Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer, songwriter, and singer based in Virginia. I find myself writing books that I’d like to read but haven’t been written yet by someone else. I enjoy writing songs as much as novels and find that they are a wonderful form of flash fiction where an entire story with intense emotion has to be told in just a few words. I’m a student of pop culture and feel like I keep my finger on the pulse of the world, even to a point where invades my own personal life. I’ve written several novels, one of which is in turnaround at a major publisher and may never see the light of day. It’s that frustration with “the system” that has led me to believe that the future of publishing is in the hands of the individual.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest project is what I believe to be the first ever book series accompanied by an original soundtrack both by the same person. The first book in the series is the novella Armstrong Dent and the Edge of Earth that was just released. It will be followed every couple of weeks by nine short stories that lead up to the novel Armstrong Dent and the End of the World as We Know It. I’ve written and recorded an 11-song funk-pop soundtrack with songs inspired by the stories.
The inspiration for the series came from research I was doing on a different novel. I came across a writer named Lester Dent who was the creator and primary author behind the Doc Savage books of the early 20th century. Doc Savage was the original adventurer who inspired Superman and just about everyone else. I fell in love with the concept of pulp fiction style serials and I started meditating and daydreaming about what kind of hero would exist in today’s culture.
In a semi-conscious state of intense meditation, it all hit me like a flash of lightning. In our culture where celebrities are worshiped, a hero today would arise from within that world. America has made heroes out of celebrities. So, I took that concept and created strong-willed positive heroes of super talented people who work their day jobs as entertainers and their second jobs using their unique skills to solve crimes and save the world.
There is a lot of satire in my writing and many little geeky easter eggs that would go totally unnoticed by most people.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I find it super relaxing to write inside busy fast food restaurants. I wrote almost this entire series in Chic-fil-A.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been influenced most by the masters of storytelling such as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway. For both of them, their voice was strong, the story came first and the style emerged from the tale. I am fascinated by H.G. Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, and George Orwell. I’ve carried a copy of The War of the Worlds in my backpack for years. The book reminds me that in a story set in the midst of an alien invasion, it’s still the personal story that matters.
I’m drawn to several modern day writers for differing reasons. Dan Brown is a clever puzzle master. Stephen King seems to have a bottomless well of amazingly creative stories. Anne Rice mixes religion, sex, and fantasy better than any writer ever. Neil Gaiman is the greatest writer that most mainstream people have never heard of. His book American Gods is a modern day classic.
I wrote my first novel, that will forever remain hidden, after my partner at the time was reading The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I read the book one afternoon and thought, I could write this crap in a few weeks. It actually took me six months to finish it and, of course, when I finished, it was crap. Although I don’t necessarily like his writing style, I’ve since come to appreciate how Nicholas Sparks can take a simple concept of magical realism and build and entire love story around it.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently trying my hardest to finish the Armstrong Dent novel that completes this first series of tales.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe the best method to promoting your book is to understand that your work only begins when you finish the novel. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, you are going to have to work the equivalent of a full-time job for an entire year doing whatever you can to let people know about your books. Whether it’s blog tours, sites like Awesomegang.com, radio call-ins, and on and on, you have to put in the work to see results. As an indie-writer, if you get discouraged because you’re only seeing a sale a week on Amazon, you might as well not even invest the time writing the books. One sale a week has to motivate you to push to get one sale a day. One sale a day to get one sale an hour and so on until you have established yourself.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to ask someone to buy your book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the book you want to read that no one has written before.
What are you reading now?
I usually read ebooks, often on my phone. But, I just bought my first physical book in several years. Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. I’ll love it even more because the feel of the paper in my hands makes the story seem even more real.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not really sure what’s next. Maybe I’ll tackle an emotional story that requires me to explore some hidden pain from my childhood…
Please, if there is a supreme being guiding our every move, please don’t let me write that book. I prefer my character’s emotions to be anywhere but on their sleeve.
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?
-One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights)
-Robinson Crusoe (for the irony)
-Idiots Guide to How to Survive on a Desert Island (if that exists)
-A blank notebook and something to write with
Author Websites and Profiles
Aéyess (No Last Name) Website
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