Interview With Author Chris Smith
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author of 12 western novels and one fantasy adventure. Book 14 is on the way and I’m hoping to write a book per month for the foreseeable future.
I grew up reading the amazing stories of Louis L’Amour, Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, and Robert Ludlum, and always wanted to write my own stories. In my spare time I fish, hunt, swim at the beach, and barbecue with friends and family. I love connecting with fans on social media and my writing goal is to break into the Top 100 on Amazon and stay there.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter: Bounty in Brimstone.
It’s book 6 in the Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter series and I was inspired by recently watching Oceans 13 again. I love a good heist movie and wanted to challenge my characters by putting them up against a gang of smart, but ruthless bank robbers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to act out the scenes sometimes, especially fight scenes where there’s hand-to-hand combat.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Ludlum, Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Robert Ludlum.
I try to pack a lot of action into my books along with a good plot and a bit of humor and mystery. Every now and then I throw in a plot twist or a bit of mystery to keep things interesting.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently busy with Jim Taylor, Mountain Man: Escape to the Mountain. It’s book 5 in the Jim Taylor series and a crossover between my Jim Taylor, Mountain Man and Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter series.
Jim meets up with a young man who is on the run after falling afoul of an arrogant young rancher and his friends. Soon Jim and the youngster are trapped in the mountains, fighting against both the harsh elements and the vengeful ranch hands. Steve, who is Jim’s cousin, hears of their plight and come riding along to lend a hand, along with his friends Chen Lee and Xavier Colebright
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that the best way to promote my books is via social media. I have a lot of support from folks on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook and they’re kind enough to share my posts out and recommend me to their networks.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get as many different kinds of people as possible to edit your book for you WHILE you’re writing. I have my chapters edited for me by 4 different readers as they chapter is finished.
That way I eliminate plot errors and continuity issues. It also allows me to publish faster upon completion as a lot of errors have been eliminated.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Not everybody is going to like your work so don’t try to please everyone. Write a book that you would enjoy reading. Some will love it, a few might hate it, but focus on the many positive reviews and don’t dwell on the two or three negative comments. At the end of the day, celebrate that you’ve managed to write an entire book. Not everybody can do that.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Tenderfoot, by Robert Vaughan. I had a reader write to me and compare my book to The Tenderfoot, so I just had to get myself a copy.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve set myself a goal of writing a book of between 35 000 and 43 000 words each month for the foreseeable future. It’s tough, but doable.
I also have a dream of seeing my movies on screen as a movie franchise or tv 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 Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
The Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
The Dwarves by Markus Heitz
The Bible because there’s always something new to read there
Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Smith’s Social Media Links