Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
poet, playwright, and a storyteller, my love for writing began in 3rd grade when I won a district writing contest. My love for fantastical forces motivates me to create stories of heroes, villains, gods and monsters that often have a foundation in Old World mythology and legends.
While I have written many books and stories, Sanctum: Sands of Setesh is the first to ever cross the publication finish line.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve always enjoyed stories involving modern mythos, but… not. Sands of Setesh was born (honestly) out of a need to find a creative outlet during a time of seclusion. Tony and I just began writing a little short story back and forth to keep ourselves busy, and soon a book was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define unusual? Gotta have music pumping through my headcans to generate words.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joel Rosenberg’s “Guardian’s of the Flame” series, The Belgariad, Sword of Shanara…
What are you working on now?
Working on the next installment of the World of Sanctum Series. The working title is “Sanctum: Forests of Avalon”
Do you have any advice for new authors?
WRITE!
It doesn’t matter what it is. If you decide at 3am in the morning that you have an idea chewing on your brain, get up and write it down. Seriously.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King wrote : First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.”
I think this is the best thing I have ever read where writing is concerned. We are here to tell stories, and while I would LOVE for others to find them engaging…if *I* don’t enjoy them, how on earth will you?
What are you reading now?
I am just now picking up the “Harrow The Ninth” series. I have always been fascinated with underworld mythos and I am curious to see what this is all about.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue to bring a little magic back to the world with the stories I create.
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?
Oh gosh… such a hard question. Gotta have Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”. The Mother of Science Fiction was a true inspiration. Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” is something that touched a nerve in me when it was originally released. I have read it multiple times and never tire of it. I think maybe “Phantom” by Susan Kay. There was something about how she took Gaston Leroux’s original story and fleshed out the character based on the snippets of information that Leroux gave us that I have always loved.
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