Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an electrical engineer for an oil and gas services company; I play drums for a Celtic rock band called the Tomfooligans; and I write stories in every other waking hour. I’ve written two solo books (Phalanx Alpha / Shallow Creek) and one collaboration (The Chosen). Everything I publish has gone through the editing process with my associates at www.the4threalm.com, but only The Chosen was actually written by the three of us. We have a sequel to The Chosen, called The Descent, hitting Amazon shelves in September.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Shallow Creek is my latest release, and I can’t put my finger on any one inspiration for it. Living in Houston, Texas for the last seven years, I’ve met a lot of people from West Texas, and one of them did tell me about a particularly dangerous meth cooking method that is mentioned in the story. I guess that’s what started the whole thing, but the rest of the story just flowed as I went.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I really need absolute silence when I write. I can outline with noisy distractions nearby, but I can’t handle even background TV noise from my lovely wife while I’m cranking out pages of a story. Recently I’ve taken to wearing the soundproof headphones I normally use while drumming.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d love to think that Crichton, Clancy, DeMille, Scalzi, and Pratchett have influenced me, mostly because they’re my favorite authors. Crichton’s attention to scientific detail always sucked me in; Clancy’s epic thrillers throw me around the world, but maintain great momentum through well-done character interactions; DeMille’s John Corey is my favorite character of all time, the epitome of a smart-ass; Scalzi’s Old Man’s War trilogy is simply brilliant; and Pratchett’s Night Watch series is beyond compare.
What are you working on now?
I’m cruising through an outline for a sequel to Shallow Creek right now. The working title is Shallow Grave, but I’m told that’s far too cheesy. I’ve yet to create a working title that actually saw the cover of a book. Maybe the next one will get lucky.
With my buddies at The 4th Realm, we’re putting the finishing touches on The Descent, the sequel to The Chosen. This fantasy series was originally based on an MMO that we all played, but due to obvious infringement issues, we’ve recreated the series with our own imaginations, crafting a fantasy world where three realms war against each other, not realizing the true enemy lurks below. We’ll get started on the third book in the Rise of Cithria series very soon.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Other than this one?
Goodreads.com has been positive, and we’ve recently tried the giveaway promo through them, with good results.
We’ve also had success with Amazon’s KDP Select program. Honestly, I haven’t sold a single copy of anything through iTunes, Nook, Kobo, etc., but Amazon continues to work for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t go it alone. I know many authors are cut from the reclusive cloth, and trust me, I love my solitude, but engaging with a small group of like-minded people is fantastic. My particular group consists of two other writers and a few readers. We all edit each other’s work. We all promote each other’s work. But most importantly, we encourage each other and push each other to keep writing.
I’m sure this interview contains all manner of grammatical and structural mistakes, and all because I didn’t have my crew review it first.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stay humble.
Set goals that you can control.
What are you reading now?
The Frozen Sky by Jeff Carlson, and I’m really enjoying it.
I just finished reading the two Timecaster books by JA Konrath. Not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for children, but the stories amused the heck out of me.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Tying back in to the best advice I’ve received, all my goals need to remain under my control. I can’t say, “My goal is to sell 4,000,000 books per year”, because I can’t force people to buy my books. I’ll continue to focus on writing stories that people enjoy.
What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s a great question. I’ve read so many books that the more recent ones often stick out the most (or my memory is just crap… either way).
I’ll have to go with Jurassic Park. Crichton really opened my eyes with that book.
Author Websites and Profiles
Alistair McIntyre Website
Alistair McIntyre Amazon Profile
Alistair McIntyre Author Profile on Smashwords
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