Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former teacher turned software developer and I write books on the side. I’ve written two books: The first in a fantasy series called The Bahawre Legend and a self help book called Distraction-Free Writing. I’ve also published some short stories.
As of November 2018, I’m nearly finished with the second book in the fantasy series: The Bahawre Covenant.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Bahawre Covenant. It’s the second in my fantasy series.
My inspiration for the series was the idea of an island with unusual properties. Rather than use our world, I opted for an alternate universe or maybe a planet so far away we’ve yet to discover it.
One thing I hear people say about fantasy stories is how easy it is to get lost in the over-abundance of description. It’s easy to lose the plot.
So I went with the idea that most things in a fantasy world can be familiar to the reader. People, tables, horses, etc. All I need to do is twist them a little, which requires less description and gets the reader into the plot more easily.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a geek, I have what some may see as an unusual process. I start with plain text files formatted as Markdown. I keep them in a version control system (git) so I can track my changes. I don’t touch a word processor until I start the editing process, and only then because my editor doesn’t know Markdown. And I don’t own a copy of Word. LibreOffice does everything I need.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robin Hobb, R.A. Salvatore, Roger Elwood, Frank Peretti, Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss and Terry Pratchett. I think everything I read influences me in some way, but those authors stand out.
What are you working on now?
My fantasy series, Legends of Aeo. Book 2 will be out in December 2018. I plan to move right into the next book. Hopefully, books 3 and 4 will both be released in 2019.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve experimented with a number of things, none of which have worked particularly well for me. As of 2018, I’m a relatively unknown author. With every market so saturated, it’s difficult to grab anyone’s attention. I’ll just keep poking the bear with a stick until it growls.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write as often as you can, because practice makes perfect. Keep writing, keep improving and keep submitting your work. Whether you submit to agents, periodicals, magazines or self-publish, get it out there. The more people see it, the more likely someone will love it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Assume other people are at least as smart as you are.
What are you reading now?
The questions on this author interview form … okay, really, I’ve been re-reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m toying with the idea of some children’s books. My kids keep pushing me to write down the bedtime stories I used to tell them. We’ll see. I’m currently focused on my fantasy series.
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 (so many stories and re-readable), The Name of the Wind (I could read this many times and not get bored), The Hobbit, Dwellers (These last two because it’s been a long time)
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