Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is A J West but outside the book world I’m Joe. But I’ll go with A J West. I began writing in high school, but I lost all the books I had written, which were about fifty short books of about 10,000 words each. I got back to writing in 2015, more than 20 years later! But I always loved it, always.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Stalker Ex. It was inspired by somebody who seems to imagine that she’s my ex but I have no idea when we had any romantic connections between us.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. Sometimes an idea comes when I’m on the road and I have to rush back home or to my office and write it down before I forget it. I also edit as I write and ensure that no much further editing is required. I just like to do things right the first time. My fingers are slower than my brain and many times my brain has to wait for the fingers to type the next three paragraphs that my mind knows need to be typed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a child, Enid Blyton was a great influence. Then there was Mark Twain. There were also kids’ series, especially the 3 Investigators and the Hardy Boys. While I was a high school student my sister tried to get me reading romances, but they were too girlish for me. By the time I finished high school and lost my list of books read, I had read over 400 books. Then, one day I read an author named Hadley Chase and I graduated to ”adult” books, and began to read the Executioner and some Louis L’amour westerns. Then I moved on to Ludlum, Grisham, Heyer, Sheldon among others. I’d say Blyton, Twain and Grisham played a big part in shaping me as an author.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the draft of a children’s series and working on republishing some ebooks I had unpublished for some update purposes. They include ”Secrets and Blackmail” and ”One Dark Night.”
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I prefer promo sites or groups where I can interact with readers and authors.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
It takes time to grow as an author, except for a very lucky few. If your book doesn’t take off from the start, be patient, keep writing and find out ways to market your book by joining authors’ forums and reading about book marketing on the internet.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. Keep growing. Don’t give up. Don’t write for the money. Write because you like what you do. Don’t expect miracles all the way.
What are you reading now?
Sometimes I read 3 books at the same time. I’m reading The Whistler by Grisham, Lee Child’s book 1, and Crazy is my Superpower.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to write faster from now on. It requires discipline. Sometimes I shelve a book for a month before continuing to write. I think a habit of 2,000 words a day is good enough. Please also note that my author page is in the process of being changed to A J West. I once used the name J W Hunter but never changed the name when I stopped using it.
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?
Catch 22, The Client, Huckleberry Finn, The Golden Rendezvous
Author Websites and Profiles
A J West Amazon Profile
A J West’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account