Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in 1967 and have worked in design and marketing for most of my life. My first book was Amplified, self published in 2003 on a whim. I completed the first draft of the sequel, but have not finished it at the point.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Quest of Arryn Kaan was created originally by considering things that had not been done in movies, but I could never figure out a way to make it work. One day I was chatting with an online friend and saw his name, Arryn. The spelling was unique. The name Arryn Kaan just appeared in my head and was such a powerful name to me. The missing puzzle piece fell into place and a new world was conceived, including ideas for three more books based on the characters.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I put a lot of myself into my characters. Sometimes that means realistic characteristics and sometimes that means placing characteristics that I would hope I would have to courage to have if placed in the situations of the characters.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My primary interest in books when growing up was Robert Heinlein, Dean Koontz and Clive Cussler. Clive Cussler books would be of primary influence in creating my own worlds with a strong lead character.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on a rewrite of my first book ‘Amplified’. I hope to republish in near future and them place focus on finishing its sequel ‘Barriers’.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m researching and testing several methods and sites. I currently have promotions running on Amazon and Facebook to see what type of success they offer.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can offer is to just Start Writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever received was to write from the heart and edit from the head. In my case, that advice was very productive in the creation of The Quest of Arryn Kaan.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently re-reading my first book Amplified, in order to update it for re-publishing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My next goal is to complete the sequel to Amplified. In future, my goals are to complete the sequels (in my head) to both Amplified and the Quest series. Both books have two sequels planned. The fourth book of both series, I hope, will be a crossover that brings both universes together for a truly unique adventure.
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 first book I would bring would be ‘Lightning’ by Dean Koonts. That’s probably my favorite book. The second would be a toss up between the first Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler. The third would have to be ‘The Idiots Guide to Raft Building’.
Author Websites and Profiles
C. Todd Cleveland Amazon Profile