Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a fiction and Christian fiction writer. I currently have two books written, The Saint with Trin, and Omega Station and Noah’s Ark. I am currently working on a couple more projects, one fantasy novel and a collection of short stories based on Biblical accounts.
I love to dance almost any style of dance. My favorite style, mostly because it is so easy, is two-step. I first fell in love with dancing when I took salsa classes in Cocoa Beach Florida. I have dabbled in swing dancing, blues dancing, and even ballet dancing.
I enjoy hiking and camping and have recently decided (now that I have taken to full-time writing) to start doing this more. I can sit for hours and appreciate nature while I sit and write. If I want to take a break from writing, I can take a nice hike or read.
Reading fiction is another of my favorite things to do, though I don’t read near as much as I would like to. Some of this is because I spend the majority of my time writing, being involved in church, or just hanging out with friends.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I will talk about my unpublished work just because it is the work I am most passionate about right now. My current project in progress is a collection of short stories based on Biblical accounts. I get my inspiration for these through sermons and songs during worship. The preacher will say a phrase, and God just starts downloading to me. I keep a tiny flip notebook with my Bible to write these ideas down when I get them.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I feel like I am an unconventional author because I do have a lot of unusual writing habits. For one, I need to write in a public place otherwise I won’t get near as much done. I joke that it is because of my ADHD. The distraction keeps me distracted just enough to keep focused. Another thing I do that I don’t follow the normal rules is that I write several stories at the same time. I am currently working on a novel, a short story, a collection of Bible stories, a monthly sci-fi serial novel, and a bi-monthly fantasy serial novel. I have a lot of projects I do simultaneously, which interview after interview strongly suggest not to do that as an author. I also don’t count word count for my goals, but page counts. I set goals of pages per story to write a week, and I write them the traditional way with ink and paper, then go back and type them. It may take a little longer because of an added step, but I feel that I think and flow better when I write by hand. I have also been teaching myself to write with both hands so when my strong hand gets tired I can just switch hands and power through.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Specific books and authors that have influenced me would be the Icewind Dale series by R. A. Salvatore and the Sword of Shannara series By Terry Brooks. I have discovered through conversations with one of my editors that as a child (I read a lot as a child) I have been significantly influenced by books that have British origins because I tend (even to this day) spell color “colour” and leaped “lept” (among other words) which is how the Brittish spell these words.
What are you working on now?
I am constantly working on my serial novels that I post monthly or bi-monthly, short story collections and a couple of novels.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t figured that one out yet, but I use Facebook and Instagram the most.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing and don’t get discouraged when your writing doesn’t seem to get the traction that you are hoping it does.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It takes time to get notices as a n author. It isn’t an overnight success. Even the “overnight successes” began years before they were “suddenly discovered.”
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to eventually make enough writing that I can quit my part-time job and write full time.
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?
The Bible, of course. A survivalists guide. A dictionary of all the known edible and poisonous plants. A dictionary of what all the natural geological elements look like and their properties. You know like flint, or phosphorus just in case there are any of these elements on the island that I can use.
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