Can you tell us a little about the process of getting this book published? How did you come up with the idea and how did you start? I was actually pissed at my ex and the armies of people doing things that seemed superficial to me and called it spiritual. That was the idea. But eventually the drive of anger gave way to compassion and I realized that even if feeling out of control. My idea of mansplaining my way through the book gave way to a quest to understand the world from a feminine perspective. I had made friends at many writing conferences and found an independent publisher that worked for me.
What surprised you most about getting your book published? I am serious when I say that not much surprises me.
Tell us a little about what you do when you aren’t writing I like to slave away doing remodeling myself and saving a buck while destroying the integrity of my vertebrae. I go to Mexico and see pyramids. I’ve always been a gardener, like anything that takes me out of my comfort zone. Most of my spare time goes to researching my topics, I essentially create a work environment wherever I go. The rest is all for my daughter.
As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life? When I realized that I better get better if this is all I want to do. But I have a better imagination than spare time or hand dexterity.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is? I believe in a spirit and spirits. I do get high on coffee that seems to help instigate rebellion and passion in my spirit. No one can stare at a computer screen that long, but seriously if you’re not an Atheist then you probably are afraid of death. So you lean to a reason for the seasons and I tend to feel that I have a message of the sort. Plus, I wrote War in the Hearts of Men following signs and guides along the way with no idea exactly where my next adventure might lead and it always did. That to me was miraculous.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? The person that said, “ What is this New age, no one will buy this.” We are now great friends because I chose to embrace her criticism after being crushed. I worked really hard to make it not be that book she described. Also, because I chose to take her advice and I had her critique it in great length. In the process she encouraged a last minute change that dug deeper. So deep that I was diagnosed with PTSD for my military service. She happened to be a psychiatric nurse before a writer. I truly believe that since I chose to face my fears of rejection and gently challenged them, that the toughest criticism was the best.
In contrast, no one needs to be beat up over motivation.
What has been your best accomplishment as a writer? I have yet to accomplish it yet, since I am inspired to be better tomorrow.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Just a sci fi with more chops than a Jackie Chan movie. Oh yeah, another one that I still may write…
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Learn more about War in the Hearts of Men
In War in the Hearts of Men, Eli Coberly details his lifelong quest to understand the Maya culture and its impact on the present. The author shares his discovery of the artistry of stone-carved symbols on the heels of his extensive travels to both Central and South America. In this intimate and inspirational text, Coberly contrasts contemporary life with the past as he explores spiritual rituals that formed the framework of the ancient Maya culture. War in the Hearts of Men, which identifies and interprets the historical ideologies that suppressed the feminine, displayed the cultural imbalances caused by rampant colonialism, and resulted in the subjugation of Native populations over many centuries, furthers the journey toward enlightenment sought by those wise enough to learn from the past.
What the readers are saying about War in the Hearts of Men
“Eli Coberly has written a gripping account of his struggle with the contemporary confusion called masculine identity. It is a heroic journey that has insights for other men in search of redemption.” —Jonathan Young, Ph.D., psychologist and founding curator of the Joseph Campbell Archives
“Weaving together ancient history and present-day crises, Eli Coberly reveals the meaning of early symbols as he makes a strong case for balancing many centuries of toxic masculinity with a return to the divine feminine.” —Richard Salva, author of Blessed Lanfranc: The Past Life of Swami Sri Yukteswar, Guru of Paramhansa Yogananda
Purchase War in the Hearts of Men on Amazon
