Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Describing oneself is always the hardest question: How to walk that fine line between self-praise and self-effacing, especially when you’re promoting a self-published book?
For my attempt I will begin and end with my loves. What else is important, or what better way to help my readers relate to myself and my characters? I love to travel abroad, but I haven’t been everywhere. I love to read widely, but my habit is to stick to the classics. I love to cook, and am getting some serious chops as a pizza baker. Who doesn’t love pizza? I can relate.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death to Janus, inspired by the general sentiment surrounding the titular villain who becomes a despotic, seemingly divine figure to the ancients in the spirit of Joseph Conrad’s enigmatic Mr. Kurtz in Heart of Darkness, or even the “Naziesque” alien dictator who subverts a world culture in an original Star Trek episode. The type of charismatic leader who upends the natural order, violates the Prime Directive and makes playthings of humanity. Without fail such petty tyrants are better off…removed from power.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For years I would have said it was my singular obsession with spinning this yarn morning, day and night, but somehow I doubt that sets me apart. Nowadays it’s a different story: I’ve taken to editing my work during my morning Peloton rides, and this despite the intense workout, profuse sweating, blaring soundtrack and frankly gorgeous spin-class instructor that might otherwise distract me from reading the novel at hand. Whatever the case it’s become the perfect recipe for concentrating on my work while staying in shape at the same time, and it goes without saying I can’t ignore the instructor’s charms completely. A double victory.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Above all my attraction to irreverent sci-fi authors like Alfred Bester, Kurt Vonnegut, Roger Zelazny, the list goes on. Too many books have influenced me personally to take stab at listing them here, but when it comes to my own work I’ve drawn inspiration from classic books set in the ancient Mediterranean world (as an aside, Spartacus by Howard Fast was an unexpectedly powerful and poignant work, and it is easy to see why Ben Hur was immensely popular in its day); several of the “classical” works themselves, some of which I thankfully held on to after college (break out the Plutarch!); and lastly the obscure 1939 alternate history novel Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp, about a history professor unexpectedly teleported to the ancient Byzantine Empire, of all places. And while I can’t blame old L. Sprague for eschewing the Roman Empire as the setting for that already ambitious novel, I can and should object to the deplorable anti-Islamic sentiments he inks in a bizarre afterword to the story. Give it a read if you’re more than passably interested in an experimental 1930s alternate history novel, and by all means ignore the addendum if you don’t want ruin an otherwise decent adventure story. If it were me, I would suggest skipping his book entirely and immediately burying your nose in Death to Janus.
What are you working on now?
These days I’m hard at work self-promoting self-published books, which means enduring all the lingering doubt that entails while nursing the unyielding hope that when I find my audience I can resume writing in earnest and as a full-time novelist, the starry-eyed fiction author’s dream since time immemorial. Optimism is my life’s blood in this venture, plus an engaging writing style and a heartfelt, genre-blending sci-fi adventure story of friendship and self-sacrifice that teases an epic, if I had to describe it myself, and keep in mind I know how it ends.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Perseverance perseverance perseverance, also an author’s profile on twitter (one among millions), a free book promotion every now and again (as enticing as any free literature from dubious sources), and this very interview, truly my first moment to shine if ever there was one. I am grateful for the opportunity, Awesome Gang!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never forget that as artists we have to be perfectionists. And we are artists of a sort, where the page is a medium and the best authors can practically paint with words. Also they use the entire canvas, they know how to convey big ideas obliquely, where to avoid the pitfalls…the whole bit, plus an absolute economy of materials, in our case words. A thousand artist metaphors can spring to mind now that I’ve invoked a few, and surely it is better to roll with that technique than to risk miring the plot and discouraging the reader. Keep the story moving and let their mind’s eye fill in the details wherever you can get away with it. We’re not actually painting, after all.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never take a job you can’t quit.” That was a professor’s reply when I once requested an extension on a paper due to my National Guard obligations, and jokingly asked if he knew of any special tricks to get out of the army early. He didn’t laugh, either, but that was his immediate response and you could tell it was an old axiom, doubtless passed down to him at some point. I like to think so. It’s certainly one for the ages, and true.
What are you reading now?
Always a handful of books at once: I’ve just finished rereading the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin for probably the fourth time, and of course that story lingers. I’m finishing Alone in the Light by Benjamin W. Bass, a friend from college and the army and a fellow self-publisher, with his wife A.J. Bass’s debut novel Paige’s Story to follow. Meanwhile I’m halfway through Jacques Vallée’s Passport to Magonia, for some unique insight into what in the hell UFOs might be, and still putting off cracking open The Tale of Genji, a Christmas gift from my wife, who knows my love of giant tomes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
It is up to the readers to decide! I could write all day, but what is supply without demand?
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?
1. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester – It’s hilarious, it’s eccentric, it’s creative, it’s meaningful and heartfelt, and of course it’s classic sci-fi.
2. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – Gigantic, endlessly fascinating and Gibbon is a master storyteller. I might as well bring the unabridged addition, which probably hasn’t been read cover-to-cover in a long, long time.
3. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny – I had no idea that sci-fi could be this cool. And I’m talking about sci-fi, for God’s sake. So cool.
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