Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m proud to say I’m an indie author. I self-published a novella, Pain’s Joke, in April 2012. I’m currently writing my next book, Towpath Jesus, and it should be out before Christmas 2014.
When I’m not writing, I’m a machinist by trade, and a husband and father by vocation. I enjoy fishing, hiking, backpacking, and growing irises.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novella, Pain’s Joke, is about a twelve year old boy who was born with a facial disfigurement. He befriends an old, washed-up minister, only to find that he is the same man who inadvertently caused the boy’s grandparents to lose their life savings many years ago. While there is a lot of discussion about faith and miracles, it is NOT a “Christian” book. The characters simply happen to be deeply religious.
The inspiration from the book came from the question I had been asking myself: What if a miraculous healing was only temporary? I really thought about the implications it would have for the character, and the idea just grew from there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say it’s all that unusual, but like many indie authors I have a day job, so I tend to write in spurts. I’ll write nearly everyday for a few weeks, then I’ll focus on family or work. Then I get back to writing. So it’s a lot of back and forth. It’s a challenge finding a balance among work, writing, family, and “me time”.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Paul Auster was the first author I really took an interest in. The funny thing is, I was only reading it because (at the time) a girl I was madly in love with was reading New York Trilogy, and I wanted an in, so to speak. The girl is long gone, but I still read Paul Auster. He’s absolutely brilliant.
There’s also the standards: Hemingway, Dickens, Thoreau, Whitman, Vonnegut, Orwell, Chesterton.
What are you working on now?
Towpath Jesus is about a seemingly homeless man I ran into while fishing one day a few years ago. He was a really cool guy, and he had a very unique outlook on life. He only worked odd jobs long enough to make his meager bills, then he quit and did whatever it was that pleased him. Biking, Hiking, Fishing. He was an avid freecycler and dumpster diver. It really made me wonder how he came to be who he was. So I made up a completely fictional backstory to this real life guy I met.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would love to be able to say that I had some magic trick that let me sell tons and tons of books, but I don’t. And I think anyone who tells you they do is suspect at best. I prefer the good, old-fashioned word of mouth marketing. Reading a book, and enjoying it, is something that is personal and intimate. It’s between the writer and the reader. So when someone has a great experience as a reader, and it was so good that they’re willing to share it with people they know, that’s worth more than any marketing campaign or Amazon review. It’s the relationships that matter. Don’t get me wrong though, I still have an advertising budget. You have to get people to read it in the first place.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it. It took me almost ten years to finish Pain’s Joke, and it’s only a novella. It was mostly fear and self-doubt that kept distracting me from writing. You’ll have moments of self-doubt and times when you think you might not be able to hack it. But the worst thing you can ever do is stop writing. You’re only a writer if you write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I can tell you the worst advice I have ever heard: You can do anything you put your mind to. It’s nonsense. Believe me, I’ve put my mind to regrowing the bald spot on the top of my head, and nothing ever came of it.
What are you reading now?
I’m trying to avoid reading any fiction while I’m writing. After this book is done, I have a copy of Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, and I’m about halfway through it. It’s hilarious.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to just keep plugging away. Whether I sell one book or a million, I’m going to write until the day I die. As long as I still have something to say, I’m still going to be writing.
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?
US Army Survival Guide
Meditations of John Muir
The Bible (It’s not that I’m overly religious, but I’d need SOMETHING to convince me that my being stranded was for some greater purpose. Otherwise I’d turn into those savage little boys from Lord of the Flies.)
Author Websites and Profiles
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