise of this story and I was hooked. I had no idea, though, what kind of ride I was going to be in for when I picked up this book! What Volker was able to do is, show the completely relevant and legitimate concern we have to have about government’s invasion into our lives. We blindly accept the constant upgrades in technology without understanding the possible consequences. As I read the story, I began to look differently at the world around me. That’s what a great story should do!

 

July 30, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★ This clever twist on a favorite folk legend needed trimming and streamlining

This clever twist on a favorite folk legend needed trimming and streamlining. Though the story was studded with marvelous gems, they were dulled by repetitive narrative. The author’s academic voice was a poor fit for this fun, fanciful, and outrageous tale.

 

August 28, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★Exciting and thought provoking!

A fantastic journey and a real eye-opener! I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single page of this exciting and thought provoking novel. The author has captured our fascination with and reliance upon technology and our constantly “upgraded” devices. He has real insight into human behavior and how easily we are swayed in our thought process. Do you ever feel like someone is telling you how to think and feel? There is a reason for that. We are encouraged to react in a certain way. But to what end?

A brilliant concept using our beloved Christmas holiday as the backdrop for something so nefarious. However, it is only nefarious from our point of view. The masterminds behind this plot only see how they are doing the world a favor. Making us all “good.”

I’m recommending this book to all my friends and family.

 

September 25, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★Who’s watching us?

Even though we all know Santa is a myth, Volker does a great job with this story in making you think that “someone” is watching to see whether we’re naughty or nice. I really liked the way he intertwined this legend in to a real World Corporate scenario. I’m anxious for Volker’s next book.

 

October 25, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★It is such a great story that I could not put it down to …

Warning: It is such a great story that I could not put it down to go to sleep. I had to finish reading the book. I enjoyed the plot, dialogue, character development… everything about the book. I highly recommend it.

 

November 2, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★Amazing!!

A truly amazing and engaging read! Absolutely a must have for those seeking a new book.

 

November 26, 2015 – The Workshop

★★★★★It makes you think.

I was very impressed with this book. It had me from the first chapter and I couldn’t put the book down. It was well written and thought out. Not only were you reading a story but it also made you think about a possible other way of life. It is not you’re typical mystery. I can’t wait for his next book.

http://www.amazon.com/Workshop-Volker-G-Fremuth/dp/099148844X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid&sr

 

Thank you hosts Daria Novak and Frank Vernuccio for allowing me the opportunity to discuss both my novel “The Workshop” and my thoughts regarding its connection to politics, privacy and policy on their radio and television programs!

Intelligent, unapologetically honest and timely programming, it was my honor to participate on the Vernuccio-Novak Report and the American Political Zone.

My Radio debut, I was excited to offer my personal insight and my novel “The Workshop” to a broader audience but I think I have to work on my Radio Personality. 

https://www.spreaker.com/user/stuartvenerradio/vernuccio-novak-report-11-6-15

The American Political Zone afforded me the opportunity to discuss my novel even further. It was a great and compelling conversation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88hYrkIewjA

I was particularly honored by the review by host Daria Novak suggesting the book was worthy of five out of five stars and so much a page turner that she lost sleep due to her inability to put it down. That was quite a compliment.

Volker G. Fremuth Author Interview

Interview with Volker G. Fremuth Author of The Workshop

Q:When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?:

A:This is an interesting question, as I never intended to be a writer. I started in advertising and design. I took a role as a creative director early in my career and found myself copy writing by necessity. As I progressed into corporate marketing, communications and business, I found myself writing a great deal of copy, press releases and business articles. Consequently the creative writing of this type of fiction seemed to be a natural melding of my love of literature and history, my experience, my interests and my continued pursuit of creative expression.

Q:How long does it take you to write a book?:

A:My debut novel “The Workshop” took me about two years to research and write. The concept however has lived with me for many years so one could argue the inspiration for a book being part of the process of molding the storyline is a summation of the years of your life’s experience.

Q:What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?:

A:Keeping in mind that I still have a “day job” my writing is largely done on weekends, on airplanes, in hotels as I travel for work and all too often when I cannot sleep. I might suggest a similar schedule to those who read a book.

Q:What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?:

A:I am, and will always be, visually driven, creatively. Consequently my writing is done largely as a description of what I was seeing in my mind’s eye. As my characters go through the action of the storyline, I feel as though I am chronicling their experience, seeing it as it happens. This is perhaps why I have heard more than a few times, “this would make a great movie” because this is in effect how I experienced it.

Q:How do books get published?:

A:After finishing and tweaking the draft of my book, I sought to find a publisher. It became quickly apparent that most publishers did not want to take any risk in publishing an unproven talent. Indeed, as I have no celebrity credentials nor did I come with a preexisting audience few would even consider reading the manuscript. So I opted to self-publish for both expediency and artistic freedom. I have not regretted going in this direction to date.

Q:What do you like to do when you’re not writing?:

A:I suppose I identify with Jason, the main character of my novel “The Workshop”, who is a bit of a workaholic driven by the pursuits of the corporate machine which occupies too much of his time. Still, when I can break free of work and writing, I enjoy working on my house and yard, other creative endeavors in the visual arts and interests ranging from flying to horseback riding.

Q:Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?:

A:When I first started writing “The Workshop”, the concept had been winding through the passages in my mind for some time, a long time. It was a fanciful “what if” question, a playful ruse, spawned from a brief conversation with a friend as a teenager. My cynical answer to him at that time remained with me. As I grew older the concept became even more interesting and sophisticated. Eventually I felt compelled to put it to paper and drew on my own experience, knowledge, and research. It should be noted that all of the technological, social, economic, and political activities and history are based in fact and manipulated only to help drive the narrative.

Q:What does your family think of your writing?:

A:My wife is my strongest critic and yet my staunchest supporter. The rest of my family seem to be surprised I can string two sentences together.

Q:What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?:

A:That I can actually write them.

Q:Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?:

A:The audience for my book is still a very small community. That said the different perspective put forth in my book intrigues many. One of the most common comments I hear is “thought provoking”. I am rather humbled and proud of that.

Q:Do you like to create books for kids or adults? and Why?:

A:Even as a child I did not relate well to children. I was always more comfortable addressing adults in both concept and conversation. Consequently, my book “The Workshop” and the one I am currently writing are decidedly adult in orientation. That sounds humorless, which is not the case, but I expect that the themes are likely more relevant to an adult audience.

Q:What do you think makes a good story?:

A:Good writing can entertain, even draw you in and bring you into the experience, but a truly good story should stay with you when it is done. A good story should leave something of itself behind even when you move on to the next, a thought that made you question the world around you, a perspective that changed your point of view, strengthened a conviction or simply makes you smile when you think back on it.

Q:As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?:

A:The funny thing is that like many children I wanted to be a paleontologist or cosmologist. Simply put, I wanted to be a scientist. Still, it was apparent at a very early age that I would pursue a career in the arts. That path deviated but never truly diverged.

Connect with Volker G. Fremuth

Website : www.theworkshopbook.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWorkshopBook

About the book:

The novel “The Workshop” centers on protagonist, Jason Pelham, a senior manager whose talents propel him toward the top of the food chain of one of the largest corporations in the world; but with his ascension he becomes aware of the corruption and predation that inherently seems to cast its shadow over even the most virtuous when given access to ultimate power and money. The company, also known as the Workshop, offers its service at the pleasure of the people who, due to their own desires for it, become the unwitting pawns in a game of power, politics, exploitation, and greed.

The concepts behind “The Workshop” asks one to consider lore as history and what the world would look like had it been so. The fanciful and pleasing nature of a legend takes on a new and potentially sinister twist when forced to fit the mold of cold hard reality. What seems fun, exciting, even precious, and endearing may not be so when you replace fantasy with fact, magic with practicality, omnipotence with resources, and knowledge with the technology of espionage. Then, with this adjustment made, consider how the world might react to this new reality. Keeping the story in this new context palpable leads the reader into an environment which exploits the conundrum that comes when faced with power and knowledge, its practical application, the morality of doing so, and how to protect the populace from those who would seek to abuse it if they could.

Click to purchase your copy of The Workshop.