Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer by nature, which necessarily means that I like spending a lot of time locked up with my thoughts to put down on paper. Some people would think this lifestyle is boring. Some people might be right. I am also an outdoors-man, a handy man, and home brewer. I dabble in music and art, and am highly accomplished at video and film making. So far I have published 17 titles on Amazon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lie and Odor is a spoof of “Law and Order.” It is based on a comedy script I wrote in high school and polished over the years. The original story used The Streets of San Francisco as the template, but I was afraid nobody would remember that show, so I incorporated it into something more familiar to the modern audiences.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually don’t get dressed when I write, and then when I do get dressed, it’s time to go to work.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think almost every author I’ve ever read has influenced me to some extent or another. I like Tom Robbins for being non-conformist, and Douglas Adams for being just plain silly. Kurt Vonnegut also had a unique voice that set him apart from his peers. Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck gave their stories power. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller was a brilliant example of non-linear storytelling and a wonderful dark comedy.
What are you working on now?
“So Help Me God,” a tragedy about toxic leadership in the military. The story was by a very dear friend, N.R. Mahan, who succumbed to PTSD a few weeks ago. She gave me another story the day before she died.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Book promotion is not something I have great luck at. Sometimes I hit the key times, other books completely fail to sell. Awesome Gang has been my best success so far.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and never stop. If you are blocked by one story, put that on the back burner and work on another one. The more you create, the more creative you become.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always give your characters something to do. I think Vonnegut said it best when he wrote, “Make every character want something, even if it’s only a glass of water.”
What are you reading now?
Irish Fireside Stories, by various authors. Research for my mid-grade reader books on fairies.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m moving to San Antonio in a few weeks, and I will have internet and new experiences. I am an experience junkie!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A King James Bible, because I would be praying a lot while stranded on a desert island, and it has more stories in it than any other anthology I know. An old Sears-Roebuck catalog, for personal hygiene. The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, because I like to laugh. And of course, a diary, or notebook, or some blank paper to keep writing my own stories, even if I will never have an audience to share them.
Author Websites and Profiles
Toby Mc Amazon Profile